onboard scuba instruction

[nrh322]

I've noticed that one of the "shore" excursions offered on our cruise is actually a PADI basic open water course for about $250. It looks like it includes all the classroom, pool, and openwater instruction - as well as the equipment rental. That actually makes it a pretty good deal and I'm considering it for my kids. My husband is a newly certified diver and I'm a retired instructor. I was wondering if anyone had taken this class on one of RCCL's ships. If so, how would you rate the quality of instruction you received? Also, does anyone know if there is a way to get in touch with an instructor on a specific ship prior to sailing? We're going to be on the Liberty of the Seas on 8/11. If I'm going to do this, I'd like to contact their scuba instructor beforehand to see how much experience they have - especially with kids. Thanks!

[doubletfan]

I am debating the same thing for myself. I will be on liberty of the seas 9/8. I will be interested to see what others say.:)

[BethV114]

My husband and I will be sailing on the Liberty this Saturday. I got certified a few years ago, but he didn't (since he didn't get to go to Jamaica with my sister and I!!). While looking through the excursions, we also saw that you can get PADI certified on the ship. I was curious about this, so I submitted an e-mail to RCI. The information I received was as follows: Yes, the excursion does include the book work, pool time, rentals and 2 check-out dives. The additional two dives needed for certification are not included and can only be booked on the ship, not in advance. Also, availability of the remaining two dives is not guaranteed. :(

We didn't want to take a chance on my husband doing all that work while on vacation and then not getting certified, so we opted to get him certified before we left. I found a dive shop that let him read the book at his own pace, then set up an appointment to go through the knowledge reviews at his own convenience before spending an afternoon doing the pool section at a local Y. The following week (this past weekend) we headed out to Pennsylvania with the instructors and a great group of other people in a similar situation (going away soon and wanted to be certified before they left) for the check out dives. It worked out quite well - my husband got certified and my sister and I got to do a "tune up" and then go out and do some fun diving on our own. Yes it was cold, but we think it was totally worth it not to have to spend our precious vacation time studying and then risking the chance that he wouldn't be able to get all of the dives done. :eek:

Since you're not traveling for a few months, I might suggest trying to get the kids certified before you leave with a reputable dive operation at home. Who know who you'll end up with on the boat and your kids might not get the attention they need/deserve. Plus, you run the risk of wasting all that time and effort, but not being able to complete the course. Just my two cents. ;)

[LexusIS350]

my wife just did the course on AOS. she felt it was great. i am not a diver and don't understand all of the nuances, but she can go down to about 40' on a dive.

also, as a student , she got an absolutely fantastic deal on buying DUTY FREE?TAX FREE equipment.:eek: :p

[rsscaptain]

My husband went halfway through the course at home with my brother, but didn't finish. Can the training that he has had count towards becoming certified? He can rarely make appointments with his schedule would likely enjoy doing this on the cruise.

[nrh322]

Hey Beth... Thanks for the information. That stinks that they only provide 2 out of the 4 needed open water dives. You're right that I have time to do this at home before we leave and I do have a lot of friends here that are still instructors so... On the other hand, it is a LOT cheaper and would keep the kids busy for a good long time. Hmmmm. Something to think about. Would you mind saving me some legwork and sharing the contact information if it's allowed by the mods here? I'm new to these boards and not 100% sure of all the rules. Thanks.

[nrh322]

For everyone else's information...FWIW... Speaking as a former instructor, it's really easy to do the paperwork for someone to split their course. You can take your classroom and pool stuff at home with one instructor and then do your open water dives on vacation with a different instructor. You just have to ask for a "referral". PADI even has a quickie class where you watch a bunch of videos and do all your classroom stuff at home and then go in and take a test and do your pools. You can knock that out in a weekend if you study. I don't highly recommend this course of study unless you have a buddy that's a pretty experienced diver, but it's a quick way to get started.

[BethV114]

Hey Beth... Thanks for the information. That stinks that they only provide 2 out of the 4 needed open water dives. You're right that I have time to do this at home before we leave and I do have a lot of friends here that are still instructors so... On the other hand, it is a LOT cheaper and would keep the kids busy for a good long time. Hmmmm. Something to think about. Would you mind saving me some legwork and sharing the contact information if it's allowed by the mods here? I'm new to these boards and not 100% sure of all the rules. Thanks.

