Scuba Cruise

Here are all the details including quick links to all the information.

Cruise Details:

Carnival Valor (Maiden Voyage 12/2004)

Itinerary: Exotic Western Caribbean

Sail Date: 12/10/2006

Port of Departure: Miami, FL

Pre-Cruise Hotel: 12/9/2006 Embassy Suites Hotel Miami Airport

Itinerary:

1 Miami, Florida --- 4:00 p.m.

2 At Sea

3 Belize City, Belize 9:00 a.m.- 6:00 p.m.

4 Roatan Isla Roatan, Bay Islands, Honduras 7:00 a.m.- 3:30 p.m.

5 George Town, Grand Cayman 9:00 a.m.- 5:30 p.m.

6 Cozumel 11:00 a.m.- 11:00 p.m.

7 At Sea

8 Miami, Florida 8:00 a.m.

Valor Scuba Group Web Page:

http://www.cruisecritic.com/interests/groups.cfm?ID=73

Valor Scuba Group Forum:

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/forumdisplay.php?f=245

Travel Agent Information:

Please Call Kevin at CruCon.com at 1-800-493-6609 to book this trip.

Pricing Details:

Rates include port charges and gov't fees.

Inside (Cat 4A): $ 599 pp

Oceanview (Cat 6A): $ 729 pp

Balcony (Cat 8A): $ 819 pp

Mini-Suite (Cat 11): $ 1299 pp

Penthouse Suite (Cat 12): $ 1839 pp

Single (Cat 1A - single bed): $ 799 pp

3rd and 4th Passenger Rates

Inside (Cat 4A): $ 369 pp

Oceanview (Cat 6A): $ 389 pp

Balcony and Suites (Cat 8A, Cat 11 and 12): $ 449 pp

Group Perks:

$ 100 p/cabin on-board credit

Group Cocktail Party

Champagne/chocolates per/cabin

Deposit Info

Initial Deposit due by 5/27/05: $ 25 pp for double occupancy non-suite guarantees ONLY

$ 250 pp for all cabin assignments including single, triple, quads or suites due on or before 6/16/2006.

The final payment for this group will be due by 8/25/2006.

Group Dive Package Information:

Belize (Sea Sports Belize)

http://www.shoretrips.com/common/search4.asp?rcode=&lcode=&tcode=008707

Roatan

http://www.shoretrips.com/common/search4.asp?rcode=&lcode=&tcode=008726

Grand Cayman

http://www.shoretrips.com/common/search4.asp?rcode=&lcode=&tcode=008725

Cozumel 2 Tank Day (Aqua Safari)

http://www.shoretrips.com/common/search4.asp?rcode=&lcode=&tcode=008704

Cozumel 1 Tank Night (Aqua Safari)

http://www.shoretrips.com/common/search4.asp?rcode=&lcode=&tcode=008705

Wow, this looks great!! Kudos to everyone who put it together! :) Wish I could go....

This does look like a deal... I just can't commit this far in advance! Generally, early December isn't good for me work-wise - but I can't summarily rule-it-out either. I've got it in my calendar and once I have an idea if my schedule will permit then I'll be in touch.

This does look like a deal... I just can't commit this far in advance! Generally, early December isn't good for me work-wise - but I can't summarily rule-it-out either. I've got it in my calendar and once I have an idea if my schedule will permit then I'll be in touch.

Although the $25pp deposit expires at the end of this month, there should be no problem in reserving a cabin well into 2006 with the mandatory $250pp deposit. Don't forget, the $25pp deposit is fully refundable in the event you can't commit later; the 2nd deposit isn't due until June 2006.

I too have friends who can't commit this early as their work and school schedules have not been established yet for 2006. As long as you and them are okay with the $250pp deposit, it shouldn't be an issue putting down a deposit on a cabin, as long as inventory holds out.

Thanks, Suzi... guess I had just skimmed past the $25 fully refundable part. I'll give Kevin a call this afternoon and authorize him to reserve me a spot.

