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Belize - scuba is back on Carnival website


ABQrobin
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Just looked at my cruise I have booked for later this year, and noticed that Belize now has a Scuba Excursion! This is new, no scuba excursions for over 2 years since Hugh Parkey canceled contact with all cruise lines. So now.... just wondering who is doing it and where exactly they are going. It says Turneffe island in description, which is pretty far away but I think that is where excursions went before.

If anyone books....please post a report here for the rest of us. I would love to hear about it.

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We did Barrier Reef snorkel & Star Fish island in 2015 when we went to Belize the last time. We enjoyed the excursion do you have any specific questions?

 

I am not familiar with Turneffe Island nor Hugh Parkey.

 

What I remember most was it was beautiful clear water, deep over our head but you could see the bottom. They tour guide went out in the water with us to show/point out different things. The water had a current so the life vest was a must, not a problem but I just wanted to point that out.

 

I do have pictures but need to know what you are interested in.

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If you are docking in Belize City, there is only one dive shop in the city. All others are in Ambergris Cay.

 

You can take a short (hop) flight to the Cay otherwise I think they said the boat ride was about an hour.

 

I dove with the shop in Belize City, Sea Sports Belize. I enjoyed the dive, the guide, and the surface interval food. I was very satisfied with trip and would dive with them again. They are within walking distance of the port.

 

For me, one of the other deciding points was the tendering. I just didn't want to pay $200pp for flights, dives, and worrying about getting back on time.

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If you are docking in Belize City, there is only one dive shop in the city. All others are in Ambergris Cay.

 

You can take a short (hop) flight to the Cay otherwise I think they said the boat ride was about an hour.

 

I dove with the shop in Belize City, Sea Sports Belize. I enjoyed the dive, the guide, and the surface interval food. I was very satisfied with trip and would dive with them again. They are within walking distance of the port.

 

For me, one of the other deciding points was the tendering. I just didn't want to pay $200pp for flights, dives, and worrying about getting back on time.

 

That was not what this post was about.....it was that there is a scuba excursion that picks up AT all the cruise ships again. No need to tender into town.

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That was not what this post was about.....it was that there is a scuba excursion that picks up AT all the cruise ships again. No need to tender into town.

 

Robin,

 

 

Any idea who the operator is? I realize you've not yet gone on the cruise.

 

Harris

Denver, CO

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Robin,

 

 

Any idea who the operator is? I realize you've not yet gone on the cruise.

 

Harris

Denver, CO

 

Looks like it is Hugh Parkey Dive again. Same as who used to do it.

There seems to be a few reviews on Trip Advisor already.

No idea what has changed if anything.

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I would hope it is Hugh Parkey again. I have been there four times and very much look forward to going back. Last time there during our surface interval a pod of wild Dolphins swam by and when I jumped in they came to the boat and played with us for about 10 minutes before moving on. Turneffe is their usual stop and I`ve never seen another operator there. Have a great time.

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  • 1 month later...

I too am hoping that it is still Hugh Parkeys, as I had a great day of diving with them last year. I had read online that they had closed their shop on look out caye to focus on their San Pedro operations. I also have seen some sites listing the lodge for sale.

 

I will be able to confirm the operator soon, I am booked on this excursion next week and will report back.

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I too am hoping that it is still Hugh Parkeys, as I had a great day of diving with them last year. I had read online that they had closed their shop on look out caye to focus on their San Pedro operations. I also have seen some sites listing the lodge for sale.

 

I will be able to confirm the operator soon, I am booked on this excursion next week and will report back.

 

What ship are you on? We are on the Freedom next week. Not diving in Belize, too many other things we like to do there, but we are diving Coz and Roatan.

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What ship are you on? We are on the Freedom next week. Not diving in Belize, too many other things we like to do there, but we are diving Coz and Roatan.

I am on the breeze, I have never dove from a ship in Cozumel but have dove Roatan with Anthony's key, I will be again this week, and it was an outstanding experience.

 

I you get the chance the Turneffe reef in Belize is amazing and only accessible by a long boat trip unless you are on a cruise and anchored half way there already! It's an expensive excursion but well worth it! The dives I have had through this excursion are in the top 10 out of over 500 I've done all over the Caribbean.

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  • 4 weeks later...
I am on the breeze, I have never dove from a ship in Cozumel but have dove Roatan with Anthony's key, I will be again this week, and it was an outstanding experience.

