Need advice on which port best for snorkeling on NCL Getaway Western Caribbean

Hi,

I'll be on the Norwegian Getaway on February 11, 2018 which goes to the following ports:

Costa Maya - Mexico (private cruise port)

Harvest Caye - Belize (private island)

Roatan - Honduras

Cozumel - Mexico

Does anyone have an opinion on which of these ports has the best snorkeling?

Thanks.

Roatan or Cozumel. Roatan has the best from shore snorkeling IMO. Walk into the water and the reef is right there. You can snorkel for hours on your own off West Bay Beach. Cozumel has great reefs, but requires a boat trip to get to the best spots. Still very good, but I prefer Roatan. Haven't been to the first two ports, however snorkeling the reef from Belize City port required a lengthy boat trip and it wasn't nearly as good as either Cozumel or Roatan.

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Thanks so much! I have been to Cozumel many times but never snorkeled there. Never been to Roatan. I prefer snorkeling with a guide, as I'm not a good swimmer. I also prefer calm water and once I snorkeled off the coast of Cancun and the water was very choppy, so I'm wondering if snorkeling in Cozumel is also that way.

Cozumel can be choppy, depending on how windy it is. Probably the same for Roatan, but since it is much closer to shore, there would be more of a comfort level for you I think. Roatan has guys in kayaks helping people, guiding them through the reef if they wish, and just keeping an eye on people. You can also go with a guide in the water when you get there as well. I planned on going on my own, but when I got there, they told me to jump on a group going out with a guide, even though I hadn't paid for the snorkel add on. The rest of the day I went by myself. There's also two parts to that reef, a shallow part, and then a bit further out, the deeper section, the far edge of which is the deep blue drop off. I think the amount of fish and coral you can see in the shallow section will be very satisfying for you, even if you don't choose to venture further out. Cozumel, I've only snorkeled in one spot on the reef, but the water was much deeper, 25+ ft, and the guide didn't do much guiding, acted more like a lifeguard. This was a tour through Royal Caribbean. I still had fun, as I ventured out ahead of everyone by myself and saw some great things, like Eagle Rays, that the rest of the group didn't see. But I'm a strong swimmer and an experienced snorkeler. I'm planning on doing a three stop snorkel there in a few weeks.

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Roatan is awesome! We have booked transportation through Banarama and we have used Victor Bodden Tours to go to West Bay beach.

There is an entry point by Infinity Bay resort where you can walk right in from the beach and snorkel away. A lot of fish, also have seen a school of baby squid 2x.

http://bananarama.com/activities/cruiseship-packages/

http://www.boddentours.com/

Cozumel is deeper water. The reefs are mostly 10 to 20 feet below the water. You drift over following a boat because of the current. It can be a little rough.

Thanks so much for the replies and the info!

Another vote for Roatan.

Roatan wins! I think we'll go to Bananarama resort - a lot of people have raved about the shore snorkeling there, and I think they have boat trips as well. Jolly Roger is pricey ($100 pp) and people have said the snorkeling site they go to is not that great. I also wanted some beach time before/after snorkeling, so Bananarama fits the bill.

We are on the same cruise! Have you joined the roll call?

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I have not - I'll do it now!

Hi,

 

I'll be on the Norwegian Getaway on February 11, 2018 which goes to the following ports:

 

Costa Maya - Mexico (private cruise port)

Harvest Caye - Belize (private island)

Roatan - Honduras

Cozumel - Mexico

 

Does anyone have an opinion on which of these ports has the best snorkeling?

 

Thanks.

Well if you read this what was the outcome after all the great advice?