BERMUDA HELMET DIVING ABOARD NORWEGIAN MAJESTY QUESTIONS...

[debjo]

GREETINGS TO EVERYONE THAT HAS DONE THE HELMET DIVE IN BERMUDA...
We're going to Bermuda in May with NORWEGIAN MAJESTY and a few family and friends! http://messages.cruisecritic.com/infopop/emoticons/icon_cool.gif

I've a few questions about HELMET DIVING from our "group", that hopefully someone will have the answers for:

1. Does anyone have experience and/or information on "Peppercorn Helmet Diving" that is doing this excursion with NCL? (Couldn't find a website on the internet for them. http://messages.cruisecritic.com/infopop/emoticons/icon_frown.gif) Would you recommend we go with the NCL Peppercorn excursion or go off on our own with either Hartley's Helmet Dive or Bermuda Bell Diving? How do the three compare as far as experience goes?

2. Are you able to take you own underwater pictures while you are on the "dive" or are you limited to the "poloroids" that they might take of you for a "fee"?

3. How do people keep from getting their air lines tangled up as they are exploring the underwater world?

4. Can you talk to anyone while you are underwater...can anyone hear you? Do they have a narration that you listen to that might explain the underwater world that you are seeing?

5. An adult member of our party cannot swim and is afraid to snorkle...he thinks he might be able to do the HELMET DIVE. Do you feel at all claustrophobic in the helmets?

As always, thanks in advance for all your sage words of wisdom! http://messages.cruisecritic.com/infopop/emoticons/icon_biggrin.gif

Debjo

P.S. I've posted this message on the BERMUDA PORT OF CALL board too...in case you think you've already read and responded to it.

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http://escati.linkopp.net/cgi-bin/countdown.cgi?trgb=000000&srgb=00ff00&prgb=0000ff&cdt=2004;4;25;16;00;00&timezone=GMT-0500  Until the NORWEGIAN DAWN 2004 (Can't Hardly Wait But Still Wishing I Was Going On The NORWAY Instead!)

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PACIFIC PRINCESS-Bermuda 2002
REGAL EMPRESS-New England/Canada 2001

[momofteens]

Hi our whole family did the Helmet dive two years ago in Bermuda. Oldest member was 70, youngest was 12. The weight of the helmet keeps you down (about 8 feet). Your hair and face stay completely dry. You can't talk to anyone else and have to use hand signals. You can push yourself to the surface at anytime. We were encouraged to take our own pictures and feed the fish. We all enjoyed ourselves.

[luv cruising]

http://messages.cruisecritic.com/infopop/emoticons/icon_cool.gif http://messages.cruisecritic.com/infopop/emoticons/icon_cool.gifHi debjo we are sailing on the Norwegian crown in june to Bermuda my dh also interst in helmut diving i might be of some help to you.First from reading cruise critic boards & cruisemates.com boards I think doing this is better on your own my brother in law and family went to Bermuda last year and could not get reservations from either shore excurs.or on there own they were booked so i checked out www.bermudatourism.com (http://www.bermudatourism.com) and printed out all info from peppercorn and hartleys both list price and there phone# my next step is to call my aunt who lives in bermuda and ask her which she thinks is better of the 2 and call on my own to make resevations i hope i was alittle help and i will keep u posted to what i find out. happy sailing

[Linda the Book Lover]

We are also going in May and have plans to go helmet diving. Hartley's did seem pretty good but I would like "personal input" as well. We will not use the ship excursion.

<LI>Tropicale ~ 5/93 <LI> Norwegian Wind ~ Hawaii ~ 4/4/03 <LI>Norwegian Majesty ~ Bermuda~ 5/30/04 <LI>http://escati.linkopp.net/cgi-bin/countdown.cgi?trgb=000000&srgb=00ff00&prgb=00bfff&cdt=2004;5;30;16;0;00&timezone=GMT-0500
Until we sail on the Norwegian Majesty to Bermuda!
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[logcabin]

We did Hartley's last year in Bermuda. It was great. We went on the Nordic Empress to Bermuda (a wonderful cruise and ship). We did the helmet dive on our own and saved money. Got there via a scooter that we rented for the week. A great way to get around. We had varying ages on our trip. Youngest was about 10 years old. You can't hear or talk to anyone. I'm not sure how I would have liked it if I couldn't swim. It maybe a bit difficult. Not doing it because you just sink to the bottom, about 12 feet down, and then walk around. However, I can see how it would be a bit un-nerving if you can't swim.

