Grand Cayman Shore Dives?

[scotte]

Hello - DW and I just finished OW certification and are excited for some "real" diving next month on Liberty of the Seas. (We only hit 30 ft on our cert dives, but we went to 70 ft on a discover scuba dive in Hawaii a few years ago and didn't have any issues. Overall we're very comfortable in the water.) Our itinerary will take us to Jamaica, Grand Cayman, Roatan, Costa Maya, and Cozumel. We're planning to dive Cayman, Roatan, and Cozumel, so I've been researching options and providers.

 

My first question: did we choose the right 3 diving ports? We'll be with non-diving friends so would prefer to dive only 3 of the 5 stops.

 

Next, I need some advice on Cayman. We've snorkeled w/ stingrays a couple of times. I understand the Kittiwake is a great dive, but being new perhaps a shore dive would be a better way to start off. Between Eden Rock and Sunset House I'm sold on Sunset for fewer crowds and convenience. What about Lighthouse Point / divetech though? How does it compare to Sunset? No reason to go further down the road if Sunset is everything we need, but it seems that they cater to hotel-guest divers more. For first-timers would you recommend a guide for the first dive? If so, after one guided dive do you think we'd feel comfortable doing the second dive on our own?

 

Any input on Roatan / Cozumel would be great too! I'm planning to contact West End Divers in Roatan. I haven't heard back from Scuba with Alison in Cozumel yet, so I may need to contact Aldora. Any other tips?

 

Thanks!

[scubamargie]

sorry duplicate post -- see below.

Edited October 14, 2015 by scubamargie
duplicate

[scubamargie]

Hello - DW and I just finished OW certification and are excited for some "real" diving next month on Liberty of the Seas. (We only hit 30 ft on our cert dives, but we went to 70 ft on a discover scuba dive in Hawaii a few years ago and didn't have any issues. Overall we're very comfortable in the water.) Our itinerary will take us to Jamaica, Grand Cayman, Roatan, Costa Maya, and Cozumel. We're planning to dive Cayman, Roatan, and Cozumel, so I've been researching options and providers.

 

My first question: did we choose the right 3 diving ports? We'll be with non-diving friends so would prefer to dive only 3 of the 5 stops.

 

Next, I need some advice on Cayman. We've snorkeled w/ stingrays a couple of times. I understand the Kittiwake is a great dive, but being new perhaps a shore dive would be a better way to start off. Between Eden Rock and Sunset House I'm sold on Sunset for fewer crowds and convenience. What about Lighthouse Point / divetech though? How does it compare to Sunset? No reason to go further down the road if Sunset is everything we need, but it seems that they cater to hotel-guest divers more. For first-timers would you recommend a guide for the first dive? If so, after one guided dive do you think we'd feel comfortable doing the second dive on our own?

 

Any input on Roatan / Cozumel would be great too! I'm planning to contact West End Divers in Roatan. I haven't heard back from Scuba with Alison in Cozumel yet, so I may need to contact Aldora. Any other tips?

 

Thanks!

 

Actually, being new divers shore diving is probably not such a good idea. If you get into trouble you have no divemaster to help you out. It's probably best to plan a boat dive. If you search this forum you'll see some recommended operations. And yes, it's a great itinerary for divers! We haven't done Jamaica but from what I heard you could skip this port. Diving in Roatan, Cayman and Cozumel is excellent! You will love it. :)

 

If you can't dive with Alison consider Dive with Martin. Their shop is right by the cruise pier and they are great. The only downside is that they require 4 divers to send out a boat, so you'll need to check with them to see if they already have at least one other couple going.

[scotte]

Actually, being new divers shore diving is probably not such a good idea. If you get into trouble you have no divemaster to help you out. It's probably best to plan a boat dive. If you search this forum you'll see some recommended operations. And yes, it's a great itinerary for divers! We haven't done Jamaica but from what I heard you could skip this port. Diving in Roatan, Cayman and Cozumel is excellent! You will love it. :)

 

If you can't dive with Alison consider Dive with Martin. Their shop is right by the cruise pier and they are great. The only downside is that they require 4 divers to send out a boat, so you'll need to check with them to see if they already have at least one other couple going.

