Should I dive or snorkel?

[lardo5150]

Going on a cruise in November. We make a stop in Isla Roatan.

Diving the other places I am going, but we are only in Isla from 11am to 6pm.

I believe Carnival says they use Anthony's Key resort.

I know zero about Isla.

What is the diving like? Should I go ahead and book to dive or snorkel? If diving, should I stay with the cruise booking (even though I know it will be a cattle boat) since we are on limited time?

I like dives with lots of marine life, fish, coral, etc. etc.

I am diving with private operators on the other trips, not the cruise.

 

[LynnB]

Don't know where your other stops are but I would put Roatan on the top of the diving list.
We did our first dive in Roatan from a cruise ship and used Anthony's Key. It was great and they did a wonderful job when we were there. It is dark by 6:30 so you have plenty of time.
You will be hooked there.
Where else are you going to dive?

 

[lardo5150]

Our stops are Grand Cayman, Belize, Roatan, then Cozumel.

Diving in Cayman and Coz. My wife is making me do a jungle tour with her in Belize since I am diving so much. Cant avoid it at this poing

 

[georoc01]

Depends on your times in port what your options are. Can you make it off the boat by 8am?

The plus of using the boat with AKR is you will get a couple of dives in no matter what times you are scheduled. The downside is that it can be alot of divers. When I did it off a cruise, we had 24 divers and 3 DMs on a single boat. The boat can handle it but that number of divers in the water at once can be very crowded on the reef.

 

[LynnB]

We did that same cruise stops on Carnival Liberty. We did a shore dive in Grand Cayman as we had spent a week there and just wanted to get our feet wet. We loved Roatan and did dive in Belize but it is a long ways to get out there. If I did that cruise again I would not dive Belize because of the distance.
They tender you straight from the boat and go out quite a ways to the dive op. Then it was quite a ways to the dive sites. In Coz we rented a jeep and went around the island and had a blast....
I would dive definately dive Roatan. Your wife can hang on the beach as I believe now they have a little lift or something that takes you to the beach. I don't remember how many people were on our dive with AKR but it wasn't bad. We were there in August which I would imagine would be a busier time for cruises.
After we did Roatan we have been back for the last two summers since. Hope to go back again next summer. We love the island and the diving...
Let me know what you decide to do....you will have a blast.
Lynn