Ship Excursions vs. Independent

[JDK01269]

[color=magenta][b]HELP! Going on our first cruise in December. Two of the three of us are newly certified - the other has NO desire to get certified. She is perfectly happy to snorkle...[/b][/color]
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[color=magenta][b]I have read multiple posts that advise against cruise ship sponsorsed excursions in favor of booking independently... Less people, more bottom time, cheaper... etc.[/b][/color]
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[color=magenta][b]Maybe I am looking at the wrong sites but I don't see where it is cheaper. Princess offers 2 site dives for less than $100 - including equipment. Most places that I have found online offer 2 tank dives for $75 - $100 and that does not include the rental of the BC and regs. Most sites quote equipment rental at about $25. Being new divers and only vacation divers - I just can't see spending the money to own our own equipment yet (maybe later). Soooooo - is the price savings only if you carry your own equipment with you? Are the prices quoted online set or can you negotiate with them?[/b][/color]
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[color=magenta][b]Will the Princess allow a non-diver to join the scuba excursion? Will she have to pay even though she doesn't dive? Is bottom time realy an issue for inexperienced divers?[/b][/color]
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[color=magenta][b]Our ports of call are Belize, Grand Cayman, Cozumel, & Costa Maya/Mahahual.[/b][/color]

[BurBunny]

Jammie - are you looking at companies which have been recommended on this board? While some may charge more for renting equipment (many of us here take our own, so we don't pay as much attention to that factor), most are quite a bit less expensive and more personal service than the ships' excursions.

You might also want to rent your equipment at home and take it with you. It helps you to be familiar with your gear from dive to dive and adds in a certain extra safety factor. Maybe not the least expensive option, but not a bad idea.

As for the bottom time issue - it's not as much of an issue for new divers unless someone in your group really sucks up their air and the entire group has to surface after 20 minutes because of 1 person.

[bruce-r]

[URL=http://www.cozumel-diving.net/martin/]Dive with Martin[/URL] in Cozumel includes equipment in their dive prices and they are just about as low as you will find anywhere ($60 for a 2 tank dive, $70 for a 3). They have a reputation as being a decent dive operator too.

There might be an issue with the non-diver going with you on the dive boat, especially with a ship's excursion. The Princess staff on the boat are only sell the service of an independent dive operator, so they can't really say if that operator will allow non-divers on the boat. Many private operators will, space available. IF you make your own arrangements, you can contact the operator and know for certain if the snorkeler can be with you. Be prepared to pay for the non-diver space in any case, since they will be taking the place a diver would be paying to use, and they are using at least some of the services that the dive op is selling, such as the boat ride.

The only time bottom time is an issue, like burbunny said, is when 1 airhog make everyone else end their dive early. With the better dive OP's, that usually isn't a problem. The offending airhog ends their dive, usually with their buddy, and the rest of the group can finish their dive.

Hope you have a grand time.

[Tarkus]

actually, if they use dive with martin, even an airhog can be accommodated. when i dove with him in 2000, the man himself (martin) was our dm - and his reg setup had four octopuses on it - when somebody got low, he'd just let them breathe off of his to conserve their own air. i guess he's so good he doesn't need to breathe, cuz we all got in 30min of bottom time because of it.

i highly recommend him/them, btw.