2009 Scuba Cruise

[Zsuzsika]

10 Day Eastern Caribbean Voyager
2009 Scuba Cruise Aboard the Ruby Princess

Are you a certified scuba diver whose been there done that? Are you looking for a unique itinerary that will take you to ports of calls seldom visited by ships departing from Fort Lauderdale? If so, we have an awesome itinerary on a brand new ship! The Ruby Princess will be our home for 10 glorious days of fun in the Caribbean sun! An optional dive package limited to only 16 lucky divers will be available to the group of certified divers in St. Thomas, St. Kitts, Barbados, St. Lucia, and Antigua on a first come, first served basis. We welcome both divers and non-divers on the cruise!

Cruise Critic's 4th annual Scuba Cruise will set sail aboard the Ruby Princess on November 4, 2009. The Ruby Princess is a sister ship to Emerald Princess and Crown Princess, and features the same dramatic piazza-style atrium that have become so popular on those ships. Other ship highlights include Princess' signature adults-only retreat called The Sanctuary, an Italian trattoria, a seafood and steak house, a "Movies Under the Stars" giant outdoor movie screen and 900 cabins with private balconies!

The Ruby Princess is the newest jewel in the Princess crown and everything you would expect from such a modern, luxurious ship. There are multiple dining options, including Traditional and Anytime Dining and specialty venues like the popular Sabatini's. There is the Lotus Spa with its myriad treatments. You'll enjoy watching Movies Under the Stars, and will have 900 balcony staterooms from which to choose. And then, there are the ports of call?

If you are a certified diver, we offer a custom dive package put together for the group by ShoreTrips that will include two tank dives in St. Thomas, St. Kitts, Barbados, St. Lucia, and Antigua. Not a diver? Not a problem; many non-diving group members sail with us every year and enjoy the special group benefits!

It's not often we can offer a 10 night exotic cruise to ports of call seldom visited from a Florida gateway. You do not have to be a diver to come along! If you enjoy snorkeling, visiting exotic ports, or simply want to experience one of the BEST ships in Princess fleet, this cruise is for you!

Suzi, the group leader is an active certified scuba diver and has logged hundreds of great dives throughout the Caribbean and elsewhere. She is an experienced group leader who can provide practical answers to your questions. For more information, please email Suzi at scubacruise2009@yahoo.com

Pricing Information

Johna at CruCon Cruise Outlet is our group agent and will be happy to answer any questions you may have about pricing and availability. Inside cabins are starting at $945pp; balconies for $1405pp. Since regional discounts may apply, it's recommended you shop around to get an idea of pricing, and then contact Johna, the group agent at CruCon. In most cases she is able to meet or beat competitors pricing, so don't be too quick to dismiss the rates you see posted.

Remember, if you are certified scuba diver and wish to dive with the group, you MUST book into the group cruise at CruCon. And don't forget, if you are holding Princess FCC's, you can use them to book this group cruise and get the bonus shipboard credit! Our Group agent Johna can be reached at 800-493-6609.

 

[Zsuzsika]

Useful Information for Divers New to Cruising

There are pros and cons to a dive vacation that's also a cruise. However, most divers, after doing one, tell us they had a good experience. Princess Cruises does an exceptionally good job in combining excellent dive ports with a low key, less structured cruise experience. Thanks to anytime dining, you can call the shots as to when to eat and with whom. The Ruby Princess has comfortable staterooms and excellent amenities as well as a great spa and gym.

If your idea of the perfect dive vacation is doing multiple dives per day (like you can on a live aboard or a vacation to Bonaire), and your goal is to dive a lot, a scuba cruise is not for you! You will have the ability to do up to 10 dives while on the cruise. You should plan on the dives being somewhat more conservative than what you would do if you dove with the same dive operation day after day. That said, we do make every effort to customize our dives to meet the needs of both the novice and more experienced diver.

The reality is a dive vacation combined with a cruise is not for everyone. As I have said before, the diving tends to be more on the conservative side, as each dive operator we see gets only one chance to dive with you. Unlike a land based dive vacation where you can dive and get to know the place fairly well when you are not in the water (which is what makes going to a new dive destination so interesting), you will have to choose between diving in a port or touring the surrounding area as there isn't usually enough time to always do both.

