Belize Atoll

[croosieloosie]

Has anyone dove the atoll while cruising to Belize City? RCCI has it available through them.

[2112]

Yes, I dove Turneffe Atoll, which is where they take you from the cruise ships. When you read about how great the diving on Turneffe Atoll is, keep in mind the atoll is huge (larger than many entire islands like Cozumel) and they will not take you to the best places. Personally, I thought the diving there was ok, but certainly not world class and I thought it was kind of expensive for what you got. Keep in mind I am a pretty experienced diver that has dove in Palau, Yap, The Great Barrier Reef, Red Sea, etc, so I might be a little spoiled.

 

If you want GREAT diving in Belize, you need to go to Lighthouse Reef (another atoll). You can't get there on a cruise ship day, so you would have to do a land based trip. The diving at the closer end of Turneffe Atoll and the barrier reef are ok if you haven't experienced truely great diving, but I don't think they are as good as Cozumel or Roatan if you had to make choices between locations. If you are making choices about diving in several ports and skipping diving in some ports, I would probably pick doing something else in Belize (Ruins, cave tubing, etc) and diving in Roatan or Cozumel instead. If you want to dive everywhere, don't let me deter you from diving at Turneffe. IT certainly isn't bad, but I think it is an expensive excursion for diving no better than you can get elsewhere for less $.

[islandwoman]

We dove Turneffe Atoll while sailing on the Carnival Legend. They sent us with Hugh Parkey Belize Dive Connection. We were very pleased with this dive op, more so than some other dive ops we've experienced on cruise ship dive excursions. We thought that the dives were excellent. Maybe we just had better conditions that day than 2112 did. (We are also experienced divers - Cozumel, Bonaire, Roatan, the Great Barrier Reef, etc.) Yes, the dive was expensive as all cruise ship excursions tend to be. But in this case it was worth it because the ship anchors far out in the harbor, about a 30 minute tender ride from the dock. The dive boat picked us up at the ship, saving us a great deal of time and trouble.

[cruisingtodive]

We dove Turneffe Atoll while sailing on the Carnival Legend. They sent us with Hugh Parkey Belize Dive Connection. We were very pleased with this dive op, more so than some other dive ops we've experienced on cruise ship dive excursions. We thought that the dives were excellent. Maybe we just had better conditions that day than 2112 did. (We are also experienced divers - Cozumel, Bonaire, Roatan, the Great Barrier Reef, etc.) Yes, the dive was expensive as all cruise ship excursions tend to be. But in this case it was worth it because the ship anchors far out in the harbor, about a 30 minute tender ride from the dock. The dive boat picked us up at the ship, saving us a great deal of time and trouble.

 

We are going on the Legend later this month and have booked this excursion. Just a few questions...How long was the boat ride to the Atoll? Did you go to a second spot for a second dive? Was there a lunch included? How long were you gone altogther? Any chance of going on to the pier for shopping after the dive, or do you get back to late?

Thanks for info.....

[2112]

We are going on the Legend later this month and have booked this excursion. Just a few questions...How long was the boat ride to the Atoll? Did you go to a second spot for a second dive? Was there a lunch included? How long were you gone altogther? Any chance of going on to the pier for shopping after the dive, or do you get back to late?

Thanks for info.....

 

I can answer most of these questions. When I did this dive on a cruise it was also with Hugh Parkey Dive Connection. The trip worked like this. We tendered to the port and were walked to their shop for those who needed gear rentals. We then got in their boats and made the trip to Turneffe. I think it was a little over an hour each way. We did a second dive at a different location but not too far from the first location. I don't remember whether lunch was included or not. I don't remember lunch being included but there must have been at least a snack. After the second dive we were transported directly back to the cruise ship - not to the port. I believe you would have time to take a tender back to the port - or maybe you could stay on the dive boat to go back to their shop if you wanted to go ashore.

[islandwoman]

We are going on the Legend later this month and have booked this excursion. Just a few questions...How long was the boat ride to the Atoll? Did you go to a second spot for a second dive? Was there a lunch included? How long were you gone altogther? Any chance of going on to the pier for shopping after the dive, or do you get back to late?

Thanks for info.....

Unfortunately my dive log is in Florida and I'm in Colorado right now. I'll answer as best as I can remember.

The dive boat picked us up at the ship and dropped us off at the ship at the end of the dive. We never got on the tender or went into the port. The dive boat took us to their shop that was located on an island on the way to the dive sites. Lunch was not included, just snacks. There was no problem getting lunch when we got back to the ship. They did move the dive boat between dives, but not very far. We were gone all morning, but I can't remember what time we got back.