 

I deleted the e-mails from the person at RCI after I found out that there was no guarantee that my husband would be able to get all of his check out dives completed on board. You can probably just do what I did and go on to the RCI website, click on contact us, and select "shore excursions" from the drop down menu on the e-mail form. Unlike other e-mails that I had sent to RCI that either never received a response or took forever to receive one, the gentleman at shore excursions did get back to me fairly quickly (within a day or two).

Since you are a retired instructor and can fill in any "gaps," you might not be as concerned with who ends up teaching your kids, but I'm not very experienced, so we wanted to make sure my husband went with a knowledgeable, experienced instructor and the gentleman I did reach at RCI was either unwilling or unable to provide more specific information than to tell me about the check-out dives (i.e. couldn't get a name or any other information about the instructor/dive operation). Sorry I coudn't be more helpful :(

[nrh322]

Beth... Thanks! You were actually super helpful. I'm hoping that I can track down the actual instructor ahead of time. I can tell a lot just from their responses to my questions. I'll be on my kids like stink on **** when we're diving for a good long time, but I think that they'll learn better from a stranger than they would from me or one of my friends. I always get unbelievably good progress reports from their teachers at school. My kids?? Really? No way! I'll let you know what I think if I ever track the instructor down. Thanks again.

[hcw80]

Beth... Thanks! You were actually super helpful. I'm hoping that I can track down the actual instructor ahead of time. I can tell a lot just from their responses to my questions. I'll be on my kids like stink on **** when we're diving for a good long time, but I think that they'll learn better from a stranger than they would from me or one of my friends. I always get unbelievably good progress reports from their teachers at school. My kids?? Really? No way! I'll let you know what I think if I ever track the instructor down. Thanks again.

 

 

As a teacher, I totally agree. I could not teach my own. I'm in wonder of those people who successfully homeschool children.

 

I have dove quite frequently off cruise ships. Athough I usually book in advance, they always seem to have room for divers. Last time in Nassau there were only 5 of us. So I don't think you would get bumped off any qualifying dives due to space. I think they are reluctant to guarentee all four dives due to weather. However, you can come with a c-card and still not get a dive in due to weather or ocean conditions.

 

There is nothing like learning to dive in the Caribbean, esp. if you are comparing it to a lake dive or cold ocean.

[mjyanne]

My DW and DS got certified on AOS in March 2005. We were on the Aruba, Curacao, St Maarten and St Thomas itinerary. The did the coursework the 1st sea day (5-hours), then the pool work in the AM in Aruba. Their first 2 open water dives were scheduled for Curacao but got cancelled due to poor visibility. The opted to do the remainder course work on the 2nd sea day then did their first 2 dives in St Maarten and then the additional 2 dives (which we paid for over and above the cost of the PADI course) in St Thomas. (we knew the classroom and pool time would eat into the vacation but that was factored in so we really didn't miss anything.

 

The instructors were very experienced and worked well with everyone (there were 6 students) ( I watched the pool tarining and even took pictures). I understand the concern with knowing the instructors skill level but would encourage you to do this on the ship (unless you do the course work at home and get the PADI referral). You can always cancel if you don't like the instructors.

 

BTW, both DW and DS are glad they got certified and have since done 2 shark dives (among other general dives) and are currently working towards additional certifications.

[TiredOl6]

Does anyone know which Royal Carribean ships or iteneraries offer this.

 

We are booked on the 10 night Jewel of the Seas (partial Panama Canal transit) in April and I would be interested in the onboard scuba certification if it is offered.

 

Thanks!

[hoop4321]

I would not recommend the courses on the boat. Both my husband and I are dive masters who have worked in the dive industry here in south Florida during college. We were both encouraged to become an instructor, but honestly we made more money with tips and lobsters than the instructors. I have seen many instructors on the decks of our boats, and there are very few I would trust my son with. So many OW to Instr in 8 weeks or less, and they gush about how they have always loved the sea......so scary in the water that they are still window washing to keep buoyancy much less be able to instruct what very could be a life altering event to their students. I recommend getting comfy in the water, particularly the water at home where you will spend most of your time diving. My 13 yr old son is being certified in a few months. We followed DAN's recommendation to wait based on some kids chambers of their hearts not fully grown. We pushed back our cruise to give him more time to dive locally and get comfy with his gear. My husband did dive through RCCL in G Cayman last spring break, and was not impressed with the instructor. He watched a bit of the pool work and said the instructor seemed to be more interested in the bikinis on deck than his students in the water. This was one instructor on one ship...which amounts to nothing when you may get a great instructor who treats his job seriously. It would however give me pause, especially since it is my kid.

