Belize And Costa Maya. Depths? Bring Gear Or Rent? Other Advice?

[2airishuman]

I'm in the early planning stages for a March 2017 cruise with family and friends. I'm thinking of taking the cruise line's dive excursions at two of the ports -- Belize and Costa Maya -- and will be spending my time on snorkeling excursions with family and friends at the other ports (Mahogany Bay and Coz).

This will be my third cruise vacation. I've dived in the ocean before but not while on a cruise.

Does this itinerary make sense, from a diving point of view?

How deep are these dives typically?

I prefer to dive with my own gear. Does it make sense to bring it? Can I bring my line cutter on board the ship? If not, can I expect the dive operators to supply one? Can I bring a (full) pony bottle on the ship without any problems?

 

[BRT]

Don't know about Belize but Costa Maya is Majahual if you are not on a cruise ship. Majahual has diving at all normal depths (40 to 80 feet) as well as to 300 or more. With the cruise operator I'd bet on the low end. Nice diving with lots of fingers, deep channels heading down slope. You can go up and down the channels or swim across them and look down for interesting things. I suspect you will not get supplied a line cutter.

 

[pasley]

I did a cruise in 2008 to Grand Cayman, Rotan, Belize and Cozumel and went diving in every port. IF you book your SCUBA through the cruise ship it will cost a bit more, but you are first off the ship and in some ports where we tendered, the dive boat came to the ship to pick you up. As for what you can take on the ship, think flying. Knives must be surrendered at the boarding ramp and will be returned when you leave the ship to go dive. Best to contact the ship for their current rules. AS for taking your own dive gear, I did. Advantage it fit, I was comfortable with the gear and I know it has been well maintained. Disadvantage, after a dive I am cleaning gear while the others just tossed them to the dive shop and left. Pony bottle, I would expect that would be a problem (can't fly with it) getting it on the ship, but again check with them. Dives booked through the cruise ship are limited in depth to 60 feet (and yet we usally wound up about 80 feet).

 

[Altamira]

Very good diving at each of the four ports. The cruise ship dive ops for Costa Maya is Dreamtime Divers in Mahuhual, and Hugh Parkey in Belize. Both are very good dive ops with pretty good rental equipment. I think the equipment is part of the dive package in Costa Maya, and there is no difference in cost whether you bring your own equipment or not. I think there is a cost difference for equipment in Belize, depending on the cruise line. Diving in both of those ports is very nice, and your depths will be in the vicinity of 60ft, but I have been deeper depending on the experience level of the divers on the excursion (generally pretty low). There is plenty to see at 60ft, so depth really is not an issue. Definitely use the cruise ship op at Belize because of the tendering, and the dive boat picks you up, and drops you off, at the ship which saves a 20+ minute tender ride to and from shore. I bring all of my own equipment wherever I dive because I know the history, and rental gear does not include the safety gear I carry. If you want a SMB or line cutter/shears, bring your own because they will not be part of your rental gear. You can take a line cutter or safety shears on the ship, but taking a knife is a pain in the butt because you have to deal with getting it back before leaving the ship for diving, ant then turn it in when re-boarding. Both ops have rinse tanks so you can clean your gear before returning to the ship. I don't think you will need a pony bottle because the ship's dive ops' profiles are pretty conservative, with dives in the 40-50 minute range. If you decide to dive any of the other ports, the ship dive op in Roatan will be AKR or Black Pearl and Sand Dollar in Coz. I can recommend both dive ops in Roatan, but there are much better choices in Coz, depending on your arrival and departure time. Have fun and safe diving.

