Is it really terrible to reserve Scuba Dives through Cruise Line?

[Dlarruso]

My cruise experiences have only been in the Mexican Riviera where I have always scheduled my scuba dives with private operators and never through the cruise line.

 

However - I am considering going through the cruise (Royal Caribbean) for our western Caribbean dives in Grand Caymans and Cozumel for several different factors.

-Weather could be bad while we are there during the middle of September because of Hurricane season and we could easily skip a port or other weather related issues.

-Unlike Mexico, the prices of the two tank dives (with equipment) just aren't that much different from what the cruise price is (received some quotes from dive operators that others on this board have recommended).

-Unlike my past dives with a larger group, there are only 2 in my party this time.

- The port times are strange in both locations and it could be pushing it to make it back to the ship on time if there was anything that slowed the dive down (broken boat, bad weather etc).

 

I want to have a great dive in both locations and am worried about just going along with the "cattle herd" of cruise line divers, but is it really that bad? Would love to hear from others who decided to dive through the cruise line.

[geekybiker]

Just keep in mind that cruise ship dives are almost always very large 'cattle' boats. They also tend to have very short bottom times and come up with the worst air guzzler. Private dives ops tend to run smaller groups and be more flexible.

 

I guess it depends on your expectations. Cozumel I would book a private op for sure. Can't tell you about the caymans. FWIW they're used to working with the ships and I'm sure that you'll be able to find a dive to fit your schedule.

[dalgirl]

My DH has always booked his dives through the ship when he can - but he books those for certified divers only, not the "learn to dive" group which is a nightmare for him. All of his certified dive excursions have been small, less than 10 people, with excellent diving equipment and service. And he is assured that no matter what is encountered, the ship will wait for his group to return. Either way you go is fine, but don't discount all ship dive excursions as bad.

[King Neptune]

I've booked both private and with the ship. I've been fairly happy with the dives booked thru the ship. Only one was what I would call a "cattle boat". I think for the reasons you listed, it would be more worry free booking with the ship. I have had a time where we got to a port late and a two tank dive turned into a one tank. I had booked thru the ship so it was no problem and I got half my money back.

[Capt_BJ]

I've been a diver for 40 years and a cruiser for 30. 4 out of 5 cruises I've booked dives thru the cruise line and can say that

 

Just keep in mind that cruise ship dives are almost always very large 'cattle' boats. They also tend to have very short bottom times and come up with the worst air guzzler. Private dives ops tend to run smaller groups and be more flexible.

 

Is quite a generalization and in my experience only partly true. I have never been on a dive where the entire group has had to surface when the first person ran low on air - outside of a Discovery Dive. A private OP may run a smaller boat - or a larger boat - it depends on the op and 'do you know them'? I've been on cruiseline arranged dives where we ended up on 6-packs and privately arranged trips with 30 on the boat.

 

For what it is worth, in Cayman I just walk to SunsetHouse or Eden and do a shore dive on my own. Easy Peasy- both places have good rental gear and are easy but nice shore dives. And in Coz I will usually just cruise the dock area for a few minutes and can land a boat & a deal. BUT, these places were my workplace for many years and I'm comfortable doing this. I've never had a really BAD experience booking thru the cruise line and if you are not familiar with the location it would be my recommendation. Cruiselines take negative feedback about their tour providers very seriously; bad ones don't stay on contract very long.

 

One factor to consider - in Cayman, a wall dive, will tend to be a deep dive; 90 plus feet. In Coz most good diving is drift boat diving and the currents can be wicked. Both of these I'd consider dives requiring a lil' more skill/experience. When I've taken multi-day dive vacations at these locations your first dive day tends to stay shallow and easy giving the staff a chance to evaluate your skills (log books and c-cards don't mean squat in real life). AFTER the DMs see your skills you are (or are not) taken to the deep sites, or the places where current can be a problem. On a one day cruise visit they don't have that chance. And like I said, a log or fancier c-card doesn't really mean much. I've seen folks with Dive Master cards but less than 50 dives over the last 10 years. & Heck, in 40 years of diving I've NEVER had a dive op ask to see my log ... they ask "when was your last dive?"