At this point, it's just me (PDIC BOW, NASDS AOW, SSI S&R, IANTD Basic Nitrox) so I'm going to go ahead and reserve a 1A single; there is a slight chance I might coax a west-coast friend into joining me (she's PADI BOW) given that I'll have the next year-or-so to work on her! :D If that turns-out to be the case I'll likely then upgrade to an 8A, as she has an aversion to the interior "walk-in closets" on cruiseships! lol

Funny, I vowed I likely wouldn't sail Carnival again (having been on them three times now)... but these dives spots and the price is too hard to pass-up (btw, I've dived all spots except for Cayman - which I'll be looking forward to). Besides, Miami is only a two-hour drive for me, so this is a no-brainer all the way 'round!

Keep us posted!

Thanks, Suzi... guess I had just skimmed past the $25 fully refundable part. I'll give Kevin a call this afternoon and authorize him to reserve me a spot.

 

At this point, it's just me (PDIC BOW, NASDS AOW, SSI S&R, IANTD Basic Nitrox) so I'm going to go ahead and reserve a 1A single; there is a slight chance I might coax a west-coast friend into joining me (she's PADI BOW) given that I'll have the next year-or-so to work on her! :D If that turns-out to be the case I'll likely then upgrade to an 8A, as she has an aversion to the interior "walk-in closets" on cruiseships! lol

 

Funny, I vowed I likely wouldn't sail Carnival again (having been on them three times now)... but these dives spots and the price is too hard to pass-up (btw, I've dived all spots except for Cayman - which I'll be looking forward to). Besides, Miami is only a two-hour drive for me, so this is a no-brainer all the way 'round!

 

Keep us posted!

The $25pp deposit is for DOUBLE OCCUPANCY ROOMS ONLY! If you think you can find a room mate, you should book a double occupancy cabin. The Single Rate requires the full $250pp deposit.

There's always a catch, isn't there! The reason I was told that single rooms require the full deposit is there are so few of them - a supply and demand thing. If you go with a double occupancy room, it will cost you less in the long run - and you'll have over a year to find a roomie.

One other thing:

Although people desiring to join the group later in the year will be able to do so probably well into 2006, it's not guaranteed their rates will be as low as they are now, as the $50 deposit LOCKS in this low rate. If you've cruised before, you and I both know rates are bound to go up. To insure you get the best price, I would recommend you put down your deposit NOW. Like I said earlier, if it turns out later that you can't go, feel free to cancel knowing you'll get your deposit refunded.

I am not trying to pressure anyone into doing something they can't afford to do. But if you think there is a chance you can do this cruise, I would recommend you plunk down the $50 (even if you are not sure who your room mate will be) to lock in our rates.

I went to www.Carnival.com this morning to see what this cruise would run me if I were to book it individually online. I took the guarantee rates and added in the $51.98pp government tax on the three most popular categories we have in our inventory and here is what I came up with:

A category 4 guarantee room priced out at $610.98pp; that is almost $12 more per person than our group's $599 rate. A category 6 oceanview guarantee cabin will cost you $760.98pp; that is an additional $31.98pp compared to our $729pp rate. A category 8 balcony guarantee is pricing out $860.98pp online; that's $41.98pp more than our group price of $819pp. And when you book online or directly through Carnival or through another travel agency, you won't get the $100 per cabin in shipboard credit or any of the other group perks.

Please don't let me or anyone pressure you into doing something you not comfortable doing. I just wanted to point out that there's a good chance prices on this cruise will go up significantly later in the year - at least that has been the trend with all my group cruises.

Good luck.

The $25pp deposit is for DOUBLE OCCUPANCY ROOMS ONLY! If you think you can find a room mate, you should book a double occupancy cabin. The Single Rate requires the full $250pp deposit.

But the $250 deposit is still fully-refundable - correct?

If so, no worries... I'll still go ahead and reserve a spot if for no other reason than to lock-in the price as you describe.

But the $250 deposit is still fully-refundable - correct?

 

If so, no worries... I'll still go ahead and reserve a spot if for no other reason than to lock-in the price as you describe.

YES, the $250 deposit is fully refundable. All monies paid into your booking through June 2006 is 100% refundable. Did you want me to add you to the dive list? Let me know which dives. I can pull you off later if it turns out you can't go.

