Snorkeling with our own equipment?

[Dee777]

DH and I are going to be cruising the Carnival Pride on March 22 through the Panama Canal. We have our own snorkel equipment and were wondering if anyone has any experience snorkelng in the following ports:

 

Manzanillo Mexico

Puntarenas, Costa Rica

Cartagena, Columbia

Ocho Rios, Jamaica

Grand Cayman, Cayman Islands

 

We are wondering if anyone has gone off the beaten path on their own, and could recommend a place to do so. Also, we're wondering if anyone knows if a person books a snorkeling excursion, do they object if you have your own equipment? Thank you all for any and all suggestions and /or help!

 

Dee

[scubaran]

DH and I are going to be cruising the Carnival Pride on March 22 through the Panama Canal. We have our own snorkel equipment and were wondering if anyone has any experience snorkelng in the following ports:

 

Manzanillo Mexico

Puntarenas, Costa Rica

Cartagena, Columbia

Ocho Rios, Jamaica

Grand Cayman, Cayman Islands

 

We are wondering if anyone has gone off the beaten path on their own, and could recommend a place to do so. Also, we're wondering if anyone knows if a person books a snorkeling excursion, do they object if you have your own equipment? Thank you all for any and all suggestions and /or help!

 

Dee

 

First off, you can bring your own equipment any time on a snorkeling excursion. The operators don't mind at all. As far as the places listed, I have experience at two:

 

Ocho Rios - unfortunately the reefs here have been dead for over a decade. Leave the snorkel equipment on the boat (do dunn's river falls, a lot more fun).

 

Grand Cayman - walk to Eden Rock or take a 5 minute taxi to Sunset House (my preference) and do excellent shore snorkeling. You can google either place for details, services available and how to get there.

 

Good snorkeling,

Randall

[Dee777]

Thank you very much for the info, Randall. Sad to know about the reefs at Jamaica...

[bjb1957]

I have been to Cartegena, although it was some time ago there was no place to snorkle. Ditto Costa Rica. Grand Cayman is great to snorkle, we went out by Stingray City. I highly suggest taking a tour, we used Moby Dick Tours, out to see and feed the stingrays. The boat moves off a little and there is a great reef. My favourite place to snorkle is Roatan, west side.

[CruiseQueen13]

Always bring our own - up until the airlines hit us with all these extra fees. Next time we probably won't - unless cruising from NY of course. LOL

[terryde]

For Grand Cayman I second Eden Rock and/or Sunset House. So close to the ship and very nice. I go early in the morning before it gets crowded, but there were still a lot of people there early last time! (July 08).

[TheVegasMan]

Along 7 mile beach on Grand Cayman there used to be a hotel/timeshare called Indies Suites, I hear it is now used for med student housing. The lagoon across the street is the first place I ever snorkeled. There are lots of fish in the water and there were two Eagle Rays that would show up every day. Not sure how much a cab from the ship would be.