Scuba certification on Carnival

[landj4always]

Just trying to make final decision on booking a cruise we are going to do a b2b so we will be gone 14 days would like to know if carnival offers scuba certification on any of their ships, and how it works if anyone would happen to know. Thanks a bunch.

[oldmedic]

i am not aware of any Carnival ship that offers a certification course. I believe that all they offer is the "discover scuba" or resort course. Why not check into getting your certification through a local dive shop and do your checkout dives (referral dives) on the cruise? I know you can do the referral check out dives through padi, ssi etc...

[BND]

Everything I've read about scuba says you have to be certified before you go which tells me they don't. I've never seen anything about it. Scuba certification takes weeks. It's not something you can do in a couple of days,.

[funship freddy]

I have been on "other" cruise lines that offered the "resort" scuba course but I haven't seen it on Carnival. I believe I say it on Princes and Holland America.

[Kudos2Fly]

I have seen the "discover scuba" but not to get your cert. Frankly like some other posters have said. You can get certified at home. You can do it in 5 or 6 day strait.. But most places I check out did it over 3 or 4 weeks. You have to do classes then your check out dives. I think I did 2 book classes then 2 water classes where they show you how every thing works and show you emergency problems and other things. Then you do your check out dives..

 

Personally it wouldn't be something I would want to do on vacation.. It cost me $300 to do everything and to buy some equipment...

[skylock]

Just trying to make final decision on booking a cruise we are going to do a b2b so we will be gone 14 days would like to know if carnival offers scuba certification on any of their ships, and how it works if anyone would happen to know. Thanks a bunch.

 

The best way to get scuba certified is to do it is Cozumel on a land vacation. I spent a week there for it and it cost about the same as doing it locally and that included the airfare. I used Aqua Safari. Their pier is right across the street from their shop which is 2 blocks from the cruise ship pier. Stay at Suites Bahia for about $40 a night (includes breakfast). Ask for room 22. Balcony overlooking Pizza Hut where you can observe local life after the cruise ships leave. It is 2 blocks away from the dive shop. You can even sit on the balcony and watch the cruise ships come and go.

 

After certification, you will have 2 days to dive. (you can't dive the day before you fly)

 

Cozumel is amazingly different after the cruise ships leave. I love it.

 

Or as others have said, you can do the class room at home and use cozumel or another port for the open water dives. I dive all the time and for many reasons Cozumel is my recommendation for new divers.

[tomboyy]

Simple answer yes you can do it on a Cruise.

 

Prolly not thru Carival, but it can be done.

 

Book it thru Independants, do your homework, make it happen:D

[dahkota]

I was actually researching this earlier today. If you want full basic certification, you must take a written test, have two swimming pool training sessions, and four open water dives. The written test can be done over the internet (http://www.padi.com/padi/en/sd/whydive.aspx). The pool training should be done locally but may be done at any PADI center. The open water dives can be done at any PADI location also but you must let them know to get credit for it. Once all that is done, you are certified.

 

I plan on doing the on-line training and pool session here, then doing the dives on my caribbean cruise at different ports of call.

[jimw]

Your dive skills will be tested by an Instructor during these 4 dives over 2 days--they are not simply getting wet and continuing to breathe.

 

You will have done all the skills in the pool earlier.

[DqALEX]

If your talking about your last check out dive that can be done. If you are talking about the whole coarse I would do it at home. There is a lot to it. There is also a written test, pool tests, and some movies to see. It took me 8 days for and open water cert. I went 8 straight days from 9am untill 400PM. I had a great instructor. My next level Advanced open water took 4 more days to get and that was a year later. That instructor was no where as good as my first one was. Believe me this is somthing you don't want to rush. Good Luck

[sportsterjohn]

You really have 2 options here. YOu can eithor do the discover scuba dives at your ports. ( chances are CCL will not offer them, you will have to book them independantly) or you can start yoru certification process pre-cruise and then do your check out dives will on the cruise. If you go that route, make sure you have your paper work with you when you go on your cruise. The biggest possible downside to that is if you miss a port, you may get jammed up a bit. I know NCL offers the certification courses on cruises but in all honestly, it probably wouldn't be fun to spend half your cruise in school!!