Okie, Suzi, you can now officially count-me-in. Just got off the phone with Kevin and gave him my cc info to book a $250 refundable on a 1A cabin. Before final payment is due if my "friend" develops more of a comfort zone with the two of us traveling together then I'll likely change it to an 8A - otherwise, I should be good to go.

Oh, and I'm viewing this as an excuse to dive - and not much else. Please list me for all planned diving - and if there are any other singles booked I'd be happy to buddy-up with them.

If you need any specifics about my c-cards just drop me a line at tarkus@scubadiving.com.

Looking forward to meeting you and other attendees... should be great fun (nevermind great diving - I LOVE getting wet in that part of the world!!!).

Okie, Suzi, you can now officially count-me-in. Just got off the phone with Kevin and gave him my cc info to book a $250 refundable on a 1A cabin. Before final payment is due if my "friend" develops more of a comfort zone with the two of us traveling together then I'll likely change it to an 8A - otherwise, I should be good to go.

 

Oh, and I'm viewing this as an excuse to dive - and not much else. Please list me for all planned diving - and if there are any other singles booked I'd be happy to buddy-up with them.

 

If you need any specifics about my c-cards just drop me a line at tarkus@scubadiving.com.

 

Looking forward to meeting you and other attendees... should be great fun (nevermind great diving - I LOVE getting wet in that part of the world!!!).

Welcome!

Yes, we already have at least one single diver and will probably end up with more. Please make sure you check out our forum for more information and group updates:

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/forumdisplay.php?f=245

I just placed you on the dive list - view only - (you'll have to scroll down to the most recent posting):

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=170796

Thanks.

thanks, suzi... and if you want to call me by my given name (in lieu of screen name) it's david... david p.

will periodically check for new info and updates... glad to see the response has been so good so soon!

thanks, suzi... and if you want to call me by my given name (in lieu of screen name) it's david... david p.

 

 

will periodically check for new info and updates... glad to see the response has been so good so soon!

Sounds good...nice to meet you! Yup...it should be a fun dive trip!!

...oh, I put David P. on the list! Take care!

I like it, I also like that this info is put out well in advance, Gives me time to refresh myself and get some new cool equipment, Its been a while since I dove. One question, This Dive trip, can we still safely fly back home? are they deep dives or shallow dives. Oh one thing, I dont do Night Dives, they freak me out, Did it for my Advance, but thats it LOL.

Thanks, Fred San Diego, Ca.

I like it, I also like that this info is put out well in advance, Gives me time to refresh myself and get some new cool equipment, Its been a while since I dove. One question, This Dive trip, can we still safely fly back home? are they deep dives or shallow dives. Oh one thing, I dont do Night Dives, they freak me out, Did it for my Advance, but thats it LOL.

 

Thanks, Fred San Diego, Ca.

Thanks for bringing up this subject! All of the dives we plan to do will be regular "no-decompression" type dives. A minimum preflight surface interval of 12 hours is suggested. I for one will be diving with a computer as will most people in the group I'm guessing. We will all be making safety stops while diving. We also will have one full day at sea before arriving in Miami. Our last dives will be in Cozumel on Friday afternoon; we arrive back in Miami on Sunday morning. I think we will be well within the recommended 12 hour safety guidelines, but we'll have that day at sea to decompress - I'll be in the spa!

Here is information I got from DAN concerning diving and flying home. The DAN website is a great resource:

http://www.diversalertnetwork.org/index.asp

Diving Medicine FAQs

Flying After Diving

DAN reviews its guidelines on how soon divers may fly after diving.

Q:I am a dive instructor in Venezuela. First, after making multiday repetitive dives, is an extended surface interval beyond 12 hours before flight considered enough? Second, driving to altitude after diving is one of our peak topics. Since our closest dive training site is a bay surrounded by mountains, after diving we must drive through a mountain pass nearly 1,000 feet / 305 meters above sea level, and then to Caracas, nearly 3,300 feet /1000 meters above sea level. Waiting 12 hours after recreational or training dive activities is not the local practice and, as far as I know, there have not been any reports of decompression sickness (DCS). Is our practice safe? A:Revised Flying After Diving Guidelines for Recreational Diving - May 2002 The following guidelines are the consensus of attendees at the 2002 Flying After Diving Workshop. They apply to air dives followed by flights at cabin altitudes of 2,000 to 8,000 feet (610 to 2,438 meters) for divers who do not have symptoms of decompression sickness (DCS). The recommended preflight surface intervals do not guarantee avoidance of DCS. Longer surface intervals will reduce DCS risk further.

