Need help for Discover Scuba Diving

[mitsugirly]

We always do a Discover Scuba Dive in one of our ports while cruising each time. I'm having a hard time figuring out which port to do it in.

 

Here are my choices:

 

St Maarten

St Kitts

Antigua

St Lucia

Barbados

 

So, I'm thinking that St Lucia is going to be the place that is recommended....however...we have only been there once and did the tour that went to the pitons. IT WAS AMAZING!!! We didn't get to do the mud baths last time and really want to do it this time and told them I was booking. (The other thing is that I'm getting a discount with them and didn't really want to pass it up either). 

 

I have to say that St Lucia, at Jalousie Beach is where my daughter, Sakari, decided she wanted to learn to scuba dive. We came back from that cruise (when she was 8 years old) and immediately signed her up for classes. She completed her Master PADI seal and continues to dive with us regularly in ports (we are not certified). 

 

We will have another cruise family with us that we cruise spring break with every year and we got them to go diving with us last year and they LOVED IT! So...we have to come up with something on this cruise. 

 

HELP.... any advise is appreciated!

[ABQrobin]

We haven't been to any of those ports yet, but we are booked to do them on Fascination in Sept (St thomas instead of Antigua).....but I have been looking at dive shops at every port to decide where we want to dive.

From what I am finding, looks like St Kitts and Barbados are your best bet.  Both have several dive shops and we have heard diving is decent at each.  

check this out:  https://www.divebarbadosblue.com/

watch the video!

 

[mitsugirly]

4 hours ago, ABQrobin said:

We haven't been to any of those ports yet, but we are booked to do them on Fascination in Sept (St thomas instead of Antigua).....but I have been looking at dive shops at every port to decide where we want to dive.

From what I am finding, looks like St Kitts and Barbados are your best bet.  Both have several dive shops and we have heard diving is decent at each.  

check this out:  https://www.divebarbadosblue.com/

watch the video!

 

 

Oh my gosh. I guess I didn't think Barbados would have good diving but I looked at that site and I'm definitely going to email them and look into it. I really appreciate this. 

 

BTW, did you see my last review on the Horizon? We went diving in Curacao and I had such an amazing experience with no anxiety or anything! It was AMAZING! (The dive itself and not necessarily the area or what we seen, but yet still good). 😄

[ABQrobin]

1 hour ago, mitsugirly said:

 

Oh my gosh. I guess I didn't think Barbados would have good diving but I looked at that site and I'm definitely going to email them and look into it. I really appreciate this. 

 

BTW, did you see my last review on the Horizon? We went diving in Curacao and I had such an amazing experience with no anxiety or anything! It was AMAZING! (The dive itself and not necessarily the area or what we seen, but yet still good). 😄

 

You are welcome!

Yes, I saw your trip report.  Glad you got to have an uneventful dive (panic wise).  I still think you need to get certified!

 

We are going on Vista in April but can't dive, boo, as DH is having minor surgery on Monday.  Unplanned issues, oh well.  So we're going to Costa Maya (our first time), and Cozumel, Belize, and Roatan.  Gonna snorkel at least. 

We have also booked for the Fascination out of San Juan in Sept - all thanks to your trip report.  DH is so excited about it he has been looking at the diving at all ports already.  That's how I found that one for Barbados.  With all the turtles there for snorkeling tours, I knew there had to be diving.  Looks good to us.  We'll probably dive at St Kitts also, maybe even St Thomas.  Gonna just do land tours at St Maarten and St Lucia.  We'll see.  We've heard that the reefs were torn up by that hurricane and it will take a few years to recover.  Your trip report really had such great info, and we love San Juan so with our free Southwest flights its a no brainer.  

Oh...and diving St Kitts...not sure who to use yet, but friends just returned from a trip there and said the diving around St Kitts and Nevis was great.  

Edited March 5, 2019 by ABQrobin

[mac66]

Consider getting certified.  I took a discovery dive in Grand Cayman and liked it so much that I decided to get certified.  I took the pool/classroom/confined water part at home and did my 4 open water dives on my last cruise (two in Curacao and two in Aruba).  They cost about was a discovery dive cost (not counting the classes).  I have another cruise coming up in April which stops in St. Maarten where I'm doing my first certified dive.  

 

The second dive in Aruba was pretty much a regular dive since I had completed all the requirements by then but doesn't count.

[mitsugirly]

On 3/5/2019 at 6:41 PM, ABQrobin said:

 

You are welcome!

Yes, I saw your trip report.  Glad you got to have an uneventful dive (panic wise).  I still think you need to get certified!

 

We are going on Vista in April but can't dive, boo, as DH is having minor surgery on Monday.  Unplanned issues, oh well.  So we're going to Costa Maya (our first time), and Cozumel, Belize, and Roatan.  Gonna snorkel at least. 

We have also booked for the Fascination out of San Juan in Sept - all thanks to your trip report.  DH is so excited about it he has been looking at the diving at all ports already.  That's how I found that one for Barbados.  With all the turtles there for snorkeling tours, I knew there had to be diving.  Looks good to us.  We'll probably dive at St Kitts also, maybe even St Thomas.  Gonna just do land tours at St Maarten and St Lucia.  We'll see.  We've heard that the reefs were torn up by that hurricane and it will take a few years to recover.  Your trip report really had such great info, and we love San Juan so with our free Southwest flights its a no brainer.  

Oh...and diving St Kitts...not sure who to use yet, but friends just returned from a trip there and said the diving around St Kitts and Nevis was great.  

 

 

Well I just wanted to thank you SO MUCH! We are now booked with dive barbados blue and can't wait. They have a DSD right at the Marine Park in front of their place and it has 7 ship wrecks. So, hopefully we'll have a great experience. I'm looking forward to it!

 

Sorry to here about the DH. I wish him a speedy recovery. 

 

Absolutely loved sailing out of San Juan on the Fascination. That's our next cruise...next month. Out of San Juan but this time on the Freedom of the Seas. I can't wait!!!

 

Since we've swam with the turtles several times in Barbados, I figured there was something with diving in that area. Hopefully we'll see more turtles. Sakari loves them!

 

Now to try to plan something in St Maarten and St Kitts. 

 

Thanks again!

[ABQrobin]

I can't wait to hear how you like them, we'll probably use them in Sept.  

[gui218]

Another Mitsugirly review to look forward to.

The scuba in Barbados with video link from ABQrobin has turtles, ship wrecks and lots of sea life.

If you get more scuba and lots of snorkelling as usual, we are waiting with great expectations!!

Have a great family Holiday. 

[mitsugirly]

On 4/11/2019 at 5:04 PM, gui218 said:

Another Mitsugirly review to look forward to.

The scuba in Barbados with video link from ABQrobin has turtles, ship wrecks and lots of sea life.

If you get more scuba and lots of snorkelling as usual, we are waiting with great expectations!!

Have a great family Holiday. 

 

Thanks and be looking for my review around the beginning of May.