As is the case with most vacations, there are pros and cons to take into consideration before deciding to join us. How much you spend on your cruise accommodations in large part depends on the type of stateroom you select. Diving in the ports of call is not included, therefore, you will want to budget around $550pp (give or take few dollars) if you plan to dive in each port. Although most of your meals and entertainment on the cruise is included, there is the additional cost for drinks and anything else you buy on or off the ship. A scuba cruise will 1) give you a brief introduction to the ports of call, 2) give you a taste of what diving is like there and 3) help you decide if it's worth a return visit.

One issue that comes up a lot and needs to be addressed has to do with transporting gear. When you vacation at a land based dive resort, you generally are allowed to leave your dive gear on the boat, in a nearby dive locker or shed or in a hotel room a few steps away. Diving while on a cruise requires more muscle and creativity if you bring your own dive gear (which is recommended), as you will be transporting your gear off the ship, into a cab, then a dive boat and finally hauling your wet gear back onto the ship.

Combining a dive vacation with a cruise does have benefits - so much so, that more and more divers are taking cruises - just ask PADI and the cruise lines! I have been leading cruise groups since 1994 and have found Princess to be among the most dive-friendly cruise lines out there. That's not to say I don't lead dive cruise groups on other lines. But Princess tends to visit more dive friendly ports of call, offers an upscale yet casual atmosphere, and is willing to work with dive groups like this one, to insure members have a positive experience.

Like an all inclusive dive resort, this cruise aboard the Emerald Princess will include all your meals but no soda or alcoholic beverages (I have yet to go to a dedicated dive resort where alcohol was included). Unlike dive resorts, you will find the food quality and the choice in dining venues to be far superior. With Princess' Personal Choice Policy, you can eat anytime, anywhere. Casual dress is the norm. with more entertainment choices at night that include M.U.T.S. (big screen Movies Under The Stars), production type shows, illusion and comedy acts, a disco, nightly lounge entertainment and one of the largest casinos afloat.

There are two Formal Nights - one is scheduled for the second or third day of the voyage and one towards the end of the voyage. Formal nights with Princess are more low-key thanks to Anytime Dining, but the expectation is for everyone involved to dress up. Much of the formality associated with Formal Night - lining up to meet the Captain and attending a structured cocktail party determined by your dining time - has been done away with by Princess. Instead, bars in and around the main lobby areas of ship on multiple floors serve free drinks for about an hour, between 6pm or 8pm.

You don't have to dress up on formal nights; a lot of people pass on the free alcohol that's served the first Formal Night (a creative cruise line ploy to get you to dress up). Although the formal restaurants on the ship will require you to play dress-up on both Formal Nights, there are a number of casual dining venues that don't.

Compared to other cruise lines, where your dining choice is to eat early or late, Princess offers you more freedom to eat when you want, where you want. You can still get a more traditional cruise experience, where you are assigned a seating time with the same people all week long, if you prefer. However most of the group does anytime dining. We make arrangements to reserve a table for 8 in one of the anytime dining rooms on Ũroup Nights when members can sign up (in advance) to dine with one another. ItÃÔ a great way to get to know your fellow cruisers, while still having the option on other nights to eat with whomever you want.

Many people who have spouses and family members who are non-divers, find a cruise to be the perfect "compromise". Non-divers will find lots to do on the ship and in each of our ports of call. No one says you have to dive in each port (though you will find that most divers in the group probably will). You can do a little research and figure out in which ports you want to dive, and see the sights with your loved ones on days you don't.

My husband and I are in our 40s, and have logged close to 200 dives each. We still very much enjoy going to dive resorts; but we no longer have the desire to spend all day and night diving. We like the upscale cruise experience that Princess offers. We enjoy going out to dinner, taking in a show, listening to music or going out to a movie at night. Having state of the art workout facilities at our disposal is also a huge plus.

Accommodations on a cruise ship tend to be comfortable, but small, and compact unless you get a suite. As the saying goes, you get what you pay for; the size of you stateroom will probably be smaller than a hotel room at a dive resort. Most people don't spend much time in their stateroom, and find them to be more than adequate. The room steward will clean your room every morning and turn down your bed each evening. There is free 24 hour room service (you need to tip, though) and if you get a room with a balcony, you will have a place to dry out your scuba gear.

