What is the best itinerary for Divers?

[growinassets]

We've started this discussion on another site and wondered about the cruisers who dive... what is your experience? Do you have a favorite cruise itinerary for diving? There are a lot of divers out there that feel you have to make 4 dives a day if you're on a diving vacation. BUT there are plenty of us experienced divers who are satisfied with 2 dives a day and maybe 4 days of diving during a nice cruise. Not to mention the value aspect of the cruise and dive combination. What are your thoughts?

[Friscorays]

I enjoyed diving at each of the four stops on my recent Western Caribbean cruise: Grand Cayman, Cozumel, Costa Maya and Roatan.

 

I also hope to visit French Polynesia by cruise ship again sometime next year. The diving there is pretty awesome.

[dond3131]

I enjoyed diving at each of the four stops on my recent Western Caribbean cruise: Grand Cayman, Cozumel, Costa Maya and Roatan.

 

I also hope to visit French Polynesia by cruise ship again sometime next year. The diving there is pretty awesome.

 

Have to agree with you Friscorays on Tahiti diving,dove all the ones on the cruise circuit back in '00 and I think Bora Bora was the best.Grand Cayman and Roatan are special as well.Also thanks for the reply about Bermuda.I still like my wreck diving in Jersey,which is always a pre or post cruise option if you are sailing out of any of the NY area ports.

[Bellfree Bat]

Southern Caribbean to include Dominica. Great dives there last year!

[Friscorays]

Yes, Dominica as well as St Lucia and the BVIs are good scuba stops as well.

[Pilot70D]

We have been diving all over the Caribbean for the last ten years. Here are our top picks for the best places to dive:

Aruba, Bonaire, Curacao, St. Lucia and Dominca.

For years St. Lucia and Dominca were two of the best kept secrets in the diving world. Now word has spread and we think that this a good thing. As more and more divers found out about St. Lucia & Dominica they came to dive there. More divers meant more dive operators. More dive operators meant more competition and more opportunities to go diving once there.

Our all-time favorite port/dive operator remains Curao and of course The Dive Bus. We have been diving with them over and over and over again. Suzy and Marc, the pair that own & run the place, are two of the most fun people in the Caribbean.

This is my $0.02 worth. Hope it's helpful info and that you enjoy that next dive trip.

:):):)

[islandwoman]

I agree with Bonaire, Dominica, and some of French Polynesia, but as for a cruise itinerary where all the ports have excellent diving, I recommend the itinerary that DH and I have taken three times already: Grand Cayman, Roatan, Cozumel and Belize.

 

Last fall we spent a week in Moorea, French Polynesia, and then took a 10 day cruise on the Paul Gauguin. We dove in Moorea, Raitea, Rangiroa, and Bora Bora. The Taputa Pass in Rangiroa is an awesome experience for advanced divers. The Outer Reef in Rangiroa was beautiful. But in all the other places except Bora Bora the reef is dead It's been destroyed by the Crown of Thorns Starfish. In Bora Bora, the reef is under pressure from the Crown of Thorns. I would not recommend taking a diving cruise to French Polynesia at this time unless you want to see Lemon Sharks that hang around because they're fed by tour guides.

[Stevesan]

Allow a snorkeler to comment:

 

At Cozumel I always book w/Eagle Ray who combine snorkelers and divers. The groups are small, and there's a guide for each.

 

My last visit the divers asked to go to Punta Sur Reef. It added to boat time, but it was well worth the trip.

That is a fabulous reef with lots of marine life. I should add the guides are excellent, always seeking the best locations for the day.

An example: our snorkel guide personally tested three locations at Punta Sur before sending us in.

 

http://www.eagleraydivers.com/

 

At St Lucia, Dive Fair Helen mixes snorkelers and divers. There were three stops, one at their dive camp for gear, and two at Anse Cochon.

