Snorkel recommendations for Legend cruise

[Grannycb]

We will be on the Legend Thanksgiving week going to Grand Cayman, Cozumel, Belize and have a private tour in Roatan planned with Victor Bodden. Any ideas on what the weather will be like for snorkeling? Any recommendations for best places for snorkeling? I'm thinking Stingray City & reef (probably private co.) in Grand Cayman, Chankanaab in Cozumel, Bannister island and snorkel in Belize. I'll ask Victor Bodden about snorkeling locations we can visit in Roatan. I'll be happy to hear recommendations.

[ALANALANALAN]

I am going on the same cruise in September!

 

I would love for some people to have been to post!

 

My wife and I plan to snorkel at all 4 destinations.

 

My hours and hours of internet research has led me to the following:

 

Grand Cayman

- Stingray City. It's the classic thing to do in GC. We wanted to avoid the large crowded tour boats so we opted to rent a waverunner through island marketing for a guided tour on that bad boy. it was the same price as if we had booked through carnival for a crowded sweaty boat.

 

Belize

- We chose Goff's Cay. This is a carnival excursion and I paid more than shoudl have but the convenience of being tendered right from the boat to the itty bitty cay was nice. Check out google images of goffs cay. Awesome.

 

Cozumel

- Chankanaab! We are taking a cab to Playa Uvas beach club and snorkeling from shore. All you can drink with lunch and a guided snorkel tour.

 

Roatan

- The best snorkeling from shore is at a beach on the west side called west bay beach. Many snorkel tour boats stop there. There is a carnival excursion that takes you in a van to that beach for 36$. After researching cab fare on the island i opted for that.

[cruisingforsix]

I am going on the same cruise in September!

 

I would love for some people to have been to post!

 

My wife and I plan to snorkel at all 4 destinations.

 

My hours and hours of internet research has led me to the following:

 

Grand Cayman

- Stingray City. It's the classic thing to do in GC. We wanted to avoid the large crowded tour boats so we opted to rent a waverunner through island marketing for a guided tour on that bad boy. it was the same price as if we had booked through carnival for a crowded sweaty boat.

 

Belize

- We chose Goff's Cay. This is a carnival excursion and I paid more than shoudl have but the convenience of being tendered right from the boat to the itty bitty cay was nice. Check out google images of goffs cay. Awesome.

 

Cozumel

- Chankanaab! We are taking a cab to Playa Uvas beach club and snorkeling from shore. All you can drink with lunch and a guided snorkel tour.

 

Roatan

- The best snorkeling from shore is at a beach on the west side called west bay beach. Many snorkel tour boats stop there. There is a carnival excursion that takes you in a van to that beach for 36$. After researching cab fare on the island i opted for that.

Hi we are going in Oct. on Legend, hope you will come back and give us a report. we are doing a private charter 3 reef snorkel in Cozumel and Upachaya in Roatan (although it is the rainy season) and another private tour in Belize. You have us thinking we might want to do Goffs Cay in Belize though.Haven't decided on GC yet.

[Captain Carnival]

On Grand Cayman you can snorkel for FREE (supply your own gear) at Eden Rock which is a short 5-minute walk from the tender pier.

[5060]

We are going on the Legend September 19th and one of the ports we stop at is Roatan. One place we haven't been before. We heard of this snorkling place and wondered if anyone has been there or would like to share transportation? You can look at the site at Fostersroatan.com

[czexrus]

How much does it cost to rent snorkel equipment at eden rock?

[wagzz21]

We were on the Legend last Sept. It was FABULOUS!!!!

