snorkel on own or on tour

[honkanen]

We just started looking into this by searching through these forums and think we'll do the following:

 

Cozumel (cab to Chankanaab Beach) and snorkel on our own from shore.

 

Belize (cave tubing - not sure which tour operator yet)

 

Roatan (snorkel tour to the reef ~$50pp for about a 4hr tour)

 

Freeport (not a clue.. probably cab to a beach and snorkel on our own)

 

Does this sound good, or should we be doing our actual snorkel tour elsewhere and snorkel on our own elsewhere, etc..? What have you guys done?

 

Thanks!

[acc82]

have you snorkeled before? novice or advanced? i like going with a tour because i think the sites you visit are better since you get boated out by a tour operator. plus, if you are new to snorkeling, you'll probably need to go on an organized tour.

[Grayce]

We did Chankanaab on our own. It was great snorkeling right from shore. There has been some hurricane damage in the last few years so not as good as it used to be.

Roatan has great snorkeling right from the beach as well. You can take a cab from the port and ask to go to one of the west side beaches. When we were there the cab driver knew we wanted to snorkel and he took us to a really nice beach that was not busy at all. Excellent snorkeling.

If you are really into snorkeling there isan excellent excursion in belize where you go to shark/ray alley. Best excursion I have ever been on during a cruise.

[bruce-r]

Well, at least in Cozumel, if you want the best possible snorkeling, you'll want to do a boat snorkel trip with one of the small boat operations. You'll want to avoid the large tours that include booze.

 

Playa Palancar has a snorkel tour that departs directly from their beach and makes a shore boat ride to the near by Palancar reef. That and the fish tacos there are Mmmm good.

 

But for shore snorkeling, Chankanaab is probably one of the better places to go. Get the discount admission coupon from http://www.cozumelinsider.com or from http://www.cozumelparks.com/eng/parks-chankanaab.asp

[honkanen]

Thanks for the replies. It looks like each of you suggest a snorkel tour/excursion. We're not expert but not neccessarily novice either. We've gone snorkeling a few times before but my wife isn't the strongest swimmer. We have 4 ports of call but are not wanting on spending much by going on a tour each time we're in port. We were planning on paying for a nice tour on maybe 2 of our 4 ports and our own thing in the 2 other ports. We just aren't too sure which ports to splurge on with a tour and which will be great with just relaxing on the beach and our own snorkeling off the shore.

[Host Star]

Thanks for the replies. It looks like each of you suggest a snorkel tour/excursion. We're not expert but not neccessarily novice either. We've gone snorkeling a few times before but my wife isn't the strongest swimmer. We have 4 ports of call but are not wanting on spending much by going on a tour each time we're in port. We were planning on paying for a nice tour on maybe 2 of our 4 ports and our own thing in the 2 other ports. We just aren't too sure which ports to splurge on with a tour and which will be great with just relaxing on the beach and our own snorkeling off the shore.

snorkeling right from the beach in roatan is FANTASTIC... some of the best snorkeling anywhere.. and you do not have to go very far into the water.. the reef is a very short distance.. not even over your heads.. you can get the cab to take you to bananarama or fosters.. and for 5.00 you get a chaise lounge and drink and walk to the west end of the beach, a very short distance for some of the very best snorkeling.. no need to take the excursion.. the ship's excursion goes to the same place for more $$$$

[honkanen]

Wow! Thanks for the tip. Out of our 4 ports of call, is there one place where you'd suggest we splurge for an actual snorkel tour? Or will this probably be the best snorkeling off our trip and fortunately within swimming distance?

[bruce-r]

Wow! Thanks for the tip. Out of our 4 ports of call, is there one place where you'd suggest we splurge for an actual snorkel tour?

Definitely Cozumel. The boat snorkeling is definitely better than the shore snorkeling there.

[scubaran]

Definitely Cozumel. The boat snorkeling is definitely better than the shore snorkeling there.

 

Agreed, get a boat tour in Cozumel, there are a lot of good reefs just off shore and the small boats can get you in real close to the good spots. Also in Roatan, we went to Anthony's Key Resort and snorkeled there. They had a 1/2 moon beach with the reefs just a few feet into the water. I'm sure their web site will provide info on how to get there and any day costs. Plus their restaurant is pretty good for lunch.

 

Randall

[DiveCruiser]

You can do it on your own. We always do. Just alot enough time for coming and return

[Denise&Paul STL]

Just an fyi for Cozumel. My husband isn't a strong swimmer, and we did the RCCL snorkel excursion of the Palancar a couple years ago in December. It is more of a drift snorkel, so be prepared for a current. Maybe others here know better, but I understand that Cozumel is known for drift dives and snorkels. Course, to see the good stuff, you have to get out there.

