Diving with a cruise

[kmarks]

I have never had a wrench confiscated on any cruise ship...

One other thing, if you are trying to get off the ship quickly to meet a dive op, don't wait for the announcement that the ship has been cleared by customs/immigration. Get as close to the departure point as you can as early as feasible and realistic. We generally plan to get there @ 45 minutes before the time we expect the ship to be cleared.

I asked Carnival customer service and they told me I would definitely get my adjustable wrench taken away and probably wouldn't get it back. That's the only tool I was hoping to bring because I dive with a Vyper Air with the AI transmitter and I usually take the rental reg's console off and put my transmitter in place. Most dive ops have no problem with this, but AKR made a big fuss about it (even after I emailed them twice before the trip to make sure it could be done).

I second the recommendation to not wait. Our room on that trip was a balcony, way up on the 8th deck, so I went and waited in my sister's room, on the first deck, right near the exit point in Cozumel. As the departure time got closer, I got in line to get off and was in my taxi on the way to FONATUR before they made the official announcement.

 

[KatieMac]

@Altamira and @kmarks I get on and off the ship in the priority line but I will still take this advice anyway.

Still looking for feedback on these dive ops
Grand Cayman - Cayman Diving
Belize - Aqua Scuba
Cozumel - The Dive Shop (I have found the name since the last post)

 

[Jayfarmlaw]

So far, I have found 2 other divers on the ship - which would make t total. The excursions are far from "sold out" so keeping my fingers crossed that this is the case but I doubt it

I'm not familiar with The Dive Shop in Cozumel, but the boat on Tripadvisor is a big boat by Cozumel standards. It will probably have divers from other cruise ships and people that booked directly with them... The dive ops we prefer to use will have no more than 6 divers and use small, fast "panga" type boats. The benefit to larger boats is that it will probably have a head, if that's important to your group.

The Dive Shop Cozumel - 2018 All You Need to Know Before You Go (with Photos) - TripAdvisor

When we went to Coz on our first dive trip, Carnival used a company called Sand Dollar and the reviews I saw were in line with my previous comment. They were bad enough, and consistant enough, to make me look for other options. We had 4 in our group and were able to charter our own boat with Dive with Martin for almost the same cost as the ship excursion. DWM is next to Puerta Maya which was the carnival pier for our trip. Once we got off the boat, it was a 1 block walk to the International Pier where DWM is located. Our boat was waiting on us and we were off in 10-20 minutes after getting off the cruise ship. If the cost is comparable, chartering your own boat is definitely the way to go. We did 2 dives and had plenty of time to eat, do lots of shopping at the mall across the street, and get back to our balcony to watch all the people who had had way too much to drink stumble and crawl back to the boat.

Either way you go, your going to be in for some amazing diving. Equipment wise, make sure you (and every other diver you care about) has a SMB and finger spool. I never thought I would need one in Coz...until I did...Luckily I had one in my BCD pocket.

Since it is Carnival...have a molten lava chocolate cake (or 6) for me.

Safe travels,
Jay

 

[hilljo88]

I have dived while on cruises a number of times. I booked directly with local dive ops and rented gear. Never had any problems and always got decent, well maintained gear. Bring some clothes in dry bag, cash for tips. If you have extra time you might ask driver to take you sightseeing on the way back to the ship. Negotiate a reasonable price for this.

 

[Nathan Doty]

I've been in exactly 1 cruise and 1 dive trip. My wife pushed me into doing the dive "when are you going to get the chance again?" Fortunately I had my paid card in my wallet, no gear at all so I r3nted everything. The bus I was on, there was barely enough room for my paid card. i don't know what they would have done if I had a gear bag.

On the upside, I was literally the only certified diver that got off of 3 cruise ships. Regardless the price of the dive, the looks you get when you squeeze through a PACKED boat of snorkelers aND get on an equally large yet empty boat all by your lonesome, is priceless. I got my own boag, my own captain and my own divemaster/underwater tour guide. I saw my first shark, I got to do my first wreck dive, I got to sit on the toilet that was still on the deck of a sunken ship, all for next to nothing. I brought 40 for tips to split between the master and the captain felt bad that was all they made that trip.

But it was a good day for me.

 

[KatieMac]

Equipment wise, make sure you (and every other diver you care about) has a SMB and finger spool. I never thought I would need one in Coz...until I did...Luckily I had one in my BCD pocket.

Just got one to add to my kit. Thanks.