Let's face it, when you are looking at spending this kind of money for a 10 day vacation, it's important to know what's in it for you. Please don't stop here - I strongly recommend you do your own research. If you would like a Scuba Cruise Brochure or Dive Package Brochure, please do not heaitate to email me, Suzi, the group leader at scubacruise2009@yahoo.com.

 

[Zsuzsika]

10 Day Eastern Caribbean Voyager
2009 Scuba Cruise Dive Package Information

Certified members of the 2009 Ruby Princess Scuba Cruise can purchase a five port dive package that includes two tank boat dives in St. Thomas, St. Kitts, Barbados, St. Lucia and Antigua. Members of the group are not compelled to dive in all five ports. Dive boat space in each port is limited, and will never exceed 16 divers. Divers must add their names to the dive boat list to be allowed to dive with the group. Divers can add or delete their names on the dive boat list by going to the Scuba Group Forum at Cruise Critic or by emailing the group leader.

Please note dives are not included in the cost of the cruise, therefore, you must purchase your dives independently from a company called ShoreTrips. ShoreTrips has been around for a while, and Liz, our group dive coordinator, has been putting together our dive packages for three years now. She deals with small dive operations in our ports of call, which are willing to take our group to quality dive sites.

Our custom dive package will include round trip transportation (where necessary) to all dive operations. You can expect to pay around $550pp if you were to dive in all five ports of call. As pricing was not yet available at the time this posting was made, it will be included in this thread once it is confirmed, so stay tuned. A webpage at ShoreTrips with group pricing and information will be available (in February 2009) to group members and a link will be posted somewhere in this thread. All dives MUST be purchased there in advance of the cruise by mid-August 2009. ShoreTrips has a 100% refund policy up to 14 days prior to the dive in the event you are unable to go on the cruise. They will also refund 100% if we are not able to dive because of weather conditions or the ship is not able to make it to the port. In addition to this, if we experience an itinerary change, they will work on rebooking the dives in the new port.

There will be a mandatory Pre-Dive Orientation Meeting while on the cruise, and every dive will be escorted by the group leader. If you plan to go diving with the group, please email Suzi, the group leader and let he know. Dive specific communication is done through email, so it's important you provide contact information.

Divers will be expected assemble every morning in the Piazza with the group leader aboard the Ruby Princess, and disembark the ship together. The group leader will accompany the divers and dive with the group.

Below is a tentative list of the diving we would like to do while on the 2009 Scuba Cruise, though actual dive sites are subject to change. Pricing will be available sometime in February.

Saturday, November 7, 2009
St. Thomas

St. Thomas will be our first dive port of call and an early one at that! The dive operation will pick up the group at the port (they will either send a bus or the dive boat if there is room to dock), after everyone in the group has gone through the mandatory US Immigration passport check on the ship. We are scheduled to arrive in St. Thomas at 7am, so the dive group will be among the first groups to walk through with their passports at 6:30am. After putting away travel documents, the group will assemble in the Piazza and disembark the ship by then it will be close to 8am. After a short visit to the dive shop to take care of some paperwork (if we arrive by bus) at Bolongo Bay, we will go diving. We should be done with our two tank dives around 12:30pm; the dive boat will take us back to the ship afterwards. As we remain in St. Thomas until 6pm, you'll have time to grab lunch and check out the island for a few hours.

I plan to request that the dive operation take us to French Cap, weather permitting. French Cap (on the south side) is an uninhabited island approximately 6 miles south of St. Thomas. Because it is unprotected waters, the seas must be relatively calm for us to dive there all the more incentive to get an early start! In 90 feet of water this is one of the few places you will see Black Durgeons & huge schools of Sennet. Lobster are in abundance here, as are any number of the larger game fish, hog fish & permit, just to name a few. Dive operations usually do both dives on French Cap, with a shallower dive to 60 feet on the northwest side of the island. On the second dive we should be treated to a swim-through that has a nice cathedral ceiling you can actually surface into.

