if you could dive one or two days, which of these?

[faster7581]

I'm going on a cruise march 11-18, 2011.. the destinations are, Roatan, Belize city, Costa maya, and Cozumel.. Im going with my wife, kids and inlaws, so I cant dive every stop.. If you could only dive 1, maybe 2, which would it be? and with what operations? Ive heard some people say to book with the ship, that way you know the times will work out, and some people say to book on your own.. any experience with this? BTW it's on norwegien if that matters with booking.
thanks
mike b

 

[faster7581]

also, are there any good shores dives , 40+ ft close to any of these ports, with close place to rent tanks and weights?

 

[SandyRobinson]

If you have never been to Coz, you would not be disappointed witrh its diving. I cannot answer the question on booking with the cruiseline. I would suggest Paradise Divers because I dive with them. I am sure others can give you other ideas as well.

Regarding a shore dive, just south of the ports and on the beach is a bar and grill called Playa de Coronas where you can swim, eat, and have your favorite refreshment. They also have a small shop that rents tanks(and maybe other gear). While the shore dive does not compare to a boat dive, it is worth doing especially for the cost of a rental tank. This could be a place where the rest of your family eats and relaxes while you dive.

Enjoy your trip.

 

[faster7581]

If you have never been to Coz, you would not be disappointed witrh its diving. I cannot answer the question on booking with the cruiseline. I would suggest Paradise Divers because I dive with them. I am sure others can give you other ideas as well.

Regarding a shore dive, just south of the ports and on the beach is a bar and grill called Playa de Coronas where you can swim, eat, and have your favorite refreshment. They also have a small shop that rents tanks(and maybe other gear). While the shore dive does not compare to a boat dive, it is worth doing especially for the cost of a rental tank. This could be a place where the rest of your family eats and relaxes while you dive.

Enjoy your trip.

thank you, thats helpful, maybe I could do 2 days of boat dives, and 1 beach there

 

[diveprof]

I would suggest Cozumel as your first choice and add Roatan if you can do two (not much to see land wise on Roatan so you might as well dive). For Coz, I recommend that you use either Aldora (steel 120s) or Dive with Martin as they work very well with the cruise ops. Aldora cost more, but you will likely end up with more bottom time.

 

[diveprof]

The shore diving is not impressive. I'd stick with the boat dives which are excellent. I book directly with the dive operator. Otherwise you may end up on a cattle boat (way to many divers). Sometimes it is cheaper to book your own dives.

 

[RickyF]

For Roatan, I suggest Barefoot Divers. Small 6 Pack boats and they have three dives a day, so you should have no problem with scheduling. If I could only do one dive in Roatan, it would have to be Mary's Place.

 

[Tool Belt]

+1 on Diveprof