[pamawi]

I avoided the cruise ship dive excursions and booked privately for a few years then had to use the cruise ship due to a late arrival in Coz and was satisfied. If I remember right they did have a preset limit for dive times but it was a pleasant experience regardless. I do go in the winter (Jan or Feb) and the boats aren't crowded. I used Blue Angel & Dive with Alison before and was happy. I've read hear & on SB that other popular diveops that work with cruise passengers are Eagle Ray, Blue XT and PapaHoggs. In GC I have only had one experience and that was with the cruise dive op Don Foster. I was disappointed in this because there were alot of people, some cruise ship employees doing check out dives and they took us to a shallow dead looking area of the reef with little sealife, which was so unlike what I had heard about GC diving. I've heard others say they were satisfied with the GC cruise option. I'm assuming they go to better sites sometimes especially if they don't have people doing checkout dives. Researching this on Scubaboard, alot of people recommend the shore diving at Sunset House or Eden Rock. I'll likely try that next time. There are also other GC dive ops recommended there.

[dalgirl]

One factor to consider - in Cayman, a wall dive, will tend to be a deep dive; 90 plus feet. In Coz most good diving is drift boat diving and the currents can be wicked. Both of these I'd consider dives requiring a lil' more skill/experience. When I've taken multi-day dive vacations at these locations your first dive day tends to stay shallow and easy giving the staff a chance to evaluate your skills (log books and c-cards don't mean squat in real life). AFTER the DMs see your skills you are (or are not) taken to the deep sites, or the places where current can be a problem. On a one day cruise visit they don't have that chance. And like I said, a log or fancier c-card doesn't really mean much. I've seen folks with Dive Master cards but less than 50 dives over the last 10 years. & Heck, in 40 years of diving I've NEVER had a dive op ask to see my log ... they ask "when was your last dive?"

 

DH has done both the wall dive and the drift and he did say that they were more interesting that some other "regular" dives he has done. He enjoyed them very much. Both of these dives were handled through the ship and he was very pleased with the service. These are not dives that attract the "cattle call" newbies. And he has never been asked for his log - only his dive card and when his last dive was.

[BillOh]

My DH has always booked his dives through the ship when he can - but he books those for certified divers only, not the "learn to dive" group which is a nightmare for him.

 

The one learn to dive I did in St Thomas through Royal was a combination of both. There were about 15 people on the boat. The 4 or 5 certified divers went by themselves, but were on the boat with the group.

[Stevesan]

My cruise experiences have only been in the Mexican Riviera where I have always scheduled my scuba dives with private operators and never through the cruise line.

 

However - I am considering going through the cruise (Royal Caribbean) for our western Caribbean dives in Grand Caymans and Cozumel for several different factors.

-Weather could be bad while we are there during the middle of September because of Hurricane season and we could easily skip a port or other weather related issues.

-Unlike Mexico, the prices of the two tank dives (with equipment) just aren't that much different from what the cruise price is (received some quotes from dive operators that others on this board have recommended).

-Unlike my past dives with a larger group, there are only 2 in my party this time.

- The port times are strange in both locations and it could be pushing it to make it back to the ship on time if there was anything that slowed the dive down (broken boat, bad weather etc).I want to have a great dive in both locations and am worried about just going along with the "cattle herd" of cruise line divers, but is it really that bad? Would love to hear from others who decided to dive through the cruise line.

 

You will have a far better experience with an independent operator. The dive companies at G.C. & Coz have catered to cuise ship passengers for many years and are sensitive to ship schedule.

Coz - Eagle Ray

G.C. - Sunset House

http://www.eagleraydivers.com/

http://www.sunsethouse.com/

[geekybiker]

Just keep in mind that cruise ship dives are almost always very large 'cattle' boats. They also tend to have very short bottom times and come up with the worst air guzzler. Private dives ops tend to run smaller groups and be more flexible.

 

Is quite a generalization and in my experience only partly true. I have never been on a dive where the entire group has had to surface when the first person ran low on air - outside of a Discovery Dive. A private OP may run a smaller boat - or a larger boat - it depends on the op and 'do you know them'? I've been on cruiseline arranged dives where we ended up on 6-packs and privately arranged trips with 30 on the boat.

