We are considering going to Roatan (Anthony's Key Resort) on our own. I'm anxious doing so. Wondering if the non-group thing is such a good idea for folks with our limited experience.
Haven't hit Roatan as yet. I went to Bonaire 4 times with a group I know, before I started going independently. Have gone to Key Largo and Jupiter (Florida) without group involvement. So, considering what you've said, if I were considering a non-group trip to a Caribbean destination, I'd ask:
1.) Do they have airport transfers to & from the resort or hotel? Anthony's Key Resort's
dive package page indicates yes.
2.) Is the place an all-inclusive compound, with housing, diving and meals all right there (I think CocoView is like this), or will you need to drive around? Is a rental car needed? If you want or need to head out for groceries or some such, can this be done on foot, or need you drive to take a taxi? These questions can help plan almost any dive destination.
3.) Are you content to stay on the reservation and dive, or do you want to go tour the town, zip line, take a walk in the jungle, etc...? From what I've been told in the past, tourists to Roatan often 'stay on the reservation' more so than tourists to Bonaire. I'm not saying you have to. Anthony's has
an activities page with a range of offerings.
4.) Are there special considerations? In Roatan threads, people often complain about the sand fleas. In Cozumel, a number of people advise others to not try rental scooters in town if they're not already scooter savy. That sort of thing. From what I've been told English will be no problem.
I think this will be a good experience for you guys, because it will build your confidence about researching, choosing and booking independent trips, which will open up a much larger range of options than restricting yourselves to tagging along with a local dive group.
I'm not dissing local groups; I'm glad to I spent my 1st 4 Bonaire trips with a seasoned instructor who knew it well and showed us around and gave us a lot of advice. But in Bonaire, people generally roam around the island, hitting a range of shore sites, and eat out at varied off-site restaurants. For much the same reason I'd be tentative about independently booking Curacao unless I had a more adventurous friend along to handle driving & finding things, but I'm more willing to consider CocoView, a live-aboard, that sort of 'all in one' deal.
Richard.