Looking to take a good cruise and do some diving?

[sasscuba]

Family would like to take a family cruise for the first time in August/September 2007. Would be for 2 kids and 6 adults with 4 divers.

Anyone have any suggestions for a fun cruise that we could schedule in a double tank at every stop for a week long cruise? Possible 3 stops or so for 6 dives minimum?

Any help is much appreciated.

None of us have ever been on a cruise but have been to just about everywhere in the Caribbean.

Maybe a Bahamas cruise?

 

[REII]

Royal Caribbean has a Southern Caribbean cruise out of San Juan PR. I remember that it cruised overnight, and stopped at a different island each day.

There are a lot of cruises out of Ft Lauderdale and Miami that do the Eastern Caribbean, starting with the Bahamas, but you would have sea days while traveling to and from the Bahamas and the Southern Caribbean islands like PR or USVI.

TOM

 

[TSandM]

You might consider something like what we did in April. We chartered a 50 foot catamaran (with crew) and sailed in the BVI. We did two dives a day, although they weren't accustomed to people wanting to do that EVERY day. The boat was gorgeous and the food was outrageous. There were eight of us, which matches your group size.

Our boat was the Liahona, and we booked it through Virgin Islands Sailing.

My lengthy trip report is here

 

[fire_diver]

This past January, my family took our first cruise. It was a 7 day on Royal Caribbean out of Galviston. Itinerary was (with MY excursions)

day 1 -at sea
day 2 -Key West (2 tank dive)
day 3 -at sea
day 4- Grand Cayman (2 tank dive)
day 5- Cozumel (2 tank dive)
day 6- at sea
day 7- Galviston

We loved the cruise and are planning on booking another one soon. Bad points, weather! I know it can't be helped, though. The dives were blown out in KW because high waves had churned up the vis. We never got to set foot in GC becuase the weather beat us there too. I watched 5 other cruise ships turn and head back out that morning. Waves were too high to allow tendering. Coz was great, and the dives there were good. The cruise credits your money back if your excursion gets cancelled.

Your time in each port IS LIMITED! If you are diving, you probably won't have time to do much else. Also, the cruises have the dives booked through dive ops that will give you "safe" dives. Don't expect to see the really great sites. They will take you to the easy sites. But, it's still Caribbean diving with beautiful reefs and lots of fish. Last thing, DON'T TAKE A DIVE KNIFE WITH YOU.


Hope this helps.

FD

 

[Devil505]

Just did 2 cruise ship dives last February (Grand Cayman & Roatan on Carnival Lines) & loved them. Been diving Massachusetts waters all my life so I really got spoiled!<G>. As far as the suggestion not to bring your dive knife, I would never dive without one due to possible entanglement dangers. I brought mine & simply had to leave it with the crew at the gangway after each dive & then pick it up at cruise end. A very minor inconvenience compared to the added safety your knife provides.

 

[TheRedHead]

The NCL western Caribbean cruises (the only cruise I've been on) with diving in Coz, Roatan, Belize and PDC. Belize is not to be missed!

 

[REII]

I also loved Belize. I wonder if there are cruises that go up and down just Central America. Many nice places to see and dive.

TOM

 

[Scuba Brad]

We loved the Hawaii trip I took all our kids and grandkids with us and had a blast. The dive shops we used were get and the diving awesome.

We are headed to wester Carb in December sounds like from "The Red Head" we are in for a treat.

Happy Diving

 

[all4scuba05]

Did the Carnival Valor out of Miami in January. Grand Caymen, Belize, Cozumel, and Costa Maya. Plenty of Diving.

 

[divekraz]

Here's some thoughts. I've been on 3 Royal Caribbean cruises and the Windsurf in the past 3 years.

From a dive stand point the windsurf was the best. The windsurf program had: 1. They have 4 dm's on board, give you a equipment drill and checkout in the pool while at sea on the first day 2. Brand new scuba pro equipment as they just recently started the diving program. (we had our own equipment but it may be important to you from a travel standpoint with 4 divers and the fact that you kept the use of the same rentals stored in their water sports area at the stern) 3. The dive boat came right to the ship to pick us up with our gear, or we were taken by tender directly to the dive operation. 4. We went diving in Honduras, Utilla, Roatan, Mexico, The ship left out of Cozumel so we went a few days early and dove in Coz. The ship is smaller with less activities but the service was excellant, food was great, and you went to islands not normally set up for cruise ships. They also had shore excursions at all stops as only 10-20% of the guests were divers.

The Royal Carribean trips were very nice ships, much larger, with more activities, but I had to set up the diving on my own in some/all cases as they wouldn't guaranty a dive spot on days they had dives set up and I wouldn't go without knowing I would dive. Then I had the problem of getting off ship in time to get to the dive shop which was not possible at all locations due to arrival time.

There's also a R.C. cruise out of Jersey going to Bermuda we did. When the ship changed ports we got off the ship at 6am, took a bus to the next port and was diving before our ship had docked and the dive operator then picked us up and dropped us off right at our ship each day. The island was great with very friendly people and a bus system to get you all over the island very easily.

Hope this helps.