 

I you get the chance the Turneffe reef in Belize is amazing and only accessible by a long boat trip unless you are on a cruise and anchored half way there already! It's an expensive excursion but well worth it! The dives I have had through this excursion are in the top 10 out of over 500 I've done all over the Caribbean.

 

If they are seriously going to take you to Turneffe then GO GO GO, do not think twice. The offshore atolls/islands have truly outstanding diving, the diving close to shore in Belize is mediocre in comparison.

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  • 2 months later...

Did anyone find out who Carnival is now using?

We are going in Feb 2018 and currently no Belize dives are offered.

I contacted Hugh Parkey they said they were not doing Carnival dives then.

So I just wondered was Carnival using someone else?

Parkey said we can book a dive thru them...but I figured I'd wait a bit and see if Carnival decided to offer a dive there before committing.

But there are loads of ships there that day so don't want to wait too long.

 

Sent from my XT1030 using Forums mobile app

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Hugh Parkey also runs diving from their shore based site. I would avoid diving direct from the mainland. Make sure you ask which site if you book direct with them. Their island is a good 30/45 minute boat ride each way.

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  • 3 weeks later...
  • 2 weeks later...

I've just booked for the Feb 3, 2018 carnival freedom just for scuba diving Honduras, Belize, & cozumel. Have done this itinerary many times before. Was disappointed on last year's cruise that carnival didn't have a diving excursion on Belize. But prices are extremely high on Belize, $165, vs $100 & $85 for Honduras & cozumel. Will def do Honduras & cozumel, first & last, & may skip Belize in between, unless I'm more convinced it's extraordinary special.

Thoughts....?

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I've just booked for the Feb 3, 2018 carnival freedom just for scuba diving Honduras, Belize, & cozumel. Have done this itinerary many times before. Was disappointed on last year's cruise that carnival didn't have a diving excursion on Belize. But prices are extremely high on Belize, $165, vs $100 & $85 for Honduras & cozumel. Will def do Honduras & cozumel, first & last, & may skip Belize in between, unless I'm more convinced it's extraordinary special.

Thoughts....?

 

The cost of diving in Belize is high due to the reefs being so far from the cruise ship area. It is a long way, and gas is expensive. It is a 2 hour boat ride each direction on a good day. ... so the price is not due to quality, it is due to distance alone.

 

Roatan and Cozumel are great diving, regardless.

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I've just booked for the Feb 3, 2018 carnival freedom just for scuba diving Honduras, Belize, & cozumel. Have done this itinerary many times before. Was disappointed on last year's cruise that carnival didn't have a diving excursion on Belize. But prices are extremely high on Belize, $165, vs $100 & $85 for Honduras & cozumel. Will def do Honduras & cozumel, first & last, & may skip Belize in between, unless I'm more convinced it's extraordinary special.

Thoughts....?

 

The dives I have had off of the ship on turneffe are among the best I have had in over 100 in Belize. Far better than San Pedro and on par with lighthouse, the additional dives you do with blue hole. I would deffinately recommend this excursion and the operator (if I recall correctly it’s operated by aqua scuba Belize) is top notch! The price is mostly due to the distance from the ship but also the quality of the dives. If you were to dive this atoll from the mainland it’s an additional hour of travel time since the dives boat picks you up at the ship.

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  • 4 months later...

I know this is older, but for future searchers-

We did the Turneffe Atoll excursion off Carnival Magic in Nov. 2017

The dive op used is Aqua Scuba based in San Pedro. They picked up us at the ship and it was about an hour boat ride to the dive site. Of course this varies for each cruise, but we had 13 divers and 3 DMs, a captain and a deck hand.

There were 2 groups of 6 and the one guy who had arranged for his own DM.

We brought our own gear, but the rental gear looked like it was in good shape, the boat was keep tidy and there was plenty of room. We had fruit and water during the SI, and a Belizean lunch of chicken, rice and beans and pasta salad after.

The diving was okay. We didn't see anything spectacular, but they were nice dives. Best dives we've ever done in Belize ( because they are the only ones LOL) 1f609.png

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We also went with Aqua Scuba. The boat was a bit questionable but serviceable.

The boat for the other two Carnival ships was a bit nicer. The guys were great and I appreciate that they handled the less experienced divers in a separate group from the more experienced. We had 45-55 min dives with lots of life. The lobsters were the most fun that day...they were just everywhere. But also lots of eels...even saw a Golden Moray. Too cool.

They are not fancy...But we would definitely dive with them again.

 

Sent from my SM-T350 using Forums mobile app

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