cocoa cay snorkeling

[lhook]

Does anyone know if they have snorkeling gear that you can use on cocoa cay? Is there a charge for it -also do they have boogie boards?

 

Thanks

Leslie

[Cruisechick82]

Yes, they do, it should actually be listed as a shore excursion you can book online or onboard.

 

I don't know about the boogie boards.

[cheewiee]

Does the fee cover just gear rental?

 

If I bring my own gear, can I swim out to all the cool places that this 'excursion' goes, like the plane wreck?

[flpenguin]

You can bring your own gear but must rent a vest for $6. They yell at you and send you back to the beach if you don't have the vest.

[cheewiee]

You can bring your own gear but must rent a vest for $6. They yell at you and send you back to the beach if you don't have the vest.

 

What if I bring my own vest? ;)

 

I just find the 27 bucks for their gear to be i dunno a little outragous.. Not to mention every time I snorkled using rental gear, the gear is usualy crap... for 27-6(For the vest rental) I should be able to get a pretty good mask/snorkle set... I already have the fins... and they are mine to keep....

[Carl2860]

Does anyone know if they have snorkeling gear that you can use on cocoa cay? Is there a charge for it -also do they have boogie boards?

 

Thanks

Leslie

 

We just rented the vest "6.00 each", but check your receipt as they tried to charge us the 27.00 each.

 

I have posted some pictures taken with a cheap camera this past April 2nd at CocoCay.

 

public.fotki.com/carl2860

[PSCruiser]

Last time there, I brought all my own stuff (including a vest from ebay), and no problem at all. Just ask some of the life guard people where to find the best snorkeling, as we wasted a lot of time before we did that.

[LittleBit]

Although it does take up luggage space, I prefer to travel with my own snorkel and mask. Just cautious I guess - don't really trust that "soup" they rinse stuff in.... I wear contacts so I guess I'm always nervous that a rented mask won't fit the same as mine does.

 

I was able to rent fins and a vest when we went to CoCo Cay (actually, the guy didn't even charge me).

 

Take a water camera (buy in advance) with you - if you can get one with flash that works better in the deeper part. I got some nice sting ray shots but the water makes everything look weird/dark.

[gumballz]

Definitely purchase your water camera before you go. We bought ours at home for about $6 and they were selling them on the ship for $20.

 

There's a few snorkeling photos from our recent trip to Coco Cay here http://pg.photos.yahoo.com/ph/gumballzcruise/my_photos

[motherofthebride]

Is there a way to enlarge the daily activity sheets? This is my first cruise and I've been curious about what all is offered. Thanks so much for posting your pictures.

[gumballz]

Hmmm, I thought you could but I don't see how. I'll see about uploading them somewhere else where you can. I'll get back to you. :)

[gumballz]

motherofthebride, try this. http://community.webshots.com/user/gumballzcruise

 

At the bottom of each photo you can click 'view full size'. That will bring the photo up bigger. If it still looks small, hold your mouse over the photo and a little box will appear in the bottom right. Click that and it will expand so you can read it. :)

[motherofthebride]

Thanks! I'll have to try that at home. The last site you sent is restricted here at work. I appreciate you taking the time to help.

[gumballz]

Not a problem at all. I love to help! :) Let me know if it works. If it doesn't, I'll just send you the photos one at a time (they're large).

[motherofthebride]

That worked Gumballz! Thanks again.

[iluvcruzin]

Does the fee cover just gear rental?

 

If I bring my own gear, can I swim out to all the cool places that this 'excursion' goes, like the plane wreck?

 

If you bring your own gear, including a vest you will be fine. Or rent a vest like others said for $6.00. They will yell at you for not having a vest but I think it's a crock. The water is not land so I don't understand their point other than trying to make a extra buck.

 

The snorkling there this past January was very poor. From what I was told that the hurricanes did a number on the island as far as underwater life. As far as a shipwreck, there is none. RCCL took some fabricated cannons and placed them out a ways to have you swim out to them.

