which has the best diving...Bahamas (Freeport), St Thomas or St Maarten?

[Texans]

We are going on a cruise and our ports are Freeport Bahamas, St Thomas and St Maarten. We are taking our teenagers, which are new divers...what would you recommend?

Thanks

Melanie

 

[DaveScuba]

I've never dove the Bahamas via cruise ship, but my folks had a bad experience with a low quality boat one of the operators used.

In St. Thomas, booking with the ship you'll get a cattle call service. The diving is great, I'm sure there are some more experienced divers who can recommend some dive operators in St. Thomas that wouldn't be on the ship.

St. Marteen, no experience, sorry.


What cruise ship are you going on?

 

[Rhone Man]

I would pick St Thomas over St Martin; no experience of Bahamas I am afraid.

Friends don't let friends dive on cruise ship cattle boats. In St Thomas, I'd give Admiralty Divers a call. They pick you up from the cruise ship dock and will see you with good diving for a competitive price. In St Martin, I know a lot of people are fans of Octopus Divers; I like Scuba Fun (who are located about 100 yards from the cruise ship dock), but either should see you well.

 

[Straegen]

I thought Octopus Divers were a bit of a haul from the cruise ships. Might want to be careful depending on what time of the year you go. Scuba Fun gets mediocre reviews but is close. Ocean Explorers or Dive Safaris are both winners but it requires a bit of a drive (20-25 minutes). If it were me I would use Sucba Fun if I tendered otherwise I would go with one of the latter two.

 

[NigerHadiza]

Hello everyone! I guess this is a popular thing to ask, but what do you suggest for diving in the St. Thomas USVI, Antigua BVI, or Tortolla BVI? I would like to do about three dives. Would it be worth dragging my own fins, wetsuit and mask with me on the airplane plus the cruise boat? I love having my own stuff...but...

I am doing the singles cruise on the Carnival Freedom from December 4-12th.

Anna-

 

[Rhone Man]

Hello everyone! I guess this is a popular thing to ask, but what do you suggest for diving in the St. Thomas USVI, Antigua BVI, or Tortolla BVI? I would like to do about three dives. Would it be worth dragging my own fins, wetsuit and mask with me on the airplane plus the cruise boat? I love having my own stuff...but...:-

In St Thomas I would recommend Admiralty and in BVI I would recommend Sail Caribbean. Both will pick you up at the dock.

Don't know any operators to recommend in Antigua. BTW, Antigua is not actually in the BVI...

 

[DeputyDan]

I have dove with Octopus in St. Maarten and I think that the operation is simply too far away (is in Grand Case) to be successful in catering to a day diver from a cruise line.

I would recommend using them if you are on the island for a while!

 

[JMorben]

agree with Admiralty Dive on St. Thomas. They picked us up right at the end of the cruise ship pier. They were excellent. We rented all of our equipment from them. The first dive my wetsuit was a bit big in the neck. So they gave me a smaller one to use on the 2nd dive. Excellent service and fun to dive with. I cannot recommend Ocean Explorers on Barbados. We were on time getting to their dive shop (about a 30 minute cab ride from the cruise ship). However, they left early so we missed the dive. When we finished our 2nd dive, they tried to charge us for both dives (even though they left early). What really happened was that they were already full even though we made reservations months ahead of time. Not a good operation and very poor diving.

 

[DaveScuba]

In St Thomas I would recommend Admiralty and in BVI I would recommend Sail Caribbean. Both will pick you up at the dock.

Don't know any operators to recommend in Antigua. BTW, Antigua is not actually in the BVI...

I 2nd Sail Caribbean in BVI. They were excellent when I was on a cruise, they were actually the tour operator for NCL when I was there in January. Very friendly and willing to please. Very relaxed atmosphere on board.

 

[Queequeg]

Didn't Stephen Frink declare the Bahamas the most photogenic of all the underwater photog he has done in the Caribbean? Just sayin'...

The Bahamas gets my vote...and yes..I've dove there many times. Highly under rated IMO.