 

 

Sure, but do you want to play dive op roulette? Its easy to book a private op with recommendations off scuba board and know what you're getting. I wouldn't say all my experiences are bad, but I've dove enough times where there were 20+ on the boat and they made me surface when I had nearly half a tank left.

 

I guess its just a choice of which risk you want to take- the risk that the dive OP might suck or the risk that your boat might be late getting back.

[Motorcycle Gma]

We do most of our dives privately, but we did do a dive in Belize because of the tender situation there. The dive operator was very good (even sold us a DVD which we've never bought before) and we enjoyed our dives and still had time to visit the shops when we returned.

 

We've also missed diving once because we counted on arranging it when we got to Coz and the private dive op was too busy. I always arrange in advance now. Currently, I'm booking for Curacao and Aruba and neither require deposits! Plus, the Aruba dive is more than half the cost of the ship dive!! Smaller operation and recommended by others here...

 

One other time we were suppose to go on a shark dive in Honduras booked thru NCL. Apparently, we were the ONLY couple that signed up so it was cancelled. I was quite relieved as I didn't really want to do the shark dive!:eek: Luckily, we got to re-book for a shore excursion. It was a good time anyway, but the snorkeling sucked compared to diving.

 

I agree with others that the shore diving in GC is great -- we did that last fall and it was just as good as a boat dive. I wish we had hired a guide though as there were caves and tunnels we missed. Also, it is more tiring requiring swimming out and back, so keep that in mind.

[Capt_BJ]

side comment

 

a very comfortable diver will use much less air

 

BUT a charter dive trip IS on a schedule

 

There have been MANY times when I was told the dive length was 40 minutes, but the tables and my consumption might have left me down for much longer . . .

 

35 minutes and we get the signal (safety stop and all) ... they need to be ready for the next trip.

[Kryssa]

35 min plus a safety stop? I'd never book with that op again.

 

I wouldn't mind 50 min then a safety stop, but 35 seems too short for me.

 

I hear Aldora in Coz uses steel 100s and their dives are sometimes 1 hr 20 min. I don't even know what its like to be down that long. My warm water dives are usually 50-60 min.

 

Sent from my Galaxy Nexus using Tapatalk 2

[Capt_BJ]

35 min plus a safety stop? I'd never book with that op again.

 

I wouldn't mind 50 min then a safety stop, but 35 seems too short for me.

 

I hear Aldora in Coz uses steel 100s and their dives are sometimes 1 hr 20 min. I don't even know what its like to be down that long. My warm water dives are usually 50-60 min.

 

Sent from my Galaxy Nexus using Tapatalk 2

 

Short answer: Kinda depends on the depth of the dive doesn't it?

 

More? A common first dive profile on the wall in GC might be 80 feet for 40 minutes. Right at the no decom' limit on my (vintage) PADI table - is a safety stop a good idea?

 

and if a second dive to depth X is planned with Y minutes in order to complete a two tank trip by time Z ....

 

or have I been doing it wrong for the past 40 years?

 

Cayman operators in particular will stress a safety stop at 10 feet from almost any dive - it is a good thing and never hurts 4 sure. And as an old school diver I always keep in mind the 120 rule for a non repetitive dive: depth plus time not to exceed 120.

 

60 feet 60 minutes

70 feet 50 minutes

100 feet 20 minutes

 

pretty close to the old PADI table's no decom' limits for a first dive.

 

Your example of an 80 minute dive should not exceed 40' by this rule of thumb; the tables could give 50' (not more unless you interpolate which as I recall is NOT recommended). However, I'm not saying deeper is better. But in CG, a wall dive IS going to exceed 80 feet most of the time (as a matter of fact I've got MANY logged at 100 plus - no NITROX either - older times). Off 7 Mile the top of the wall is 70'. Similarly I don't find any wall dive in Coz where I logged less than 60 on a wall dive.

 

IME most boat excursions have been 4 hour trips, to include check-in, the trip out (average 20 minutes), a dive, a surface interval, a second dive, and the trip back. Do the math ;)

[grvdggr71]

I find these generalizations amusing but harmful to the conversation. As some other have pointed out, I have had good experiences with both independent operators and booking through the ship. A little research can help you make a determination.

