Cruising to Roatan, looking for diving recomendations

[Tigerpaw]

We will be on a Royal Caribbean cruise in December and I'm eyeing two excursions that are both 6 hours in Roatan. I'm currently looking at Fantasy Island Beach Resort and Turquose Bay. Both of those locations have dive shops.
I've read where Anthony Bay is good for diving and there is an excursion for it HOWEVER the wife will be with me so there needs to be something she can do as well. With the beach break she'll have resort access while I'm diving and I should be finished in enough time to rejoin her. So based on that information, which would be the better option OR does anyone have any additional recommendations that I may not have discovered yet. Thanks in advance.

 

[Damian G. Finch]

If you spend any time at all at Fantasy Island, I promise you will regard it as .... sad. Fantasy Island was probably a nice place in 1970. It has definitely seen better days...

 

[Altamira]

I recommend contacting the dive op for each resort and get their recommendations as to what is feasible and what is not. They may be able to accommodate you diving and wife enjoying the resort, but it is also possible that their dives go out before the cruise ship passengers arrive for the resort visit. I have been with Anthony's Key Resort for numerous dives over the years, and they are a really good dive op. However, I did not see much going on for non-divers, but I would certainly pose that quest to AKR as well.

 

[Knockneed Man]

Antihonys does offer a dolphin interaction for non divers

 

[Doc]

Avoid FIBR. The property (hotel, food, bev, pool) have been a disaster for years, but now the dive-op has floundered.

TBR is well recommend, but nothing else to do at resort or nearby. Passable (C level) services for day visiting beach bunnies. Nice beach. Dive op is not in-house, but aces. Good base for localized dive sites. I see Roatan as 4 distinct u/w terrains- this is a good way to see the North side, esp for cruise shippers. My fave Roatan DM Osman works there. They do quite a bit of cruise ship business, you will not be alone.

AKR has an unimpeachable dive-op. Best way to see the West/North u/w terrain. From AKR it is a short cab ride to West End which is (unfortunately) where everyone else on the cruise ship will be. [Lots of terrestrial amusement at a certain carnival level, bars and cheap imported crap as souvenirs, a marginal beach but since it is “the only one known”, it gets a lot of praise. Sand is sand, but the best F&B access on the island] AKR does indeed have the Dolphin pester, the most interaction (and cheaper) is the snorkel version in the pens. Cruise ship day? sLaMmEd with your fellow shipmates. No beach at AKR, nice F&B offerings, don’t know if she will have pool access.

Any given dive op, anywhere? They will not take you to “the best dive sites” …so don’t ask…as they simply do not know you, nor impressed by your 12 c-cards…you are an unknown liability that they will not take to long, deep, mildly difficult nor in any overhead environment. Dazzle them with your buoyancy and comportment on dive #1, and…just maybe?

Roatan offers one of the single most unique Caribbean u/w architecture, it is on the South side (5 miles to either side of FIBR). You can do this from Barefoot Key (BFK). The vaunted Mary’s Place and two great intact wrecks in 55FSW. I unreservedly do NOT recommend this for a week stay, but likely she would enjoy the uncrowded, created beach-ish environment and their usually highly related F&B services.

The shark dive i see as the best orchestrated in the Caribbean, but not worth it while missing Roatan’s diving. Go to Roatan for the macro, do not complain about “the lack of fish”, think Seahorse City instead.

I would do AKR in light of the needs of your spousal unit. Marry better, next time

 

[Tigerpaw]

I recommend contacting the dive op for each resort and get their recommendations as to what is feasible and what is not. They may be able to accommodate you diving and wife enjoying the resort, but it is also possible that their dives go out before the cruise ship passengers arrive for the resort visit. I have been with Anthony's Key Resort for numerous dives over the years, and they are a really good dive op. However, I did not see much going on for non-divers, but I would certainly pose that quest to AKR as well.

Thanks, yes I have sent emails to the respective dive shops, waiting to hear back from them.

Avoid FIBR. The property (hotel, food, bev, pool) have been a disaster for years, but now the dive-op has floundered.

TBR is well recommend, but nothing else to do at resort or nearby. Passable (C level) services for day visiting beach bunnies. Nice beach. Dive op is not in-house, but aces. Good base for localized dive sites. I see Roatan as 4 distinct u/w terrains- this is a good way to see the North side, esp for cruise shippers. My fave Roatan DM Osman works there. They do quite a bit of cruise ship business, you will not be alone.

