Diving at Cruise Ship Ports

[dk2943]

There are good reasons to use the cruise ship sponsored dive operation. The first is that you get picked up directly from the ship. As dive sites are often on the other side of the island, this can be very important. The other reason is that if you are delayed getting back to the ship, if you are with the ship's dive operator, the ship will wait for you. If you dive privately and are late, the ship will not wait.

 

[Torontonian]

There are good reasons to use the cruise ship sponsored dive operation. The first is that you get picked up directly from the ship. As dive sites are often on the other side of the island, this can be very important. The other reason is that if you are delayed getting back to the ship, if you are with the ship's dive operator, the ship will wait for you. If you dive privately and are late, the ship will not wait.

This is exactly the reason many novices take the cruise ship excursion. This is also the exact salespitch by the cruise ships, and the cruise excursion operators.

Two years ago I was inquiring with a dive op and was quoted the price of $75. A few weeks late when I inquired again, they said they just signed up to be contracted with Carnival. I cannot book directly with them, but have to go thru Carnival. It took a few more weeks for them to show up on Carnival's web site, to be booked, and it was $149. Well, it included transportation by Carnival.

I eventually booked privately with another dive op (either for $70 or $75, I don't remmber). I had to pay a taxi fee of $3 to get to them. At the end of the dives, they drove me back to the cruise terminal. In the 2nd dive, the DM turned out to be the previous owner of the dive op further down the road that signed up with Carnival. He said Carnival wanted $75 from them, to become Carnival's contracted op.


The private excursion ops know they have to get people back to the ship on time. If they are late once, words get around, and they WILL lose a lot of future business. They are under more pressure to bring people back on time than the Carnival ops, because the Carnival ops know the ship will wait.

 

[Antietam]

In St Thomas. Hands down it's Blue Island Divers! Smaller groups but not a smaller boat. They will pick you up with their boat at the WICO cruise ship dock, or if you ship comes into Crown Bay dock their shop is right there at Crown Bay Marina. They also have their boat docked right in front of their shop, so no having to shuttle around to get on the boat. St. Thomas scuba diving you can book on line.

 

[TerryC]

My wife and I did a number of Caribbean cruises before moving here permanently. We have done cruise ship tours where we had to, but mostly arranged our own excursions. These were not just diving (my wife doesn't dive), Never, ever have we even come close to being late back to the boat, we have never had a problem. I have always thought an excursion for 2 or 4 is much better than an excursion for 20!
As for dive tours, I have done a mix of both, nothing much is different except for the price you pay. As we say, you pays your money and takes your choice!
Cruise ships have always refused to tell me the operators they use (I like to check them out) so you have to take it on the word of the cruise line. At least booking your own excursions you can check out the operator.

 

[dk2943]

Although I did not start this thread, I have learned from it. Although I do not think I ever paid more than $20.00 extra for using the Cruise ship op, I will start being more independent.

 

[TerryC]

For me it is not so much about the cost, I prefer to "do my own thing", maybe it's about being master of my own destiny.
I know lots of people who always do the cruise ship excursions, for them its not about price, its about the convenience, the "comfort level", etc
Whatever you do, enjoy your diving!

 

[Scuba Laura]

In St. Thomas if you go through the cruise ship you will probably be on a cattleboat with 40-60 other divers and dive on Buck Island, 20 min. on one side of the boat, 20-30 minutes on the other side. By going through an independent operation you will be on smaller boats and with more experience crew per diver. There are a couple of dive operations on St. Thomas that will pick you up right at the cruise ship dock. Do your homework and it will pay off. Most importantly - dive dive dive!!!

 

[Scuba_GD]

Thanks to All,

We have set our plans, but decided check back in on the thread. The responses were very helpful and I've saved your recommendation for the future - those that we're not following now. We will be back to these islands. My wife is a non-water person, but we both love to cruise. Fortunately, my son-in-law is a new diver too. We're diving with Coki Beach Dive Shop in St Thomas with shore dives. We are both newly certified and this is my first non-quarry dive. The concensus on the thread was this is a good first dive to get some experience. Then we're are going with Barbados Blue a few days later.

Again thank you all for your comments. Being new to diving and to this website, I am very impressed with the good will that you all display!!!

I'll post my trip report after. My objectives are to get experience with buoyancy control and not to bang into the reef!! And of course to see some cool stuff!

Scuba_GD

 

[Eddietours]

I'm a brand new certified diver in the Philly area, and am looking forward to my first reef diving on our cruise in Dec. Our cruise goes to:

St. Thomas, USVI
Dominica
Barbados
St. Lucia, WI
Antigua
St Kitts, WI

Since I'm new and to get more experience, I'm more focused on easy dives than spectacular dives. Would like both of course. Shallower dives (<60 ft) are preferred, since I also use allot of air.

Diving with a cruise ship excursion sounds like a poor option from what I've heard so far -- More costly, large groups, and less attention. I've already heard about Coki Beach Dive Club in St. Thomas for shore diving that sounds just right. What about the other ports? What dive sites and local dive shops do you suggest?

thanks!!

Hello Scuba_GD,

When you get to Dominica, you can also contact us at eddietours2001@yahoo.com or by mobile: 1 767 245 2242, 1 767 316 7472, 1 767 614 8555 to assist you in all the you would want to do when visiting Dominica. Also, at this time of the year, I would recommend that you and anyone with you on your cruise, to please bring along a 3mm. full suit for scuba tour.

Eddie S.

 

[tctmd]

Nature Island Dive, Soufriere, Dominica