 

Thanks Margie - I appreciate your input. I hadn't thought about the drawback of shore diving for new divers. It sounds like if that is what we want to do we should hire a dive master guide to help out. Especially since this is our first port and will be our first dive since certifying.

 

Alison is indeed booked up that day - I'll work on finding another couple of divers on my roll call board, though I haven't had any luck yet. :( Alison recommended Sea Robin, but from their site they don't seem to cater as well to cruise passengers. Their cost is the same as Aldora, but I like that Aldora uses steel 100's for ladies and 120's for men. I'm a big guy so I'm afraid I'll be the air hog compared to my wife. :)

[Lefty Writer]

We use Cayman Turtle Divers and love them! They are a small operation and staffed by either Texans or Brits. They will pick you up at the Dairy Queen (yes, a Dairy Queen!) by the terminal and drop you off when done. Just tell them your experience level when you book and they'll take you to some suitable places.

 

In Cozumel, we use either Scuba with Alison (too bad she's already booked) or Chucho Divers. Chucho is very friendly and will definitely accommodate your skill level. Both Alison and Chucho (as well as many others) are based out of Caleta Marina, a short cab ride away from the main terminal area.

[Lefty Writer]

Hello - DW and I just finished OW certification and are excited for some "real" diving next month on Liberty of the Seas.

<snip>

 

 

I thought I'd add this as a separate post. I see by your profile that y'all live in Houston. If you haven't found a scuba club yet, I invite you to visit us at Bay Area Divers. We meet on the last Wednesday of the month, typically in the NASA/Clear Lake area. Our next meeting is Wednesday the 28th at Mamacita's on NASA Rd 1. We welcome and encourage visitors and non-divers. We are an active clube and have many events, both diving and non-diving.

[bubbulz]

Hello - DW and I just finished OW certification and are excited for some "real" diving next month on Liberty of the Seas. (We only hit 30 ft on our cert dives, but we went to 70 ft on a discover scuba dive in Hawaii a few years ago and didn't have any issues. Overall we're very comfortable in the water.) Our itinerary will take us to Jamaica, Grand Cayman, Roatan, Costa Maya, and Cozumel. We're planning to dive Cayman, Roatan, and Cozumel, so I've been researching options and providers.

 

My first question: did we choose the right 3 diving ports? We'll be with non-diving friends so would prefer to dive only 3 of the 5 stops.

 

Next, I need some advice on Cayman. We've snorkeled w/ stingrays a couple of times. I understand the Kittiwake is a great dive, but being new perhaps a shore dive would be a better way to start off. Between Eden Rock and Sunset House I'm sold on Sunset for fewer crowds and convenience. What about Lighthouse Point / divetech though? How does it compare to Sunset? No reason to go further down the road if Sunset is everything we need, but it seems that they cater to hotel-guest divers more. For first-timers would you recommend a guide for the first dive? If so, after one guided dive do you think we'd feel comfortable doing the second dive on our own?

 

Any input on Roatan / Cozumel would be great too! I'm planning to contact West End Divers in Roatan. I haven't heard back from Scuba with Alison in Cozumel yet, so I may need to contact Aldora. Any other tips?

 

Thanks!

 

Re: Cayman, there are a number of easily accessible shore dives that you may want to do, such as Eden Rock and Devil's Grotto. The shops where you will get your tanks will have information on the layout of the sites. In any event, they're not that deep that you'd really get in trouble by yourselves - as long as you don't surface in boat channels! ;) My DH and I started out doing shore dives in Cayman 30+ years ago. I'm not sure you will want to go up to Divetech or Lighthouse Point unless you were specifically interested in macro, etc. Sunset House is also a good way to go, with easy diving and a nice restaurant/bar for your non-diving friends.

