Only $225!

[nrh322]

I was just browsing around on RCCL's site - trying to hunt down contact information for the instructor on my ship and I saw this...

 

"Referral

Complete your training in the warm tropical waters of the Caribbean. This course is an extension of the Scuba Diver or Open Water Diver Course for guests who have already completed all academics and confined water training.

 

Two open-water dives at $175 USD per person and 4 open-water dives at $225 USD per person. "

 

I was planning on getting my kids either certified before we left or onboard or some combination of the two. $225 for four open water training dives is a sweet deal IMO.

 

If I can ever get in touch with the actual real live human being, I'm in. Ideally, I'd be willing to pay extra for the kids to do "private" OWs and for us to come along for the ride and dive while they did their skill checks. Has anyone ever heard of the cruise lines customizing a shore excursion like that?

[reddi]

I don't know about RCCL if you are sailing with them. Princess has a dive operation on board. Our kids just took the course with our local dive shop and will be doing their open water dives on our Carnival Valor cruise. We set it up privately at 2 different port calls since you can't get all of the dives in at one port in half a day. DW & I are certified and will be doing all of the dives with them and the DiveMaster.

[jimw]

ie: a course completion after taking the pool and book work at the local dive shop. I wasn't sure if the original poster understood this.

 

In any case $225. is definitely a cruise ship price for 2, 2 tankboat dive trips.

 

Getting certified on a cruise is difficult since the 4 dives must be on 2 days. So the arrangements are problematic. If the ship has an instructor on board, then getting certified just became easier and the cruise ship price less onerous.

[georoc01]

Event that can be trickey if depending on the time of year, weather causes one of the ports to be cancelled. I personally had all of my cert dives on a Princess cruise cancelled last year during Christmas week.

 

Plus the dive sites for the certification dives weren't that great.

 

I now recommend people that if they have an open water option locally, do it for their checkouts and then take advantage of the full dives on the cruise to get the most enjoyment out of the opportunities.

[lady_truckin]

I have heard that doing a cert. on board takes up a lot of time and port stops. I was going to do it that way on Adventure and changed my mind. I am currently getting cert. with a local shop in San Antonio.