• For a single no-decompression dive, a minimum preflight surface interval of 12 hours is suggested.
  
• For multiple dives per day or multiple days of diving, a minimum preflight surface interval of 18 hours is suggested.
  
• For dives requiring decompression stops, there is little evidence on which to base a recommendation and a preflight surface interval substantially longer than 18 hours appears prudent.
  

While 12 hours is recommended, as a middle-aged, slightly overweight, slightly out-of-shape man I always allow 24 hours before flight. That said, when you look at the itinerary, there's going to be 36+ hours between concluding the night dive and the earliest I can imagine anyone flying. There are no worries in this regard...

hey suzi, i was just checking-out the dive registration thread... don't i get to go night diving too??? :(

hey suzi, i was just checking-out the dive registration thread... don't i get to go night diving too??? :(

No Problem. I will sign you up for the night dives also. But, unless people tell me they want to do the optional night dive, I do not automatically sign them up. I posted this, but it's hard to weed through everything at the forum. I'll make sure I include this info in the Night Dive posting.

Thanks for the cool reminder of Flying after a Dive, one last question, do you know anyone in the group that will be shooting film?

I'll be shooting lots of digital - both above and below water - but I haven't used film in years.

Dunno if that answers your question or not...

Thanks for the cool reminder of Flying after a Dive, one last question, do you know anyone in the group that will be shooting film?

At the least, Mike and I will be bringing our UW camera (we don't have a housing to fit our digital camera yet, but may by the time we cruise in 2006). I am hoping someone might consider bringing an UW video camera with them - but I would totally understand why they wouldn't want to. I suppose we can have someone from the dive op do the filming for us (I'll look into this). It would be fun to review our dives on the ship in the sports bar before dinner, and have a cool souvenir to take home. Not sure of the cost involved, though.

I'll see what I come up with. Any input from the group would also be appreciated.

Hey all. I just found this group cruise and it sounds like it will be alot of fun. I do have one question. My husband and I have just gotten our OW certification. While we do plan on doing some dives over the next 19 months I am not sure how many we will be able to do. Will the dives that you have

chosen be able to accomodate "newbies"? Hope to hear from you soon. Nancy

Ditto scoshi........... I am a newbie too and very interested in this cruise..... Now I just need to find a bunkmate........lol......... have several friends I'm working on...... We'll see........

Hey all. I just found this group cruise and it sounds like it will be alot of fun. I do have one question. My husband and I have just gotten our OW certification. While we do plan on doing some dives over the next 19 months I am not sure how many we will be able to do. Will the dives that you have

chosen be able to accomodate "newbies"? Hope to hear from you soon. Nancy

I don't think you'll have any issues. The DM's will be a little particular with the night dive in Cozumel. But otherwise, you will be fine. As all dive operators are going to be concerned with your experience, I would strongly recommend at the least you dive some the summer before we depart. There might be some concern with people who have not been diving recently. 6 months or less is good.

Hope this helps. Please visit our forum for continued input on diving (see my signature for the link).

Ditto scoshi........... I am a newbie too and very interested in this cruise..... Now I just need to find a bunkmate........lol......... have several friends I'm working on...... We'll see........

To take advantage of the $25pp deposit promotion that will end on 5/27/05, you can put down a $50 deposit and take your time in finding a room mate. If in a year you don't, you can cancel and get your money back. You would simply have a "TBA" as the second person on your reservation. There is no charge for a name change.

By depositing the cruise now, instead of doing so later, you lock in our rates with a minimal deposit. Rooms will continue to be available well into 2006, so there's no problem joining the group even a year from now. But prices are going to go up.

Hope this helps.