Scuba Excursions....

[christine222]

Just wondering if anyone has used Carnival's excursions for scuba diving?? I'm booked on the 6/28th to Western Caribbean (Glory), and going to some great diving locations - Cozumel, Belize, and Honduras.

 

Any advice would be much appreciated!

 

Christine

[dommer573]

I did the scuba for beginners or first timers. It was fun, but not for experienced divers. You just go down 30' with an instructor and 2 or 3 other people. Cost was $129 or something like that. I would recommend it for first timers who want to see if diving is for them.

[hkmom]

my dh is a "dive master". even though he can get good deals and discounts because of his status he still books dive trips through the shore excursion desk for the plain and simple reason that dive boats are iffy and you don't want to miss the ship. if you book a ship sponsored dive trip you will have peace of mind and that is very important.

 

the resort courses that ships offer do not take you real deep and are just to try it out to see if you like it and then maybe pursue it when you get home. most of the ships excursions require a valid "certification card" and alot of the time you have to have logged a dive within the last 6 months to a year.

 

have fun

hkmom

[zippybossrock]

Don't book through the cruise line for Cozumel diving....look up Scuba With Alison (scubawithalison.com). Alison runs a top notch dive operation and is very accommodating to cruisers.

[christine222]

Thanks so much everyone!! I really appreciate your input.

 

During my last cruise, I booked an independent scuba trip (while in Roatan), and it really was a disaster. I didn't realize that we would not dock at the pier, so it took forever to get ashore. Even though I had given a $50 deposit, the dive boat left wo/me. I did end up getting 2 dives in, but the boat was tiny, and the outfit was really disorganized.

 

On the other hand, during a different cruise, I booked w/the cruiseline (Holland America), and we were treated like royalty. All in all, I think I will go w/Carnival. I'd hate to go through another hectic experience like my last one in Roatan.

 

Thanks again,

Christine

[Snoopyto]

We just got off the Valor on this same iten. We only dove Honduras and Belize. But I will offer my gossip and opinions for what they are worth.

 

Cozumel: Fellow diver on Belize dive went with ship. He said that operation was disorganized. It is a drift dive. The sea were a little rough and the DM was pinging the guy for not bobbing on the surface with rest of group. I personally sided with the diver. If you have a safety sausage to mark your location, the dive boat should not run you over. No sense in being a cork. There was no snack between dives. Not much of a luxury excursion. I went out on my own years ago in Cozumel and had a decent experience, but honestly, between then and then doing the Island Jeep & Caverns tour. I would go back to the caverns and just goof off. BTW, if you do the canerns, bring your back up light.

 

Belize: They use Hugh Parkley Dive Connections. This is a tender port, the Dive shop picked us up AT this ship. We went to their shop on a mangrove island. Geared up and 20-30 min ride to reef. They had fruit and bread. Saw some good reef stuff. Wife is big on reefs, I am a wreck guy. So I just cruised along. Had a good time. Had to abort the 2d dive because my computer got stuck in Free Dive mode and would not give me PSI. Wife saw rays and lots of other neat stuff. The deck hand let me dive the coral in 20-30 under the boat, while DW went with group. Very accomodating shop. I would go back here again just to spend a week diving. Average depth was 74'

 

Honduras: They use Anthony's Key Resort. They bus you to the resort. You get on boat and gear up with single tank. Dive site is 10 min out. Average depth is 70'. Lot more exciting reef. Tame grouper. Will let you reach and act like you can touch and then swim off. Sort of a wall dive. Great operations. Swims you sheltered from current along the wall and then drift back with current over the reef. Easy dive and DW beat me on air. She never does. They have fruit during surface interval and then back to the dock to fill tanks and sit out surface interval. The next site is only 10 min out as well. Same type of dive. Not sure if I would spend a week here, but they do have dolphins and that is tempting too.

 

GC- Can't speak to it. We did it once with Disney, and they used Red Sail Sports. Went to pier and then down on sand beach area on the pier and got on the boat. This was several years ago. I dd not speak to anyone else who went out with them on this trip.

 

Hope this helps. BTW: Best advice I can give is bring your own equipment. They see 3-8 ships per week and the gear is showing the usage. Lots of complaints of leaking regulators and BCs, etc. We brought our own and did a dive 2 weeks prior. So we had no real issues.

[Au48]

This is one of the times I would book with the cruise line UNLESS you know that port very well. Here is what I recommend in each port:

 

- Grand Cayman: we usually just do a shore dive from Eden Rock Dive Center and then head to the beach. Have done the ship's two-take dive here and enjoyed ourselves too, but I'm a sucker for Eden Rock / Devil's Grotto Reef in Cayman -- I grew up diving there.

 

- Cozumel: Again, the ship is a good option. If you have a long stay there, you can easily find a two tank dive there from a good operator.

 

- Roatan: Only do the ship's excursion. They take you to Anthony's Key Resort for the dive, and the diving is PHENOMENAL. One of the top dives I've ever done. I HIGHLY recommend this dive.

 

- Belize: The only way to go really is the ship. The two-tank here was good, but the boat ride out there is long. Not sure if you would have time to find a dive operator there unless they could pick you up from the anchored ship.

 

If there's another port you need recommendations on, let me know -- I have dove most places in the Caribbean where Carnival sails =) But the convenience and piece of mind offered by the ship's excursions are what makes them a winner. If you were to take an operator out there on your own, and their boat breaks down, causing you to miss the ship, you're SOL!

