RCCL Navigator of the Seas 5/24/14

Please register or login

Welcome to ScubaBoard, the world's largest scuba diving community. Registration is not required to read the forums, but we encourage you to join. Joining has its benefits and enables you to participate in the discussions.

Benefits of registering include

  • Ability to post and comment on topics and discussions.
  • A Free photo gallery to share your dive photos with the world.
  • You can make this box go away

Joining is quick and easy. Log in or Register now!

Whodat26

Registered
Messages
20
Reaction score
1
Location
Shreveport,LA
# of dives
25 - 49
Porting in Cozumel, Roatan & Belize. We know who we are using for Cozumel, Roatan but need help with Belize. We have already done the cave tubbing on a previous visit. I was wondering who RCCL uses as it's operator for this port.
 
Porting in Cozumel, Roatan & Belize. We know who we are using for Cozumel, Roatan but need help with Belize. We have already done the cave tubbing on a previous visit. I was wondering who RCCL uses as it's operator for this port.

Uhhhh... 5/24/14 was a few months ago.... I'm going on that cruise in September. I'm curious what you find out.

Jim
 
Just did this trip last week. At Belize you will use Hugh Parkey if doing a ship's excursion, which I highly recommend doing if for no other reason it is a tender port and the dive op picks you up and returns you directly to the ship. We had a bit of a problem because the RCCL shore excursion staff put us on the first tender to shore (20 minutes in the wrong direction), only to have to return to the ship where the Hugh Parkey dive boat was waiting for us. The dive boat takes you to Parkey's private island where they load up the tanks and dive crew and off you go to Turneffe Atoll. The two dives at Turneffe Atoll were some of the best dives I have taken using ship's excursions or outside vendors. The dive crew was very professional, the boat was very good, and we dove down to @500psi, so we did not get shorted on dive time. They had some snacks for the surface interval, and even served up a lion fish killed by one of the DMs, which was chopped up and put in a jar of salsa. Quite good for raw fish marinated in salsa. The reefs were gorgeous, and I cannot wait to go back to Turneffe Atoll. After the dives, and enroute back to the ship, we stopped at the dive shop on their private island so the crew could off load the tanks, and we had time for an adult beverage, and bathroom break. Delivered us back to the ship with plenty of time to spare, even considering the 45 minutes wasted while RCCL sent us to shore instead of waiting for the dive boat. If they try that with you, tell them to go get a supervisor because you know the dive boat is supposed to pick you up at the ship. Have fun and enjoy the dives. Belize is one place that you really do want to use the ship's excursion because there really was no downside to doing so, and if you are not booked on a ship's excursion, your boarding priority for boarding the tender will be after all their shore excursions have departed.

---------- Post added August 22nd, 2014 at 11:06 PM ----------

I forgot to mention that there were 22 divers on the boat, but the crew handled the load extremely well and were exceptionally well organized. They broke the divers up into three groups of 6-8 based on experience level, and then the first group geared up while the other two groups were getting their dive briefings on the front and top deck of the boat. After the first group hit the water, the second group geared up, and the cycle was repeated for the third group. As a result, they did not have divers tripping over each other donning gear or getting to the back of the boat for water entry. They do not allow walking on the boat with fins, so everyone put the fins on just prior to the giant stride off the back of the boat. It was organized, but a very casual and relaxed way to get the groups in the water. The groups came back pretty much in sequence so the first group was out of the water, tanks changed out, and snacking started before the second group was ready to exit the water. Same process for the third group. Second dives were set up the same way. Overall, I would rate their dive op as excellent, and would not hesitate to use Hugh Parkey and the RCCL ship excursion next time during a cruise stop over.
 
Altamira you did do it aboard the NOS. They were not even showing a dive excursion in Belize. Could be to far out.
And thanks jimbeeler for notating the date. It was supposed to be 2015.
 
Yes, it was NOS. Sometimes RCCL does not show the full availability of excursions until a bit closer to the sail date because they have not finalized the contracts with the various vendors. You can also call RCCL shore excursion desk and ask them to do whatever it takes to set up a dive excursion in Belize. If they do not offer a dive, the you might be able to work directly with Hugh Parkey or Sea Sports Belize to get to Turneffe Atoll. As always with tender operations, you will not have priority getting off the ship if not on a ships excursion, and that makes setting up a off-ship dive a risky proposition. On our trip, they had 23 divers so I would imagine they would offer a dive excursion.
 
Thanks Altamira. Did you dive in Roaton? And if so who did you use? I know there are a couple of ops close to where we port and ALLOT of good dive ops on the West End.

---------- Post added August 24th, 2014 at 10:46 PM ----------

Ok jimbeeler & Altamira I see both of you are Texas divers. Has either of you dove the Flower Gardens?
 
Thanks Altamira. Did you dive in Roaton? And if so who did you use? I know there are a couple of ops close to where we port and ALLOT of good dive ops on the West End.

---------- Post added August 24th, 2014 at 10:46 PM ----------

Ok jimbeeler & Altamira I see both of you are Texas divers. Has either of you dove the Flower Gardens?

In Roatan, the ships excursion uses Anthony's Key Resort which I also thought ran an excellent dive operation. They picked us up at the port and returned us after the dives. Surface interval was done at their resort which was very nice, and gives you the opportunity to use the bathroom and relax in a more spread out environment. No problems with the entire operation. On prior visits we have used Barefoot Divers, just east of Mahogany Bay (not where RCCL docks) and Cocoanut Tree Divers on the West End, also excellent ops. The traffic can get a bit dicey at Coxen Hole where the ship docks when all the excursions are returning from the ship so give yourself a good pad if using outside dive ops. There are some on SB that don't like ship excursion dives, but with rare exceptions, i have found them to be comparable in dive enjoyment to outside dive ops. They are a bit more expensive, but if you consider transportation costs and the ability to totally relax and enjoy the dives without watching the time to ship's departure, they may be good value for you.
Have not yet dived Flower Gardens.
 
Did the Flower Gardens with Fling Charters earlier this month. Highly recommend you try this one. It surprised me.
 
Sorry, lost track of this thread... No I haven't been. I understand if the conditions are right, it's an awesome trip. I have a dive buddy that's done the trip 3-4 times and he loves it. My trip this year was Bonaire, which was great.

Jim
 

Back
Top Bottom