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Natasha
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I've dove in Coco Cay which was Royal Caribbean's private island. It was great. Tons of rays..very untouched reef. My guess is Princess will be just as good, if not better. Go for it!
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I've dove in Coco Cay which was Royal Caribbean's private island. It was great. Tons of rays..very untouched reef. My guess is Princess will be just as good, if not better. Go for it!
shiekarj
Registered
I am diving in Princes Cays on next Thursday. I will let you know what I think...
georoc01
Contributor
pamawi
Contributor
Thanks for creating this thread Natasha. I agree with other posters that cruising is the best way to share vacations with my non-diving family. Also, I hate to pay $2000pp for a dive trip when I can get a cruise to good diving destinations for $500 per person. Since hubby doesn't dive, he feels more comfortable with me on cruiseship dive excursions although I have booked dive privately once before and it turned out great. Only 4 other divers and they picked up/dropped off at the cruise ship pier.
I just booked the Carnival Legend from Tampa for 2/17/07 and trying to decide where to dive and who to book through. Also I need a buddy if anyone is interested. Ports include Cozumel, Belize, Roatan and Grand Cayman. I've been to Cozumel on week long dive trip with my LDS in 2005 (before Wilma). Even though I loved the drift diving, I'm thinking of doing cenote dive or Tulum ruins since I've never done those and since I'm likely to return to Cozumel on future cruises and have 3 other good diving destinations on this cruise. Any suggestions?
Also hoping to do Manatee swim and Rainbow River drift dive in Crystal River before cruise. Any suggestions on who to use?
I just booked the Carnival Legend from Tampa for 2/17/07 and trying to decide where to dive and who to book through. Also I need a buddy if anyone is interested. Ports include Cozumel, Belize, Roatan and Grand Cayman. I've been to Cozumel on week long dive trip with my LDS in 2005 (before Wilma). Even though I loved the drift diving, I'm thinking of doing cenote dive or Tulum ruins since I've never done those and since I'm likely to return to Cozumel on future cruises and have 3 other good diving destinations on this cruise. Any suggestions?
Also hoping to do Manatee swim and Rainbow River drift dive in Crystal River before cruise. Any suggestions on who to use?
DEEPLOU
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Having done that itinery a couple of times, the last time I opted for the Cenote (through the ship). It was a great experience. When I did it, the operator met us on the dock in Cozumel and boarded us on the Water Taxi or is it a Ferry? and then met us with a van on the mainland. It was about half hour drive down suprisingly modern roads to a cutoff into the woods. After parking it was only a short walk to the cenote.
PS: I am addicted to H2O so I don't do much if any land touring.
pamawi
Contributor
Thanks for your reply deeplou. I have more questions about Cenote diving. I'm not cave or cavern certified, but from what I understand that doesn't matter. I have been into a springs cavern (from 50 to 100 feet) with a guide and handled it fine. Is this a guided tour?
Are there air pockets so you can go to the surface if needed or just to hear cool noises and look at the cave ceiling? Does everyone leave the cave at the same time or do you have to find your own way out when you run low on air?
Do you know which operator Carnival used for Cenote dive excursion? I assume it isn't the same cenote diving offered at Chankanaab Park.
What kind of fish and/or formations do you see? How is the vis, water temp (Feb), and what kind of depths? Is it very dark and will I need my big flashlights?
Are there air pockets so you can go to the surface if needed or just to hear cool noises and look at the cave ceiling? Does everyone leave the cave at the same time or do you have to find your own way out when you run low on air?
Do you know which operator Carnival used for Cenote dive excursion? I assume it isn't the same cenote diving offered at Chankanaab Park.
What kind of fish and/or formations do you see? How is the vis, water temp (Feb), and what kind of depths? Is it very dark and will I need my big flashlights?
pamawi
Contributor
I just found out the Cenote dive isn't offered by the cruise ship for my sailing because we don't get into port early enough. I thought there was cenote diving on Cozumel at Chankanaab. It appears from their website there is a cave dive called La Quebrada but I don't know if it is similar to the cenotes. Does anyone know? I could try to book a mainland cenote dive trip privately but I think the time would be too close. There is a Caverns by Jeep & Beach trip with cenote snorkel on the mainland that I may do. Anyone familiar with that? I may do the Tulum Mayan ruins since I've been to Cozumel a few times and haven't seen them yet. I'll hopefully get back to Cozumel on future cruises and can dive then.
Trying to decide between the ship's dive trip in Roatan with Anthony's key resort and Subway Watersports. Subway will take me as a single diver since they already have their minimum 4 for the trip. Talking to another diver on cruise board that I'll probably buddy up with.
Also trying to decide between Ship's dive trip in Belize with Hugh Parkey & SeaSports, both of which people said good things about.
Also trying to decide whether to do wall dive, shore dive or stingray city dive in Grand Cayman. I've dove on walls in Cozumel. Are the walls in GC as good or better? I've done the stingray city sandbar snorkel with the rays and thought it would be fun to do a dive with them. I have seen several rays on normal dives and after the croc hunter's accident, I'm not sure I really want to dive with a bunch of them.
As for shore diving and/or snorkeling, is cemetary reef/eden rock good? I've snorkeled at Eden Rock but don't think I got to the good stuff. I didn't have a guide and was with a new nervous snorkeler. Thought about using GC as a relaxing beach day with a little snorkeling since I'll be diving in 2 ports, and on a long ruins trip in another port. Don't want to haul my gear off the ship at every stop and have to keep up with it in port or tender back to the ship to drop it off.
Any feedback on my many questions is appreciated.
