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[cruisingmoods]

We are cruising on the Norwegian Dawn over Christmas week this year with my InLaws. I am a certified diver, but it's been a few years since I've done a cert. dive on a cruise. My FIL is interested in doing a discover dive, and since I am not *supposed* to do a cert. dive if it's been over a year I figured I'd do the discover with him. Anyway, I'm trying to get some feedback on which of the 3 ports available to us is the best dive. We can go in Roatan, Belize, or Costa Maya (I know Cozumel is great diving, but we're doing a different excursion there). We're booking it through NCL, so I'd appreciate any feedback on which location has the best diving but is also the best for new divers. Thanks!

[johnmpcny]

As a diver who also cruises, I can tell you find it pretty disappointing doing the discovery dives.

 

I would look at doing a refresher dive and have your partner do the online course and get certified. They can have the online work and pool work done then do the open water with you on the cruise.

 

There are many good LDS in Roatan and Belize contact them directly and I bet one will work with you do give a much better day than the package.

 

Try scubaboard.com forums you will find more divers there.

 

I, DW and DS will be diving San Jaun, St Martin and Samana the same time, using local dive shops. One is even on Christmas day!

[jingle5616]

I've done discover dives in all four ports you have mentioned with NCL.

 

Don't do Cozumel. It is a crummy dive site, little life, little coral, though they do have a lot of artificial structures where they are trying to get some growth going. It is a shore dive. The instruction was very good and I think the instructor to student ratio was 2:1.

 

Costa Maya and Roatan were good plenty to see, but shallow dives. Roatan was a shore dive. I doubt we were more than 20 feet down in Roatan. Instruction was fine and I remember being about 4:1 instructor ratio. I dived in Costa Maya, but I'm drawing a blank on the experience which, the way my mind works that means it was just average all the way through and therefore "forgettable"!

 

Belize. Hands down my favorite discovery dives ever because every time I've gone the dive sites has been really good. The instruction was just ok, the instructor ratio was more like 6:1. The dive company picks you up at the ship, takes you to their private island and runs you through the basics. I've watched the video on one occasion and on other dives it was just verbal instruction. They don't really have a shallow place to take the tests, so keep that in mind for yourself. Once I did the tests at the dock and other times it was at a sand bar in the middle of the ocean. The actual dive is what makes Belize my choice. It is a fairly deep, 40 feet (which is as deep as you're suppose to go on a discovery dive), although I've managed to go to 50, though I wasn't suppose to. The other bad thing about discovery dives in Belize is I've been cancelled on more times than I've gotten to take the dive. If they don't have enough people, they'll cancel you with about 12 hours notice the night before.

 

If I was pretty sure of my abilities and confident I'd take Belize hands down. If you aren't so sure, choose Roatan as there is plenty to see and it is much less intimidating, but then you miss the other great things to do in Roatan!

 

My information on Costa Maya is rather old, 4-5 years so the provider could be different. The others have all been sampled within the last year. Have a great time....