Some advice for cruising divers (or diving cruisers)

[Ann Marie]

I find cruising the best way to make my whole family happy. My husband is a non-diver. My son and I plan to dive in the morning while my hubby golfs and my mom tours, then we can all meet up later (time permitting) to do a little snorkeling (which my husband and mom enjoy). My husband knows not to worry if we miss the boat (literally) as we can meet him at the next port of call. I don't worry too much if I miss the boat as the experience to catch up will be wild (and I may get another dive in somewhere along the way)!!

 

[scubaranger]

ann if you miss the boat how do you get to the next port of call you got to get a plane to get their right and it's out of pocket correct. This happen to me once when I was a teen it was a one day cruise so we waited the next day but we had no money we stayed me and other teens in a rouch hotel and had bread and water for dinner. it was an adventure for a teen but a little nerve racking.

 

[Divemonkey]

Sorry to hear you had a less than stellar experience on Celeb, they are a great line overall. Sometimes people in elevators are just clueless. Othertimes it is a language barrier or they are just yacking and don't hear you.

I have never had a problem with guests on Celeb, but I did have one from Carnival try and take a poke at me one day on the dock. I laughed my way all the way back to the boat as the cops escorted him to his ship in a most undignified manner. They said they were sorry to me for not grabbing him earlier but they were waiting for backup. He was so smashed I did not have the heart to hurt him, just ducked the punch and yanked him off his feet and sat on him. The cops were laughing pretty hard on top of it, so it made it that much worse for the guy. I totally agree with what you say regarding cruising and diving.

Also the diving coordenator/instructor on the cruise ship usually does alot of other duties so if you start out with a good relationship with them early they can be a real help later on in your cruise with any number of things. I usually tip them as well if they have helped me out in some significant way.

Matt

 

[Divemonkey]

Each cruise line has its own personality. We personally prefer Princess over the other lines. For a diver, Princess also has an on-board instructor/dm. They offer a cert course on most 7-day or longer cruises. It was nice to have some "professional" divers on board to discuss the various dive stops if you haven't been there before.

Also, on a couple of cruise-dedicated web sites (cruise-addicts.com, etc), there is an opportunity to find other divers going on your cruise.

Rich Hagelin

Also try CruiseCritic.com and you may be able to hook up with some folks who are cruising on your trip and can look for divers on your trip as well.
Matt

 

[Ann Marie]

ann if you miss the boat how do you get to the next port of call you got to get a plane to get their right and it's out of pocket correct. This happen to me once when I was a teen it was a one day cruise so we waited the next day but we had no money we stayed me and other teens in a rouch hotel and had bread and water for dinner. it was an adventure for a teen but a little nerve racking.

I guess as a teen it would be nerve racking and scary! Since I'm past my teenage years and never leave home without a credit card, my biggest worry is my husband being irritated with me for making him worry. I have found on Princess Cruises, they have a port contact at each port (it is listed in their "Princess Patter" daily newsletter). I always keep that info. on me just in case. Then I can catch the necessary transportation to the next port of call. I have yet been left behind on a cruise, but have had other 'mis-adventures' from time to time.

 

[Web Monkey]

Get a room in the middle of the ship (halfway between the front and the back, on one of the middle decks. It's almost impossible to get any significant motion there.

Terry

Do you see alot of sea sickness on the cruise ships? My wife is very prone to it and after our last boat outing she swore no more ocean trips. As she is a non diver we work together to ensure she gets her sightseeing in and I get my diving in, a cruise sounds like the best of both worlds....comments?

 

[richhagelin]

There seem to be a lot of questions lately on the pros and cons of booking your own dives versus booking through the cruise line. this is a piece I put together a couple of months ago that addresses that issue.

Rich Hagelin