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Greg - 8/05/2010 8:41 AM 
I’m on a cruise next week...only going to Progresso and Cozumel so my diving choices are limited. I’m diving in Cozumel with SeaRobin...they are great! Haven’t dove in Belize or Grand Cayman yet.
Why dive only one? Dive all three! You only live once :)
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Bob01 - 8/05/2010 8:44 AM
I would choose Cozumel, it’s a great place for a new diver.
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Considering the dive ops cruises use Coz would be my first choice. If possible skip the canned op from the cruise line and go with our own Chucho, he will probably cost you less and he doesn’t run a cattleboat.
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I might be taking the same cruise mine will be with Carnival on the Ship Valor and will stop at Gran Caiman, Roatan Island, Belize, & Cozumel I have yet to dive any of those I have the same problem you do where I can only dive one stop so I asked peaple from my dive club, Scuiba board, and did a survey on here Advice on where to dive every one says go with Cozumel it is Drift diving and every one says exelent conditions all year
any way when will you be going my cruise leaves Miami on 24-31 Oct
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I did a week in Grand Cayman, which was great, and I’d would do again. The drift diving in Cozumel was easy with a lot to see. On the day the cruise boats were in port, there were way too many boats and divers. When I surfaced, I had a hard time locating my boat. It was like diving in a backyard pool with all your neighbors and their kids. If you like wrecks, the Felipe Xicotencatl was a great dive.
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I think I might be the oddball, but I thought diving in Belize was the best. Just returned from Cozumel and the diving was great but preferred Belize. It is probably easier to get from a cruise ship to a dive operation in Cozumel though.
Cruise ship to dive operation in Cozumel is probably 15 minutes. ( I didn’t cruise there, stayed at a resort.)
The boat ride from the mainland in Belize to Ambergris Caye is about 45 minutes (it’s about 15 minutes flying but cost around $100).
-Audrey
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I can’t vouch for the other places, but Cozumel was my first place diving after getting certified. The water is super clear and the water warm. From 90 foot down you could look up and see people on the boat. There’s tons of fish to see, a hugh Grouper and the local big green eel. I recomend doing the Santa Rosa wall dive and Planacar reef. Be sure to do a drift dive also, it’s a blast.
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Cozumel is the best place if you can only do 2 dives .You will see plenty of fish and lots of Coral.I have been on that cruise and it was the best dive.The others were good also but if I could only do one it would be Cozumel hands down.
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Thanks for the advice and if my wallet allowed it I would dive all three in a minute...lol plus I’m traveling with non divers so i don’t want to be too selfish..lol
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Thanks for the info...i will be cruising on the Legend out of Tampa on Sept. 19 going to the same ports...take a look at the cruise and if you haven’t booked yet you might want to consider it...lol I have already booked mine and can’t wait...
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in cayman you can dive great shore dive with eden rock & if you have none diving friends with you they can snorkle with you. check out there site [ at ] eden rockdiving,you can carry your gear it only a 10-15 minute walk from were the tenders leave you off,plus its only 10.00 for tanks and weights, have a great time.
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in cayman you can dive great shore dive with eden rock & if you have none diving friends with you they can snorkle with you. check out there site [ at ] eden rockdiving,you can carry your gear it only a 10-15 minute walk from were the tenders leave you off,plus its only 10.00 for tanks and weights, have a great time.
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in cayman you can dive great shore dive with eden rock & if you have none diving friends with you they can snorkle with you. check out there site [ at ] eden rockdiving,you can carry your gear it only a 10-15 minute walk from were the tenders leave you off,plus its only 10.00 for tanks and weights, have a great time.
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in cayman you can dive great shore dive with eden rock & if you have none diving friends with you they can snorkle with you. check out there site [ at ] eden rockdiving,you can carry your gear it only a 10-15 minute walk from were the tenders leave you off,plus its only 10.00 for tanks and weights, have a great time.
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Having dived two of the three, I found Belixe the best! At Cayman....because the wind seems to be constantly causing rough seas. I have dive the same sites 3 times on 3 separate occasions off the cruise ship.
Have never dived in Cozumel but been there several times. Many ships and many people!
Belize City diving off cruise ship is great, as reefs protect from strong and rough seas. Water is exceptionally clear. Boat came to ship for pickup and returned us.
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wow tough choices there. All 3 are amazing but for simplicity Belieze was the easiest. The dive boat pulls right up to the ship and you literaly get right on the dive boat. You then goto the shop and sign papers and get right back on. Very little baggage handling. But for unforgetable experience Cozumel wins out and would be my primary choice.
Grand Cayman is not to be sold short though it has some spectacular dives and excellent walls to amaze people. :)
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For new diver probably Belize would be best! I like Coz but depending where yo dive there are extremely strong currents, if you aren’t used to it they could cause some anxious moments.
