averagediver
Registered
This was both our first cruise and our first visit to Bermuda. While I can't say enough about Royal Caribbean, there isn't much to say about diving in Bermuda or Dive Bermuda from this experience.
Everything about RC was 100%. Food, service, entertainment, activities was great. We sailed from Baltimore which meant we had a day and a half cruise coming and going. Very nice and relaxing - napped a lot, read a lot and decompressed from everyday life. We arrived in the afternoon on Bermuda and just had a look around. Took a bus to Hamilton from the Royal Dockyard and then the ferry back. On our second day we planned 3 dives with Dive Bermuda, which we arranged ourselves before the trip began. We took a taxi to and from the ship to the dive operator. With tip $30 each way. Very nice way to see more of Bermuda. The dive operator is at the Hotel Fairmont. Upon arrival, we learned that the afternoon dive wouldn't be happening, because of low vis and surge at the planned dive site and the dive boat would be making a 50 minute run for our morning 2 dives. OK, just 2 dives. The people at the dive shop were nice.
OK, the dive part of the report. (Disclaimer, I've been a diver for close to 30 years and have been in the water all over the world). This was the first time in my diving life that I had to swim out to the boat - that's OK and I'm not complaining, but just a first. Just a bit of a wade and a few strokes and you're on the boat. Maybe 100 yards or so. The crew does take your gear out to the boat in a kayak. Like mentioned above it was about a 50 minute boat ride.
Dive #1 - "The Darlington" - Scattered debris on the bottom at about 32 feet. Sept 2012 Water temp 82 - Vis about 80 feet. Fairly nice corals and a significant amount of Brain Coral. Fish life - DISMAL! I like to shoot video and there really wasn't anything to shoot. A few Snapper and one or two other species but that was just about it. 55 minute dive.
Dive #2 - not too far from the Darlington. The captain of the boat was all excited that here was a new un-found wreck and we were going exploring ! There was absolutly NOTHING to explore ! Just about the same dive profile as above and just about as non-exciting. There is so little fish life. I truthfully think, it was a short distance, get us in and out of the water and back to the dive shop ASAP.
There were 6 divers on the boat in total and from what I could tell all were experienced. Taking us to two very shallow and very boring dives was really inexcusable. We had 6 divers and 3 dive masters in 2 dives that average 25 - 30 feet. My "divemaster" queried me about my PSI so often it became quite annoying. Even after 2 55 - 60 minute dives, I still came up with more than 1200 psi. The DM started herding us to the surface at 45 - 40 minutes - totally uncalled for.
While Bermuda is a beautiful island with many wonderful attractions - I would never return there for a diving vacation. Thank goodness it's off to Cayman Brac and Little Cayman in November.
I would cruise again, maybe to Alaska for sightseeing only. But I seriously doubt if I would ever combine diving and cruising again.
Everything about RC was 100%. Food, service, entertainment, activities was great. We sailed from Baltimore which meant we had a day and a half cruise coming and going. Very nice and relaxing - napped a lot, read a lot and decompressed from everyday life. We arrived in the afternoon on Bermuda and just had a look around. Took a bus to Hamilton from the Royal Dockyard and then the ferry back. On our second day we planned 3 dives with Dive Bermuda, which we arranged ourselves before the trip began. We took a taxi to and from the ship to the dive operator. With tip $30 each way. Very nice way to see more of Bermuda. The dive operator is at the Hotel Fairmont. Upon arrival, we learned that the afternoon dive wouldn't be happening, because of low vis and surge at the planned dive site and the dive boat would be making a 50 minute run for our morning 2 dives. OK, just 2 dives. The people at the dive shop were nice.
OK, the dive part of the report. (Disclaimer, I've been a diver for close to 30 years and have been in the water all over the world). This was the first time in my diving life that I had to swim out to the boat - that's OK and I'm not complaining, but just a first. Just a bit of a wade and a few strokes and you're on the boat. Maybe 100 yards or so. The crew does take your gear out to the boat in a kayak. Like mentioned above it was about a 50 minute boat ride.
Dive #1 - "The Darlington" - Scattered debris on the bottom at about 32 feet. Sept 2012 Water temp 82 - Vis about 80 feet. Fairly nice corals and a significant amount of Brain Coral. Fish life - DISMAL! I like to shoot video and there really wasn't anything to shoot. A few Snapper and one or two other species but that was just about it. 55 minute dive.
Dive #2 - not too far from the Darlington. The captain of the boat was all excited that here was a new un-found wreck and we were going exploring ! There was absolutly NOTHING to explore ! Just about the same dive profile as above and just about as non-exciting. There is so little fish life. I truthfully think, it was a short distance, get us in and out of the water and back to the dive shop ASAP.
There were 6 divers on the boat in total and from what I could tell all were experienced. Taking us to two very shallow and very boring dives was really inexcusable. We had 6 divers and 3 dive masters in 2 dives that average 25 - 30 feet. My "divemaster" queried me about my PSI so often it became quite annoying. Even after 2 55 - 60 minute dives, I still came up with more than 1200 psi. The DM started herding us to the surface at 45 - 40 minutes - totally uncalled for.
While Bermuda is a beautiful island with many wonderful attractions - I would never return there for a diving vacation. Thank goodness it's off to Cayman Brac and Little Cayman in November.
I would cruise again, maybe to Alaska for sightseeing only. But I seriously doubt if I would ever combine diving and cruising again.
