Roatan dive operators

[timetraveler]

My buddy and I will be in Roatan for one morning (6 AM - 1 PM) in May on the Carnival Legend. Rather than take the cruise ship dive excursion, we were hoping to book a 2-tank dive with an operator who will provide a better experience. We need someone whose dives would fit into our schedule, who would pick us up at the cruise pier or would be a short taxi ride away. We are considering:

shoretrips who won't tell us which dive op they use, but are reliable and less expensive than Carnival;

Cocoview because they have what appears from their website to be great shore diving at their resort;

Coconut Tree because they have a 9AM AOW dive;

Others that you might recommend.

Can anyone give me some more information abut these ops or suggest others? Particularly I'd like to know:
1. How good is the shore diving at Cocoview?
2. How long would it take and how much would it cost to get to Cocoview and Coconut Tree from the cruise ship dock?
3. Which dive op does shoretrips use?
4. What was your diving experience like with any of these or with your dive op recommendation?

Thanks for any help, suggestions, opinions .....

 

[timetraveler]

While waiting for your answers, I've been doing some more research and reading old posts. I've discovered Subway Watersports. We can buy a dive trip there that will fit with our ship's schedule and includes transportation from the ship. Two big pluses. But how about the diving? One old post said that Subway Watersports is the best day dive op on the island, but I'd like to have more recent information and some specifics, such as -
What are their dive sites like?
What are their boats like?
What are their DMs like?
Is it likely that the sites will be chosen to suit the abilities of divers who can show a PADI AOW card or do they assume that everyone who arrives via cruise ship is a newbe?

 

[cvdvrr]

Dude,
Your on a cruise ship paying outrageous amounts for a boat ride. Why worry now if you will get good diving? Most divers do not do the cruis ship thing other than maybe a liveaboard. Of course you will do little simple cruise dives because your a cruise passenger.

 

[leadweight]

Generally, the dive shops will not take cruise ship passengers anywhere demanding because its almost always the first dive in a while.

 

[TN Traveler]

Dude,
Your on a cruise ship paying outrageous amounts for a boat ride. Why worry now if you will get good diving? Most divers do not do the cruis ship thing other than maybe a liveaboard. Of course you will do little simple cruise dives because your a cruise passenger.

Totally WRONG!!!

Lots of EXPERIENCED divers dive from cruise ships!!!

It is a great way to have a family vacation, eat good food and relax - it gives you a chance to explore new dive locations - and most experienced divers do not use the cruise ship excursions.

Based upon diving from cruise ships many of us have found places to spend a week and dive - and just as many places we don't want to return too.

Not every diver wants to spend every dive vacation doing 5 dives per day, stay at substandard lodging, and eating Micky D quality food. Getting 4 days of 2 tanks per day diving in Roatan, Belize, Cozumel and Grand Cayman during a week with upscale accommodations makes for a nice dive vacation. With the current prices of cruises being less than $100 per day for a balcony cabin (including food), cheap airfares to Florida ports, it is a pretty cost effective vacation.

 

[TN Traveler]

Generally, the dive shops will not take cruise ship passengers anywhere demanding because its almost always the first dive in a while.

Have never had that problem - but I communicate with the dive shop before booking a trip - providing my (and my wife's) experience level.

I've had no problem being taken to the "best" dive sites. I normally request what site I want and normally get it.

But upfront communication is the key.

 

[retroflex]

As far as your experience level and people's assumptions about "cruise shippers", the best way to deal with that is to talk to the dive operators directly and explain your circumstances/level of experience and try and work towards the best solution for you. Also consider that when you book an independent trip, they're less inclined to let you off the ship first, so timing (ie whether you'd be able to make the dives) is another consideration to talk to the operators about Taxi prices aren't gonna be much under 20 bucks to Coconut Tree or CoCo View, and you'll be roughly 20-25 minutes in travel time. Whoever you settle with, enjoy your diving on Roatan .

 

[Bay Island Diver]

It's important to check that the time you arrive on the ship schedule is the same as the local time.

Roatan is currently on Central time, when the daylight saving time kicks in it, it switches to Mountain time. (unless it a leap year in which case the Hondurans also use daylight savings time - only joking)

Some cruise ships arrive in time to catch those 9am dives, others don't

Regards

Will

 

[TN Traveler]

It's important to check that the time you arrive on the ship schedule is the same as the local time.

Roatan is currently on Central time, when the daylight saving time kicks in it, it switches to Mountain time. (unless it a leap year in which case the Hondurans also use daylight savings time - only joking)

Some cruise ships arrive in time to catch those 9am dives, others don't

Regards

Will

When does Roatan implement daylight savings time this year?? March 8 or April 5??

Thanks

 

[Bay Island Diver]

Sorry I was being flippant.

There is no daylight savings time in Honduras. During the summer we are the same as Central time, during the winter the same as mountain time. So when the US changes the clocks we flip from Central to Mountain time, and I get to the see the simpsons when i get back from work!