Questions about Fantasy Island

[CajunDiva]

Are the divers responsible for getting there gear on the boat? I'm assuming that the tanks will be loaded for us. And can you leave your stuff on the boat in between dives if your coming back for the next dive?

C'mon Steve...no titty babies here. Yes, we carry our own gear onto the boat...first thing in the morning. The tanks are there already and yes, you can leave your gear on the boat all day and make whichever dives you wish. After your last dive of the day, remove your gear and utilize the rinse tank before hanging it in your locker

But if you or anyone in your party has difficulty with carrying things I'm sure the staff would be happy to work out something to help...

 

[SteveC]

Well I do like my pacifer
But seriously, I figured we would have to carry our gear, but was hoping that the tanks might already be loaded. When we dove in Mexico, we had to wade through the pounding surf to load our gear on the boat. So loading from a dock will be a pleasure. And loading once per day is also a bonus.

 

[DandyDon]

The "lockers" are actually stalls, no doors or locks, but good places to hang gear at night for drying and storage. Theft is not a problem there, and they do lock up the building at night - but confusion happens and you get people & languages from all over. Good to put your name on things and not leave anything too tempting out. The only items I ever lost were plastic hangars which the other people probably thot belong to the dive shop and since they were empty - well, take some, tape your name to them, and leave them behind when you go home if you want to. They're cheap, but challenging to keep up with.

My first trip, I left a canvas duffel bag drying empty and the next morning found iguana caca. Probably a prank but those lizards are not shy. They do bite too, as do many of the animals if not left alone. So many ignore the "Do not feed the animals" sign, especially with the cute monkeys - who will steal anything you have loose. The gander was the most aggressive animal there when I was.

Spoiler

Ok I took dinner rolls to the dive shop duck.

I kept my cameras and electronics in bags that I took to lunch and to my room at night.

 

[CajunDiva]

Well I do like my pacifer
But seriously, I figured we would have to carry our gear, but was hoping that the tanks might already be loaded. When we dove in Mexico, we had to wade through the pounding surf to load our gear on the boat. So loading from a dock will be a pleasure. And loading once per day is also a bonus.

You're gonna love this You walk straight out of the locker room onto the tail of the dive boat...piece of cake. If you are diving air, your tanks will already be on the boat. If you're on Nitrox, as DandyDon said, you will first have to analyze your tank and then put it on the boat (or give it to one of the hands to put on the boat for you )

I may be a little different, but I really don't like letting anyone else handle my dive gear. It has been a painstaking process getting all my gear JUST THE WAY I like it...I don't want somebody dragging it around and tearing it up. We were in Fiji in March and the dive shop gathered everyone's gear and put it on the boat for us. By the time we were finished my mask was so scratched up that I needed a new one. No thanks...I can handle it myself :handball:

 

[nagel]

Night Dives....The "locker area" is locked up at night. I think somebody said if you are doing a night dive to let the shop know and they will leave out some tanks. I'm assuming you better make arrangements to gather your gear before the shop closes and then take your gear to your room after the dive.

Snagel

 

[CajunDiva]

Night Dives....The "locker area" is locked up at night. I think somebody said if you are doing a night dive to let the shop know and they will leave out some tanks. I'm assuming you better make arrangements to gather your gear before the shop closes and then take your gear to your room after the dive.

Snagel

You got it...I'm not sure what time they lock up the locker room, but you need to make sure you have the gear you need out of there before they shut it down. They will leave the tanks at the gazebo for you. I've seen people doing shore dives at ALL HOURS

 

[nagel]

It's less than 2 weeks before we head out to Fantasy Island and time is really starting to steam roll....so many things yet to get done before we leave. Just so I don't forget in the craziness that is about to happen, I wanted to make sure I sent a huge THANK YOU to all that have painlessly taken time to answer our questions. Your experience and knowledge has/will be of great value.

This thread has been great and I hope it continues and when we get back, I'm sure we can join in in answering many of the questions also. I took a few minutes to see what we have covered so far:

Boat Times vs. Meal Schedules
Malaria Meds
Rooms - Steps, locations
Drinking the Water (Not going there again!)
New Management
Nitrox
Island Tours / Adventures
Zip Lines
Coffee
Boat Schedules
TSA - Carrying Regs / Lights
$499 Special
Tipping
Currency
Orientation Routine
Calvins Crack & Marys Place
Availability of Gear
Boat Tours - How they are guided
Security - Island, resort, rooms, lock boxes
Currents
Exposure Suits
Electricity
WiFi
Cell Phones
Taking Pictures during dive
Gear Storage
Night Dives

WOW, what a list.....is there anything we haven't asked????