Sunday, November 8, 2009
St. Kitts

We will arrive in St. Kitts around 7am, and walk off the ship and over to the dive boat that will be docked in the marina about a block away. The diving in St. Kitts is great no matter where we go. There are a number of wreck dives here that might be worth considering. Another popular dive site is a two square-mile coral atoll known as Monkey Shoals. Situated in the channel between St. Kitts and Nevis, the open water allows for visibility of up to 100 feet. I don't have a preference, but if you do, please speak up well in advance of the cruise so that I can let the dive operator know.

You can expect to be back on the ship in time for lunch, but as the ship sets sail at 4pm, you'll probably only have enough time to shop for tee shirts at this port.

Monday, November 9, 2009
Barbados

The ship will dock in Barbados at 9am finally, a chance to sleep in! By now the debarkation process should be a piece of cake - meet in the Piazza and walk off the ship as a group.

The dive shop in Barbados is walking distance, so we will be heading there as a group and boarding the dive boat around 10am. Most of the dive sites are 10-20 minutes from shore, near the south and west ends of the island. One option will be to dive the SSS Stavronikita, rated as one of the top 10 wrecks in the Caribbean. This is a 365ft Greek freighter that was deliberately sunk to form an artificial reef. The Stavronikita lies in 120ft of water with the stern at 100ft and the bow at 70ft. Here are two dive videos for you to watch to get an idea of what to expect:

SSS Stavronikita Dive Video Part One

Barbados Video: stavronikita wreck dive in barbados chillandbuzz

SSS Stavronikita Dive Video Part Two

Barbados Video: stavronikita wreck dive barbados pt2 chillandbuzz

I don't really have a preference as to a dive site, so I would encourage you to surf the web and let me know what you find in advance of the cruise so that I can let the dive operator know. We will probably be done with our dives around 2:30pm so youÃÍl have a couple of hours to go shopping before having to be back on the ship at 5:30pm. I wouldn't venture too far, though.

Tuesday, November 10, 2009
St. Lucia

We will call on St. Lucia at 8am, walk off the ship and meet up with a dive shop employee who will transport us by dinghy or bus to the dive shop. I have requested that we go south (weather permitting) to the Pitons and dive St. Lucia's premier dive site. Besides it being a scenic boat ride, you will be amazed when you see the Pitons both above and below the water. Our first dive site will be Superman's Flight, an awesome drift wall dive followed by a shallower dive at the Anse Chastanet reef. These by far are going to be the best dives of the week.

Because it will probably take us a little over a half an hour to get to the Pitons after we get to the dive shop, you should plan to devote the day in port to diving and nothing else. The ship sets sail at 6pm so we should have enough time to pick up some Piton's Beer in the liquor store by the pier and a few knick-knacks.


Wednesday, November 11, 2009
Antigua

Antigua will be our last dive port, and again the plan is to make an early exit at 8am. We will be picked up at the port and transported to the dive shop which is 30 minutes away. Although it has a well-developed tourism industry, Antigua is not particularly known for its diving. In part, because Antigua is set on a shallow bank so most of the diving is shallow. I am going to request that we head to a site called Sunken Rock, just off the coast where Eric Clapton built his new house for our second dive if we happen to be in the area. Actually, I don't really have a preference, but I was told its one of the better dive sites in Antigua. It's a rock pinnacle in about 50 feet of water and makes for an interesting dive. Here is a partial list of dive sites in Antigua, and I'd love to get your input:

Antigua and Barbuda Scuba Diving

The ship will be departing Antigua at 5pm. Given we will most likely be diving on the other side of the island, I wouldn't plan much for the afternoon. We should be back on the ship no later than 2pm.

 

[Zsuzsika]

January 2009 Dive Boat Update


I will post updates regarding our dive package sign-ups as needed on a monthly basis. If your are interested in joining the group, I recommend you keep track of the Dive Boat List at the group forum for the most up to date information. Just remember to always reference the most recent posting!

As of January 6, 2009, we have space for only 4 divers. It's possible once I hear back from the dive operators in February, we may be able to add in a couple more divers, given we can split the group onto two dive boats. We have lots of cruise inventory space on the Ruby Princess available to the group, so this does not affect the non-divers in your party. We will also have a waiting list on each port. Please understand that early in the booking, we occcasionally see members cancel dives, as there is no penalty to do so. There is a good chance if you end up on the waiting list, you won't be there for long. At the time of this posting, our prices and dives are still being negotiated, and are not available.