 

All of that said, there's not too much easier than a boat dive on the west side, assuming seas are calm (which they should be - the weird west wind that blew things out earlier this month odd). Although the Kittiwake is about 70 feet at the max, there's really no need to go that deep if you don't want to, and the superstructure is viewable for snorklers. There are schools of jacks, and once in awhile you'll see a passing eagle ray and sliversides in the holds. There's also a lot of new growth on the hull as well as small critters who have found homes in the portholes, etc. I recommend you put it toward the top of your list.

 

(P.S. I have my favorite dive ops, but honestly, they're all good. I'd go for one that caters to smaller groups.)

Edited October 15, 2015 by bubbulz

[scotte]

I thought I'd add this as a separate post. I see by your profile that y'all live in Houston. If you haven't found a scuba club yet, I invite you to visit us at Bay Area Divers. We meet on the last Wednesday of the month, typically in the NASA/Clear Lake area. Our next meeting is Wednesday the 28th at Mamacita's on NASA Rd 1. We welcome and encourage visitors and non-divers. We are an active clube and have many events, both diving and non-diving.

 

Thanks Lefty Writer - we'll look into Cayman Turtle Divers and Chuchos. We live up in Tomball, so not close to Mamacita's, though I've been there a few times and like it. :-) We'll try to make it down there so we can stay active throughout the year. We've got 6 kids from 4 to 15, so not a lot of free time, but they want to learn to dive too.

[scotte]

Re: Cayman, there are a number of easily accessible shore dives that you may want to do, such as Eden Rock and Devil's Grotto. The shops where you will get your tanks will have information on the layout of the sites. In any event, they're not that deep that you'd really get in trouble by yourselves - as long as you don't surface in boat channels! ;) My DH and I started out doing shore dives in Cayman 30+ years ago. I'm not sure you will want to go up to Divetech or Lighthouse Point unless you were specifically interested in macro, etc. Sunset House is also a good way to go, with easy diving and a nice restaurant/bar for your non-diving friends.

 

All of that said, there's not too much easier than a boat dive on the west side, assuming seas are calm (which they should be - the weird west wind that blew things out earlier this month odd). Although the Kittiwake is about 70 feet at the max, there's really no need to go that deep if you don't want to, and the superstructure is viewable for snorklers. There are schools of jacks, and once in awhile you'll see a passing eagle ray and sliversides in the holds. There's also a lot of new growth on the hull as well as small critters who have found homes in the portholes, etc. I recommend you put it toward the top of your list.

 

(P.S. I have my favorite dive ops, but honestly, they're all good. I'd go for one that caters to smaller groups.)

 

Thanks Bubbulz - I appreciate your input. I'm not familiar with macro outside of the photography world - is it the same for diving?

 

Divetech/Lighthouse Point came up a couple times on the boards, but I never saw a good comparison of Sunset House to Lighthouse Point. It seems from other discussions that Eden Rock and Devil's Grotto are more crowded than Sunset, being closer to the tender pier. It would definitely be nice to get away from the crowds. ;)

 

The cost of shore diving is alluring given we'll have our own gear. That said, if I can talk the budget appropriations committee (DW) into Kittiwake I'd like to do that too. I assume you'd need wreck diving training to actually move through the structure... Sounds like we need to save up for a week-long diving vacation in Cayman. :D

[scotte]

In Cozumel, we use either Scuba with Alison (too bad she's already booked) or Chucho Divers. Chucho is very friendly and will definitely accommodate your skill level. Both Alison and Chucho (as well as many others) are based out of Caleta Marina, a short cab ride away from the main terminal area.

