Excursion specific (SCUBA) meet and greet?

[MadMouser]

This might sound a little odd, but here goes. We're on the December 20th Eastern Caribbean sailing on the Royal. I've booked a couple SCUBA excursions, and it looks like they've filled up. That's great news, but it got me thinking. You always dive with a buddy, and it'd be nice to meet up with the people who are going to dive, kind of like our roll calls for the cruise. But there's no telling who's registered AND on here.

 

So, I got to thinking, is this something that I could contact either the cruise director or excursions manager to see about arranging something before the first port where there's diving? It'd be great to meet up with everyone who's signed up and see if we can work out buddies before getting on the dive boats.

 

Thoughts?

[moki'smommy]

It can't hurt to ask. The worst that could happen is that they say "no." The best is that the assign you a location and issue the invitations for you.

 

I don't think they will provide you with a list of people signed up and allow you to issue the invitations--that would be a privacy violation.

[MadMouser]

I don't think they will provide you with a list of people signed up and allow you to issue the invitations--that would be a privacy violation.

 

Yeah, that's what's causing my confusion because you're absolutely right, it'd be a massive privacy violation sharing that info with me. This would have to be something set up by the staff. I'm thinking a note with the excursion ticket that says "There's a SCUBA meet-and-greet at blah location on Monday at 10 AM".

 

The problem is I don't know who would be the best Princess staff member to contact about suggesting that...

[moki'smommy]

The excursion manager answers to the cruise director....so if you contact excursions, they'll have to run it up the chain anyhow. I'd go to the top. E-mail the cruise director now (you've probably gotten that form letter e-mail from him so you know who it is). Suggest to him exactly what you've stated here--that you think it would be an amazing idea to meet your fellow divers prior to the excursion so you can talk and buddy up in advance and that if could be done easily if they'd just attach a little not with the excursion ticket as to when and where the meet and greet would be. You might even suggest a time like Monday at 10 am.

 

If you don't ask, it absolutely won't happen. If you do ask, there's a chance. Don't see why they'd object.

[TracieABD]

I am not sure how they can do this. I do know that Princess keeps these excursions very small.

 

And (I am not sure if this applies to you), you must have a registered dive in the past two years at some ports (Bonaire is one). They will ask for this information on the lengthy forms you must complete.

 

As an aside, a 40 year old woman on my January/February sailing who was diving on Bonaire had a heart attack in the water as she was descending. She did not make it. So sad for her and her family still.

[MadMouser]

I am not sure how they can do this. I do know that Princess keeps these excursions very small.

 

They have a list of the people who have registered for the excursion. They'd just need to set something up and let them know that it's there if they're interested.

[SadieN]

Is anybody else doing the same excursions on your roll call?

[MadMouser]

The excursion manager answers to the cruise director....so if you contact excursions' date=' they'll have to run it up the chain anyhow. I'd go to the top. E-mail the cruise director now (you've probably gotten that form letter e-mail from him so you know who it is). Suggest to him exactly what you've stated here--that you think it would be an amazing idea to meet your fellow divers prior to the excursion so you can talk and buddy up in advance and that if could be done easily if they'd just attach a little not with the excursion ticket as to when and where the meet and greet would be. You might even suggest a time like Monday at 10 am.[/quote']

 

That's what I was thinking, but now the fun is trying to track down their contact info. It's Lisa Ball, but I'm not getting any results for an email address. Should I just call in to customer care or is there a better way to reach her?

[CruiseKing]

In most cases if you've booked through the cruise line it will no doubt be a "cattle call" dive. The dive shop may offer their dives to other cruise lines. You may find yourself diving with 20 of your closest "buddies". Some operators may choose to break you up into smaller groups by experience. This depends on how many dive masters they choose to put in the water. You'll dive as a group. My advice would be to search out your own dive shop independent of the cruise line for a much more intimate dive experience. If not we divers are some of the friendliest people on earth, just chat some of us up and identify each other prior to entry and keep an eye on one another down there. Oh, I do speak from experience. I've been certified for over 10 years and am an AOWD (PADI) with well over 100 dives.

Just MHO.

[MadMouser]

In most cases if you've booked through the cruise line it will no doubt be a "cattle call" dive. The dive shop may offer their dives to other cruise lines. You may find yourself diving with 20 of your closest "buddies". Some operators may choose to break you up into smaller groups by experience. This depends on how many dive masters they choose to put in the water. You'll dive as a group. My advice would be to search out your own dive shop independent of the cruise line for a much more intimate dive experience. If not we divers are some of the friendliest people on earth, just chat some of us up and identify each other prior to entry and keep an eye on one another down there. Oh, I do speak from experience. I've been certified for over 10 years and am an AOWD (PADI) with well over 100 dives.

Just MHO.

 

Roger that about the cattle boats. These are going to be my first salt water dives, and I'm expecting that. It's just that for the itinerary, it looks like the only way to get two tanks in at Bonaire. I completed my 14th dive during our pumpkin carving contest late last month. It was chilly, but fun.

[TracieABD]

I did a private refresher dive with Dive Friends of Bonaire. They were wonderful. They have a whole host of options, and if you are not interested in a Princess Shore-Ex, I would check into them. I had Gordon as an instructor/ guide/ dive buddy. He was fabulous.

[JF - retired RRT]

The suggestion to contact the Cruise Director is probably your best option.

Dave Cole was the CD on one of our Hawaii cruises and he had a "snorkel/dive" meeting for those interested. It was posted in the Patter.

[CruiseKing]

You may want to go to the Princess Roll Call Board and start one titled calling all divers for your cruise. You can set your own date, time and place to meet up.