Cruise ship diving

[diversteve]

Does VIP limit your dive time if you take escorted dives with them?

I have emailed them and a couple of others but no responses yet. Hopefully, they are just on island time.

Don't know, never used them.

Our DM at Toucan was one afternoon, we dropped on the dive site and he showed us the black coral. The next time I saw him he was working on his bubble ring technique. Some on the boat were down over an hour.

Toucan is at the Plaza so maybe 10 mins south of Town Pier. The only issue might be there's not a lot of cab drivers and there's a few attractions farther away that may appeal to some of your fellow pax.
Bonaire Taxi Services

Both options in my previous post are in town

 

[diversteve]

I forgot to mention, you would need a ride to either DF location at Den Laman or Sand Dollar also. It's probably over a mile from Town Pier.

 

[KJHorton]

Any of the dive shops will rent out tanks for shore diving as long as you are certified and pay the Park Fee. Divi is immediately south of the port but your moored ship will be making noise. I don't like to dive there when a ship is in. I'd take a cab up to Buddy Dive or Captain Don's Habitat and make a day of it there. Good house reefs, pool to swim in and casual restaurants/bar for after dive.

We have stayed at Captain Don's and have been considering going there or Buddy Dive. My concern is whether they always have someone available to conduct the marine park briefing. Cant seem to get an email response about it.

 

[edwants2dive]

Just wondering what day are you going to be there. Buddy dive may not be a good option because they have The Kids Sea Camps 2019 taking place from July 13th – July 26th, 2019

 

[KJHorton]

FYI, this is the response I received from Captain Don's:

Thanks for the inquiry. All cruise ship diving is regulated by the tourist board. They have signed contracts with operators. We cannot take cruise ship divers because we have no contract..

 

[noj3333]

Wow, that'd be something if it's true.

VIP Diving's website still has a section for cruise ship divers.

I wonder if Bas would take you out? Maybe just tell him you'd like a buddy for the day, and ask him to provide tanks, and let him know you'd need a ride from downtown to the sites... and maybe forget to mention you'll be arriving on a cruise ship...

 

[caydiver]

That’s interesting. Here in Grand Cayman cruise ship guests can use whoever can fit them in on the schedule. They aren’t tied to those with contracts.

 

[caruso]

FYI, this is the response I received from Captain Don's:

Thanks for the inquiry. All cruise ship diving is regulated by the tourist board. They have signed contracts with operators. We cannot take cruise ship divers because we have no contract..

I thought I hated cruises before but now I really do.

 

[Altamira]

FYI, this is the response I received from Captain Don's:

Thanks for the inquiry. All cruise ship diving is regulated by the tourist board. They have signed contracts with operators. We cannot take cruise ship divers because we have no contract..

There are workarounds. I ran into this problem a couple years ago because the ship's dive op, Dive Friends, had a max age limit of @70 for the ship's dive excursion and I could not get a waiver even with a doctor's letter. But funny enough, the same dive op was perfectly willing to rent me tanks, and I could dive one of their house reefs. I asked why I couldn't do the two tank boat dive because of my age, but could do shore dives? The ship and dive op were both pointed fingers at each other as the source of the idiotic restriction, but I was pretty sure DF was the culprit because other dive ops in other ports had no such restriction. So I gave DF a mental digital salute and gave our money to a dive op willing to work with me. Contract or no contract, money opens most doors.

 

[Scott from LongIsland]

Does VIP limit your dive time if you take escorted dives with them?

I have emailed them and a couple of others but no responses yet. Hopefully, they are just on island time.

VIP Diving never limits your dive time...I have been diving with them many many times over the years and not once has my dive time ever been limited.