 

From Chucho's site it looks like they require 4 divers minimum as well. Sadly we haven't found other divers on our roll call. Aldora doesn't have that restriction, and seems to be pretty cruise-friendly. I think the day we're in Cozumel there will be lots of other ships - things seem to be filling up fast! :eek:

[Lefty Writer]

From Chucho's site it looks like they require 4 divers minimum as well. Sadly we haven't found other divers on our roll call. Aldora doesn't have that restriction, and seems to be pretty cruise-friendly. I think the day we're in Cozumel there will be lots of other ships - things seem to be filling up fast! :eek:

 

Just e-mail Chucho, and explain how many you have. A couple of times it's just been me and my wife on the dive boat, so don't let the 4 person minimum thing scare you off.

[Lefty Writer]

Thanks Lefty Writer - we'll look into Cayman Turtle Divers and Chuchos. We live up in Tomball, so not close to Mamacita's, though I've been there a few times and like it. :-) We'll try to make it down there so we can stay active throughout the year. We've got 6 kids from 4 to 15, so not a lot of free time, but they want to learn to dive too.

 

We have some members that live up in Spring, so please don't let your location stop y'all from hanging out with us. It's only once per month, right? :D Our events are mainly on the weekends, and typically include diving at places like Mammoth Lake, The Blue Lagoon and weekend trips to Athens Scuba Park and Clear Springs Scuba Park. We organize rig diving trips, Flower Gardens trips and try to do at least one international trip each year. This year, we have a group cruise on the Carnival Magic on 11/8 going to Cozumel, Belize and Roatan to celebrate the club's 40th anniversary. So far, we have 32 going.

 

We also do non-diving events like TRF, Fearshire Farms, tours, etc. Y'all definitely won't be bored with us....LOL

[scubamargie]

A second vote for Chucho. He took just the two of us out on his boat also. Plus, sometimes folks on other ships have booked with operators so you may not be the only ones for either Chucho or Dive w/Martin. A note about Sunset in Grand Cayman -- it's a bit of a swim out to the dive site so watch your air consumption. Macro diving is looking for the little stuff (yellowhead jawfish, etc.). We love DiveTech at Lighthouse Point. Last time we were there on a cruise ship we took the local bus up to the point and back. A bit of a scenic route, but it was an adventure!! (and cheap!). You won't have a far to swim at Lighthouse.

 

Finally, one last push for doing a boat dive. The more you dive with other divers and divemasters the more tricks of the trade you'll learn. Plus, local divemasters can point out the critters you probably would swim right by without noticing.

[Capt_BJ]

I'd stick with Sunset House. It is where I took dd for her first Discovery Dive and later when she got certified where I took her to build experience.

 

The site is very newbie friendly IMO. Look at the site:

Navigation is a piece of cake, follow the sand chutes in and out. At 60 feet the coral fingers end ... no need to go deeper or even that deep. See the 'sea pool' at the top of the pic? A great area for a first timer to make an even easier entry.

 

The dive shop folks are usually VERY helpful and if you would feel better with an escorted dive your first time out, e-mail the dive shop and you can probably set something up (I have). e-mail the resort and ask them to pass to the dive shop sunset@sunsethouse.com .... I usually get a reply in a day or so.

 

Long swim out? Hmm 2 or 3 minutes IME; actually there's stuff to see as soon as you giant stride in at the main entry place .... again, see the picture. I've got over 50 shore dives here in my log.

 

Do they cater to their hotel guests? Well that IS their core business but a TON of locals shore dive here day and night .... and My Bar is one of the most popular hangouts on the island. I've see the Governor there . . .

Edited October 16, 2015 by Capt_BJ

[scotte]

Thanks Margie! I emailed Chucho, so we'll see what he says! That would be fantastic to have just the two of us. We are definitely doing boat dives in Cozumel and Roatan, and I'm looking forward to learning from our fellow divers as well as the dive masters. It seems with most things you learn best from your mistakes, so if we can learn from the experience/mistakes of others hopefully we won't have to make them ourselves. :)

 

Capt BJ - love the picture - thanks for posting that! I was actually hoping you'd weigh in on my question since I've seen from other threads that you have tons of experience diving in Cayman. I am definitely jealous. :)

 

What's your take on Roatan from a cruise ship? I hear there are incredible places there that aren't reachable in the limited time provided by a cruise itinerary...

