Where to Scuba Dive- AOS Southern Iten.

[ebernard]

Looking to dive on my trip, and would like to get feedback on the best dive site(s) on that trip. Thanks for feedback!

[nanfromatlanta]

Looking to dive on my trip, and would like to get feedback on the best dive site(s) on that trip. Thanks for feedback!

 

I suggest that you check out the Ports of Call boards and check the specific ports for your cruise. There is a lot of info out there... ;) http://boards.cruisecritic.com/forumdisplay.php?f=5

[ebernard]

I went through those and didn't seem to find much info for divers :confused:

[nanfromatlanta]

Have you tried Googling dive sites for those islands?

[ebernard]

Yep did that. Everything seems too "touristy" and cramed with sales garbage to me. Every island on the trip is the "best" to dive according to the sites I looked at.

[douglasap8]

On the general boards page, under Cruise Discussion Topics, there is a section for snorkeling and diving. They seem to have a wealth of information there...I bet they can help!

[JRCRUZER]

I went through those and didn't seem to find much info for divers :confused:

Have you tried Island Divers on St Lucia?? islanddivers@candw.lc

[xpcdoojk]

Which islands are you going to? The southern generally has very good dive options, but obviously some are better than others. The problem with cruise ship diving is that it really makes the stops stressful. I always recommend if you are really wanting a quality dive trip take a land vacation. If you just want to blow some bubbles and see some fish, do it on a cruise. I think expecting a great dive experience when you are in a port for a minimal amount of time is unrealistic.

 

Aruba and Curacao will both have good diving, as the water is warm and the waves are generally minimal. Curacao you can do from the shoreline, and The Plaza hotel has a beach club that is easy and won't waste your whole day.

 

jc

[mommyof2]

We were in Aruba, Curacao, St. Maarten and St. Thomas. We ferried over to St. John from St. Thomas. We snorkeled on our own at 4 islands. Aruba, Curacao, St. Maarten and St. John. Out of those, St. John was the best! Each stop got better and better. I'm sorry, I can't remember the name of the beaches off the top of my head, but I'll try to look back in my scrapbook and see if I can find them.

[Loves_Dogs]

Looking to dive on my trip, and would like to get feedback on the best dive site(s) on that trip. Thanks for feedback!

 

Check out the scuba board here on Cruise Critic, here is the link:

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/forumdisplay.php?f=40

 

 

You can also find a lot of information on scubaboard dot com....

[robtulipe]

I've done both RC's southern itineraries out of San Juan, once on Adventure and the other time on Serenade.

On the Aruba route, diving on the Antilla German freighter wreck in Aruba was pretty good and an easy dive as the depth at the stern is at about 50 ft which is a deep as this wreck goes. Our second deep we did the Peter Nellas wreck which is a barge in about 25 ft of water. Booked through RC and went with Red Sail Sports on boat which left from Palm beach and all transportation was provided. Did this in morning and had afternoon to return to Palm Beach with our group for some beach time. Curacao is very good for diving also and as well is St. Thomas (stop for both itineraries) although on cruise dives from the south side you usually or always go to Buck Island (done it four times) which is not a bad dive with a nice reef and a small wrecked freighter. RC uses Underwater Safaris who are located right at the Havensight pier area. Also on both is St. Maarten where diving on Teigland wreck (British man of war) at entrance to Great Bay was pretty good with anchors, chains, muzzle loading canons and other artifacts visable but the wooden hull is long gone. There is as well a nice reefs there.

On the Barbados' route, St. Lucia is great for diving especially on the seamounts and the rock face below the Pitons or Corel Gardens reef nearby.

In Barbados, Dotting's reef and other reefs off west coast are very nice and I saw a Humpback whale calf (photo below) there when diving with West Side Scuba booked thru RC when I was there in Feb/07. Antigua is only so-so for diving and I don't recall it being offered on Dominica.

[ebernard]

Thanks for all the help. After visiting the CC Snorkel and Scuba page, I think I've decided on diving St.Thomas this trip. I've never read a post about a bad St. Thomas dive....

[xpcdoojk]

I probably wouldn't put USVI in the top 10 in the caribbean, but hey whatever makes you happy.:D

 

Here is a decent online resource for you to check out.

 

http://www.scubadiving.com/travel/caribbeanatlantic/

[bruce-r]

Thanks for all the help. After visiting the CC Snorkel and Scuba page, I think I've decided on diving St.Thomas this trip. I've never read a post about a bad St. Thomas dive....

 

As decent as the diving is in St. Thomas, Curacao has considerably better diving, IMO. Aruba and St. Thomas are about the same. St. Maarten was disappointing the day I dived there.

[baabtx]

I've dove all those stops with RCI. I'd suggest you dive Aruba and Curacao - found them to be both fun and relaxing!

 

St. Thomas has always only been so so unless you find another dive operator that can take you to some of the other spots around the island - same for St. Maarten.

 

But hey - any bottom time is time well spent!