 

In Grand Cayman, we didn't preplan our tour - we got off the boat & picked a person at the port (there were a TON) who offered Stingray City & snorkeling stops. It was about $40 per person, I think. You can't actually snorkel at Stingray City because you need to keep your feet on the sandbar to make sure you don't accidentally step on a stingray's barb (yes, they have them, but they are SOOOOOO "tame" - they are pretty well trained that they're getting food from you, so they don't try to hurt you - hold one if you get the chance. It's magical!!! Our guys took our pics holding them & sold us a cd w/ all the pics for around $15). From SC, we went to a spot just in the middle of nowhere w/ no one else around & jumped out & snorkeled there. It was sooooo pretty. We then went to one more stop & they went down & brought up the largest starfish I'd ever seen for people to hold, touch, etc. (under the water - it's not good to take them out of the water). People snorkeled there too. All in all, very nice snorkeling in GC.

 

In Belize, we went w/ Major Tom & did the ziplining through the jungle and the cave float. It was grrrreat (even for me - I'm terrified of heights). Wellllll worth the $$. They are a great company to go through if you choose to do either/or on this stop!

 

In Cozumel, we did the Carnival tour to Tulum. While Tulum was neat, the tour was full of everyone everywhere asking for tips. It was ridiculous. The water there looked absolutely amazing though. If you go to Tulum, you have to go down (and up) a pretty rickety set of stairs from the cliff that overlooks the water/beach to get to the water. My knee is bad, so I didn't go down. However, I wish I had. Looking at the photos from there amaze me!

 

In Honduras, we went to a private "island" that was just a quick ride over in a little pontoon boat from the port (I think the port has since been moved though). It was called something different when we went there, but it is still run by the same person. It was called Fins & Flippers then & is now Maya Key. You can watch a video showing it at

. That place was absolutely A-MAZ-ING! We only paid $22 each for the day, but I think it went up to $50 or so in December. Trust me - it's still WELL worth it. This place was totally uninhabited. There were the 6 of us, a few of the workers from the Legend, another couple of people from the Legend, and maybe 8 more people on the whole island - pretty nice & relaxing after being on a crowded ship!! ;-) It was our last stop before returning to reality, so it was really extra nice for that reason. The place is an animal rescue/sanctuary, so there are all types of animals there - when we were there, they had 3 baby (3 feet or so) nurse sharks (separate from where YOU swim!), sea lions, lots of parrots, lots of monkeys, a tiger, and an oscelot. I loved the oscelot!!! AND they had a larger monkey (can't recall what kind), but if he's still there - you'll know which one I'm talking about. I think he was older, much calmer, in a cage by himself. He was sitting there all bored/sad looking and I took a chance and asked him if he wanted to shake hands and held my hand out to him. He reached through the cage and held my hand and made kissing faces at me for about 5 minutes. It was awesome! You really can interact with the animals there - even the cats can get their paws out of the cages (we found this out when the oscelot grabbed my snorkeling gear & tried to play with it!) :D Anyway, even if the animals are not your cup of tea (they are mine!), they have fantastic snorkeling on a reef (so no sharks!) - just beware of the coral - it hurts BAD if you contact it (trust me...) If you dare, you can swim out beyond the reef and it opens up to such DEEP water all of a sudden - very neat - but I got creeped out after a couple of minutes & panicked having a jaws moment.. so I headed back to the reef! ;-) Some really neat coral to see here & fish... several of the people I was with said they saw a bunch of baby jellyfish - I didn't. Most everything I saw was swimming away from me quick. At the time, it didn't occur to me that it was probably because my knee and hand (both hit the coral) were bleeding & the fish didn't want to be "bigger fish" food by sticking around while I chummed the water!!!! lol This place also has a nice beach to sit on and a pool with tables/chairs to lounge around in the shade if you desire. They have a little bar by the pool that you can order food & drinks at - we got the bean dip thing & chips & it was good. Someone else got conch fritters (ewww - but they liked them). This was probably my favorite place. I think you can still get there, even if they aren't stopping at that port. If they are, though... go back a little early & walk through the streets w/ the vendors - you can get pretty good deals on the souvenirs there!! ;-)

 

Hope that helps. I actually wrote a pretty long review on this site (SOMEWHERE) when I got back - it detailed happenings on the ship & each port. You can try to search by my name & see if you can find it.

