Non diver tagging along on scuba excursion?

[bleucastle]

We have cruised several times before but in June 2019, we'll be taking a Carnival cruise with extended family. Several family members have booked a scuba excursion on Grand Turk. I am certified to dive but will not be up to it on this excursion due to knee surgery. Does anyone know if non-divers can travel along on a scuba excursion, just to hang out + take photos? Literally every other family member is going so if I don't go along, I'll be on my own for the day. I don't mind paying for the excursion although obviously if it's possible to pay less just to go along and not dive, that would be great. I can't even find anywhere on Carnival's site to ask this question so just wondered if someone here might know.

 

Thanks!

[Cruiser_1977]

I would find the name of the tour operator and ask via e-mail or phone. The other option is to call Carnival, although we all know the stories of the CSRs not knowing or providing incorrect/incomplete information.

[bury me at sea]

I am relatively sure that you will have to pay for the excursion even though you consider it tagging along.  You will be taking up a space.

[bleucastle]

thanks! Any ideas how to confirm the name of the tour operator so I can contact them? (Is this info Carnival would share at this point?)

[Essiesmom]

I would google scuba excursions at Grand Turk and see if any have one that sounds like the Carnival description.  

[Elaine5715]

1 hour ago, bleucastle said:

We have cruised several times before but in June 2019, we'll be taking a Carnival cruise with extended family. Several family members have booked a scuba excursion on Grand Turk. I am certified to dive but will not be up to it on this excursion due to knee surgery. Does anyone know if non-divers can travel along on a scuba excursion, just to hang out + take photos? Literally every other family member is going so if I don't go along, I'll be on my own for the day. I don't mind paying for the excursion although obviously if it's possible to pay less just to go along and not dive, that would be great. I can't even find anywhere on Carnival's site to ask this question so just wondered if someone here might know.

 

Thanks!

Sure, you just need to pay the excursion fee. Happens frequently.     

[OCruisers]

6 minutes ago, Elaine5715 said:

Sure, you just need to pay the excursion fee. Happens frequently.     

 

We wanted to go with our grandchildren and were able to ... just had to pay to go.  

[LuckyStar]

1 hour ago, bleucastle said:

We have cruised several times before but in June 2019, we'll be taking a Carnival cruise with extended family. Several family members have booked a scuba excursion on Grand Turk. I am certified to dive but will not be up to it on this excursion due to knee surgery. Does anyone know if non-divers can travel along on a scuba excursion, just to hang out + take photos? Literally every other family member is going so if I don't go along, I'll be on my own for the day. I don't mind paying for the excursion although obviously if it's possible to pay less just to go along and not dive, that would be great. I can't even find anywhere on Carnival's site to ask this question so just wondered if someone here might know.

 

Thanks!

 

I'm sure you can go but you will probably have to pay. 

[Nic6318]

4 hours ago, bleucastle said:

We have cruised several times before but in June 2019, we'll be taking a Carnival cruise with extended family. Several family members have booked a scuba excursion on Grand Turk. I am certified to dive but will not be up to it on this excursion due to knee surgery. Does anyone know if non-divers can travel along on a scuba excursion, just to hang out + take photos? Literally every other family member is going so if I don't go along, I'll be on my own for the day. I don't mind paying for the excursion although obviously if it's possible to pay less just to go along and not dive, that would be great. I can't even find anywhere on Carnival's site to ask this question so just wondered if someone here might know.

 

Thanks!

 

Hi

 

Welcome to cruise critic

 

I take it that this is a Carnival offered excursion. Of course you would be allowed to go. Naturally you would have to pay the full price. They can't force you to go swimming.

 

If this was a private 3rd. party excursion that you were booking, then you would be able the tour operator if they would offer a discount. Considering there are "several" people involved here, booking privately might be a better option, but that's up to you.

 

have a great cruise

[dmdiver]

If booking through Carnival, you'll have to pay as a diver.  However, if you book independently, there may be a lower rate for a non-diver.  We did a trip in Dominican Republic where they did a mixed group of divers & snorkelers at different rates.  When we were in Grand Turk a few years ago, Carnival was using Oasis Divers.  You could try emailing them I suppose.  They are housed in Jack's Shack's building.  Hubby & his friend went diving.  We wifeys went horseback riding, then went to Jack's Shack.  The guys stayed on the dive boat, which came to shore at Jack's.  Had food, drinks & played with Topher before heading back to the ship.

[bleucastle]

Thanks all. I guess what I was really asking is, did anyone know if there is a different fee for non-divers. This has been a fairly common offering on many dive trips we have taken (especially when part of the cost includes equipment rental) so I wondered, after not seeing anything about it on Carnival's site, if it was something you had to be 'in the know' to ask about. Looks like it's not an option so I'll just book the excursion as a diver.

 

Thanks again!

 

 

[divinmule]

I agree that you'll need to pay since it is taking up a potential diver spot but I would sure get out of having to pay for the gear if I could.  Perhaps contacting oasis and explaining that you will be coming but not diving might work.  but its hard when they negotiate it this way with the operators.  Lots of times I've had to pay a full price that included gear even though I am bringing all my own gear.

Might be worth emailing the shore excursion department and asking them (you can't call them which is a pain) about a rate for not needing gear.  Worst that will happen is that you still have to pay the full rate.

Good luck...sorry you can't dive :(

 

[shoptom]

Take the cost of the excursion and divide it by the number of your family members.  Charge each of them this amount to take their picture and hold their stuff while they are diving.  Have fun!

[bleucastle]

3 hours ago, divinmule said:

I agree that you'll need to pay since it is taking up a potential diver spot but I would sure get out of having to pay for the gear if I could.  Perhaps contacting oasis and explaining that you will be coming but not diving might work.  but its hard when they negotiate it this way with the operators.  Lots of times I've had to pay a full price that included gear even though I am bringing all my own gear.

Might be worth emailing the shore excursion department and asking them (you can't call them which is a pain) about a rate for not needing gear.  Worst that will happen is that you still have to pay the full rate.

Good luck...sorry you can't dive :(

 

Thanks Divinmule! The excursion they chose definitely lists rented equipment as part of the cost, so I was hoping to avoid paying for that if possible! I haven’t had time to contact Carnival or the dive operator yet so we shall see.

[bleucastle]

2 minutes ago, shoptom said:

Take the cost of the excursion and divide it by the number of your family members.  Charge each of them this amount to take their picture and hold their stuff while they are diving.  Have fun!

That’s the best plan so far! 😂 I do take pretty good photos.... certainly worth a small fee (not sure the in-laws will agree but oh well!)

[coevan]

23 hours ago, bleucastle said:

Thanks all. I guess what I was really asking is, did anyone know if there is a different fee for non-divers. This has been a fairly common offering on many dive trips we have taken (especially when part of the cost includes equipment rental) so I wondered, after not seeing anything about it on Carnival's site, if it was something you had to be 'in the know' to ask about. Looks like it's not an option so I'll just book the excursion as a diver.

 

Thanks again!

 

 

 

 

We used a private company and they were excellent, Blue Water Divers. I believe a tag along was about $40 and the dive was $95. We had 5 divers and a dive master. The Carnival dive had 20-30 people, no thanks.