Who supplies snorkel masks on excursions?

[Caribbean4me]

We booked 2 snorkel excursions on through RC in St Maarten and Barbados on upcoming cruise. Do we need to take our own snorkel mask for these? I do plan on buying my own mouthpiece but was not sure about the mask. Thanks.

[PSCruiser]

Its pretty certain that if an excursion includes snorkeling, the equipment will be provided. I've been on many of these on various islands and this has always been the case. Of course you are always welcome to bring your own stuff.

[CyberTag]

All of the snorkeling excursions we have been on supplied all of the equipment.

[uncfes]

It's part of the price you pay on the excursion. Most give you mask, snorkel, flippers.... drink tickets... My only wonder is how well they clean them from person to person...... yuck

 

 

Uncle Fester sailing for Las Vegas

[krev]

They have big buckets of disinfectant that everything goes into. You can also bring your own if you like, we bought a cheap mask and snorkel at Walgreens in San Juan, works great.

 

 

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[Caribbean4me]

Thanks everyone... this was a lot of help.

[Tom.Terrific]

We're considering a snorkel excursion in Belize on our next cruise, and we'd want to take our own gear. While we have masks and snorkels, we don't have fins. We're still fairly new to snorkeling, and I'm wondering if we'll need fins to keep up with the group.

 

What have your experiences been? Take fins or no?

 

Thanks!

[AustinCruise]

They should have fins to borrow. Most people won't have any gear.

[dancinman66]

Most tours will supply gear with a snorkel trip as they don't expect people to have brought their own

Stopped taking my own a long time ago

 

 

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[Clarea]

Be sure to use the fins too because you can run into currents that can be tough to swim against without fins.

[SeagoingMom]

We're considering a snorkel excursion in Belize on our next cruise, and we'd want to take our own gear. While we have masks and snorkels, we don't have fins. We're still fairly new to snorkeling, and I'm wondering if we'll need fins to keep up with the group.

 

What have your experiences been? Take fins or no?

 

Thanks!

Use fins. A few kicks with fins will get you where you need to go without much energy expenditure, and they are useful for keeping you in place when you want time to observe things closely. Snorkeling without fins could be an exhausting proposition, and there are no advantages to not using them. I have never been snorkeling where anyone, from the guides to the rank beginners, did not use fins.

[3dog]

As stated previously, all ships snorkel excursions will include the equipment. You may, however, bring any portion of your own equipment (mask, fins, or snorkel).

 

If you have inexpensive slip-on fins or cheap mask, don't bother taking them, as you will haul them around for little benefit (you will be able to get ones that will fit on all excursions).

 

If you are concerned about germs and have your own snorkel, feel free to bring it, as it won't take up much room, and should be easy to clip on to an excursion mask. Or you can go to a dive shop and get just the mouthpiece and request that it be put on your snorkel.

 

If you have a good dive mask and snorkel, by all means bring them, as they won't take up that much space in your luggage and you will enjoy them more than the excursion masks (I have a prescription dive mask, so it goes with me even if I am only snorkeling).

 

Fins, however, often take up a lot of space, so only take them if you are they are quality fins that you are accustomed to wear (I only take mine if I intend to dive or do lots of snorkeling, and am not taking much in clothing - which isn't needed if I am doing lots of diving and snorkeling).

[marci22]

Bring your own. They do soak all the snorkels in big buckets of disinfectant, but when I looked at one of them, there was accumulated black gunk inside of it.

 

ymmv!

[rummenroman]

Bring your own. They do soak all the snorkels in big buckets of disinfectant, but when I looked at one of them, there was accumulated black gunk inside of it.

 

ymmv!

 

I can attest to this. And what is really in the water for disinfectant? Does it actually kill anything the previous user may have? I wouldn't chance it.

[Tom.Terrific]

Thank you all for sharing your insight.

 

We'll decided to take our own masks and snorkels because we're confident of fit, function, and sanitation. And we'll use their fins.

 

Belize is going to be awesome!

