Cruise Ship Diving - Southern Caribbean

[aepstein]

Next month, I'm taking my family on a 7-day Royal Caribbean cruise to the Southern Caribbean with stops at the following ports of call:

Charlotte Amalie, St. Thomas
Phillipsburg, St. Maarten
St. Johns, Antigua
Castries, St. Lucia
Bridgetown, Barbados

We would like to dive at each port but not as part of the ship's excursions. We've heard they usually charter cattle boats and we prefer a 6-pack with a guide.

I would appreciate anyone's advise or recommendations on how best to arrange our own charters, precautions and if there are any recommended dive operations (or ones to avoid).

Alan

 

[diveborg]

Who all from your group dives? If it is everyone, then go with Chris Sawyer or Admiralty dive on St. Thomas. If it is a mixed group of divers/non-divers a shore dive at Coki Beach with www.cokiedive.com is a good way to go if you want to keep the group together.

I've dived St. Maarten and wouldn't recommend it. Not unless the ocean was dead flat calm, and even then I wouldn't expect much. Royal Caribbean uses Dive Safaris on St. Maarten, so if you do decide to dive there, you can plan accordingly.

BTW, there is a new, seperate section for cruise diving.

 

[Former FLL Now MSP Diver]

Last year I had contacted Chris Sawyer in St. Thomas to arrange a dive on the Rhone. They were very accomodating through the initial booking process. I just wish I had the chance to go.

Unfortunately the arrival time of the ship changed before sailing leaving only half an hour to get off the ship and across the island, so I had to cancel. We ended up using the ship's excursion which wasn't really that bad. There were only 10 divers from our cruise ship that went. The equipment was in top shape and the DM's friendly. The cruise line used Underwater Safaris located in the Havensite Mall beside the cruise ship pier, with the dive boat located at the other end of the same pier.

Marc

 

[aepstein]

Thanks all for the info. I'll check the cruise section next ... never noticed it!

Alan