 

Thanks!

Scott

[bubbulz]

Thanks Bubbulz - I appreciate your input. I'm not familiar with macro outside of the photography world - is it the same for diving?

 

Yes, similar in that you're looking for small stuff. You can find all kinds of nudibranchs and small critters underwater.

 

Divetech/Lighthouse Point came up a couple times on the boards, but I never saw a good comparison of Sunset House to Lighthouse Point. It seems from other discussions that Eden Rock and Devil's Grotto are more crowded than Sunset, being closer to the tender pier. It would definitely be nice to get away from the crowds. ;)

 

I think Sunset House would be a great fit for what you're looking for.

 

The cost of shore diving is alluring given we'll have our own gear. That said, if I can talk the budget appropriations committee (DW) into Kittiwake I'd like to do that too. I assume you'd need wreck diving training to actually move through the structure... Sounds like we need to save up for a week-long diving vacation in Cayman. :D

 

No special training is required for the Kittiwake. Although it is a wreck, it was purposely sunk as an artificial reef and is safe for diving by recreational divers. I highly recommend it. http://www.dive365cayman.com/kittiwake-cayman

 

But yes, a week-long diving vacation in Cayman is a must. :)

Edited October 18, 2015 by bubbulz

[Capt_BJ]

What's your take on Roatan from a cruise ship? I hear there are incredible places there that aren't reachable in the limited time provided by a cruise itinerary...

 

IMO correct, Roatan has good diving but the best stuff is not reachable from a day visit. COCO View Resort is highly recommended; gets a TON of repeat customers but does not entertain 'day visits' (you need to get a ride out to their island on their boats.) dd spent 6 weeks there a couple of years ago, on a research internship doing reef condition surveys and counting sea horses. They are another GREAT shore diving hotel with a house reef and wreck ...

 

http://www.cocoviewresort.com/index.php

 

dd on the house wreck at CCV

 

****************

note that to dive the KITTI in Cayman, special fees apply on top of what a 'regular' dive trip costs. The dive operator also requires a special permit but I suppose that by now all the reputable charter folks are covered. At Sunset a K trip is about $15 more than a regular one tank PM boat dive.

Edited October 18, 2015 by Capt_BJ

[YYJValerie]

Hello - DW and I just finished OW certification and are excited for some "real" diving next month on Liberty of the Seas. (We only hit 30 ft on our cert dives, but we went to 70 ft on a discover scuba dive in Hawaii a few years ago and didn't have any issues. Overall we're very comfortable in the water.) Our itinerary will take us to Jamaica, Grand Cayman, Roatan, Costa Maya, and Cozumel. We're planning to dive Cayman, Roatan, and Cozumel, so I've been researching options and providers.

 

My first question: did we choose the right 3 diving ports? We'll be with non-diving friends so would prefer to dive only 3 of the 5 stops.

 

Next, I need some advice on Cayman. We've snorkeled w/ stingrays a couple of times. I understand the Kittiwake is a great dive, but being new perhaps a shore dive would be a better way to start off. Between Eden Rock and Sunset House I'm sold on Sunset for fewer crowds and convenience. What about Lighthouse Point / divetech though? How does it compare to Sunset? No reason to go further down the road if Sunset is everything we need, but it seems that they cater to hotel-guest divers more. For first-timers would you recommend a guide for the first dive? If so, after one guided dive do you think we'd feel comfortable doing the second dive on our own?

 

Any input on Roatan / Cozumel would be great too! I'm planning to contact West End Divers in Roatan. I haven't heard back from Scuba with Alison in Cozumel yet, so I may need to contact Aldora. Any other tips?

 

Thanks!