[alfngf]

We are going on the Legend soon and are diving in Roatan and Grand Cayman and have both booked thru Carnival. When we booked we didn't have equipment so after searching around it was about the same price once we rented all the equipment. Now we have equipment but decided to go ahead and stay with the excursions that we had.

 

We are both newly certified but did a resort course in Cancun last year and did our open water dive in Cozumel, GORGEOUS!!

 

I wish we could do the Belize dive but we are going with a non-diving couple and wanted to spend time with them in some of the ports. Just an excuse to go back, right? ;)

[Au48]

We are going on the Legend soon and are diving in Roatan and Grand Cayman and have both booked thru Carnival. When we booked we didn't have equipment so after searching around it was about the same price once we rented all the equipment. Now we have equipment but decided to go ahead and stay with the excursions that we had.

 

We are both newly certified but did a resort course in Cancun last year and did our open water dive in Cozumel, GORGEOUS!!

 

I wish we could do the Belize dive but we are going with a non-diving couple and wanted to spend time with them in some of the ports. Just an excuse to go back, right? ;)

 

IF you're not going to dive in Belize, make sure you do the Cave Tubing. It's an awesome excursion.

[alfngf]

IF you're not going to dive in Belize, make sure you do the Cave Tubing. It's an awesome excursion.

 

Thats what we are doing!! :)

 

WAR EAGLE!

[bmsmith521]

This is wonderful information. My DH and I are going to get our scuba certification in July. We did a sNuba excursion in St Thomas on our last cruise and we liked it so much that we decided to go take sCuba lessons. We have another cruise booked on Carnival Liberty (Eastern Caribben) in Jan 09 that we are wanting to do dives on. Our ports are Peurto Rico (night docking), St Thomas, Antigua, Tortola and Nassau. I don't think we can afford to do more than 2 dives; any suggestions to which ports have the best dives? Right now my plan is to boat over to St John to snorkel and dive in Tortola...open to changes though. Would love experienced divers input...but don't forget we will be fresh meat :D . BTW, what is the avg cost of a two-tank dive booked through ship?

[tootsiescurly]

Only dive with the ship if you like crowds. Our dives with the ship in Belize have been less than stellar.

[3boyzmom]

This is wonderful information. My DH and I are going to get our scuba certification in July. We did a sNuba excursion in St Thomas on our last cruise and we liked it so much that we decided to go take sCuba lessons. We have another cruise booked on Carnival Liberty (Eastern Caribben) in Jan 09 that we are wanting to do dives on. Our ports are Peurto Rico (night docking), St Thomas, Antigua, Tortola and Nassau. I don't think we can afford to do more than 2 dives; any suggestions to which ports have the best dives? Right now my plan is to boat over to St John to snorkel and dive in Tortola...open to changes though. Would love experienced divers input...but don't forget we will be fresh meat :D . BTW, what is the avg cost of a two-tank dive booked through ship?

 

My dh and I just returned from this itinerary. We just got certified in April, and these were our first warm-water dives. We dove in St. Thomas and Tortola. St. Thomas was great, but Tortola was the best!! In St. Thomas we dove through Carnival- Underwater Seafaris was the dive operator. Weren't that impressed. I've heard good things about Admiralty Dive.

 

In Tortola, we dove the wreck of the Rhone. We were on Carnival Triumph, but didn't go through them for the dive- they were sold out. Instead, we used Sail Caribbean Divers. Again, not all that impressed- they were more organized than the other outfit though. If you're planning to do the Rhone dive in Tortola through Carnival, you HAVE to book it online early. This excursion sold out 4 months before we cruised, and so we had to book independently.

 

Carnival's website has the prices for the excursions. You have to access it through your reservation, then the prices will be listed. If I remember right, the Coki Beach dive in St. Thomas was $96, but we opted for the boat dive- I think it was $110. The Rhone dive was somewhere around there too- and that includes all your equipment except a wetsuit. We didn't need one, but that depends on your own personal comfort level.

Have fun!

[scuabacruiser]

Just wondering if anyone has used Carnival's excursions for scuba diving?? I'm booked on the 6/28th to Western Caribbean (Glory), and going to some great diving locations - Cozumel, Belize, and Honduras.

 

Any advice would be much appreciated!

 

Christine

We did the same cruise in Oct 07 and did some great diving. We had the same great dives through Carnival that Snoopyto taked about in Roatan and Belize. I also 2nd Au48 on Roatan. It was some of the best diving we have every done and AKR was great. Belize was a little expensive, we thought, but you are very limited on options. Plus you will not see any of the city in Belize since the dive shop is located on a private island. There are other options but I have no experience with them. A couple on our cruise used Carnival at Cozumel and was really disapointed. We have been to Coz several times and get our own dives set up. We have used Dive Paradise and Papa Hogs. Both have very good rates and take care of you. DP is within walking distance of the downtown peir and PH is a $6 10 min. cab ride from either pier. DP has large slow boats and small fast boats. PH only has small fast boats. Go on line and check them out. There are plenty of other great dive ops in Coz but we have only used these.

[NeurosurgeryNP]

I too, have heard good things about Admiralty for St. Thomas and we have booked them for our excursion in October. They are very accommodating, immediately emailed us back with information and pricing, and a confirmation of the reservation. Took a CC # for hold, but no charge. They pick you right up at the dock. www.admiraltydive.com