Help! I need advice. I will be cruising next month to Cozumel, Belize, and Roatan. My husband and I, both certified divers, would both like to get in a few dives. Here's the catch. We'll be traveling with our 1-year-old son and the cruise line does not provide childcare for his age group. Here's what I'd like to do if possible: One of us go for a dive while the other entertains the baby at the beach, then switch off. Or, all of go on the dive boat for a 2 tank dive, but me and my husband switch off. Does anyone know if the dive operators mind if we bring the baby along, and will they let us share the tanks? Or does anyone know of a good place or rendezvous point with a good beach & facilities that has regular dive excursions leaving from it? If anyone has any recommendations, advice, or insight to offer, it would be greatly appreciated! Thanks.
Need Advice! Travel w/ Baby
- Thread starter rfaulk
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Welcome to the board.
I have my own opinions about your questions but I think I will keep them to my self. I would suggest you prepare yourself to UNEMOTIONALY consider the advise you are about to get. I will say that I would not even consider diving with an operation that would allow a 1yo child on board. They obviously have no reguard for anyone's safety. Dive boats are dangerous enough without a child running around on board.
I have my own opinions about your questions but I think I will keep them to my self. I would suggest you prepare yourself to UNEMOTIONALY consider the advise you are about to get. I will say that I would not even consider diving with an operation that would allow a 1yo child on board. They obviously have no reguard for anyone's safety. Dive boats are dangerous enough without a child running around on board.
God I hope a dive boat wouldn`t let a baby on board - it`s hardly safe
fmw625
Guest
Last summer my wife and I went on a cruise. Almost everyone that we talked to that had small children sugested that bringing small children on a cruise was not a good decision. My grand daughter who will be 2 in Feb. is not going to get to go with us on our cruise in May 2005 like we had thought we wqnted to do. Yea I will get to dive in Cozumel.
Well, it's already a done deal and we have no other options...he's going with us on the cruise. Apparently the dive boat is a bad idea, so does anyone have any suggestions about the second part of my question? About any good places/beaches with dive excursions leaving regularly where we could just take turns?
rfaulk:
Have you thought of finding a babysitter in locals where you will be diving? There are scubaboard members all over the world. I know the idea of leaving him with strangers doesn't sound good, but if the day care on the ship took him, they would be strangers too. I know come resort areas have nany services, you could check into that.
I have no problem bringing a baby/child with me on trips, i plan on doing it when I have one. You may just end up having to take turns with him.
Or you could just take me with you and I would watch him.
One option
I don't have kids but I understand most ships do employ baby sitters outside of the free "childrens programs". This would cost you an hourly charge plus a tip I'm sure, but would enable both of you to dive and together. Call the cruise line
Good Luck
Rich
I don't have kids but I understand most ships do employ baby sitters outside of the free "childrens programs". This would cost you an hourly charge plus a tip I'm sure, but would enable both of you to dive and together. Call the cruise line
Good Luck
Rich
Scuba Duffer
Contributor
sddiver is right, most cruise ships have babysitting services even if they don't have kids programs.
As for the handoff idea - consider this.
Most Caribbean ops do a 2 tank in the morning. Leave around 9:00 - return around noon. Then the crew has lunch or there is a change over. The boat will then usually do a 1 tank that leaves around 1:00ish and returns around 3:00ish. Not all ops follow that routine, but most do something close to that.
Now, consider most cruise ships leave port around 4ish. That leaves you 1 hour to get from the dive op to the ship. throw in a short delay - and guess what - you'll be watching the back end of your cruise ship pulling away with you on the dock.
If you have to catch tenders to and from the ship and it just gets that more complicated.
Finds a sitter service. Failing that, take turns diving the port of calls. If you try to do much more, you'll run high risks and, can't see you enjoying yourselves running around that much.
As for the handoff idea - consider this.
Most Caribbean ops do a 2 tank in the morning. Leave around 9:00 - return around noon. Then the crew has lunch or there is a change over. The boat will then usually do a 1 tank that leaves around 1:00ish and returns around 3:00ish. Not all ops follow that routine, but most do something close to that.
Now, consider most cruise ships leave port around 4ish. That leaves you 1 hour to get from the dive op to the ship. throw in a short delay - and guess what - you'll be watching the back end of your cruise ship pulling away with you on the dock.
If you have to catch tenders to and from the ship and it just gets that more complicated.
Finds a sitter service. Failing that, take turns diving the port of calls. If you try to do much more, you'll run high risks and, can't see you enjoying yourselves running around that much.
In response to the previous post, keep in mind that some dive operators will not book dives for cruise passengers. I think it is because of too many late arrivals that miss the dive boat and get really angry about having paid for a trip that they can't take.
I know it is more expensive, but you may do best to book your dive trips through the cruise ship. That way you are guaranteed to get to the dive and will be refunded if the ship changes its itinerary, which can happen with some regularity during hurricane season.
As for the child, do as others have suggested and arrange child care with the ship. Many of the people working on the ship are there for several months at a time and have their own children/families at home, so they really love to see little ones on the boat.
Best of luck and have a great time!
I know it is more expensive, but you may do best to book your dive trips through the cruise ship. That way you are guaranteed to get to the dive and will be refunded if the ship changes its itinerary, which can happen with some regularity during hurricane season.
As for the child, do as others have suggested and arrange child care with the ship. Many of the people working on the ship are there for several months at a time and have their own children/families at home, so they really love to see little ones on the boat.
Best of luck and have a great time!
Thank you for all your suggestions, they are appreciated. But, unfortunately, private sitting is not available on this ship...that's the first thing I checked. Are the shore dives from Chankanaab in Cozumel a waste of time? I thought we could easily take turns doing that.
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