 

You have absolutely picked the best dive spots. We've done all of these ports several times. My husband is an avid diver while I enjoy snorkeling and free diving.

 

Just for the record - Eden Rock in Grand Cayman is one of our favorite spots. And it has never been horribly crowded when we go. The will send a dive master / guide out with divers. We have never made reservations beforehand. Just get off the ship and go there first. Sometimes we dive right away, sometimes we drop of gear and make an appointment for later. Never had a problem. Hubby has gotten some fantastic underwater shots there. The fun thing is your non-diving friends can snorkel out and follow you out to the reef. Of course they'll lose you as you go deeper and through some of the rock formations, but the reef is beautiful on the top and offers plenty for snorkelers to look at too.

 

Hubby dives with Coconut Tree in Roatan -- loves them and has fantastic dives with them. They do not contract through the ships, but often take divers from the ships and are very sensitive to your schedule.

[scotte]

...

IMO correct, Roatan has good diving but the best stuff is not reachable from a day visit. COCO View Resort is highly recommended; gets a TON of repeat customers but does not entertain 'day visits' (you need to get a ride out to their island on their boats.)

...

 

Thanks Capt BJ. Coco View Resort looks great! The dive shop we trained with in Houston does week-long trips to Roatan a couple times a year, and this may be the place they use - it sounds familiar. I can see that trying to satisfy my diving desires from a cruise ship will be challenging. Adding Roatan to the list of places to stay for week-long trips. :D (I have Bonaire, Cayman, and Cozumel on the list already.)

 

Hubby dives with Coconut Tree in Roatan -- loves them and has fantastic dives with them. They do not contract through the ships, but often take divers from the ships and are very sensitive to your schedule.

 

Thanks YYJValerie! I reached out to West End Divers and Coconut Tree this morning upon seeing your message. I got a response from West End, and interestingly they are $20 more than the ship excursion. Their email said taxi transportation to their shop is $25pp. :eek: I'll see what Coconut Tree has open and what they say about transportation. Our ship is in port from 10:00 to 6:00, so we'd have to leave later than anyone staying on the island would want to.

 

Thanks,

Scott

Edited October 18, 2015 by scotte

[Capt_BJ]

I can see that trying to satisfy my diving desires from a cruise ship will be challenging. Adding Roatan to the list of places to stay for week-long trips. (I have Bonaire, Cayman, and Cozumel on the list already.)

 

You DO see the problem .....

 

we were avid cruisers until I got dw on a discovery dive during a cruise. She was certified a month later and two weeks after that we spent our first week at Sunset House (mid 80's). We did heavy dive trips for years ... Grand Cayman and Brac, Bonaire, Coz .... Then we began to find cruises that had diving with every stop - Princess for a while, and WINDSTAR .... but the dive friendliness of cruises fell off in the 90's IMO. For a time WINDSTAR in the Carib' was the best. They ran their own dives using the Zodiacs they carried and provided gear storage/drying racks. Diving cost extra but a fraction of the cost of using outside providers and MUCh more flexibility.

 

Ahh for the old days

 

One of our most memorable .... we were on the WINDSTAR zodiacs heading back to the ship after 2 tanks off Bimini. While crossing a shallow area a pod of dolphin popped up. The divers were all sitting on the sides of the Z's ... a nod or two and several of us just back rolled off the boats frogman style. The boats had no choice but to stop ..... the dolphins (or were they porpoise?) came to play with US .... we splashed around with them for better than 30 minutes .... one was a very juvenile and dw swears the 'mom' was pushing it towards us to teach it people were OK.

 

dd says 'dive on!'

 

in our 'old age' we've returned to cruising altho I still dive with dd

Edited October 18, 2015 by Capt_BJ

[scubamargie]

We have used Sueno del Mar several times in Roatan. They included the taxi fare in their price and it was certainly comparable to the ship's price. That said, we have also done the ship's dive excursion. They use Anthony Key, which is a great operation. I'd recommend that option if time is limited in port. You may or may not have a lot of divers on the excursion, but either way they divide you into small groups based on experience. We love Roatan, and LOVED diving with Cocoview, but as mentioned they really don't like cruise ship passengers. Plus, it's a bit of a hike to Cocoview depending on which port you use.