 

We didn't try to go into the port for shopping after the dive. I think we could have, but time would have been very short because of the long tender ride. When we were in Belize on a previous cruise, there was nothing at the "port" except pick-up points for the tours. I think that any shopping you might find there now must be one of those shopping centers built just for cruise ship passengers. I'm not a shopper. Perhaps you should ask elsewhere about shopping in Belize. IMHO it wouldn't be worth the tender ride, but I could be wrong.

 

2112, When did you take your cruise ship dive excursion? It sounds as if Hugh Parkey must have moved their shop. I'm wondering when they moved it so that cruisingtodive might have a better idea of whether she'll have to take the tender to the Belize City dock before meeting the dive tour.

[2112]

The cruise I did this was April 2003.

[islandwoman]

Mine was in April, 2007.

 

4/22-29/2007 Carnival Legend - Grand Cayman, Cozumel, Belize, Costa Maya

[simonv]

Personally, I thought the diving there was ok, but certainly not world class and I thought it was kind of expensive for what you got. Keep in mind I am a pretty experienced diver that has dove in Palau, Yap, The Great Barrier Reef, Red Sea, etc, so I might be a little spoiled.

 

quote]

 

That's not a fair comparison. Once you dive/snorkel in the southeast Asia, Micronesia and so on, nothing comes close.

[cruisingtodive]

Thanks for the replies and the information. I did read that the dive boat would pick us up at the ship.

We have this excursion booked, but some of us don't really care for the long boat ride. We are considering just using the local dive shop in Belize City instead. I think to really appreciate this country's dive opportunities a land trip would be in order. We have already done cave tubing in Belize, and it was fun but once was enough. Very crowded.

[Willbcruisin]

Thanks for the replies and the information. I did read that the dive boat would pick us up at the ship.

We have this excursion booked, but some of us don't really care for the long boat ride. We are considering just using the local dive shop in Belize City instead. I think to really appreciate this country's dive opportunities a land trip would be in order. We have already done cave tubing in Belize, and it was fun but once was enough. Very crowded.

 

We were just in Belize on Xmas Eve and we did not dive but did a catamaran snorkel whcih also has snuba with it. They picked us up at the ship and we went approx 40 nautical miles to rendevous caye. We were a bit disappointed as this was our first snorkel. The reef was brown and we saw some yellow fish and a sea cucumber. That was it? Guess we had expected more color?? It was a great catamaran ride and they returned us to the ship. We then took a tender to the port and it was a 12 minute ride. We almost did not go to port as we have read so many reviews about the long tender ride but it was a high speed tender and very quick! Also saw dolphins jumping behind us on the way back to the ship. I know you are looking for dive info but just thought I would mention how fast the tenders were. When we were in GC the tenders took much longer!

Enjoy your cruise!

[islandwoman]

Thanks for the replies and the information. I did read that the dive boat would pick us up at the ship.

We have this excursion booked, but some of us don't really care for the long boat ride. We are considering just using the local dive shop in Belize City instead. I think to really appreciate this country's dive opportunities a land trip would be in order. We have already done cave tubing in Belize, and it was fun but once was enough. Very crowded.

If you use a dive shop in Belize City, you will have to take the tender from the ship to the dock, then take the dive boat back out through the harbor, and continue to the dive site. I think the "long boat ride" you are trying to avoid would be increased by using a dive shop in Belize City. The cruise ship dock is not near the dive sites.

 

As for making a land trip to Belize, I have done that twice. We stayed on Ambergris Caye. You can take short boat trips from there to the barrier reef. The more famous of Belize's dive sites, like the Blue Hole, are still a long boat ride away, but not as far as trying to access them from Belize City.

[gmcrow]

If you use a dive shop in Belize City, you will have to take the tender from the ship to the dock, then take the dive boat back out through the harbor, and continue to the dive site. I think the "long boat ride" you are trying to avoid would be increased by using a dive shop in Belize City. The cruise ship dock is not near the dive sites.

 

As for making a land trip to Belize, I have done that twice. We stayed on Ambergris Caye. You can take short boat trips from there to the barrier reef. The more famous of Belize's dive sites, like the Blue Hole, are still a long boat ride away, but not as far as trying to access them from Belize City.

We haven't made the Belize stop since 2002, but the operator for RCCI at that time was Aqua Divers. We thought the dive was fabulous, huge schools of creole wrasse that you could get lost in. Coral was in pristine shape. The boat ride is necessary because there are no good dive sites close to Belize City, so no matter whether you choose an operator of your own in town or go with the ship's tour, you are in for either a boat ride or an unremarkable dive. I seem to remember it took about an hour and a half each way, but it was a FABULOUS ride. You know those little "one palm tree" islands you see on calendars and such? That's what the view is from the dive boat along the way. Our surface interval was spent at Blackbird Resort-- home cooked chicken, black beans, and rice on the beach. Followed by fruit. It was a day worth paying the extra price for. http://www.cruisedivers.blogspot.com

[diverearl]

Thanks for the replies and the information. I did read that the dive boat would pick us up at the ship.