Trying to decide between the ship's dive trip in Roatan with Anthony's key resort and Subway Watersports. Subway will take me as a single diver since they already have their minimum 4 for the trip. Talking to another diver on cruise board that I'll probably buddy up with.
Also trying to decide between Ship's dive trip in Belize with Hugh Parkey & SeaSports, both of which people said good things about.
Also trying to decide whether to do wall dive, shore dive or stingray city dive in Grand Cayman. I've dove on walls in Cozumel. Are the walls in GC as good or better? I've done the stingray city sandbar snorkel with the rays and thought it would be fun to do a dive with them. I have seen several rays on normal dives and after the croc hunter's accident, I'm not sure I really want to dive with a bunch of them.
As for shore diving and/or snorkeling, is cemetary reef/eden rock good? I've snorkeled at Eden Rock but don't think I got to the good stuff. I didn't have a guide and was with a new nervous snorkeler. Thought about using GC as a relaxing beach day with a little snorkeling since I'll be diving in 2 ports, and on a long ruins trip in another port. Don't want to haul my gear off the ship at every stop and have to keep up with it in port or tender back to the ship to drop it off.
Any feedback on my many questions is appreciated.
DEEPLOU
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It was a few years ago but Chankanaab sounds familiar. I think in my log i posted it as "Chicken Hab". As I remember it, it was very cave like, overhead still underwater, and still could see natural light (abet far away). It was a guided tour with dm's at front and back of group. Although they provided lights, I had my UK SL6 with me which was much better than the ones they handed out. (I didn't bring my 10w HID as back then it had a bulky battery the size of a base ball bat)
With the exception of when the dive operator through the ship in Hawaii had mechanical problems and the trip to Costa Maya I have always booked dives through the ship. If there is a screw up and your late getting back, through the ship they will wait, if you booked privately, your SOL.
Unless they have changed, the three cruises I did to Belize all anchored out. I understand it was about a 30 min tender ride into Belize City. I booked dives through the ship all three times. The dive boat came up to the ship, took us to the dive sites and back to the ship. By the time we got back to ship there wasn't that much time to run into the city. (not to mention I was tired and ready for a shower). So with three trips to Belize, I have dove there three times and never set foot in the country.
I would advise book thru ship.
In Roatan, Anthouny Key whom the ship used was nice setup, but I think there are much better sites than they took us to.
Grand Cayman, only did the stingray sandbar, so for me, been there done that why spend the extra money to see them again only using scuba. We also did Eden Rock once as a dive and once only snorkel. Where we were you could probably swim out to, but it was a bit of a swim.
On one trip Grand Cayman was first stop. We left Miami late as they were waiting for passangers from all over east coast to arrive. There was big snow storm covering NE. We then got to Grand Cayman late. There was a group that booked a private charter, they had the whole boat. I booked through the ship. Well due to the latness arriving we could only get one dive in. The guys that booked privately were still charged full price. When we got back on the ship, we were notified since we only got one dive in we got a 50% credit back.
That's another reason I usually book through the ship
With the exception of when the dive operator through the ship in Hawaii had mechanical problems and the trip to Costa Maya I have always booked dives through the ship. If there is a screw up and your late getting back, through the ship they will wait, if you booked privately, your SOL.
Unless they have changed, the three cruises I did to Belize all anchored out. I understand it was about a 30 min tender ride into Belize City. I booked dives through the ship all three times. The dive boat came up to the ship, took us to the dive sites and back to the ship. By the time we got back to ship there wasn't that much time to run into the city. (not to mention I was tired and ready for a shower). So with three trips to Belize, I have dove there three times and never set foot in the country.
I would advise book thru ship.
In Roatan, Anthouny Key whom the ship used was nice setup, but I think there are much better sites than they took us to.
Grand Cayman, only did the stingray sandbar, so for me, been there done that why spend the extra money to see them again only using scuba. We also did Eden Rock once as a dive and once only snorkel. Where we were you could probably swim out to, but it was a bit of a swim.
On one trip Grand Cayman was first stop. We left Miami late as they were waiting for passangers from all over east coast to arrive. There was big snow storm covering NE. We then got to Grand Cayman late. There was a group that booked a private charter, they had the whole boat. I booked through the ship. Well due to the latness arriving we could only get one dive in. The guys that booked privately were still charged full price. When we got back on the ship, we were notified since we only got one dive in we got a 50% credit back.
That's another reason I usually book through the ship
letsgodiving
Contributor
We were on the Legend last week, and stopped at the same ports. I would recommend diving in Belize and Roatan. Actually I would dive in all four ports but that isn't practical when you are cruising with none diving family members.
The Belize dive was VERY stress free. Picked up by the dive boat at the ship, and a short trip to the dive site with a stop at the dive operators Island. We were off the ship about 5 hours in total, and the diving was good.
We didn't dive in Roatan but we did snorkel. The site we stopped at was breathtaking, far superior to Cozumel and Belize. The people on the ship that dove in Roatan loved it and from what we saw I am very upset we didn't dive there.
BTW - the cruise was fantastic. Great ship, amazing food, super service and very good ports of call.
Did the same in Nov 2007.
You might be lucky if the water is colder (you won't have as many divers as we had).
Grand Cayman is terrible if you plan to go with the cruise's operator. Plus Grand Cayman is so crowded, there is traffic underwater. Cozumel is great, equipment is not that good but DMs were good. In Belize (Tom Parkley?) has the best equipment, boat, servixe and DMs however we had over 25 people and we had 5 groups. We were tha last and we missed almost everything. ATry to be in the first group when you enter the boat. The ride takes 45 minutes so you wont have much time to see around.
Isla Roatan is underrated IMO. Excellent underwater, not crowded.
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