cruises

[timmytes]

anyone here ever been on a cruise and taken their dive gear. we're thinking of going on one in sept. that goes to some cool islands and just want to get an opinion on this.

thanks

 

[chris3536]

I would be curious to hear about cruise ships and diving too.

How it works, time commitment, gear storage, etc.

Thanks!

 

[bigz]

I dove while on a cruise several years ago - Princess line. PADI hashad a very extensive program at that time as well as an excellent staff on board our ship. All dives were prearranged through local operators on the various islands we stopped at. 4 islands - all very different dives and given the time of year (end of Dec.) All in all, it was excellent diving. Depths were limited to 70' so bottom time was quite adequate. It was interesting to get exposure to different types of dive ops and to make comparisons. I'd have to say, though, that most of the diving was geared to the novice/intermediate level but that the sites chosen were very interesting. I felt that I did get good value for my money. If you want to combine diving and cruising, I'd recommend it - IF the dive set up on the ship is adequate. Enjoy!

 

[timmytes]

thanks for the info. would you recommend bringing your own equipment?

 

[DandyDon]

I do. One of the reasons for owning my own is so I will know what I'm using, when the reg was serviced, etc. Your room may feel more like a gear locker with both luggage and diver bag, small as boat rooms are, but it's owrht it to me.

I don't do cruises as a rule, but I've heard others tell me that they usually do 2 tanks in the morning, then explore the island in the afternoon. If I do cruise, I like Windjammer; in fact, it was a WJ sponsored "discover scuba" dive that I got hooked. At leasdt I did until I get Scuba certified. DO NOT EXPECT TO DIVE MUCH WITH WINDJAMMER

Happy bubbles, :3balloon: D-Don

 

[diver_paula]

I took my gear on a Norwegian cruise last year and won't bring everything if I go on a future cruise. There wasn't enough room in the cabin for everything and drying was a pain. And we had to lug our gear all over the ship. (From the cabin to the meeting place and then to the shuttle up and down lots of stairs. & sometimes the distance between the dock and the boat or bus to the SCUBA boat was quite a task.

If I go on another cruise and choose to dive I'll be taking my regs, computers, mask, snorkel and possibly fins. For the minimal amount of diving one gets on a cruise - 2 dives per location chosen - any BC will do. Also with the few dives an exposure suit may not be needed given the core body temperature won't have much time to be lowered.

Having been an active diver for 15 years I've been to many warm water locations. (Typically a Great Lakes wreck diver.) It was nice to get a feel for diving in some new locations but I truly think I'll keep SCUBA trips and cruises separate.

Paula

 

[diver_paula]

One other thing... cruises tend to attract newbie divers or divers who haven't dove in several years. As such the cruise arranged diving is purposely planned 'beginner' level. The diving was primarily a group following a leader. And given everyone had to be back to the cruise ship at a certain time the dive time was limited by the boat not one's air consumption.

Also, the cruise line mandated a maximum allowable depth that the charter operators had to follow. I can't remember what it was but was shocked at what it was (maybe 80') and questioned it. I believe it was a liability issue

Some friends of mine find that making their own arrangements at the ports of call prior to the cruise was a much better experience. Not only was the diving a lot cheaper they were able to choose the dive operator and locations.

Hope that helps.
Paula

 

[Scuba Duffer]

My Wife and I have done a fair bit of cruising. Norwegian has the "dive in" program which really does a good job of catering to divers. Princess also has a similiar program. Royal Carib and Celebrity just hand you over at the dock to the local operators.

Norwegian always had a cruise ship member on every dive with us and you could tell the knew the operators and really took pride in offering a good dive program. Certainl;y not the best cruise line, but I would rate them the best "divers" cruise line!

As for gear - regs, mask, and snorkel are all we take now. We have done it full gear, but never again. It's such a pain lugging it all down the narrow hallways, down the stairs to the gang plank and then all the way back. We always have a balcony cabin and still found it a pain to get everything dried out after the dives. Remember, your on the dive boat and usually they will drop you right back at the ship. No rinse tanks or anything like that so your carrying your gear back to your room soaked with salt water. The you have to use your very small shower to rinse and then dry all your gear - MAJOR PAIN IN THE....... Just take your mask and anything that goes in your mouth and you'll be fine. We found all the different operators we dove with had very adequate gear. BCDS's and fins were great. You may want to bring your wetsuit, or at least the jacket, most operators do not rent them. I however find a jacket is all I need is those oh so warm waters!!!

 

[WirelessOne]

We did a 10 day Royal Caribbean Cruise out of Galveston that gave us the opportunity to dive a lot of different places such as Jamaica, Grand Cayman, Cozumel and Roatan. While we had a better experience booking our own dives, it was still a pain hauling all of our stuff and drying it. In some places, such as Cayman, they won't even allow the dive operators to pick you up at the dock, so you have to catch a cab.

It was great to do since my kids were just certified, but to get a lot of diving in, I'd rather just go somewhere with a lot of great diving options.

Would be worth doing once though and see what you think....

Have Fun.

Penny

 

[Tractor Tom]

We took a 10 day cruise from Ft. Lauderdale last January and I dove on three of the five Islands we stopped at. St. Maarten with Dive Safaris, Barbados with Blue Reef Divers, and St. Thomas with Blue Island Divers. I took my dive bag with all of my gear. Everything but tanks and weights and hauled it around each of the three islands. It wasn't a big deal in the cabin on the ship, as it was good sized and had a balcony. I'd dive in the morning on each of the islands, then take my stuff back to the cabin and hang it out to dry in the bathroom after a rinse. If it was still wet in the evening, I'd put it out on the balcony. After it was dry, everything went back into the bag and into the corner of the cabin to wait for the next dive. No big deal. I'm much happier using my own gear, as I know it works and that everything fits. One tip, leave your dive knife at home! Can't get it on and off the boat because of security. I carried my snips and that was all.

Drop a note with specific questions and I'll be glad to reply.