Snorkel with a life vest??

[robertLP]

My wife and I are signed up to do the RCCL Vision of the Seas cruise down the coast of Mexico leaving on 4/24. It looks as though all the snorkel excursions thru the ship require you to wear a life preserver, which doesn't make any sense if you want to really snorkel.

 

Is this normal? If I book myself (not thru the ship) will the operators still require this?

 

Rob

[cruisin50]

Have snorkeled a lot in the Caribbean , mostly on trips we booked on our own and have never had to wear a vest if I did not want too, which I never do.The first time tho we booked thru the ship and they did ask us all to put one on, but it was the kind you can inflate ., ..I just did not inflate it. Not sure about the Mexican Rivera and what rules they may have tho. If the water is pretty rough I guess it is a good idea.,but I would only wear the ones you can inflate and deflate.That is if they offer that kind.

The vest is great if all you want to do is stay on the surface I guess, I like to dive.

[Belgarion42]

The vests are the inflatable kind. We had to wear them, but those who wanted to dive simply didn't inflate them.

[Chele60]

I've only gone snorkling once in my life (off of Cozumel, but I was not on a cruise). The guy who was taking us out asked if any one wanted a life jacket, and since everyone else refused, so did I. Bad move. As soon as I hit the water, I started sinking. One of the few times in my life I really thought I was going to end it all! Luckily, the guy who took us out was very attentive and dived in immediately and strapped a life jacke to me.

 

Could I snorkel? Heck yeah. Just fine. As a matter of fact, I could do with less effort than anyone else! Nope, couldn't dive, but with water being 70 feet deep, exactly why would I want to dive without a tank on?

 

I think this may come about because of people like me. I do not float in the ocean. Not sure why, but I don't. I simply sink. Problem is, when the life jackets were introduced at first, everyone laughed when they refused. Well, who was I to accept this thing and have everyone laughing at me? Besides I didn't have any idea just how deep 70 feet was. But I was very, very glad for the jacket once I was in the water!

[calicruzer]

We were given the inflatable life vests in St John last year. My kids inflated theirs, DH and I didn't. Yes, they made us all take one though.

[dixiedog]

I generally wear a vest in the Caribbean but don't inflate it. So glad I wore mine while recently in Cabo - the water was so cold and the current was difficult at Lover's Beach. If I hadn't had the vest inflated - I wouldn't be writing this response!!