 

On a trip to the Bahamas, we booked an excursion through Royal Caribbean. The vendor was Stuart's Cove, which is one of the (if not THE) best dive operators in the Bahamas. We had a great time, and we did not think we were in an extremely large group. There were 12 divers on the boat, and we were divided up 6 to a divemaster.

 

On a trip to Cozumel, we booked independently to dive with Dive Paradise. This trip we had the same number of divers (12) and felt as though the whole experience was rushed. We had to stop at 3 different docks to pick up everyone for the trip, which meant the first hour of the excursion was just picking people up. It wasn't bad, just not one of my favorite dives. We have also booked independently in St. Thomas and had a blast with Blue Island Divers.

 

The best dive experience we had was in St. Lucia. We booked the excursion through Celebrity because we were worried about time - we wanted to dive at the base of the Pitons, but those were on the opposite end of the island from the cruise port. The Celebrity excursion provided boat transportation and included the Pitons (weather permitting - it did that day), and the whole experience was fantastic. They used Scuba St. Lucia, which I would recommend to anyone.

 

As with any excursion, there are benefits and drawbacks to booking with the ship. Also, the experience can vary widely based on the vendor used. The only difference is that the cruiseline selects the vendor for you, while you do retain some control if you book independently. My recommendation is to research which vendor the ship uses, then base your decision on the reputation of that operator as well as the other factors (time, distance from the port, cost, etc.)

 

Best of luck and have a fantastic dive!

[Laurie S.]

I'll only book with the cruise ship if we have an early departure, like we just did at Nassau on Oasis. The ship departed at 2 pm and I knew we would be diving on the far side of the island and looking at a long trip. It was a definite cattle boat, but we were lucky that the majority of the divers were experienced, and we were able to do our own thing pretty much.

 

On the other hand, we also did that at Grand Turk and had one of the lousiest dives we've ever had with a contracted cruise ship operator. Fortunately, they no longer are contracted so others won't get that experience.

[pamawi]

Just to add to my comments above, I used to avoid the cruise ship dive ops in all ports because of the comments I've heard or read in the past. I tried a couple and was very satisfied especially in Roatan and Belize. They use well known dive resort operators like Anthony's Key in Roatan and Hugh Parkey's in Belize. Using AKR is risky for Carnival because that has made me want to go stay there for a week instead of cruising.:) I am someone who appreciates the convenience of the ship's excursions and my non-diving husband feels better when I use the ship's excursions instead of going off on my own in a foreign country. Also I am a safety concious person, so if they cut my dive a little short or require a safety stop, it doesn't really bother me, although I don't remember that happening except in Cozumel where they gave us a maximum dive time to keep on schedule because they had an afternoon boat to get back for.

[Dlarruso]

Just to follow up on my original post - My buddy and I made the decision not to dive in Grand Caymans because the wives (who are not scuba certified) now want to do a pretty cool snorkel excursion (instead of just a laying on the beach). We booked that through a private operator. We figured its better not to ditch the wives 2 ports in a row.

 

The next day in Cozumel I will be diving and decided to go with a private operator. Allison Dennis with Scuba with Allison is going to be in England the day I am in Cozumel, however she referred me to one of her associates who I just paid a deposit with.

 

I appreciate everyone's feedback. I will return and let you know how the snorkeling and diving where after the trip.

[BillOh]

You will have a far better experience with an independent operator. The dive companies at G.C. & Coz have catered to cuise ship passengers for many years and are sensitive to ship schedule.

 

I've reserved several private ,non-dive, excursions at several ports and the truly good ones are very aware of cruise ship schedules, so I do weigh information that I get on sites like this one and frequently in my email correspondance with operators prior to my cruise they pass on info to me that suggests they are keenly aware.

[Tuckster]

I was just on the Allure of the Seas and booked last minute and had to book my cruise thru the ship. Bad decision. We were in Cozumel and the 2 dives were a "C" and a "F". Used Sand Dollar Sports and we were told no walls because of the level of the other divers. 1st dive was just OK but the 2nd was a waste of time. Some ports maybe but in Cozumel, book your own dives.

[092306]

I will admit sometimes its as bad as what everyone posts. I know 2 times that, it has happened to me.

 

However, there have been MORE times that it was not as bad as people think.

 

Havbing said that I tried booking independent dives twice, and both times I had the independent dive companies cancel on me. Both times, I was told not enough divers. So for me, diving through the ship is much easier, and they have never cancelled on me.

