I'm booked on a seven-day cruise that will stop in Costa Maya, Mexico, Belize, Roatan, Honduras and Cozumel.
I'm going to dive at least one of those spots, maybe two. Any opinions which offer the best diving?
Thanks,
Greg
Cruise in July
Started by
Gfpirate
, Apr 15 2011 10:39 AM
6 replies to this topic
#1
Gfpirate
-
- Member
-
- 85 posts
On a roll now.....
- Location:Dallas, Texas
- Gender:Male
- Cert Level:Advanced-Specialty
- Logged Dives:90+
Posted 15 April 2011 - 10:39 AM
#2
scubaski
-
- Member
-
- 1,840 posts
I spend too much time on line
- Gender:Male
- Cert Level:ow-aow-ean
- Logged Dives:400 plus
Posted 15 April 2011 - 10:44 AM
IMO, Roatan or Cozumel, CZM will be easier to arrange diving with from a slew of different dive ops. See my recent March 2011 videos on what you may expect.
Edited by scubaski, 15 April 2011 - 10:49 AM.
MADRE FELIZ DIA MAMÁ
#3
Landlocked Dive Nut
-
- Inactive
-
- 6,543 posts
I need to get a life
- Location:Kansas City, MO
- Gender:Female
- Cert Level:SSI Master Diver
- Logged Dives:448
Posted 15 April 2011 - 11:14 AM
I've dived in 3 of those places, but not in Costa Maya. Diving in Belize is great, but they also offer the zip lines, cave tubing & Mayan ruins to the cruise boats. So, I agree with Stan....dive in Roatan (fantastic!) and Cozumel (effortless!). Do something different in Belize.
#4
georoc01
-
- Premier Member
-
- 1,675 posts
I spend too much time on line
- Location:Denver, CO
- Gender:Male
- Cert Level:Master Diver
- Logged Dives:200
Posted 15 April 2011 - 04:06 PM
I've dived in 3 of those places, but not in Costa Maya. Diving in Belize is great, but they also offer the zip lines, cave tubing & Mayan ruins to the cruise boats. So, I agree with Stan....dive in Roatan (fantastic!) and Cozumel (effortless!). Do something different in Belize.
Well, I agree with the two above, Roatan or Cozumel.
I did this exact same cruise a few years ago. Its a great one..
Costa Maya has the most rustic diving. Expect to have to do a beach entry onto the boat, and its windward diving its my least favorite of the 4. Due to the rustic nature of this port, my favorite option from there is Mayan Ruins. The sites aren't that far from the port relatively speaking.
If you choose to dive from Belize, recognize that the boat doesn't dock in Belize, its a tender. And the tender doesn't take you to where the best diving is, but to Belize City. So now you then have to find other transport to the Cayes if you want to set up your own diving. But most cruise ships use Hugh Parkey who operates out of Turneffe. ITs about a 40 minute boat ride, but they pick you up direct from the boat and return you afterwards.
Cozumel has great diving. If you use a dive op outside of the ship dive op, you may have to take a cab to the dive operations as they can't send a van to pick you up. So factor that in your choice. There are three different ports the boat can stop at. I used Aldora when I was there and they do a great job. Steel 120 tanks, small fast shaded boats with your SI at a beach club rather than on the boat.
Roatan is my favorite. Most cruise ships use Anthony's Key as their dive op. Boats can be crowded, but the dive sites are close to the resort and your surface interval would be there too. I'd also look at Bananarama or Subway sports as alternatives if you are looking for a more intimate option. I believe those too will pick you up. I dive with Coconut Tree in the west end, but they won't pick you up and you have to be able to dive on their schedule (two tanks dive at 9am, One at 1pm, one at 3pm). You would again need to cab there, but they will help with your transport back to the boat to make sure you make it. You can also check out the dolphin dive or shark dive on Roatan. Both are easily done from a cruise ship.
#5
Gfpirate
-
- Member
-
- 85 posts
On a roll now.....
- Location:Dallas, Texas
- Gender:Male
- Cert Level:Advanced-Specialty
- Logged Dives:90+
Posted 15 April 2011 - 09:40 PM
Appreciate the info. I'm looking at Roatan and/or Cozumel. The dolphin dive is offered by the ship, and I'm interested in that.
Greg
Greg
#6
georoc01
-
- Premier Member
-
- 1,675 posts
I spend too much time on line
- Location:Denver, CO
- Gender:Male
- Cert Level:Master Diver
- Logged Dives:200
Posted 16 April 2011 - 10:23 AM
Appreciate the info. I'm looking at Roatan and/or Cozumel. The dolphin dive is offered by the ship, and I'm interested in that.
Greg
You would have to book that through the ship, AKR won't let you book it directly.
Effectively what they do is they take you over to the dolphin pen to meet the dolphins. After that they put you on the dive boat, open up the pen and the dolphins follow you out to the site.
How much time you actually get to spend with them is really up to the dolphins. You interact with them in the sand, which is at 65 feet. For us, the dolphins didn't show up till the last 10 minutes of the dive. Others have had more time with them.
I found the dolphin encounter better than the dolphin dive.
Edited by georoc01, 16 April 2011 - 10:25 AM.
#7
Gfpirate
-
- Member
-
- 85 posts
On a roll now.....
- Location:Dallas, Texas
- Gender:Male
- Cert Level:Advanced-Specialty
- Logged Dives:90+
Posted 20 April 2011 - 10:38 AM
I'm still checking into everything. I probably won't finalize anything until late May, early June.Appreciate the info. I'm looking at Roatan and/or Cozumel. The dolphin dive is offered by the ship, and I'm interested in that.
Greg
You would have to book that through the ship, AKR won't let you book it directly.
Effectively what they do is they take you over to the dolphin pen to meet the dolphins. After that they put you on the dive boat, open up the pen and the dolphins follow you out to the site.
How much time you actually get to spend with them is really up to the dolphins. You interact with them in the sand, which is at 65 feet. For us, the dolphins didn't show up till the last 10 minutes of the dive. Others have had more time with them.
I found the dolphin encounter better than the dolphin dive.
Greg
0 user(s) are reading this topic
0 members, 0 guests, 0 anonymous users
