Storing personal equipment on cruise

[Diver Bob]

I have searched the forum and have not found any recommendations or suggestions on storing your own gear while on a cruise.. We plan on diving on AOS this Sept. We are diving in Aruba on Tuesday morning and Dominica on Friday morning. We will have our own gear while booking the two tank "No Equipment" dives through the ship. Here are my questions:

 

1. Does the dive shop aboard Adventure of the Sea or other Voyager Class RCCL ships specifically, have storage space for passengers personal equipment if you book excursions throught them? I am looking for a place to hang my BC and shorty wetsuit for the two days between dives... even rinsed off I can smell my stateroom now!! :eek:

 

2. We have a balcony stateroom for the first time (woo! woo!)... can I tie down my BC and Wetsuit out there on a lounger and would they be safe?

 

Thanks in advance for the advice!

[BuzzF117]

I took my gear on the Crown Princess in Feb of 08 I had a balcony room and just rinsed my gear and let it dry on the balcony and it usually dried by the time the ship pulled out I would just repack my gear for the next day. My boots didn't dry but I let them sit on the floor of the balcony till next morning.

[GSD4ME]

FYI: Just so you know - I wouldn't count on being able to keep ANYTHING on the balcony. Due to fire regulations, room stewards are instructed to remove anything (articles of clothing, etc.) from the balcony as it constitutes a fire hazard. New rules since the huge fire on the Star a few years ago.

[gvre]

We always bring our own gear. We usually have a balcony and hang our BC's, wet suits, and regulators on dive hangars on the deck. If we do a dive on the last day, we use the ships laundry to dry our booties and wet suits and the hair dryer for the BC. The stewart never bother anything.

[texswamper]

We too have always taken our own gear and always had a balcony cabin with never any trouble from the room steward even asking us to bring something inside off of the balcony.

 

I received a few helpful hints from other cruise ship divers that help us tremendously. Since we usually only have a balcony cabin and not a mini suite with a tub, I bring several large yard trash bags to rinse all of our equipment in the shower. My husband rinses it and then transfers things to my trash bag so as not to soak our carpet from the bathroom to the balcony. I am able to soak our gear in sink the stink usually after our last dive. Since boots have a hard time drying in the humid Caribbean air, I will stuff washcloths or small hand towels inside them during the night and this really helps dry them out before I have to wear them again.

 

Some people think this is too much trouble while on a cruise, but we think the small time given to cleaning our own gear is worth the peace of mind when diving! We've been on the AOS twice and we loved it, so have a fantastic cruise!

[Diver Bob]

We too have always taken our own gear and always had a balcony cabin with never any trouble from the room steward even asking us to bring something inside off of the balcony.

 

I received a few helpful hints from other cruise ship divers that help us tremendously. Since we usually only have a balcony cabin and not a mini suite with a tub, I bring several large yard trash bags to rinse all of our equipment in the shower. My husband rinses it and then transfers things to my trash bag so as not to soak our carpet from the bathroom to the balcony. I am able to soak our gear in sink the stink usually after our last dive. Since boots have a hard time drying in the humid Caribbean air, I will stuff washcloths or small hand towels inside them during the night and this really helps dry them out before I have to wear them again.

 

Some people think this is too much trouble while on a cruise, but we think the small time given to cleaning our own gear is worth the peace of mind when diving! We've been on the AOS twice and we loved it, so have a fantastic cruise!

 

Thanks for the great ideas...

 

BC/Reg hanger..... check

trash bags.... check

Mirazyme...... check

order extra washclothes for stateroom..... check :D

 

I agree with the opinion on having your own gear... I can then focus my attention on getting that perfect underwater photo!!

 

Thanks again!

[Cruisinini]

Great question, I hadn't even thought about this!!

 

Any advice for folks that have cabins without balconies? Would hanging things in the bathroom work somehow? Do we need to befriend someone in a balcony lol?

[scuabacruiser]

Great question, I hadn't even thought about this!!

 

Any advice for folks that have cabins without balconies? Would hanging things in the bathroom work somehow? Do we need to befriend someone in a balcony lol?

With an OV cabin, just do the same except put towels in the window and set the gear there while you are out of the cabin doing fun stuff. It drys fairly quickly. When you return to the room, just repack it, Even if its a little damp it will be ok until you get home. If the smells a problem, bring some Febreze and spray it on your bag.

In an IS cabin, all you have is the shower/bathroom for hanging and drying.

 

Maybe there is something wrong with but I like the smell of neoprene.:) It reminds me of diving.

[Cruisinini]

Maybe there is something wrong with but I like the smell of neoprene.:) It reminds me of diving.

 

Nothing wrong with you, I actually chuckled out loud because I agree!

 

Thanks for the tips, scuaba!

[Roatanfans]

Hanging your gear in the shower works in a pinch- just let your cabin attendant know whats going on!

[lateblumer]

I always take my own gear and I dry my gear on the balcony. I have never had a problem with the room steward or anyone else bothering my gear. I use the velcro or clips to hook it to the chairs to insure nothing blows overboard.

 

When we've had an inside room I've rinsed my gear, put in the bag, gone up on the pool deck and layed my gear out on an empty chair and dryed it. I get to relax after the dive and my gear dries. It can be a lot of trouble but it's worth it to me to have my own gear. I know it fits and I know when it's been serviced. Sometimes I download my pictures and take my computer up and go through my pictures. A very relaxing afternoon!

 

Have fun on your cruise!