Dive Report - Cruise to Belize, Roatan, Cozumel

[pamawi]

I posted this in the cruise forum but wanted to post it here to so all you south eastern divers realize we've got a great cruise for diving close to home. About once a month the Carnival Triumph does 7 days from New Orleans to Belize, Roatan and Cozumel, three great diving ports.

You always hear people say to avoid the ship's diveops but I decided to try some of them this cruise and was very happy. I dove with the ship's dive ops in Belize (Hugh Parkey's) and Roatan (Anthony's Key). Last time I booked privately with Seasports Belize and almost didn't make it to the ship on time. I used Subway Watersports in Roatan last time and was happy but was interested in trying Anthony's Key this time.

We only had about 10 divers. In Belize it really makes sense to book through the ship because of the convenience of being picked up and dropped off at the ship by the dive boat without having to ride the tenders to shore. The dive op/resort is located on an island so you never set foot on the mainland. They pamper you there and were willing to do everything for you if you let them. I did! Funny though our guide in Belize was from Cozumel.

I have yet to dive with the ship's dive op Sand Dollar in Cozumel, but heard the other divers on the cruise that used them were very happy with them. I booked in Cozumel this time with Blue Angel who had a 10am boat and took snorkelers on the same boat which we needed. We were happy with them, but it was a rough sea day in Cozumel and we didn't see as much as I'm used to.

Roatan was my favorite this cruise. I like that the reefs are only a 5 minute boat ride from the resorts and you can go back to the resort/dive shop for your surface interval. The guide was great at finding things for us and there was plenty that we could see on our own. We saw two free swimming morays, several large crabs and a lionfish. We didn't see any lionfish underwater in Coz, but apparently they are having a big problem with them and paying dive masters to remove them from the water. Also some people are eating them and saying it might become a new Cozumel delicacy. I think I'll pass.

I hope to post some pics soon.

 

[denisegg]

Wow Pam!! Sounds like an awesome trip!! I'm glad you had such a great time!

 

[wjefferis]

Sounds like a great trip. What is the cost of the 7 day cruise per person? It sounds like a great trip I could take my newly certified wife on.

 

[pamawi]

The price for an inside cabin was $499 pp. We got a balcony for $699 pp which is great to put your wet gear out on. As you get closer to Spring and Summer the price goes up. I've found it's usually cheapest to cruise Oct - Feb except on big holidays. I use vacationstogo.com to research pricing and cruise.com to pick a cabin because the interfaces are so easy. You can book through these sites, direct with carnival, or with any travel agent. Those of you with any military or guard service at all can get a military discount on some Carnival sailings (not all). All you need is a DD214. This time the Alabama resident rate was actually cheaper than the military rate. They often offer Alabamians an incentive to drive a little further to sail from New Orleans instead of Mobile or Florida. Although I'd much rather go to an dive destination and stay there a week, this works out pretty well when you are traveling with non-diving family and friends. If you do the shorter cruise to Cozumel and a small port on the mainland (ie Calica), you can do a guided cenote dive, but your newly certified wife might not be comfortable with that.

 

[robjackson_97]

How was the quality of diving? I have just booked the same cruise and plan to dive at each of the 4 stops. I read an article that said the diving was not very good near Belize City.

 

[mrmccoy]

If you don't mind me asking how much were the port fees/taxes for each stop? I have been looking at the same cruise but would be with non diving friends and my diving g/f.

 

[pamawi]

There were no additional port fees/taxes. Everything was built-in to the cruise price.

 

[pamawi]

The diving was great. I would have to say that Belize was probably my least favorite of the three, but still great compared to any day in the gulf where I usually dive. We dove on an atoll instead of the barrier reef, but to me it seemed like a reef. The reef didn't seem as healthy as it did in roatan & cozumel (not as colorful), but we saw plenty and the vis was great. There were lots of big barrell sponges and we saw a stingray, spotted moray, green moray, huge lobster, stonefish, lots of shrimps and your usual colorful tropical fish. The ship's diveop in Belize was great and the pickup and dropoff at the ship was so convenient. Last time I went with a private diveop in Belize and they took us to the barrier reef, and I also remember thinking it didn't seem as healthy and colorful as the other two but still was great diving. The problem with the private diveop was that I had to ride tenders and walk a few blocks outside the "safe" gated area and just barely made it back to the ship ontime. We went out in a small fast cigarette style boat where we got splashed alot, while with Hugh Parkey they had a nice Newton dive boat with a nice platform and ladder. Even though there was room for a lot more of divers we only had about 10.