[Rufferto]

Some ships have dive shops where they sell the equipment. I ended up buying a dive mask on board the Allure. I bought it because it fit me so well- absolutely no leaks! The suction on the facemask was so strong it actually takes effort to lift it off my face, yet it remains very comfortable. Every other mask I ever had before then eventually developed cracks and leaked.

 

For those that are reluctant to use the snorkel tube provided by the tour for hygienic reasons, you can check out one that might be in stock on board ship. It is a travel snorkel tube. It is not made of rigid plastic but is made of rubber that can be rolled up into a compact spiral which can almost fit in your pocket. I did not buy one though I did find it interesting.

[sjb317]

I have started bringing my own equipment. Whenever I have used the snorkel provided, I have developed sores in my mouth that last for about a week. Not sure if it is from the disinfectant used or what, but since I've done this, no more sores.

 

I rarely use fins on a ship's excursion as the ones we've done have consisted of staying in a fairly small area and I have a pretty strong kick without them.

 

Sherri:)

[SeagoingMom]

Some ships have dive shops where they sell the equipment. I ended up buying a dive mask on board the Allure. I bought it because it fit me so well- absolutely no leaks! The suction on the facemask was so strong it actually takes effort to lift it off my face, yet it remains very comfortable. Every other mask I ever had before then eventually developed cracks and leaked.

 

For those that are reluctant to use the snorkel tube provided by the tour for hygienic reasons, you can check out one that might be in stock on board ship. It is a travel snorkel tube. It is not made of rigid plastic but is made of rubber that can be rolled up into a compact spiral which can almost fit in your pocket. I did not buy one though I did find it interesting.

 

Hmmm...too bad they don't make collapsible or roll-up fins! It's the fins that take up room in our luggage. (Yeah, I know they make short, stubby "travel fins" but they just don't look like they are worth bothering with.) I love having my own fins -- I have had problems with other fins cutting into (well, rubbing raw) my Achille's tendon because of poor fit. That's why I bring my own now. Of course another option would be for me just to bring dive boots to wear under the snorkel excursion's fins....

[trev71]

It's part of the price you pay on the excursion. Most give you mask, snorkel, flippers.... drink tickets... My only wonder is how well they clean them from person to person...... yuck

 

 

 

That is why I bought my own mask and snorkel. for 35$ and they work great i do use their flippers they provide since they take up way too much room in my luggage :)

[OCruisers]

We booked 2 snorkel excursions on through RC in St Maarten and Barbados on upcoming cruise. Do we need to take our own snorkel mask for these? I do plan on buying my own mouthpiece but was not sure about the mask. Thanks.

 

On every snorkel excursion we have ever taken through the ship ALL snorkel equipment was provided by the operator.

LuLu

[Creepella]

I find the "rental" snorkels usually have really stiff mouth pieces that make my mouth very sore. I went to a dive shop and got a higher end one with a soft mouth piece. It really makes a difference when you are in the water for an hour or so.

[matj2000]

Whats the difference between using a snorkle.

And silverware, glassware, plates, linens, etc.

[trev71]

Whats the difference between using a snorkle.

 

And silverware, glassware, plates, linens, etc.

 

 

I eat with my hands and use my soda cup on my cruise. :eek:

 

 

I personally like my own set, It really has nothing to do with germs, I used the rental ones once and the mouth piece was chewed and the mask didnt fit that good over my fat head. Ive used my own set a few time this summer around my area too. So it was worth it for me.

[SeagoingMom]

Whats the difference between using a snorkle.

 

And silverware, glassware, plates, linens, etc.

HOT water! :)

[erniesband]

Whats the difference between using a snorkle.

And silverware, glassware, plates, linens, etc.

 

Silverware etc. is going through a dishwasher at a temperature of 130 -170 degrees F. Linens the same thing washed in hot water up to 150 degrees. Kills most common bacteria.

Snorkeling equipment that I've seen on excursions sit in a primordial soup of all the users saliva and whatever else is on them with some dish soap or "disinfectant" thrown in.

I carry my own gear.