Diving While on a Cruise

[SKINSnCANES]

Im going on a cruise next month that stops in Belize, Isla Rotan, Grand Cayman and Cozumel. Does anyone have experience doing one day dives with any local operators in these locations?

Im trying to avoid diving with the ship and large crowds.

 

[ScubaSteve]

I have only ever dove Cozumel of your list but will say that in many cases you can safely book your own dives rather than going through the cruie. However, look at what they offer and the timing. I chose to do both my dives (St. Marten and St. Thomas) through the cruisline simply because in St. Marten they offered a shark feeding (nobody else offered it) and in St. Thomas we were at shore for little enough time that I liked the guarantee that the cruise offered......they guaranteed we would make it back onto the boat before it left. If you book yourself on another charter and have engine trouble or something......you need to fly yourself to the next stop to meet the cruise.

I think you are usually safe and the places you mention are huge cruise destinations so you will likely be safe but it is at least something to consider.

 

[flots am]

Im going on a cruise next month that stops in Belize, Isla Rotan, Grand Cayman and Cozumel. Does anyone have experience doing one day dives with any local operators in these locations?

Im trying to avoid diving with the ship and large crowds.

The ships in Belize use Hugh Parkey and they actually do a really nice job. Also, it's a *really* long ride to the dive site and you probably won't be happy in a little boat. Additionally, the timing is pretty tight so you really don't have a lot of options.

It's nice diving, and I'd just bite the bullet and sign up with the ship in Belize.

In Coz, there's plenty of time to schedule your own. I've had great dives off the ship when using Blue XT-Sea, although there are other really nice dive ops there also. I'm sure other people will list their favorites.

If you're experienced and don't need watching, pretty much any dive op on GC would be fine. If you're new, a number of them tend to have severe lapses in judgement. It's easy to get a taxi from the ship to the dive op if you have enough port time (check your schedule).

Also, check local time against ship time. I've been ambushed before with an unexpected time zone change.

flots.

 

[diversteve]

On Roatan the cruise operator is Anthony's Key Resort. They'll shuttle you back and forth (1/2 hr. each way) and do two nearby dives - not the best dives in that area. I've read that they dive Overheat Reef with Princess Cruise divers - we dove it and it was just kind of average.

A better option is Barefoot Divers at Barefoot Cay. Barefoot has a day cruise program. With your dive experience they could take you to Mary's Place - it's just off the Cay and the most Famous dive on Roatan. It's also 5 minutes by cab from the Mahogany Bay cruise port - 20 mins. from the old port at Coxen Hole.

We dove with them, good people, 8/boat max, excellent dive boat - big swim step. It really is valet diving, once you drop your gear on the dock, they do the rest. For our 2nd dive we did the Prince Albert wreck off Cocoview - about 15mins. away by boat. Two of the better dives on Roatan.

Another option is Subway Watersports at Turquoise Bay resort. I know nothing about them except that they'll also pick you up at the cruise pier. Probably as far a ride as AKR, just NE instead of NW.

On Cayman the cruise operator is Don Fosters. Exactly what you don't want - big boats etc. Lobster Pot Dive Center in Georgetown books Off the Wall Divers, Wall to Wall and Divers Down? No experience w/any of them but both OTW and WTW are 8 divers max.

 

[SKINSnCANES]

For those that went diving in Grand Cayman, is there enough time to dive the wall (two tank dive) then go to the sting ray city in the afternoon? I think theres enough time in port, I just dont know how far it is from the boat. Can you do stingray city on your own? If its close I dont see why I would need to pay to have someone be on the beach with me. Most couple it with snorkeling at a reef which I could skip since I just went diving

Thanks for the other replies!!

 

[Damselfish]

Stingray City isn't remotely a shore dive. You'll go to a marina on the North Sound where you'll get on a boat that heads out across the sound.

 

[Phil_218]

My only dive (to date) in Cozumel was done while aboard a Royal Caribbean cruise. I chose to book my own seperate from the ships offering. I won't suggest the operator I used simply because my wife had a bad experience, which was completely unprofessional. What I will suggest is to look at TripAdvisor. Last I checked Scuba Tony was the #1 listed attraction. Look through the list of the highest rated scuba charters, then contact them to see if they can match your itenirary. Some will, some won't.

 

[diversteve]

For those that went diving in Grand Cayman, is there enough time to dive the wall (two tank dive) then go to the sting ray city in the afternoon? I think theres enough time in port, I just dont know how far it is from the boat. Can you do stingray city on your own? If its close I dont see why I would need to pay to have someone be on the beach with me. Most couple it with snorkeling at a reef which I could skip since I just went diving

Thanks for the other replies!!

Google Earth shows it at roughly 4.3 miles from the dock. (see attached)

There's also two different programs - the SRC dive which is done by multiple dive operators and the SandBar (nearby) snorkel. The dive is a 15' dive for 45 mins. - most of the dive operators also will take snorkelers. Usually the dives are done in the afternoon. On our dive one other boat arrived while we were in the water - after our squid was gone the rays made a beeline for it leaving us, a small patch of coral, and a myopic Moray Eel nicknamed Psycho.

The Sandbar "snorkel" is hundreds of people standing up in 4' of water and interacting with the rays:

If you're not sailing till 5 you probably could do it - our dive was from about 1-4 IIRC. And our shuttle dropped people off at several resorts along SMB. Georgetown is a zoo when the cruise ships dock/depart so allow more time to get to/through town.

 

[Damselfish]

My only dive (to date) in Cozumel was done while aboard a Royal Caribbean cruise. I chose to book my own seperate from the ships offering. I won't suggest the operator I used simply because my wife had a bad experience, which was completely unprofessional. What I will suggest is to look at TripAdvisor. Last I checked Scuba Tony was the #1 listed attraction. Look through the list of the highest rated scuba charters, then contact them to see if they can match your itenirary. Some will, some won't.

note that most folks will suggest looking for dive op recommendations here or other scuba specific forums, not TripAdvisor which while helpful for general travel stuff is not really a very good source for dive stuff.

 

[SKINSnCANES]

I agree, joining this site has been a great idea to find out information. I used to just read but finally took the plunge and signed up.

I think the day in Grand Cayman is a long day so ill tyr and arrange a morning dive and afternoon sting ray excursion.