Dive shops near cruise ship pier

[Wheatondiver]

Will be on Royal Carribean cruise last week of March 2008. Will be in Belize City for one day. What dive shops are close to the cruise ship pier? How close? Can we walk? Do they offer snorkeling for non-diving family members?

 

[DivingPrincessE]

I was on Royal Caribbean Enchantment of seas September 2007. I would recommend going with the dive excursion provided by Royal Caribbean in Belize. You don't pull up to the pier in Belize, you are tendered (i.e. drop anchor out at sea and have little boats bring you back and forth to shore). The people who booked excursions through the ship get to get off the ship first. So if you book on your own you need to wait for all the excursion people to get off first. Then you have to take a number and wait for it to be called in order to get brought to shore.

The dive op Royal Caribbean used in cozumel was awful, but the one they used in Belize was actually pretty good. During my research I only found a couple of dive ops that seemed to be in the right area of belize, and they were the same price as the excursion. The excursion dive boat pics you up right off the ship and you head off for the dive, no need to go to shore at all. The dive excursions was one of the last excursions called though...and about half the people were doing the zip line/cave tubing excursion.

I don't know if this is a myth or true...but I was told that the cruise ships have a contract with dive shops on some of these islands, and other dive shops aren't allowed to take cruise-shippers. So if you were to book through another shop you can't tell them you are from a cruise ship...even though everyone is very aware you are from a cruise ship, you can't actually say it. That could be total BS, but I heard someone say that on my last cruise.

 

[Doc]

You don't pull up to the pier in Belize, you are tendered (i.e. drop anchor out at sea and have little boats bring you back and forth to shore).

They quit using the "Government Pier" ? Either way, it's a long way from civilization.

I only found a couple of dive ops that seemed to be in the right area of belize, and they were the same price as the excursion.

Diving is a very long way away from Belize City.

I don't know if this is a myth or true...but I was told that the cruise ships have a contract with dive shops on some of these islands

Cruise ships are money machines. If they had their way, there would be no shore visits. It costs money to let you off, they lose money when you aren't gambling. Of course they have deals with dive shops, they steer the passengers towards the local shop, they get a hefty cut.

, and other dive shops aren't allowed to take cruise-shippers. So if you were to book through another shop you can't tell them you are from a cruise ship...even though everyone is very aware you are from a cruise ship, you can't actually say it. That could be total BS, but I heard someone say that on my last cruise.

Yes, that would be total B.S.

I rank Belize diving well within the top 5 of the Caribbean~ if you are on the out islands for a weeklong stay (or on the Nekton)... that's where the diving is. Diving Belize from a cruise ship is distant and I rank it about #12 of all other potential ports. Cruise ship diver processes being what they are, most divers, even those with a well travelled log book, have no idea of the differences in what you will be presented with versus a week long vacationer.

Go with the ship's program. They won't depart without you. That's the big selling point. No dive-op you select is really going to treat you any differently on their first and only day of diving with you. You're a cruise ship diver, Jacques Cousteau or not.

 

[Jay_SMART_Diver]

I used Sea Sports Belize to book a Snorkel charter for me and my family that were on the cruise with me. Another diver who I dove with in Cozumel and in Roatan was pretty disappointed with the diving near Belize City where the cruise ships dock. To really get the best diving experience out of Belize you really need to be further North. The snorkeling however was great! I booked us our own boat for 8 of us and we had a captain and a guide that took us to some out of the way places they fed us lunch on a little island, snorkeled more, and dropped us off back at our cruise ship. We had time to drop gear change and head back to Belize City on a tender and do some shopping. In my opinion with Cruise Ship Diving booking off ship on your own is cheaper and you usually get to dive better sites. Not to mention you usually get to dive with an operation with better service/staff and dive with more skilled/serious divers who go out of their way to book good dives. For the Cruise ship charters, the operators and staff can be somewhat apathetic because they get 20-30 divers a day no matter what. Not to mention you can be in a mix of skill levels from resort divers to who knows what.

 

[letsgodiving]

I have just got back from a cruise and dive in Belize, and I wouldn't recommend booking your own trip. The tender ride is about 20-30 minutes and then most dive sites are a long boat ride back out the way you came via tender. We were picked up at the ship by the dive boat, 7 of us on a boat made for 44-46 divers. Stress free and no chance of getting left behind.

It is simply not worth the risk of being left behind for the sake of $10-$20.

 

[Wheatondiver]

As I mentioned in my original post, Royal Carribean does not allow anyone younger than 12 dive with them. But, they will allow anyone who has been underwater within the past two years dive. My son will be 3 months shy of his 12th birthday. He has 19 dives in both fresh and salt water. He is very comfortable underwater. That is why I will need to locate a local dive operator. I'm not sure if Royal Carribean will change the policy now that NAUI allows divers as young as 10.

 

[divingandcruising]

I'll be sailing to Belize City on the 8th of Jan. on the Carnival Miracle. Last time on the Miracle we missed the dive excursion through the cruise because of the tendering situation. Therefore we tendered in to Belize City and found Eco-Tours to fly us to San Pedro for a 2 tank dive with Aqua-dives.

This time around we are not going through Eco-Tours, $180 pp (includes 2 tank dive, and RT airfare). Instead we are doing it on our own and spending $130 pp. Either way the diving off San Pedro was excellent, hence why we are doing it again. The staff at Aqua Dives was absolutely wonderful.

If you'd like detailed information I'll send you links, let me know.

JC

 

[peterbj7]

Any dive center in SP will take you out, but if you arrive after the first morning dive has left you'll have to wait for the boat to return. Several operators will hold a boat back for you if it's logistically possible, but obviously you'll need to have arranged this with them beforehand.

Find out all you can about which aircraft you expect to be able to catch, then contact the dive center of your choice. If they can't oblige then try another. AD clearly do this, we've done it lots of times, I know Ecologic do, and I expect others will as well. $180 sounds a lot - expect it to cost around $140 including dives, airfares and taxis.

You'll have to fly back after diving. It's up to you of course, but the flight doesn't come near to infringing DAN's guidelines.

 

[pasley]

I am planning on booking oa cruise around April 13th, or maybe Febuary (not decided yet) on board the Carnival Legend or the Carnival Valor. Destinations are about the same, Grand Cayman, Roatan, Belize, Cozumel.

Any suggestions as to which would be better. I also note the Carnival Cruise ship does not list SCUBA as an activity I can book through the cruise line in Belize. Any ideas on this, I understand it is a tender, can I get a local dive operation to pick us up at the ship?

I am taking my non-diving wife and mother-in-law. Any divers want to split a room the tin mother-in-law (balcony)?

 

[Ecologic Divers]

As Peter said several dive centers offer this kind od service. We along with Protech arrange your flight (14min) and pick you up at the airport, small but quaint, no lines, no hassle. We can offer 2 tank dives and get you back to the plane so you have plenty of time to fly back to Belize city. This is a regular trip we offer and our quests get to see San Pedro, Ambergrise Caye as well as a view from a low flying air plane.