[czexrus]

Thank U so very very much!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!1

[andrewabby]

We really enjoyed the Sargeant Cays Snorkel Excursion when we were in Belize in Nov 08. It was very profesionally ran. No alcohol was served on the boat. We are going out with them again this Nov on the Carnival Legend.

[cruisingtodive]

If you are going to snorkel in almost or all of the ports stops you should look into getting your own equipment. It isn't expensive and small to carry with you. Then you will have it for future cruises or beach trips. Kids like to use the masks in the pool too.

[snorkelingsearchers]

We went last October and really enjoyed this cruise! We are avid snorkelers and this trip provided the best we have seen so far. Here is what we did:

 

Grand Cayman - walk down to Eden Rock Dive Centre, rented a locker for $5, then we used their ladder, restrooms, and fresh water shower afterwards, also lounged on their picnic table to drive off some more before changing - great shore site - saw our fist nurse shark, saw a bunch of turtles, tarpon - just tons of fish - this is where alot of the snorkeling tours (including the ships) take people. Its a great spot, but doesnt have a beach - you will want dive socks or water shoes. Coral is plentiful but health is so-so.

 

Cozumel - Three Reef Snorkel with Eagle Ray Divers - we were on board with 4 other people plus two guides - sites had lots of big sea life - saw nurse sharks, turtles, and huge eagle rays. Coral was so-so but nice. The dive guide (not with us) was great, but our snorkel guide was not so great. The lunch that was included was tasty.

 

Belize - We did the Caye Caulker and Sting Ray Alley Snorkeling trip with Coral Breezes. Fantastic! Great tour operators, not many people, caye caulker is beautiful, lunch was yummy. Best part - Best Coral we have ever seen hands down. The guides were personable, knowledgeable, and fun. The Rays were really cool too.

 

Roatan - we booked with Victor Bodden and got an island tour and went to half moon bay based on a recommendation from the boards. If you dont have bad weather I really like this place. We went on the Half Moon Bay restaurant side, which let us use their fresh water shower, nice entrance, and chairs to store stuff. Great snorkeling - coral was not as good as Belize but no boat ride required and teeming with life! Good depth for snorkeling and we saw so many fish, turtles, eels - it was a great day. Next time I would just take a cab straight here. We ate lobster at the restaurant after and it was really good. Very picturesque setting and great people.

 

We picked these tours because we dont like to snorkel with crowds (lots of people scare away the wildlife) and truly wanted to find great spots. We prefer shore snorkeling on our own when possible so that we can take our time and snorkel for longer (as opposed to a 30-45 minute stops on boat tours) but will take boats out when its necessary to get to the better spots or a spot at all. We try to choose itineraries with good snorkeling and go snorkeling every day we can - so we are kinda nuts about it.

 

Okay well I hope that helps - I also second getting your own gear - it makes a huge difference and cuts down the cost for shore snorkeling while increasing the pleasure of the experience (not drinking salt water as often and not readjusting your mask every few minutes is much better!). Most large cities have big dive shops that sell used masks - so you can get something that fits well for a bargain.

 

Have fun on the legend - I wrote a review from October 2009 - we had a blast and really loved the ship - dont miss the Golden Fleece Super Club.

[cruisingforsix]

We really enjoyed the Sargeant Cays Snorkel Excursion when we were in Belize in Nov 08. It was very profesionally ran. No alcohol was served on the boat. We are going out with them again this Nov on the Carnival Legend.

Can you tell me what tour company you used? we got a rate from seasportsbelize but think they are on the high side. They also said they go there so it's not crowded from cruise ship tours, which is funny since that is a ship sponsored tour. when i told her that she said oh ,then we will go somewhere else.

[andrewabby]

We used the ship excursion thru Carnival. It was called the Sargeant Cays Snorkel Adventure.