We have this excursion booked, but some of us don't really care for the long boat ride. We are considering just using the local dive shop in Belize City instead. I think to really appreciate this country's dive opportunities a land trip would be in order. We have already done cave tubing in Belize, and it was fun but once was enough. Very crowded.

 

 

If you can get on one of the first tenders to Belize City then take a cab to Municipal Airport (around $5.00 each way and catch a 20 minute flight on Tropic Air or Maya Island Air to Ambergris Caye (about a $65.00 round trip) you can do some really good dives (the dive shops are about a 4 or 5 minute walk from the San Pedro airport). With prior arrangements made with a dive shop and a five minute boat ride to the dive sight, a two tank boat dive ($65.00) with a one hour sit at the dive shop because it is so close to the good dive sights). We have done this 5 times on Cruise ships with no problem at all. Just plan ahead and stay flexible if a problem arises. Check out the Grand Princess Feb 4th 2006 for a couple of pics of Tropic Air and any Grand Princess Cruise on our web shots sight for pics in San Pedro, Ambergris Caye.

 

If you decide to do this dive I will give you a very detailed itinerary to make this a easy fun day.

 

For about the same money as the ships dive but no long boat rides you will have a great dive in while in Belize.

[2112]

If you can get on one of the first tenders to Belize City then take a cab to Municipal Airport (around $5.00 each way and catch a 20 minute flight on Tropic Air or Maya Island Air to Ambergris Caye (about a $65.00 round trip) you can do some really good dives (the dive shops are about a 4 or 5 minute walk from the San Pedro airport). With prior arrangements made with a dive shop and a five minute boat ride to the dive sight, a two tank boat dive ($65.00) with a one hour sit at the dive shop because it is so close to the good dive sights). We have done this 5 times on Cruise ships with no problem at all. Just plan ahead and stay flexible if a problem arises. Check out the Grand Princess Feb 4th 2006 for a couple of pics of Tropic Air and any Grand Princess Cruise on our web shots sight for pics in San Pedro, Ambergris Caye.

 

If you decide to do this dive I will give you a very detailed itinerary to make this a easy fun day.

 

For about the same money as the ships dive but no long boat rides you will have a great dive in while in Belize.

 

Personly, I don't think the diving in Ambergris Caye is very good, with the exception of Hol Chan Park. Most of the diving there has lots of dead and bleached coral, not too many fish, etc (although I have seen quite a few nurse sharks and turtles there). By the time you pay for the taxi to the airport, the short flight, and the diving, you will have paid more than if you did the trip to Turneffe Atoll - and the diving at Turneffe is better!

[cruisingtodive]

If you can get on one of the first tenders to Belize City then take a cab to Municipal Airport (around $5.00 each way and catch a 20 minute flight on Tropic Air or Maya Island Air to Ambergris Caye (about a $65.00 round trip) you can do some really good dives (the dive shops are about a 4 or 5 minute walk from the San Pedro airport). With prior arrangements made with a dive shop and a five minute boat ride to the dive sight, a two tank boat dive ($65.00) with a one hour sit at the dive shop because it is so close to the good dive sights). We have done this 5 times on Cruise ships with no problem at all. Just plan ahead and stay flexible if a problem arises. Check out the Grand Princess Feb 4th 2006 for a couple of pics of Tropic Air and any Grand Princess Cruise on our web shots sight for pics in San Pedro, Ambergris Caye.

 

If you decide to do this dive I will give you a very detailed itinerary to make this a easy fun day.

 

For about the same money as the ships dive but no long boat rides you will have a great dive in while in Belize.

 

I have read about others (or maybe you) doing this trip in Belize. My DH is a private pilot and we have a private plane. With our knowledge of small planes we are not comfortable taking this flight in a small country without inspecting the planes and finding out more information on their pilots. Now, this is with out particular knowledge of this airport or airplane or pilot. We just know small planes and we don't know what their standards are for plane maintenance. It may be perfectly safe, and you said you have done this 5 times, we would have to go to the airport and see what the general situation is before we committed to a flight. Knowing too much can take the fun out of anything.

[gmcrow]

I'm with Cruisingtodive. Not too sure about the plane ride thing. When we dive we consider long boat rides a bonus, part of the adventure. Look at it this way, you KNOW you are going some place that fewer people have visited. http://www.cruisedivers.blogspot.com