[divinmule]

I can see that trying to satisfy my diving desires from a cruise ship will be challenging. Adding Roatan to the list of places to stay for week-long trips. :D (I have Bonaire, Cayman, and Cozumel on the list already.)

 

Agreed that staying is always the best. But for a new diver, just know that cruises provide a wonderful way for you to "taste" these different venues. And really begin to experience the underwater world.

 

At Roatan the Anthony Key dives will be very enjoyable for you. Maybe not their absolute best reefs...but I bet you'll leave happy.

 

Or perhaps Tourquise Bay http://www.turquoisebayresort.com/index.html

our first dives from a cruise ship were with these guys. Just two of us and a DM with hour long dives....it was outstanding!

 

And in Grand Cayman, Sunset was indeed wonderful for shore dives. We actually walked there and back with our gear ( of course I think if I went again I would get a taxi back...that wet gear gets heavy ya know) and enjoyed two wonderful dives and an awesome Mahi-Mahi burger.

 

And Aldora in Cozumel...can't go wrong there. :D

 

Have a wonderful cruise!

[scotte]

...

One of our most memorable .... we were on the WINDSTAR zodiacs heading back to the ship after 2 tanks off Bimini. While crossing a shallow area a pod of dolphin popped up. The divers were all sitting on the sides of the Z's ... a nod or two and several of us just back rolled off the boats frogman style. The boats had no choice but to stop ..... the dolphins (or were they porpoise?) came to play with US .... we splashed around with them for better than 30 minutes .... one was a very juvenile and dw swears the 'mom' was pushing it towards us to teach it people were OK.

...

 

Wow - that sounds incredible! I bet the Windstar setup was great for divers. We're a little hesitant to book a liveaboard trip just because of the extra motion of the smaller boats. We've never had motion sickness problems on cruise ships, but I've been miserable a few times deep sea fishing in the Gulf. :eek: If DW likes the diving on this trip as much as I do that will hopefully kickstart a series of land-based diving vacations. ;)

[scotte]

We have used Sueno del Mar several times in Roatan. They included the taxi fare in their price and it was certainly comparable to the ship's price. That said, we have also done the ship's dive excursion. They use Anthony Key, which is a great operation. I'd recommend that option if time is limited in port. You may or may not have a lot of divers on the excursion, but either way they divide you into small groups based on experience. We love Roatan, and LOVED diving with Cocoview, but as mentioned they really don't like cruise ship passengers. Plus, it's a bit of a hike to Cocoview depending on which port you use.

 

Hey Margie - I'm happy to hear that the ship's dive excursion for Roatan is a good operator. In general it seems people complain a lot about the ship excursions, so you never know who you can trust! Our timetable is a little strange, so I'd feel more comfortable going with the extra guarantee that we won't be left behind. Though if Roatan were the last day of our cruise being left behind for a few days might actually be a great idea. I'll have to think about that... ;)

[scotte]

...

At Roatan the Anthony Key dives will be very enjoyable for you. Maybe not their absolute best reefs...but I bet you'll leave happy.

...

And in Grand Cayman, Sunset was indeed wonderful for shore dives. We actually walked there and back with our gear ( of course I think if I went again I would get a taxi back...that wet gear gets heavy ya know) and enjoyed two wonderful dives and an awesome Mahi-Mahi burger.

 

And Aldora in Cozumel...can't go wrong there. :D

 

Have a wonderful cruise!

 

Thanks for your input divinmule! I'm happy with our choices (Anthony Key, Sunset House, and Aldora) and getting really excited for our first diving cruise. Hopefully we'll have many more to follow!