Need advice on snorkeling in KW, Caymans, and Cozumel

[foreverhis_mdh]

This is my first time on a cruise and the first time to ever try snorkeling. My ship, The Rhapsody of the Sea, will be going to Key West, Grand Cayman, and Cozumel. One of my hobbies is photography and so I'm looking forward to getting some great shots of the underwater world, but I've heard varying opinions on which of the 3 stops has the best life and color under the water. Which of the 3 should I spend the most time and money on for snorkeling? I'm also interested in Snuba diving. Is it really that much better than snorkeling? I'm currently signed up for the Fury Catamaran Reef Snorkeling in Key West because I had read in here that it had the best reefs out of the three but lately I've been hearing differently. Plus, I also just read tonight about swimming with wild dolphins and snorkeling through Dolphin Watch in Key West??? Please HELP! I want to make wise decisions in how I spend my time, but there's just too many options. :eek: Thanks!

foreverhis_mdh

 

Rhapsody of the Seas

March 13-20, 2005

[alsanto]

Scuba diving all the way...... Cayman we do the shore dive. with Abanks. and in Cozumel, we dive with Eagle Ray they are great, I love the under water life and taking pictures. Check out some that I have taken.

 

Nita

[foreverhis_mdh]

Thanks for the photos Nita! I can't wait to go and see it for myself. I won't be able to Scuba dive since I'm not certified but I would like to snuba dive which would allow me to at least go 20 ft. under. Did you think Cozumel or Cayman's had the more colorful reefs and healthier ecosystem? Which had the most abundant fish life? Thanks for your tips.

foreverhis_mdh

[HRHMadonna]

Grand Cayman: A snorkel trip to the reef area and Stingray City -- Just totally awesome!!! Trip can be purchased on the boat (approx $55.00) or on the dock. (approx. $30) You will see signs RE: tours for sale immediately as you step off the tender at the dock. I have done this tour with both the cruise ship excursion desk and with an independent tour group on the dock. The itinerary was exactly the same...only difference was the boat...the one used by Princess excursions was newer and bigger.

 

One other tip: When I am arranging my own tours at ports I always leave the ship as early as possibe and allow a "safe" time cushion for my return at the end of the day. Princess guarantees you get back to the ship on their excursions: if you book independently you are on your own! Just plan any tours for the AM and return to port area and shop in the afternoon.

 

Cozumel: I have snorkeled here only once. My experience was not as many fish, mostly dead coral and poor visibilty -- at least when compared to other Caribbean destinations, Hawaii or the ultimate : the Great Barrier Reef! In Cozumel I booked through the cruise ship...The catamaran was quite nice and after snorkeling we were taken to a lovely beach with hammocks & floats. En route and at the beach they served lots of rum punch, so by the end of the trip I had a great time...and after several drinks I had forgotten how disappointed I was in the snorkeling.

[HRHMadonna]

P.S. I forgot to mention Key West...I loved the snorkeling there too. I would rank G. Cayman first, Key West second and Cozumel third.

[bobert]

Please do not judge the conditons in Cozumel based on a ship booked "cattle cruise " snorkel. I have been lucky enough to do a fair amount of diving in and around the Caribbean. I find the conditions in Cozumel to be excellant, however I would not base that on any dives near the cruise port.

[Fleetwood]

We snorkeled with Eagle Ray Divers for the full day last April (in Cozumel) and had a great time, only saw one other boat in our area, and the things we saw were excellent. We found stingray city interesting but very crowded the day we were there, but the tour group (Nativeways was good)

 

Gary

[foreverhis_mdh]

Thanks for all your tips y'all! It is a big help! I've definitely decided to go with Eagle Ray Divers since I haven't heard anything but great reports on them through CC. Now I'm just trying to decide if I should take a shot at the Scuba diving class they offer or if I should just stick with snorkeling. I'm currently trying to decide on a snuba provider for the Caymans and I'm definitely going to do the Sting Ray and a couple of snorkeling reef dives through Captain Bryan's. The votes still out on Key West though. I'm hoping to learn more about the wild dolphin swim from someone in CC before I make a final decision. Thanks again for all your help, please keep it coming if you have any other advice! :0)

[luv2bcruzn]

Do you remember where you snorkeled with Eagle Ray? We are booked to do a 2 reef snorkel in February; any info would be appreciated.

[Away]

foreverhis, if you want to scuba dive, consider taking the certification classes locally since this takes multiple days to complete. Then when you're on vacation you can relax instead of trying to learn/perform. A local dive shop should be able to give you info about scuba certification courses. Personally, I think PADI courses are the best.