Scuba Diving

[toppertje]

We have recently got our PADI open water certificate. We will be on the 16/07/04 navigator of the seas eastern caribbean cruise. Through the boat you can book scuba dive excursions in sint thomas and in sint maarten, what will be te best place to make a dive?

 

Thanks for you're info

[Sailfish]

We have recently got our PADI open water certificate. We will be on the 16/07/04 navigator of the seas eastern caribbean cruise. Through the boat you can book scuba dive excursions in sint thomas and in sint maarten, what will be te best place to make a dive?

 

Thanks for you're info

 

It's only my opinion, but there are no good places to dive in St. Maarten. St. Thomas is a little better, but it's not like Bonaire, Cozumel, Roatan or even the BVI's. I personally wouldn't recommend anyone go diving in St. Maarten, although there is a dive excursion offered through Royal Caribbean if you absolutely had to. Visbility in St. Thomas is similar to the FLA keys - pretty good in the summer - 70+ feet; bad in winter with vis less than 30 feet. Best to go off St. John. I wouldn't waste your $$ on diving at either port, although you could go to Coki Beach and dive from shore for around $10/tank, if your nav skills are okay. Otherwise book a shore excursion.

 

Independent dive ops in St. Thomas will need you to be at the shop by 8am. Could you make it off the ship by then? If not, book a shore excursion.

 

If you want to go diving, next time book a Western Caribbean cruise or one that goes to Belize and Roatan. You'll log a few dives in on a cruise like that. The Eastern Caribbean (and we're going next week) is not a good cruise for divers. But heck, if you're new to diving, and you are anxious to get wet, book the shore excursions offered by the ship. As a novice, you'll be okay. I personally would never go again on a ship sponsored dive boat (aka cattle boat) but when you are still relatively new to the sport, this sin;t such a bad thing. The DM's are very conservative and will watch you like a hawk. Once you get better, you'll want a little more "independence".

[toppertje]

Hey sailfish thanks for you're information,

 

our itinerary is as follows:

18/6 san juan 2 PM - 10 PM

19/6 St. Thomas 8AM - 6 PM

20/6 St. Maarten 8AM - 5 PM

22/6 Nassau, Bahamas 1PM - 7PM

 

We are from the Netherlands and the visibility here is great when you have 5 metre (15feet), so a visibility of 70feet+ would be great. I also wonder if there are many fish and coral to see in dive places around St. Thomas. For us because we are relatively new to the sport would really like a good support from a dive master. Because it's oure first cruise and also the first dive after getting our certificatie i think it's the best by booking a excursion through RCCL. Or is it better find a dive school and book by ourself?.

[Sailfish]

Hey sailfish thanks for you're information,

 

our itinerary is as follows:

18/6 san juan 2 PM - 10 PM

19/6 St. Thomas 8AM - 6 PM

20/6 St. Maarten 8AM - 5 PM

22/6 Nassau, Bahamas 1PM - 7PM

 

We are from the Netherlands and the visibility here is great when you have 5 metre (15feet), so a visibility of 70feet+ would be great. I also wonder if there are many fish and coral to see in dive places around St. Thomas. For us because we are relatively new to the sport would really like a good support from a dive master. Because it's oure first cruise and also the first dive after getting our certificatie i think it's the best by booking a excursion through RCCL. Or is it better find a dive school and book by ourself?.

 

I would recommend you book your dives through the cruise line. Not my first choice, but probably the best for you (I remember what it was like being newly certified), as I doubt you'll be off the ship early enough to make arrangements on your own.

 

I would recommend you dive in St. Thomas for sure, and maybe in St. Maarten. Don't have high expectations for St. Maarten. You get in too late to dive in Nassau or San Juan. Diving in Nassau is actually very good - that would have been my first choice, but you don't want to go in the afternoon. In the Bahamas, winds pick up and conditions get pretty bad even when the weather outside is good after 12:00 noon. There are some excellent places in and around San Juan to go diving, but you don't want to go in the afternoon! If you can get two days of diving in on your cruise, you're doing okay!!

 

I'll be in Nassau next week on my cruise aboard the Mariner of the Seas - we get in at 7am - too bad you arrive so late!! We will be going to Coki Beach to dive from shore on our own in St. Thomas; we're heading to Orient Beach the next day in St. Martin (the French side). I just checked Coki Beach's website and they will take you out from shore on a tour - and you could do this on your own. They even provide free transportation from the ship. Here is their website:

 

http://www.cokidive.com/cruise_pax.htm

 

Their shore dive (we have been here several times) is by Coral World in St. Thomas and is a very easy dive. You'll see lots of fish and corals and probably have decent visibility. And it's very cheap - $40pp includes DM, equipment and transportation. I'm sure there will be those who disagree, but as visibility in and around St. Thomas is so-so, I can't see spending $100pp on a boat dive where you see less.

 

Here is more info:

 

http://www.cokidive.com/reeftour.htm

[xpcdoojk]

I pretty much agree with Sailfish. After your cruise, book your next vacation to visit your former colonies. The ABCs are wonderful. The best by far especially for new divers is Bonaire. We got our C cards in 96 did dives in Grand Cayman and Cozumel on our cruise, then we booked a week in Bonaire. Bonaire is wonderful, wonderful. Not a lot to do there other than dive and hang out, but the diving is so easy and so much fun. The water is warm, there is no current, no significant wind, and great visibility because it hardly ever rains in Bonaire so there is no runoff. Plus since you speak Dutch you will be like a native. We stayed at the Plaza resort very decent. We had trouble finding English menus at the resort, you won't have any trouble at all! :D

 

jc

[teker]

A really good dive operator in St Thomas is Chris Sawyer dive center. I would call and see if he has any trips that would fit the cruise ship schedule.

[Chrissie]

We have recently got our PADI open water certificate. We will be on the 16/07/04 navigator of the seas eastern caribbean cruise. Through the boat you can book scuba dive excursions in sint thomas and in sint maarten, what will be te best place to make a dive?

 

Thanks for you're info

 

Hi! My husband and I were newly certified when we took a cruise in October to St. Thomas & St. Maarten. St. Thomas was excellent for a beginner. We were aboard the Dawn Princess and booked the excursion through the ship. St. Maarten had really rough waters the day we went! We saw a lot on the first dive but I was unable to do the second dive because I got seasick (which I have NEVER done! That's how rough it was.)

 

Feel free to check out the pictures I took at both islands. (Click on the pic to see it bigger).

 

Chrissie