Diving Pricess Cays

[scubaduba]

As Princess does not offer any scuba diving at Princess Cays in Eleuthera I was told I may be able to book something witha local company. I've also heard of locals that hang around the dock and offer to take people diving. Has anyone had any experience with this? I also found a local dive shop that would let me charter their boat with a captain, tanks, and weights for up to 6 people for around 475.00 + crew tip. Which would be a cheap trip for 6 divers to split for a half day of diving in Eluethera. Anyone else on this trip diving?:cool:

[cruzegirl]

I could be wrong but I was there Jan. 2005 and there was no diving offered.... Neither the cruise ship nor private shops offered diving.... So unless they've starting offering it, I don't believe it's available... Plenty of snorkeling and free diving... It's a small little island with just a couple of shops and plenty of beach......Enjoy

[scubaduba]

Yes Debbie your right, I'm aware that there is virtually nothing to do in Princess Cay other than eat, get sunburn, and get herded around like cattle in a feed line. However, I had heard rumors. I Struck gold today when I contacted Bohimian Customs office in Eluethera. They made me aware that there is a private school I might contact and gave me the phone number. http://www.islandschool.org/index.html . It is a private school for aspirering marine biology students at the high school level. Don't know if my son will ever go there due to the $32,000 tuition + books per year. They will, (for $150 per person) take me diving on there exclusive research reef sites. Basically I have the boat to myself with a private dive instructor who will show me around. Get this, the the buck fifty is considered a donation to the school, need to talk to my accountant. Thanks for the reply. Does anyone else want to get in on this? I guess there are no other divers on this trip.

Thanks for the reply.

[bruce-r]

Does anyone else want to get in on this? I guess there are no other divers on this trip.

Better post this on the roll call for your sailing before you can be certain of this.

 

It as always confounded me that Princess, the cruise line with the official PADI affiliation, doesn't offer diving on their private island. Most other cruise lines do offer diving, even HAL who has a much older age demographic than Princess.

[scubaduba]

Better post this on the roll call for your sailing before you can be certain of this.

 

It as always confounded me that Princess, the cruise line with the official PADI affiliation, doesn't offer diving on their private island. Most other cruise lines do offer diving, even HAL who has a much older age demographic than Princess.

 

Bruce-r, there you are again, It's ashame your not on this ship I think you and I share many of the same practices in this hobby. It would be nice to find another tech diver on board to go on some deep stuff in St. Thomas. Did I read somewhere in your posts that you would never dive St. Maarten again? Bad experience?:cool:

[bruce-r]

Did I read somewhere in your posts that you would never dive St. Maarten again? Bad experience?:cool:

Well, I don't like to say never, but I probably would take a pass on diving there next time I happen to be there unless the ocean was really, really calm. Swells and surge make for bad visibility and difficult boat reboarding. The two dives I did there on a previous cruise rank in the top 10 all time least enjoyable dives. For my next visit to St. Maarten a visit to Orient Beach would be a higher priority.

[S&M in Pgh]

A few year back on the Grand Princess, I wsa told by the divemaster on the ship that Princess does not want to assume the liability of running any dive excursions on their own out of Princess Cay. That and he said there is no decent reef structure within a reasonable baot ride from the dock.

 

I guess Princess is hesitant to develop any artificial reef since they are only leasing the space. But still a decent size wreck in say 40 or 50 feet of water would not be that expensive or hard to arrange.

 

Would love to be able to dive there since the snorkeling sucks. At least it did back in 2004.

 

Mike