Well it sounds like you're cruising on Royal Carribean cruiselines. I just just got back from a 5-day cruise with my wife. On the first stop we did CocoCay (the shore dive) and we had an OK time. The reef there is alright, lots of large Sting Rays. We also saw some Angel Rays and the dive guide told us we even may see a Great Hammerhead but unfortunately we didn't. We did have a good time in CocoCay and the setup was good. In Nassau, the dive we had booked through the cruiseline was outstanding. Be prepared though... Once in Nassau, we de-boarded the ship and met a representative of Stuart Cove's dive outfit. She was a friendly gal but she had us walk a rather long distance to get to the van. So make sure you either pack light or equip yourself with a bag that has wheels. Once in the van the ride to the south of the island took about one hour. Yep! And that was kinda long... We finally arrived to the boat and found a very friendly and proffessional operator. They even will set up the ladie's equipment for them. We dove a wall called Razor Back and a wreck site called The Twin Sisters. Both were very nice dive sites and we came back delighted. Especially my wife who never had been on a wall before.
All that to say that you'll have a good time there.
NeoDiver
Yep! I'll be on Royal Caribbean doing the same cruise minus one day. Thanks for the insight.
I was curious about Cococay. What is the island like? I heard it a private island for the cruiseline. What kinds of things do they have set up to do? With only 8 hours on shore, would I have time to do a dive and still kick back on the beach the way the dives are scheduled? Also, did you schedule the dives through Royal Caribbean or do it yourself?
Hopefully I'll have a good a time as you had on your cruise! Thanks again!
jrd3553