AKR has an unimpeachable dive-op. Best way to see the West/North u/w terrain. From AKR it is a short cab ride to West End which is (unfortunately) where everyone else on the cruise ship will be. [Lots of terrestrial amusement at a certain carnival level, bars and cheap imported crap as souvenirs, a marginal beach but since it is “the only one known”, it gets a lot of praise. Sand is sand, but the best F&B access on the island] AKR does indeed have the Dolphin pester, the most interaction (and cheaper) is the snorkel version in the pens. Cruise ship day? sLaMmEd with your fellow shipmates. No beach at AKR, nice F&B offerings, don’t know if she will have pool access.

Any given dive op, anywhere? They will not take you to “the best dive sites” …so don’t ask…as they simply do not know you, nor impressed by your 12 c-cards…you are an unknown liability that they will not take to long, deep, mildly difficult nor in any overhead environment. Dazzle them with your buoyancy and comportment on dive #1, and…just maybe?

Roatan offers one of the single most unique Caribbean u/w architecture, it is on the South side (5 miles to either side of FIBR). You can do this from Barefoot Key (BFK). The vaunted Mary’s Place and two great intact wrecks in 55FSW. I unreservedly do NOT recommend this for a week stay, but likely she would enjoy the uncrowded, created beach-ish environment and their usually highly related F&B services.

The shark dive i see as the best orchestrated in the Caribbean, but not worth it while missing Roatan’s diving. Go to Roatan for the macro, do not complain about “the lack of fish”, think Seahorse City instead.

I would do AKR in light of the needs of your spousal unit. Marry better, next time

So it looks like Turquose Bay. I understand about the shops not going to a prime spot for a cruise ship diver. That being said are the sites they do take you to decent. Also are there any decent sites close to Turquose Bay. I'm still waiting to hear back from the two dive shops I contacted. If I can knock out one or two dives and get back to the wife that would be great.

 

[Doc]

That being said are the sites they do take you to decent. Also are there any decent sites close to Turquose Bay.

I tried to convey that, yes. They have proximity to steeper walls that are carved with features like chutes. This is due to the exposure during Caribbean Storm Season.

IF you stumble into that inconvenient weather, TBR has the ability to quickly move your diving to the relatively “storm proof” South side.

Tell Osman his dive buddy of 39 years says, hi !

 

[DreadnoughtNH]

Nix FIBR from your consideration, unfortunately it has become a dump and something of an eyesore.
Since you're only in for a day, consider Bananarama. Diving is from panga boats, and they will get you out to the walls. They beach has a lot of options for your partner, plus some nice places for lunch.

 

[Tigerpaw]

Thanks to everyone for your replies. Based on the information I gathered, I'm going to forego diving on this trip and revisit in April on a Liveaboard.

 

[Doc]

, I'm going to forego diving on this trip and revisit in April on a Liveaboard.

From a day SCUBA visit with a non-diver to a weeklong?

Liveaboard off of Roatan? There are already a lot of comments here on SB in re the failing value of that option vs. land based.

You can see it moored offshore of Roatan resorts 3+ out of 7 days a week. It very rarely makes the hyped crossing to Cayos, occasionally Utila, usually staying on the South side, not burning much fuel. all this for 30% more than the two top rated AI’s.

I have not yet found a diver who has done both the RoAgg as well as either AKR or CCV, and declares the expensive boat their preference. Liveaboards have great utility IF they offer you dive sites otherwise unreachable by land based. With AKR offering an easy 22 dives/wk and CCV at 27, the liveaboard dive count thing is specious.

You seem to be saying that your non-diving spouse will not be coming to Roatan. That’s a really good solution. Aint much doin’ for non divers on Roatan besides drinking, and you can do that back home.

At the pier has been created a typical straw market (of this era) with a created beach, 4 person ski chairlift (the mind reels) and the only chance to buy Roatan Harley Davidson t-shirts, probably the most unique gift to bring back. (Std $39 HD price)

If you go “exploring”…The 7 hours you spend on West End with other cruise shippers might sour you to ever spending a land based week there also enjoying the 3x a week ship visits.

Look carefully at Anthonys Key and CocoView.