As more people sign up to dive during the month, I will update the dive boat list and post an alert on this thread.

Remember, all divers must notify me by email after booking the cruise if you want to dive with the group. Please feel free to add your name to the dive boat list at the group forum - the directions on how to do this are posted, but it's simply a matter of cutting and pasting the most recent list to a new posting and adding you name and your buddy's (if you have one).

Suzi

 

[Zsuzsika]

I would encourage anyone interested in this dive vacation to visit our group forum at Cruise Critic; we update the site every day with new information. It's a great place to obtain cruise specific information as well as info on diving in the ports of call.

What is a Cruise Critic Scuba Cruise Like?

Five million visitors strong, Cruise Critic is a critically acclaimed interactive community comprised of avid and first-time cruisers who enjoy the fun of planning, researching and sharing their passion for cruising. No other single resource covers the world of cruising as thoroughly as CruiseCritic.com. Cruise CriticÃÔ world-renowned editorial staff offers objective cruise reviews, features, ports of call profiles and destination stories not to mention, group cruises. The Cruise Critic message boards are the most active in the world.

Since its inception in 1995, Cruise Critic has earned the status of being the most influential cruise site on the Web, and an innovator of consumer-oriented cruise travel news. This particular group cruise is being sponsored by Cruise Critic, and Suzi, the Group Leader was selected by Cruise Critic to lead the group.

Cruise Critic utilizes CruCon Cruise Outlet to handle the cruise booking for this group cruise. CruConÃÔ agent, Johna, deals directly with a Princess Cruises Group Coordinator to accommodate our groupÃÔ booking.
All group cruises are open to members of Cruise Critic, their families and friends. You do not have to be a certified scuba diver to book this cruise. Typically, Cruise Critic Scuba Cruises consist of about 30% divers and 70% non-divers. To insure a quality dive experience, we must limit the number of divers in each port of call to no more than 16.

All Scuba Cruises tend to be low key and focus on diving, but non-divers are welcome. We include the non-divers in the group in all shipboard activities scheduled for the group. There will be opportunities to get together with group members at dinner even if you do traditional dining or take advantage of anytime dining.

All group members will receive a cruise planner prior to the voyage outlining the activities scheduled for the group that include a Bon Voyage Party on embarkation day, a free one hour open bar cocktail party mid-cruise, a pre-dive orientation meeting the first full day at sea for all the certified scuba divers scheduled to dive with the group, a group photo shoot, inpromtu gatherings and photo download parties and group dinners (with no cover charge) on select nights. Members will also have the option to order group tee shirts, usually available 30 days prior to the sail date.

 

[chithanh119]

Great cruise. Thanks for your post.

 

[Zsuzsika]

We finally got our pricing on the dives squared away. Prices reflect round trip transfers from the ship on a private group charter. In St.Lucia, we are heading down to the Pitons.

Saturday, November 7, 2009
St. Thomas SOLD OUT
$117 per diver/ 2 Tank Boat Dives
Free Rental Equipment (BCD, regulator, tanks, weights,)
Dive Boat Maximum: 13

Sunday, November 8, 2009
St. Kitts
$106 per diver/ 2 Tank Boat Dives
Equipment Rental Extra
Dive Boat Maximum: 16


Monday, November 9, 2009
Barbados$126 per diver/ 2 Tank Boat Dives
Free Rental Equipment (BCD, regulator, tanks, weights,)
Dive Boat Maximum: 16


Tuesday, November 10, 2009
St. Lucia
$110 per diver/ 2 Tank Boat Dives
Equipment Rental Extra
Dive Boat Maximum: 16


Wednesday, November 11, 2009
Antigua$138 per diver/ 2 Tank Boat Dives (Price Pending might be less)
Free Rental Equipment (BCD, regulator, tanks, weights,)
Dive Boat Maximum: 16

 

[Zsuzsika]

The Scuba Cruise Website is now up and running: please stop by for more information:

2009 Cruise Critic Scuba Cruise - Home

 

[Zsuzsika]

We have space for two divers left. Please contact me, the group leader asap. Price on the cruise has dropped - about $200pp on many balcony cabins.