A very well organized, professional operator who picks up at the cruise pier location.

http://www.divefairhelen.com/index.htm

[eastwest]

which dive operator do you recommend in Dominica? I would rather book private instead of the cruise excursion.

[Catfish McMulligan]

In June 2009, my son and I took the Carnival Victory through the southern Caribbean. Great itinerary for diving because we were in port every day at a different island. We stopped at St Thomas, Dominica, St Lucia, St Kitts, Antigua and Barbados and dove at each island.

 

In Dominica we went with Nature Island Divers. Just search for their name on the web and their site will pop up. I highly recommend them, as I do all of the operators we used on that trip.

 

St Thomas: Blue Island Divers

Barbados: Carib Ocean Divers

St Lucia: Dive Fair Helen

Antigua: Jolly Dive

St Kitts: Pro Divers

 

With all of these operators we had small boats (no more than 8 people, sometimes only 4 or 5), a guide in the water, snacks on the boat, and all for $90 to $100 pp (two dives). Most of them picked us up at the cruise ship dock and brought us back. A couple times we had to take a taxi.

[Miguel59]

Probably the ideal would be probably a stop in Bonaire, Roatan, Belize, Grand Cayman & Costa Maya or Cozumel or both. Or even 4 out of these 6 should leave a diver fairly satisfied. It's hard to forget about Dominica though & then anywhere in the Bahamas for their big animal encounters. The more I think about this the longer my list gets.

[scf1270]

I enjoyed diving at each of the four stops on my recent Western Caribbean cruise: Grand Cayman, Cozumel, Costa Maya and Roatan.

 

This is our Dec cruise intinerary. My DH and DD should be newly PADI certified by mid-Sept. They will probably dive at two of our stops. Other DD will probably snorkel. What info/suggestions/recommendations can you share with us?

 

Allow a snorkeler to comment:

 

At Cozumel I always book w/Eagle Ray who combine snorkelers and divers. The groups are small, and there's a guide for each.

 

My last visit the divers asked to go to Punta Sur Reef. It added to boat time, but it was well worth the trip.

That is a fabulous reef with lots of marine life. I should add the guides are excellent, always seeking the best locations for the day.

An example: our snorkel guide personally tested three locations at Punta Sur before sending us in.

 

http://www.eagleraydivers.com/

 

We'll check this one out. Any other ideas/recommedations for our ports of call?

 

Thanks!!!

Sara

[Latitude 20]

I agree with Bonaire, Dominica, and some of French Polynesia, but as for a cruise itinerary where all the ports have excellent diving, I recommend the itinerary that DH and I have taken three times already: Grand Cayman, Roatan, Cozumel and Belize.

 

The Crown Princess is doing 7-day Western Caribbean itineraries that include Roatan, Belize, Coz and GC in Fall 2011/Spring 2012. I agree, that's as ideal a dive itinerary as one can get on a cruise ship. And prices start at $750/pp for an inside cabin so the price is right!

 

Last fall we spent a week in Moorea, French Polynesia, and then took a 10 day cruise on the Paul Gauguin. We dove in Moorea, Raitea, Rangiroa, and Bora Bora. The Taputa Pass in Rangiroa is an awesome experience for advanced divers. The Outer Reef in Rangiroa was beautiful. But in all the other places except Bora Bora the reef is dead It's been destroyed by the Crown of Thorns Starfish. In Bora Bora, the reef is under pressure from the Crown of Thorns. I would not recommend taking a diving cruise to French Polynesia at this time unless you want to see Lemon Sharks that hang around because they're fed by tour guides.

 

This is so sad--we dove FP in 2003 and had wonderful dives for the most part (although the reef in Raiatea was already dead back then).

[scuabacruiser]

I recommend the itinerary that DH and I have taken three times already: Grand Cayman, Roatan, Cozumel and Belize.

 

 

I agree. We have done this 3x as well. It's a hard one to beat. Belize is expensive, but the rest are great. and well worth it. Roatan has become one of our favorite dive destinations and are planning to do a week next year.