 

[claymore]

Line cutter or shears will be no problem getting on the ship. A knife on the others hand is best left at home.
A pony will be a problem, you can not transport a tank with the valve in it and many operators will want to do a visual before it is filled if you can get it filled.
I always bring my own gear but I can get my whole kit except for my fins in one carry-on.
I dove with Dreamtime Divers several years ago and they seemed to be a good operator then and the diving was good.
I would prefer to dive in Cozumel, it is my favorite in the Caribbean. My choices for diving would be Coz and Costa Maya. The snorkeling in Coz is not very good as the reefs are fairly far out and you need a boat to get to them safely. Coz is probably the best shopping port on your itinerary if any one is interested in jewelry or shopping.
If you do dive in Belize and Costa Maya you are almost locked into the Cruise Ship dive operator. In Cozumel there several options for a dive operator other than Sand Dollar Sports that all the cruise lines use. Sand Dollar has big boats with lots of divers and they try to get you out and back as close and in as little time as possible.

 

[BRT]

Line cutter or shears will be no problem getting on the ship. A knife on the others hand is best left at home.
A pony will be a problem, you can not transport a tank with the valve in it and many operators will want to do a visual before it is filled if you can get it filled.
I always bring my own gear but I can get my whole kit except for my fins in one carry-on.
I dove with Dreamtime Divers several years ago and they seemed to be a good operator then and the diving was good.
I would prefer to dive in Cozumel, it is my favorite in the Caribbean. My choices for diving would be Coz and Costa Maya. The snorkeling in Coz is not very good as the reefs are fairly far out and you need a boat to get to them safely. Coz is probably the best shopping port on your itinerary if any one is interested in jewelry or shopping.
If you do dive in Belize and Costa Maya you are almost locked into the Cruise Ship dive operator. In Cozumel there several options for a dive operator other than Sand Dollar Sports that all the cruise lines use. Sand Dollar has big boats with lots of divers and they try to get you out and back as close and in as little time as possible.

One time we were diving with XTC in Xcalak and a taxi pulled in with 2 people in it just before the boat left. They had come in a cruise ship to Majahual, hopped the taxi and when we got done the taxi took them back 40 miles one way. It can be done!

 

[Altamira]

Amount of time in port is going to determine how far away you can get and still get back to the ship with a safety buffer before departure time. If you are going to be very adventuresome and are not risk adverse, I recommend taking your passport, credit cards, and a change of clothes. I have seen more than one diver standing on the pier in their dive gear watching their ship sail into the sunset because they did not get back in time.

 

[claymore]

If you use the cruise ship operator the ship waits if your excursion runs late, I have see that happen a couple of times. If you go on your own plan on having a good buffer at the end in case Murphy shows up.

 

[DEEPLOU]

addressing the knife and pony bottle issue first. DON'T BOTHER WITH EITHER!!!! just about all dives are in sanctuaries so there is no entanglement issue. (gloves are not even allowed). Pony bottle, aside from the PITA of traveling with it, you are not going to be so deep you couldn't do a CESA.
In Costa Maya, did thru ship and private, only difference was what part of the reef we went to. (and with ship cab fare to and fro included)
Belize, as mentioned due to long tender ride use the ship excursion. Operator is good, but I have only been there abbot 10 times over the years.
Roatan, if you haven't been there ship excursion thru AKR is good.
Cozumel, I have used Aldora Divers for couple of years. Super difference between them and the ship. On recent trips, after returning from my two 70min wall dives (they use HP100's & 120's) and speaking with folks who did the ship excursion, they had a less than below par set of dives.

Almost forgot, I always bring my own gear, except if I am only going to dive in one port.

 

[Altamira]

You might want to revamp your dive plans for Belize because I believe, but can't confirm, Hugh Parkey's is no longer servicing cruise ship dive operations. In fact, I do not see a dive excursion offered next year for Belize on either Royal Caribbean or Carnival. If that is correct, I would consider switching my dive plan to Roatan. Royal Caribbean's dive op in Roatan is Black Pearl Divers, and they were outstanding when I dove with them in June. I am not sure if Anthony's Key Resort (excellent also) is still the ship's dive op for Carnival at Roatan, but if they are not, use Black Pearl if they are the ship's vendor, or look at Barefoot Divers, who are a short cab ride from Carnival's Mahogany Bay pier.