Thanks again,

Snagel

 

[DandyDon]

It's less than 2 weeks before we head out to Fantasy Island and time is really starting to steam roll....so many things yet to get done before we leave. Just so I don't forget in the craziness that is about to happen, I wanted to make sure I sent a huge THANK YOU to all that have painlessly taken time to answer our questions. Your experience and knowledge has/will be of great value.

Hey, I've enjoyed giving my opinions & experiences. The CajunDiva is the expert and I know you're wanting her answers mostly, but I like to stick mine in anyway. :tongue2:

I guess your airline warned you that passports have to have six months beyond departure date, or you read that elsewhere? Just in case, there are emergency ways to walk thru a renewal in a day, altho pricey. Take pens on the planes to fill out your forms. Do get your passport stamped on the way in even if the agent is missing as they get upset otherwise when you leave (done that! :blush: ), keep up with any papers they might give you (?), and remember to have $35 in cash for departure taxes handy. Never pass up an airport lavatory without thot, rab to go beers at the cantena for the ride maybe, then hydrate early & often the rest of the trip.

I always do trip insurance out of country, mostly for the medical coveage - and I like TravelSafe.com for benefits and price. DAN dive insurance (minimum mid level!) or similar is essential for any diving, but only the top plan has Medical Non-Dive Accident Coverage and that's only $10,000, and illnesses are not covered. Membership benefits also include $100,000 DAN Divers Alert Network : Membership : TravelAssist if arranged thru them, but I like the extra medical coverage, plus the other benefits of trip insurance.

Always leave room for ice cream! :icecream2: Have a great trip...!!

 

[CajunDiva]

It's less than 2 weeks before we head out to Fantasy Island and time is really starting to steam roll....so many things yet to get done before we leave. Just so I don't forget in the craziness that is about to happen, I wanted to make sure I sent a huge THANK YOU to all that have painlessly taken time to answer our questions. Your experience and knowledge has/will be of great value.

This thread has been great and I hope it continues and when we get back, I'm sure we can join in in answering many of the questions also. I took a few minutes to see what we have covered so far:

Boat Times vs. Meal Schedules
Malaria Meds
Rooms - Steps, locations
Drinking the Water (Not going there again!)
New Management
Nitrox
Island Tours / Adventures
Zip Lines
Coffee
Boat Schedules
TSA - Carrying Regs / Lights
$499 Special
Tipping
Currency
Orientation Routine
Calvins Crack & Marys Place
Availability of Gear
Boat Tours - How they are guided
Security - Island, resort, rooms, lock boxes
Currents
Exposure Suits
Electricity
WiFi
Cell Phones
Taking Pictures during dive
Gear Storage
Night Dives

WOW, what a list.....is there anything we haven't asked????

Thanks again,

Snagel

No, I think I'm the one who needs to thank you :kiss2: This has been one of the roughest weeks of my life. My dad is in the final stages of Alzheimer's dimensia. He had to be sent to the hospital for testing to see if anything else was going on and they found that he has advanced lung cancer - and his left lung is collapsed. I have been through every emotion possible during the past week and have been spending unending hours at the hospital spending the night with him even though he doesn't even know who I am, just waiting for him to die.

Needless to say, I REALLY needed something to take my mind off of what was happening right before my eyes. Reading your questions and remembering all of the great times we've had at Fantasy Island was just what I needed for a little emotional relief. So...thank you!

 

[nagel]

I knew about the 6-month passport thing and had to get my boys passport out and check it several times (paranoid). His expires in 2012....he got it when he was younger and expires sooner because of his age.

Good point on the pens. You have a lot of paperwork to fill out. On one of my trips, I purchased a pen at the airport giftshop (little pricey).

Departure Tax - Can you pay that when you arrive so you don't have to do this on the day you depart.....do you recommend this?

Also, good point on the insurance. We've got the Preferred DAN insurance and because of my position in the company I work for we have some pretty good travel insurance through our group plan.

CajunDiva - What can I say. I've been through what you are going through and it sucks. I've thought about you and your family often and can only hope that you get this over with and move forward. That is really the only thing that can be done. Hang in there.

Snagel