 

Personally, I enjoy just hovering over one place and watching the creatures move about, so drift diving/snorkeling isn't for me, so I may be a little prejudiced!:D

[patterson3]

We just got back from Cozumel and we had booked a tour thru Playa Uvas' website. We got our own tour guide and he was wonderful. But while snorkeling I saw several large groups that must've booked thru the cruiseline and there were about 20-25 people per guide and I'm sure they didn't have nearly as good a time as we had. Also, and this would be a big pet peeve of mine, but we weren't forced to wear life jackets whereas it seemed like the larger groups were required to wear them...

 

Any idea if requiring life jackets is common on snorkel excursions?

[drifting_away]

I just want to point out one advantage to using a boat operator vs. on your own from shore. When you use a tour your whole group can go in the water together and you don't have to worry about your valuables disappearing from shore.:eek:

[drifting_away]

I forgot to mention that the Chankanaab Park in Cozumel has lockers (if I remember correctly).

[DMRick]

In Coz, we booked privately for a Segway/snorkel tour (same one the cruiseships use..we were with another cruiseship group) that was $45. We met as we got off the ship (where he was waiting for the other cruise) and walked up to their place (Sunshine Tours) and got our instructions, safety equipment, and time to try them out. All our stuff went into a jeep, that followed as we went up the sidewalk about 3 miles to a hotel with a beach. Soda and water and equipment if needed were included. We loved it, and plan on going back another time. They had just gotten all new Segways when we took our tour in November. Might be another thing to look at.

[gmcrow]

I'd splurge at either Coz or Belize. Unfortunately Freeport is almost a wasted stop. There's just not much to do there except enjoy the beach or gamble. If you find a beach with decent snorkeling be sure to let us know, as this is often an unscheduled port during bad weather at Coco Cay. http://www.cruisedivers.blogspot.com

[golf4food]

In Coz, we booked privately for a Segway/snorkel tour (same one the cruiseships use..we were with another cruiseship group) that was $45. We met as we got off the ship (where he was waiting for the other cruise) and walked up to their place (Sunshine Tours) and got our instructions, safety equipment, and time to try them out. All our stuff went into a jeep, that followed as we went up the sidewalk about 3 miles to a hotel with a beach. Soda and water and equipment if needed were included. We loved it, and plan on going back another time. They had just gotten all new Segways when we took our tour in November. Might be another thing to look at.

 

This sounds like a lot of fun. I am assuming it was $45/person. Do you know how old you have to be to operate the Segway's? I think our kids would really enjoy this. Our kids will be 16, 13, 13. Can you ride 'double' with kids if they can't operate their own?

[DMRick]

It was each ($45 cash). I found my paperwork and it was 3.5 hours...but that was a heck of a lot less than the people on the ship's cruise paid, and less than we paid in Bermuda and the Bahama's. I didn't ask about the age, but there were a couple of younger kids..prob 12 - 13 with us. You can not ride double..it steers and stops by the way you rock and lean, so it would not be possible. They took a lot of time with everyone, making sure they were comfortable, and as you ride, there is a jeep following with your stuff, and it sounds it's horn if a car is coming. They said if someone wasn't comfortable, they would put the Segway in the jeep, and they could ride along in the jeep. I bet if you had a younger child, they prob could too. You can not be pregnant or have a heart condition, High Blood pressure, Diabetes, or just had surgery (not sure why, for some of these ..it was a gentle ride). They provide soft drinks and snorkel gear. We felt very safe when taken from short to snorkle, unlike our horrible ships tour at Grand Cayman, where we went from a boat in a very rough surf. I had to get out, so I could watch my grandson there..because I couldn't see him over the waves.

 

The phone number for Sunshine is 011-52-987-857-2508

 

This sounds like a lot of fun. I am assuming it was $45/person. Do you know how old you have to be to operate the Segway's? I think our kids would really enjoy this. Our kids will be 16, 13, 13. Can you ride 'double' with kids if they can't operate their own?

[gday12345]

Enjoy a shore day or even a day on the ship at Freeport. It is an industrial port and the snorkeling there leaves a lot to be desired.

[Jimmers]

On our first visit to Cozumel in the 90s, we took the cab to the beautiful well equipped Chankanaab park and enjoyed a wonderful day there. Snorkeling on our own there was our introduction into the undersea world and we've been hooked since. We became certified divers last year.

 

We have also snorkeled with a boat tour that goes to the Palancar Reef. That was also an awesome day. We traveled along the beautiful blue water coastline for about a half hour before getting to our site. It was much deeper than the shore snorkeling of course and in fact at one point the guide took us over what he said was a 6000 ft deep abyss (or did he said 600). I like seeing white sand under me and while the experience of hovering over the blackness of the deep was exciting it did make me a bit nervous.

[trim2gofast]

In January on an RCCL cruise, I did the cave tubing and zip line tour. I loved the zip line, but could have done without the cave tubing. Fun day for sure, but I wish I had gone diving instead. One of the problems was that the caves are so far away, but we almost missed the ship. the people who did only cave tubing had to wait for the same buses as those of us who did both Cave tubing and zipplining.