don't bash us for cruising

[ski-diveSteve]

Falcon, I think diving while cruising is a great way to get a few good dives and spend a week with your non-diving wife (in my case). We cruised on the Conquest January 12 and I dove at Grand Cayman. I also used Neptune Divers (www.neptunedivers.com). Casey is great and goes out of her way to make sure cruise ship divers can pull this off. The Conquest anchors at 7:00 a.m., take the first or second tender to shore and then a taxi to Public Beach, that is where Neptune Divers has their boat. (make reservations before you leave) We did a great dive on the West Wall to 110 feet, the a cool wreck (Doc Paulson). The ships dive went to the Oro Verde. After these two dives Casey dropped me off in town and I dove at Eden Rock. This was awesome and almost as good as the boat dive. Very cool tunnels at Devils Grotto. Barely caught the last tender back to the ship at 3:00. For Cozumel I had reserved a dive with the ship because of the late arrival in port, but all diving in Cozumel was canceled that day due to weather. Rented a moped instead and snorkeled off the east side. That was cool, but I sure wish I could have dove there. I'll be back for sure some day. You should be able to find an operator in Cozumel leaving at 1 or 2 and returning by 5:30 if you check around. Otherwise book with the ship. Have a great time!

 

[Cave Diver]

metridium once bubbled...
Thanks, Walter. Glad to see somebody gets my sense of humor.

It gave me a chuckle too metridium. I had this vision of diver fully geared up, standing on the bow ready to giant stride (and I do mean giant) off the bow as soon as the anchors dropped. Hmmm, come to think of it, that sounds like a coupla people I know.

 

[falcon]

thanks steve, info is very helpful. we are looking forward to a great time. may even do a giant stride off the back of the cruise ship just to make metridium smile.

 

[ggunn]

falcon once bubbled...
Disappointingly, that snobbish response does not surprise me. One does not have to sleep on a dive boat with a regulator in one’s mouth, or make 14 dives in a day, to be a diving enthusiast. We enjoy the diving opportunities we have, but our vacation is one that has a variety of activities. I guess that makes us second-class divers in the opinion of this discussion board. Too bad.

By way of explanation, and right or wrong, you will frequently draw some fire (sarcasm, humor, whatever) when you mention Cozumel and cruise ships in the same post, because in many divers' opinion ( and that of many non divers, too) the cruise ship industry is doing a number on Cozumel. It's not you per se, it's guilt by association.

 

[Epinephelus]

Cruise ships are the locusts of the sea. They leave devastation in their wake. If only you could have seen the reefs of Cozumel 25 years ago... or Cayman... you would cry now as I do. And now they're coming to trash Bonaire... sad... sad...
E. itajara

 

[Reeflover]

Cruise ships are the locusts of the sea. They leave devastation in their wake.

This is one of the reasons I refuse to take a cruise. I have read many reports and seen video tapes of the amount of trash, sewage etc. they throw or pump overboard into the very waters we hope to enjoy. Environmentally they are a serious threat and have a large impact on our reefs and waters.




Reeflover

 

[mars2u]

Believe what you will...but things have been changing concerning at least RCCL and Celebrity (now one company). A prime example is the RCCL. I just recently cruised with them and have to say that as a biologist that visited the Atmospheric and Ocean labs onboard I was very impressed. I don't know about the rest of the cruise industry but they are doing things right in RCCL. Everything...I MEAN EVERYTHING is recycled on board. When they get back to Miami, they have enormous bins that have divided paper,plastic, and glass that's transported off the ship.
I'm sure there are those passengers that throw things overboard though.
Also, they have an Environmental Officer on board that oversees that they abide to international as well as U.S. EPA regulations.

I'm sure most of you are correct in your comments concerning the cruise industry in the past, but I'm seeing a positive change.

 

[Zagnut]

but, without the little smiley, I could see how Falcon might mistake it for a smart@ss reply. Lighten up a little though, Falcon. I don't think Metridium has anything against you. We are kinda like a big (and somewhat twisted) family here.

Anyhows, welcome to the board Falcon.

Here's a good website with a list of several dive shops in Coz. At the bottom of the list, click on "Scuba Dive Shop Reviews" and you can read reviews of several of the dive ops. Explore this whole website.. it's a good one.

http://www.travelnotes.cc/cozumel/links/diveshops.html


Here is the site of Papa Hogs, a coz dive shop. Their site has some really good maps so you can see just where the cruise ships dock, and how the city of San Miguel is layed out. It might help you to pick a dive op that is close to where your ship docks...

http://www.papahogs.com/noframes/nfindex.htm
http://www.papahogs.com/noframes/cozmaps.gif
http://www.papahogs.com/noframes/smmap.gif

..but if you REALLY want to maximize your diving, Metridium's suggestion would definately do the trick!

..and again welcome to the Subaboard, it's a pretty cool (and sometime addictive) place to hang out when your not diving.

 

[ggunn]

mars2u once bubbled...
Believe what you will...but things have been changing concerning at least RCCL and Celebrity (now one company). A prime example is the RCCL. I just recently cruised with them and have to say that as a biologist that visited the Atmospheric and Ocean labs onboard I was very impressed. I don't know about the rest of the cruise industry but they are doing things right in RCCL. Everything...I MEAN EVERYTHING is recycled on board. When they get back to Miami, they have enormous bins that have divided paper,plastic, and glass that's transported off the ship.
I'm sure there are those passengers that throw things overboard though.
Also, they have an Environmental Officer on board that oversees that they abide to international as well as U.S. EPA regulations.

I'm sure most of you are correct in your comments concerning the cruise industry in the past, but I'm seeing a positive change.

Much of the pollution that the cruise ship industry brings to Cozumel is not ecological, it's economic and cultural. Most of the local merchants have been driven from the waterfront in favor of jewelry stores and the abominable Puta Langosta, all catering to the cruseros. Skyrocketing rents have shut down several of my favorite restaurants.