 

If one is planning on renting all the gear, I would recommend skipping this as a snorkle stop and plan it another day like at St. Thomas. Or, buy your own for the whole trip (and future ones) including a vest off Ebay. Check under the packages for snorkle & mask as they sell them for around $25 or less.

[motherofthebride]

Gumballz, if I'm not mistaken on your Nassau7 pic that sign silhouette is a Harley dealer sign. If so, where do I find the shop when I get to Nassau?

[gumballz]

lol...motherofthebride, good eyes! Ok, when you get off the ship you have to walk through 'Festival Place' (welcomenassau2). Once through there you'll go down a small road (nassau6). When you get past the iron gates (Pirana Joe's is across the street) you'll go to the left. The Harley shop is down approx. 3 or 4 shops (not positive, but it's not far) on the right. You'll see the horse drawn carriage rides across the street from it.

 

In photo nassau6, there's a woman in a mint green tank with a white skirt on. She's walking towards the Harley shop.

 

Does that make sense?

[motherofthebride]

:) Thanks!!! Have to pop in and pick up a Nassau HD shirt.

[PhinsAndGills]

Snorkeling CocoCay was probably the most fun and best snorkeling I've done (which includes Nassau, Coz, Jamaica, and Belize). I saw eagle rays, a puffer fish, countless yellow snappers and sgt. majors. WHAT FUN!

 

Anyway, we have ALL our own equipment just because we're in the water EVERY cruise we take. We have a seperate hardsided suitcase for the equip which is also great for bringing back souvies. :)

 

HAVE FUN!

[LilPony]

I'm on the Eastern MAriner and we are all kinda beach bums - first cruise though - we 're going to bring our own gear - last rental was horrible - sounds like we will be OK in Coco Cay - rather than take a tour are the beaches far from the port in St Thomas and St Marten - we are newbees at cruising and venturing out in Carribbean - we have always did the all-inclusive thing with chartered tours - any help would be appreciated

Thanks

Lil

[gumballz]

Our snorkeling in Coco Cay was the first time we had snorkeled anywhere but we're hooked. Like you, we'll be snorkeling everywhere from now on. I thought it was so pretty and to have the fish swim up to your face and rub up against you was something that I never could have imagined I'd be experiencing! The schools of fish were HUGE too! The best excursion of the cruise, by far! :)

 

I didn't feel that wearing the vest was a big deal. I just let the air out of it so I could dive down. As long as you have it on, they won't get upset with you. They don't care if it's blown up or not (which is kinda silly since it will do you no good if there's no air in it and you were struggling to stay afloat but whatever).

[SharkCruiser24]

Last November I cruised on Sovereign of the Seas, on Sunday we went to CocoCay. I've been there before but only played on the beach with my little brother. This time he wasn't there and my dad didn't want to stay on the island. I told him I wanted to snorkel with Adventure Ocean, so he had to sign a waver. It cost me $18, and I got a "free" guide, one of the counselors, Joe Mama, who is awesome. I was the only one so we went out for nearly 2 hours and he took me to all the wrecks and out to sea a little, where the current is almost stroger than your swimming. Anyway, I got the $18 & "guide" because I was participating in Adventure Ocean, if my dad was adventurous, he would have had to pay $25. And the gear was fine.

 

CocoCay- In November the beach is still hot (87 degreesish). There were many jellyfish like "fish" they didn't have tenticals, and from what I heard they didn't sting they burned. Anyway, those were near the shore, when I was out in the water I saw maybe two or three. About the shore, be careful when you are coming in from snorkeling, the water gets shallow (& I made the mistake to take my fins off) and gets deep again maybe 5'10" or 6'. The plane wreck (straight, between the two lifegua stands) is cool, swim down there and peak in, fish galoure, in a tight pack too. The ship wreck(off to the right) was a little disappointing, all you could see was the bow and it was wood. The reef (off to the left) were awesome, we saw stingrays huge ones. CocoCay is a pleasant little island, my parents don't consider it a stop, rather a day @sea, but I love it.