I would highly recommend this excursion and Hartley's. However, do it on your own and save.

[Sandycruise]

I recommend Hartley's helmet dive. Greg Hartley is a wonderful man and it is an amazing adventure just to meet him. You can do the excursion on your own and save alot of money. Try to get a group together on these boards (that is what we did). Then share a van to get there. Say He to Kwame, the assistant. Bring your own underwater camera and you'll have an album full of wonderful memories.

Find more on Hartley's helmet diving under Ports of call, Bermuda, here on the boards.

Sandy
Carn. Jubilee, Nov 13,2000
NCL Sea, July 22,2001
Cel Zenith Oct 19, 2002
Carn. Pride Aug 27, 2003
NCL Dawn, Oct. 31, 2004 (find us at the roll call!)
Sandy and Len, Mom and Dad, BahamaMomma, DJ and family
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[ZoneHPH]

if i recall correctly, we did the helmet diving that was out of king's wharf.

i think that's hartleys. anyway i have some pics on my link below.

you can definitely take your own underwater pics/video...whatever as long as you have the equipment.

no the helmets to not have radio communication between them...it's good old hand signals.

http://images.animfactory.com/animations/people_m_z/scuba_diver/diver_floating_md_clr.gif
WE ARE...PENN STATE! Biology '94
http://photos.yahoo.com/zonehph2002
click on NORWEGIAN SEA 20030803 (08/03/2003 sailing)

[moinma]

I, too, would highly recommend Hartley's. We did it our first year in Bermuda and recommended it to many friends who enjoyed it as well. I just made an online reservation for August 2004 a couple of weeks ago and Greg called me from Bermuda yesterday. We have our reservation but that week is already just about fully booked for him. I would not waste any time making the reservation request if that's the excursion you want.

Almost forgot...our first trip we had someone onboard who was VERY nervous because they couldn't swim. She did go down for the dive and then they couldn't get her out of the water, she loved it so much! We recommended it last year to another friend who couldn't swim, and they loved it as well.

[Linda the Book Lover]

Wow great pictures! I can't wait to helmet dive!! What was the story on the bar you held on to?

<LI>Tropicale ~ 5/93 <LI> Norwegian Wind ~ Hawaii ~ 4/4/03 <LI>Norwegian Majesty ~ Bermuda~ 5/30/04 <LI>http://escati.linkopp.net/cgi-bin/countdown.cgi?trgb=000000&srgb=00ff00&prgb=00bfff&cdt=2004;5;30;16;0;00&timezone=GMT-0500
Until we sail on the Norwegian Majesty to Bermuda!
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[Linda the Book Lover]

Thanks for the heads up and we will book ahead.

<LI>Tropicale ~ 5/93 <LI> Norwegian Wind ~ Hawaii ~ 4/4/03 <LI>Norwegian Majesty ~ Bermuda~ 5/30/04 <LI>http://escati.linkopp.net/cgi-bin/countdown.cgi?trgb=000000&srgb=00ff00&prgb=00bfff&cdt=2004;5;30;16;0;00&timezone=GMT-0500
Until we sail on the Norwegian Majesty to Bermuda!
http://gifs.net/animate/lmkbubblfsh.gif

[ZoneHPH]

<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><font size="-1">quote:</font><HR>Originally posted by Linda the Book Lover:
Wow great pictures! I can't wait to helmet dive!! What was the story on the bar you held on to?<HR></BLOCKQUOTE>

oh...that length of PVC tubing was just there to keep the group together. it has no purpose other than keeping people balanced and in place. you will walk together as a group while holding onto that tubing...it's not attached to anything. (imagine a tight rope walker with that balance pole...something like that.)

http://images.animfactory.com/animations/people_m_z/scuba_diver/diver_floating_md_clr.gif
WE ARE...PENN STATE! Biology '94
http://photos.yahoo.com/zonehph2002
click on NORWEGIAN SEA 20030803 (08/03/2003 sailing)