[chadbeck]

I think it really depends on were you are planning to dive. In a place like Cozumel there are so many ops that you can get a much better deal than booking with the ship. In a place like that you don't need to take the word of this board or any other just go to a local shop in your area. Almost every dive shop has taken a group to Cozumel at some point.

 

Personally when I book my dives I have never gone with the ship. I want small groups with a max of 8 on the boat. I ask the same questions to every op I have ever used...What is the max you take? and Can I dive my computer? Of course there are more q's that have to be asked but I don't ever ask if the first two q's are more than "8" and "no"

 

All that being said you should do what makes you most comfortable. If you are stressed out the morning of your dives it doesn't matter who you go with it won't be much fun.

[Laurie S.]

I think it really depends on were you are planning to dive. In a place like Cozumel there are so many ops that you can get a much better deal than booking with the ship. In a place like that you don't need to take the word of this board or any other just go to a local shop in your area. Almost every dive shop has taken a group to Cozumel at some point.

 

Personally when I book my dives I have never gone with the ship. I want small groups with a max of 8 on the boat. I ask the same questions to every op I have ever used...What is the max you take? and Can I dive my computer? Of course there are more q's that have to be asked but I don't ever ask if the first two q's are more than "8" and "no"

 

All that being said you should do what makes you most comfortable. If you are stressed out the morning of your dives it doesn't matter who you go with it won't be much fun.

 

 

I agree on all points!

[w&k]

I find these generalizations amusing but harmful to the conversation. As some other have pointed out, I have had good experiences with both independent operators and booking through the ship. A little research can help you make a determination.

 

On a trip to the Bahamas, we booked an excursion through Royal Caribbean. The vendor was Stuart's Cove, which is one of the (if not THE) best dive operators in the Bahamas. We had a great time, and we did not think we were in an extremely large group. There were 12 divers on the boat, and we were divided up 6 to a divemaster.

 

On a trip to Cozumel, we booked independently to dive with Dive Paradise. This trip we had the same number of divers (12) and felt as though the whole experience was rushed. We had to stop at 3 different docks to pick up everyone for the trip, which meant the first hour of the excursion was just picking people up. It wasn't bad, just not one of my favorite dives. We have also booked independently in St. Thomas and had a blast with Blue Island Divers.

 

The best dive experience we had was in St. Lucia. We booked the excursion through Celebrity because we were worried about time - we wanted to dive at the base of the Pitons, but those were on the opposite end of the island from the cruise port. The Celebrity excursion provided boat transportation and included the Pitons (weather permitting - it did that day), and the whole experience was fantastic. They used Scuba St. Lucia, which I would recommend to anyone.

 

As with any excursion, there are benefits and drawbacks to booking with the ship. Also, the experience can vary widely based on the vendor used. The only difference is that the cruiseline selects the vendor for you, while you do retain some control if you book independently. My recommendation is to research which vendor the ship uses, then base your decision on the reputation of that operator as well as the other factors (time, distance from the port, cost, etc.)

 

Best of luck and have a fantastic dive!

 

Wow - we couldn't have had a more opposite experience!

 

I have done both the Stuart's Cove and Scuba St. Lucia, and they both were rush-and-wait, short time-limit dives, crowded, and basically ended up being a lot of anticipation and money down the drain.

 

That being said... Stuart's Cove gets really good reviews, but from independent divers in their own small group.

 

We had an OK experience with Blue Island in St. Thomas, but I prefer Coki as the diving is just a pretty, not exposed, and much more laid back.

 

In CZ, we did Sand Dollar through the ship ONCE (ok at best), then wised up and did two trips with Christi at BlueXTSea, which were most excellent.

 

Happy diving - wherever you get wet!

 

Wendy

[perfect match]

I've been diving for years, but am relatively new to cruising. We will do our 3rd cruise next year, the first one I plan on going diving. Since I will be a solo, female diver who won't have her usual dive buddies along, I'm currently planning to book with the cruise line. I'm a little hesitant to head off by myself hauling at least some of my dive gear. I think I'll try & find my cruise thread to see if I can find any other divers who will be sailing with me. That would make me feel a lot better about booking on my own. :D