 

They pick you up from the ship and take you to their island, where they outfit you with snorkeling gear. We brought our own.

 

Then they transfer you to a dive boat and take you to the reef.

 

I think this is more of a scuba diving operation with snorkeling as a sideline. Probably explains why it is professionally ran and not a party boat with a bunch of loud drunks.

 

It is owned by Americans from Texas.

 

You can google their website for pictures.

[evandbob]

Wonderful suggestions, all of the above! The nice thing about doing this cruise several times is that I have participated in most of the tours mentioned, and I can honestly say each is different and special. Cayman has a great reef just outside of stingray city, as well as several spots from shore where one can just swim out to the reef. Belize has Goeff's and Sargeant Cays, (wish they still did Shark Ray Alley) and Roatan has Maya Cay and Tabyana Beach.

My only strong recommendation is not to go to the man made "beach" Carnival calls Mahogany.

[baldercash]

Doing similar venue on X Eqlipse on Jan 22th 2011.

Haven't done this venue for about 5 years, been going deep south eastern and South America. We are cruising with another couple and doing the Aquaclass so we are excited about the cruise and returning to these islands.The other couple has never been to Grand Cayman so they have never done the Stingrays. I locked in on this tour and just got our confirmation so I will share. http://grandcaymancruiseexcursions.com/StingrayCitySailing.htm Not that pricey for just 2 couples as it will work out to $100.00 per-person versus $45.00 on the cattle boats but it should be a day to remember and I could not find a better way of snorkeling for half a day on GC and seeing the rays. If there is a better one please post it I would love to know about it.

For Roatan we are going to this location http://www.fostersroatan.com/ we spent the day there last time a simple cab ride and it was just like the pictures with no one there, may have changed but we will see. You just swim out 200 yards and you hit the reef, tough to beat.

Cozumel we are using a local web sites recommendations and doing the town this time.

http://www.cozumelmycozumel.com/Pages/SnorkelingfromShore.htm

Interested in recommendations for Costa Maya lots of time to plan.

[agagal313]

I have been to Belize on three separate occasions. The first time the snorkle trip was great. Each time has gotten worse. I recommend you save your snorkle money for Roatan. In Belize you are herded around and as many as 4 large double decker boats can be on the same reef area at the same time.

 

Check out Belize: http://www.mayakeyroatan.com/en/activities/snorkeling.html

This place is a 5 min walk and 15 min boat ride across the bay from the "old Pier" and about and 15 min cab ride and 15 min boat ride from the "new" Mahogany Bay. The reef is right off the end of the pier. There was a "guide" for safety. They rent equipment if you don't have your own. Small beach, pool area, bar and food available at good rates.

[The Flying Pirate]

The snorkeling in Belize is very hit or miss depending on the tour operator you use. I have had some of the best Diving and Snorkeling ever in Belize and I have had some average experiences in Belize. The last time we used FAB Tours in Belize and they were very good. http://www.fabtoursbelize.com

[The Flying Pirate]

If you are going to snorkel in almost or all of the ports stops you should look into getting your own equipment. It isn't expensive and small to carry with you. Then you will have it for future cruises or beach trips. Kids like to use the masks in the pool too.

 

This is excellent advice. Go to your local SCUBA Shop and find masks that fit, yes there is a difference and a comfortable good fitting mask that doesn't leak can make a huge difference between an awesome experience and a terrible experience. Also the difference in good fins vs the crappy rental ones is pretty much night and day. Snorkel gear if you take care of it will last you for years. My current set is 6 years old and gets used a lot and is still in excellent shape.

 

Another thing to pick up would be a rash guard, or a t-shirt to wear in the water, since a lot of the dive sites in the Caribbean are anti-sunscreen because the oils in the sunscreen are bad for the Coral.

 

A pair of dive booties or ankle length socks will prevent blisters from forming on your feet inside the fins.