Bringing own gear?

[tkd]

How do the cruise lines feel about bringing your own gear on board. Obviously, The gear will be wet and nasty in the room. I'm thinking of just the regs/mask/computer & fins. I'd love to bring the BC's, but it just doesn't seem like there is room or that they would like me walking through the ship leaving a trail of water behind me! Had a bad experience with rental BC's once

Thanks!

PS, First time cruiser, inside cabin (not my choice)

[bruce-r]

I have been on 2 cruises as a diver. I have taken all my own gear and would do so again without hesitation. (but my next "cruise" will be a liveaboard ) We have had balcony cabins which makes drying easier, but I would still want my own gear even with an inside. Hang it in the shower 'til it stops dripping.

So, where are you going?

[johnlcruise]

I find it much easer to rent my gear when I'm cruising.
After all I'm maybe doing 3 dives on the cruise and I dont want to carry all my stuff from home.
everytime i have rented gear I found it to be in very good, and less hassle then bring my own for the week.
I do bring my mask.

[Hilary]

I won't rent gear outside of the United States....too many horror stories for my comfort level.

We're going to take all our own gear, use the hose up on the pool deck to rinse everything well, then sit on the deck (in the shade) for a couple of hours with drinks and lunch while our stuff gets a headstart on drying.

[tkd]

Good Advise from all.


Hilary, Are the ships cool with that? Let's face it, wet gear can make a serious mess of a lobby in a hurry!

[Hilary]

The ships are used to people coming in with their dive gear, but realistically the gear won't be 'dripping wet' by the time you get back to the ship anyway, so I wouldn't worry about the lobby.

We go straight to our cabin to shower and change after diving, then up to the pool deck to rinse our BCs and wetsuits. Regs soak in the bathroom sink one at a time. Masks, snorkels, and fins get rinsed while we're in the shower and are almost dry by the time we get back with our rinsed (and partially dry) BCs and wetsuits.

A balcony cabin is really ideal for drying gear and keeping it out of your way onboard, but unfortunately that isn't an option for our next cruise, so it'll be interesting to see how it works without one.

I sure like Bruce-r's idea of a liveaboard...I think that'll be our next 'cruise' after this one!

[Woodsmaster]

Our last six trips we brought our own gear on all of them.

Wetsuits, BC's, Regs...the whole shooting match. I usually get back to the cabin and shower.....me and my BC go first. I wash it in the shower.....blow it up and hang it in the Bathroom while I rinse the rest. On a sunny day I agree.....Go up one deck above the pool deck and "hog" two chairs and lay out your BC and wetsuit. The rest I dry off in the cabin after I rinse them in the shower...I did take my padded lumbar support off of my bc for cruises as it holds water for a while if you do not hang it to dry. Everything then goes back to the cabin and hangs in the shower stall until the next dive or day when it is dry and can be rebagged... Tip the steward well for all of the extra towels they will know you need in your room...(after you tell them at first sight on the first day out)....

[Hilary]

Woodsmaster, thank you so much for telling us specifically how you rinse and dry you gear, especially the tip about the extra towels! I figured I'd just take a bunch of towels from the pool deck, but getting them from the steward sounds much easier. <G> If we can't figure out how to rinse everything on the pool deck, I'm definitely going to do exactly what you've described. Thanks again!

[KaC-Cruiser]

We always bring our own gear - I'm just more comfortable with my own stuff. We have had no problems with the cruise lines, and rinsing it in our shower has worked out fine.

[sea-jay]

I take my own gear. I also take a large piece of plastic that painters use to cover floors. I put the plastic on the floor to catch all the drips. This way I do not need to use towels to keep the floor dry. The plastic is the thinist I can find and you can get it at home depot or any other large hardware or paint store. Using the thin stuff doesn't take up much room in my dive bag. I also use this plastic to line my car trunk after diving so water doesn't soak the trunk's carpet.

[robstrash]

We went to the local Dollar store and get a plastic tarp and use that along with the painter's plastic described above. You just have to be careful lifting the plastic up as it will have puddles of water on it. Don't spill it while carrying it ot the shower.

[lgeisz]

I have apelican bax to haul all of my dive gear and it doubles as a water catch all when we need more room to dry wet suits and bcs. I just hang the wet suit and open the pelican box and let everything drip in. When things are dry empty the pelican box in the shower

[DiveCruiser]

I always take my own gear. It fits comfortably, and I hate the tought of someone else had the regulator in thier mouth before me?!! Yuk.

We always get a balcony cabin do after rinsing it is out of sight and drying.

Bob

[Hilary]

Bob,

The balcony definitely seems to be a must for a diver. You're absolutely right, and although I prefer balcony cabins anyway, this is just another excuse to splurge. Ironically, although the ship we're going on at Christmas is advertised as having no balcony cabins, they do have one prototype balcony cabin and I managed to snag it!! Now we'll not only have a place to dry our gear, but we'll have our own little private oasis to enjoy drinks before dinner and coffee in the morning!! <VBG> I'm very excited about it and know that the balcony is going to make taking care of our gear so much easier.

I've booked a 2005 cruise, but definitely made sure it was on a ship with a balcony cabin that I could have. <G>