diving during a cruise

[Foo]

Diving on a cruise does take some planning, unless you book all your dives through the cruise line, which for more experienced divers, is not recommended.

We have done it both ways, on our own and by booking through the ship- both have their pluses and minuses. One plus to booking through the ship is when you are tendering (such as in Belize or Cancun) some dive ops pick up right at the ship, very nice. Also, once my husband forgot his C card :shocked2: and the ship (Carnival) worked through the internet to get a copy of his card info (an advantage of a PADI cert for him) and we were really impressed with the service they gave us.

Diving while on a cruise does not take the place of actually visiting a dive destination for a week or more; but it is a good way to sample many different dive destinations. For some who travel with non-divers, a cruise is a good choice.

Agreed, we think of cruises as the "sampler platter" of vacations. You get to visit a place first to see if you want to spend your hard earned vacation dollar on a week there. It has helped us make better decisions regarding our fly-in vacations. We have traveled with around 20 family members and at most 6-8 of us dive, so it is nice to have so many fun port activities for the non-divers to enjoy.

Cleaning and storing gear is the most difficult part of a diving cruise. We will definitely get a balcony on our next one, as your gear is kinda stinky in those little staterooms by the end of a week, no matter how well you rinse it in that teeny shower. :snorkel2:

 

[Foo]

I want to also add that I have seen dive shop websites that inform potential clients that they do not really want "cruise ship divers." That's okay, it's their prerogative, and for the reasons they usually list (ships port too late, and dive shops want fly in customers to book first because they are repeat business, as cruise ship divers are one-dayers, cruise shippers are difficult to contact if there is a need to cancel, change plans, etc.) Just ignore them, keep looking- there are LOTS of ops who will roll out the red carpet for cruise ship divers- they NEED THE BUSINESS. They will give you excellent service and get you back to your ship on time.

 

[Foo]

I have been given a cruise for Christmas the last 5 years, if I am given another one this year I will not even bother taking my gear...

Other than that it is better than being at work, but I would not spend my money on a cruise if I wanted to dive.

Since you're not having to spend your money on it anyway, throw your gear onboard in case you change your mind.

 

[DiverRider]

I will never book a dive excursion through a cruise ship again. Once was enough to teach me a lesson about that. I got what I call a "dump and dive". It was in Grand Cayman and the dive was like a walk trough the desert, wait there are more critters in the desert than where I dove. I booked my own excursion at the port of Jamaica and it was one of the best dives ever. The dive operator drove 50 minutes from his dive shop to pick 2 of us up. He was at the dock waiting on us, it went smooth as ever. I will definately never book through a cruise line again, they are only in it for the money. A few emails and a little research go a long way when booking your own dives during a cruise. BTW I love cruises.......and dive resorts! Just got back from Anthony's Key in Roatan, it was awesome there, just make sure you have the right bug repellant for the no seeums. DEET doesn't work use something wit R-326 in it.

 

[timetraveler]

make sure you have the right bug repellant for the no seeums. DEET doesn't work use something with R-326 in it.

I've been searching for years for an insect repellent that works against no-seeums. This is the first time I've heard of R-326. What insect repellents contain it and where can I find them?

 

[mbwilliamn]

Since you're not having to spend your money on it anyway, throw your gear onboard in case you change your mind.

Or at least your computer, mask and regulator!

 

[mbwilliamn]

DiveRider, Anthony's Key is the cruise operator in Roatan. Everyone who has stayed with them says what you did...Awesome. Those who go to them off the cruiseships....not so much. Appears they run the Ship customers to the same locations and in larger numbers. End result is easy to figure. Short dives, not the best reefs and the same price. I used Barefoot Divers in Roatan and had an awesome experience.

 

[sparky923]

+1 on Barefoot. They treated my son and I like royalty, even though we were "green as gourds." EVERYBODY was really down to earth and really friendly as well.

I was afraid that I would feel like the Beverly Hillbillies because they have such a nice setup and cater to high end clientele, but that just wasn't the case. We had 2 guides on each dive, and when I got a little shaken by concentrating too much on taking pictures, I gave them my camera and they took pictures for me. They really have some great instructors.

If everyone in my family dove, we would spend a week there. But since we don't all dive, we go on cruises where everyone can do their own thing.

 

[mbwilliamn]

Sparky, I forgot to mention that...they ALWAYS use two in water guides with at least one as an instructor. One takes lead the other trail. From a safety perspective its great, but from a comfort perspective as well. If you want to stop and work a photo, the trail guy stays there, so you never feel rushed to keep up with the group. Most of the time they kept a very leisurely pace (been places where is was like a race), but their way of business was great. Oh and if your ship comes in early, don't pass up lunch before you head back to the ship!

 

[sparky923]

Sparky, I forgot to mention that...they ALWAYS use two in water guides with at least one as an instructor. One takes lead the other trail. From a safety perspective its great, but from a comfort perspective as well. If you want to stop and work a photo, the trail guy stays there, so you never feel rushed to keep up with the group. Most of the time they kept a very leisurely pace (been places where is was like a race), but their way of business was great. Oh and if your ship comes in early, don't pass up lunch before you head back to the ship!

Lunch, you say?