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For new diver probably Belize would be best! I like Coz but depending where yo dive there are extremely strong currents, if you aren’t used to it they could cause some anxious moments.
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From starretfan: I think I might be the oddball,The boat ride from the mainland in Belize to Ambergris Caye is about 45 minutes (it’s about 15 minutes flying but cost around $100).
-Audrey
You could be an oddball but we haven’t met yet :) The diving in Belize varies a lot and I worry the dive op the cruise lines use could take her to one of the poorer sites. Most of the better dives seem to be longer boat rides from Belize City.
In Cayman you could go to Sunset House which is only a short cab ride from the cruise ships and do the beach dive, there is a shower and rinse tank right there so you could clean up before returning to the ship. Just off the ladder is a ball of chain, look under it for octipi, the pictures of squid in my profile were taken there. There is a wreck straight out and to the right the mermaid statue. The farther out you go the more reef life to be found.
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Check out Aldora Divers in Cozumel they run groups no larger than six and will match divers by their skill & certification level and take said group to the best suited site for them plus they avoid the over crouded dive sites take a look at them.
http://www.aldora.com/cruising.htm
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Cozumel of Course! Love that place, easy to get to, food is great, people are great. I hate to leave when I get there.
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1st......If the cruise continues to offer dive excursions, the quickest access to a dive site is off the cruise. The cruise ships don’t anchor but use GPS & thrusters to maintain position in an area inside the reef, which is probably at least 30 minutes of traversing a channel to get there.
The dive taxi will take you to a dive shop on a small island. Once every once is outfitted, off to the reef.
Unless you’re willing to set up your own excursion, there’s no other way but with the ship.
I personally taken the ride into shore, but I can imagine after you did that, it would be another long ride to the dive site.
As someone else has stated, the best sites are not on the cruise excursion but that might be your only choice.
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From Flukeman1: 1st......If the cruise continues to offer dive excursions, the quickest access to a dive site is off the cruise. The cruise ships don’t anchor but use GPS & thrusters to maintain position in an area inside the reef, which is probably at least 30 minutes of traversing a channel to get there.
The dive taxi will take you to a dive shop on a small island. Once every once is outfitted, off to the reef.
Unless you’re willing to set up your own excursion, there’s no other way but with the ship.
I personally taken the ride into shore, but I can imagine after you did that, it would be another long ride to the dive site.
As someone else has stated, the best sites are not on the cruise excursion but that might be your only choice.
In Coz and Cayman they usually use the docks unless there is a large amount of cruise ships.
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Congratulations on your certification, well done!!!
Primero (first!),go to Cozumel, try Scuba Mau [ at ] the Villablanca Hotel, tell them Julio sent you. They’ll treat you right, and do you good as you get more comfortable in the water. I don’t go with anyone else when I’m in Coz. During your free time, go eat [ at ] La Choza and/ or Camilo’s . You’ll not regret it!!! Again, congratulations on your achievement and enjoy getting wet!!! Diver away!!!
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Okay, corny as it sounds, Grand Caymans stingray city is amazing. An hour on the bottom interacting with and feeding stingrays? I’ve been to quite a few places but having a huge stingray put his "nose" against mine and look me in the eyes is pretty thrilling and is right near the top.
You can’t go wrong with Cozumel, but I would not do Belize because if the cruise ship docks in Belize City, you will not have access to the best diving. I love diving in Belize, but don’t think you have the time on the cruise’s shore excursion to reach the better areas. If the ship docks toward the south - Hopkins, Dangriga or Placentia - go for it! But I’ve dove out of Belize City and it’s a long, rough ride to mediocre diving.
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From GoAtlantis:
Okay, corny as it sounds, Grand Caymans stingray city is amazing. An hour on the bottom interacting with and feeding stingrays? I’ve been to quite a few places but having a huge stingray put his "nose" against mine and look me in the eyes is pretty thrilling and is right near the top.
If the ship docks toward the south - Hopkins, Dangriga or Placentia - go for it! But I’ve dove out of Belize City and it’s a long, rough ride to mediocre diving.
My wife got bonked on the head by an careless instructors tank so diving was out until the pain and the lump went down so we did Stingray City snorkeling. I think we had more interaction snorkeling than diving although the two snorkeling sites they took us to before Stingray City were poor.
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I dove Cozumel in February with Blue Angel Dive shop http://www.blueangel-scuba.com/ They were very good, and the group was only 8 people. Did 2 dives, and both were spectacular. I would avoid the Ship sponsored dives as there are way too many people on those. God Bless, Glenn
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I dove Cozumel in February with Blue Angel Dive shop http://www.blueangel-scuba.com/ They were very good, and the group was only 8 people. Did 2 dives, and both were spectacular. I would avoid the Ship sponsored dives as there are way too many people on those. God Bless, Glenn
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