X cancelling scuba excursions!

[bruzin_for_a_cruizin]

Celebrity has now cancelled all the diving excursions for my upcoming Nov 13th Western Caribbean sailing. I had booked through the cruise line for dives in Belize, Cozumel and Grand Cayman. The GC stop was cancelled entirely by the Cayman Islands government, so I can't fault them for that. Cozumel, I'm not too worried about because I should be able to find a dive shop with a seat on a boat somewhere. I'm bummed about Belize, though. I've only been able to find a single dive shop in Belize City, and they will only send out a boat if it's full.

 

I'm wondering if there are some COVID liability concerns at play here. It is a bit odd that both my diving bookings were entirely cancelled.

 

Anyways, just letting the community know. If diving is in your plans for your cruise, have a plan B!

[Bilge Rat 2]

2 hours ago, bruzin_for_a_cruizin said:

Celebrity has now cancelled all the diving excursions for my upcoming Nov 13th Western Caribbean sailing. I had booked through the cruise line for dives in Belize, Cozumel and Grand Cayman. The GC stop was cancelled entirely by the Cayman Islands government, so I can't fault them for that. Cozumel, I'm not too worried about because I should be able to find a dive shop with a seat on a boat somewhere. I'm bummed about Belize, though. I've only been able to find a single dive shop in Belize City, and they will only send out a boat if it's full.

 

I'm wondering if there are some COVID liability concerns at play here. It is a bit odd that both my diving bookings were entirely cancelled.

 

Anyways, just letting the community know. If diving is in your plans for your cruise, have a plan B!

 

Maybe follow( Bilge Rat 2) postings same week on the CCL Pride. Answer 4 legged Question Pictures are on postings.       from The Bilge Rat!

[omeinv]

From my experiences even before COVID, I suspect the problem is a lack of enough Celebrity guests signing up for the excursions.

 

Harris

Denver, CO

[bruzin_for_a_cruizin]

1 hour ago, omeinv said:

From my experiences even before COVID, I suspect the problem is a lack of enough Celebrity guests signing up for the excursions.

 

Harris

Denver, CO

Huh. I hadn't even thought of that as a possibility. This is my first cruise with X, and the Oasis-class ships certainly don't have an issue with filling "active" excursions.

 

Harris, anyone other than Sea Sports Belize you can pull from your hat for me to contact? They're the only one I've found in Belize City proper (where Apex will tender). All the other shops seem to be in San Pedro...

[omeinv]

Alas, Belize is one of the rare ports that I recommend the ship excursion to avoid the C long tender in, only to go right back out to get to the dive sites. 
 

I’m on the Equinox right now, but I am checking with some friends so I may get an answer for you. 
 

Harris

Denver, CO

 

 

14 minutes ago, bruzin_for_a_cruizin said:

Huh. I hadn't even thought of that as a possibility. This is my first cruise with X, and the Oasis-class ships certainly don't have an issue with filling "active" excursions.

 

Harris, anyone other than Sea Sports Belize you can pull from your hat for me to contact? They're the only one I've found in Belize City proper (where Apex will tender). All the other shops seem to be in San Pedro...

 

[bruzin_for_a_cruizin]

I just posted on my Roll Call looking for buddies to sign up with third-party dive shops. Hopefully there are a couple more divers on this sailing and we can get a boat filled up during this port stops. 

 

 

[TreeCity]

I asked in September after having Cozumel cancelled and the excursion manager on the Edge said it was due to the cost of insurance for the dive operators. That there were not enough cruise ships with divers to make it worth getting the insurance. They thought that would change in November when the cruise season started back up officially.

[mac66]

Celebrity just canceled my dive excursion in St. Croix in March.  I know there were at least 4 others signed up and since it's still 3.5 months away I doubt it has to do with lack of divers.  I booked it just in case I couldn't find a private shop to dive with.  I've since found a back up. But am still looking for places to dive in St.  Barbados, St Kitts, Dominica , Antigua, Grenada or St. Lucia. X has no other dives listed.  I would like to do 3 dives on that cruise.

[mac66]

Just a heads up. So far X hasn't canceled my ship dive excursion in St. Thomas in February.  We are on a charter cruise with only stops in St. Martaan and St. Thomas. No ship dives offered in St. Martaan.