 

Last but not least, both my husband and I have had to save newbie divers. When they have your octopus and you know they are trying to bolt and you have to calm them down without words at 80ft is sobering. The aftermath when you have them on deck is just as bad. Looking for signs in him and you are looking for signs in you to go to the chamber. At the end of the day, everyone agrees the new Padi guidelines are far too lax. Some people should fail and not get a C-card.

 

Off my box...;)Good luck either way. Enjoy your cruise.:)

[HorrorFan]

I don't understand how anyone can get certified on a cruise ship. When we did ours (NAUI) in the 80's we did 16 WEEKS, 3 HOURS PER WEEK of combined classroom and pool time. Then the open water on top of that. How can you cram that into 5 or 6 hours? I don't understand.

I wouldn't let my kids do it that way.

[SwimnwFishes]

I can't imagine how they can even guarantee 2 of the required dives! Unless they've come up with a way to control the weather and the seas. I've had a number of water related excursions cancelled because of rough seas and the last thing you want in rough seas is a class full of new divers trying to enter/exit boats and all the other things divers have to do.

 

I'm with the folks that say get certified at home before you cruise.

 

Also, I would argue that buying equipment onboard ship isn't necessarily less expensive than buying it elsewhere. Plus you have the additional stuff that you THEN have to squeeze into what are probably overloaded suitcases when you leave. I usually travel with my dive gear (fins/mask/skins etc.) and while I'm very excited about having it on the front end of the trip...by the end of the trip it's become cumbersome and a lot more weight than I care to mess with. Also I would argue that just as buying "things" in the ships other areas may or may NOT be a good deal, the same is true with scuba gear. Although I had to buy a new snorkle once, I don't consider the almost $45.00 I had to spend a "good deal".

[hoop4321]

DH has a theory....his dive gear has seen the everyday....it deserves a vacation too! Seriously, dive gear is so personal, I don't want to depend on rentals that 9 times out of 10 don't get proper maint. We always were careful to rinse gear but I can't tell you how many people dunked it in the tank with out the reg cap screwed on, or BCs full of salt water. People like to think that they are invincible during vacations, they are wrong. I have held the hand of vacationers who stopped thinking about all the fun, and start worrying about survival. I never want that to be me or anyone in my family. It was never fun for the crew:( Although, when you save them they tip very, very well :D

[gxchan]

I've noticed that one of the "shore" excursions offered on our cruise is actually a PADI basic open water course for about $250. It looks like it includes all the classroom, pool, and openwater instruction - as well as the equipment rental. That actually makes it a pretty good deal and I'm considering it for my kids. My husband is a newly certified diver and I'm a retired instructor. I was wondering if anyone had taken this class on one of RCCL's ships. If so, how would you rate the quality of instruction you received? Also, does anyone know if there is a way to get in touch with an instructor on a specific ship prior to sailing? We're going to be on the Liberty of the Seas on 8/11. If I'm going to do this, I'd like to contact their scuba instructor beforehand to see how much experience they have - especially with kids. Thanks!

 

I was on Explorer in early December and took the PADI Certification course--the certification allows you to dive to 40 feet but you must dive with a Master Diver. There are two additional courses (there are 5 total) to get your full certification.

 

The first day I on the ship I checked with the dive shop and was given a book and told to read the first 3 chapters-I think it was about 140 pages. This is the self-study portion with several quizzes in each chapter.

 

The second morning is equipment and pool instruction. The equipment instruction was good but b/c of time constraints the pool instruction was limited to showing us how to do something, us doing it once and then moving on whether we did it correctly or not. Bouyancy control is an incredibly important skill and the instructor said it wasn't really possible to learn it in the ship's pool (too shallow) or in such a short time; he was right. The equipment and pool time ran from 7:30 a.m. to 11:30 a.m.

 

That afternoon from 1:30 to 4 p.m. we watched DVDs that covered what was in the book and took a written test--you have to get 70% to pass.

 

The open water dives were in St. Maarten. Again b/c of time constraints the teaching part was shortened--we duck walked off the boat each once, this is where we were supposed to learn how much weight to use but instead the instructor just handed us weights--mine were too heavy and I sunk like a stone!

 

I got my certification and did my first open water dive in Dominica, what a beautiful place to dive. First thing I did when I got home was sign up for a diving class to go over in depth what I learned on the ship and to get my full certification.

 

The instructor was a nice guy but teaching isn't his strong suit and the time constraints really hampered our ability to develop the necessary skills.