Scuba Diving

[fairfieldcruiser]

Any divers out there? We are planning a 3/1/09 cruise on Crown with interest in the diving in Grand Turk. Has anyone ventured outside of the Princess certified scuba trip and booked with someone else? Are there any recommendations?

[fairfieldcruiser]

Figured out how to do a search and found the answer to my question. Am going to google Blue Water Divers to check out their dives. Thanks!

[Cosmo30068]

My husband & I were on the Crown in November & dove in Grand Turk with Blue Water Divers. Their website is www.grandturkscuba.com. I think they take a maximum of six divers (there was a total of five divers plus the dive master with us). While we were in the boat headed to the first dive site, we saw the dive boat carrying the ship's excursion. It was jammed with divers. We enjoyed our space. It was a great day. I wouldn't hesitate to book with them again!

[kodiac]

We too are divers and dive with Blue Water and Oasis in the area. Oasis divers has larger dive boats than blue water, but both are great. Don't forget to check out the Tunnel and Coral Gardens as they are two of my favorite sites.

[fairfieldcruiser]

Thanks kodiac and Cosmo....you guys rock. Am researching both recommended dive outfits now.:)

[ShipsandDipper]

I think you'll almost always have a better experience booking your own dive excursion. Be careful about times, though. At Grand Turk it seemed like the independent opportunities were timed so that they left too early or got back too late for our ship. We caved in and went on a ship-sponsored snorkeling excursion because of those issues, and it was so crowded and horrible I swore never to take any ship-sponsored excursion again. I've stuck by that decision and not yet regretted it.

[fairfieldcruiser]

I tend to agree with you ShipsandDipper. However, when I contacted Oasis Divers, I was told that they are the company currently providing the ship's diving excursions and that they wouldn't have a separate tour going out independently on the same day.

[kodiac]

If that is the case, why dont you book with the ship? I have nothing but great to say about Oasis.

[fairfieldcruiser]

That's exactly what I plan to do. Thanks to everyone who took the time to give me advice.

[NeurosurgeryNP]

We dove with the ship's excursion with Oasis in April. We have a short shore time, and we definitely felt we needed to book with the ship's excursion to be safe. We got back about 30 mins before all aboard.

 

With that being said, the Oasis boat did seem like a cattleboat - there were about 15 of us on board. However, there were 2 instructors who dove with us and we separated into 2 different groups and went separate ways, only to meet up at the end of the dive. We all saw the same things. Therefore, once off the boat, it seemed like a usual guided dive with a group in an area that you are unfamiliar with.

 

We did not have any problem with Oasis and using this format - we felt well taken care of.

[scoruntt]

Oasis Divers are the best.Will use them every time I go to Grand Turk.

 

Scoruntt

[Stevesan]

We dove with the ship's excursion with Oasis in April. We have a short shore time, and we definitely felt we needed to book with the ship's excursion to be safe. We got back about 30 mins before all aboard.

 

With that being said, the Oasis boat did seem like a cattleboat - there were about 15 of us on board. However, there were 2 instructors who dove with us and we separated into 2 different groups and went separate ways, only to meet up at the end of the dive. We all saw the same things. Therefore, once off the boat, it seemed like a usual guided dive with a group in an area that you are unfamiliar with.

 

We did not have any problem with Oasis and using this format - we felt well taken care of.

 

 

You ain't seen a cattle boat.

I witnessed Red Sail putting 125 cruise ship snorkelers on a cat at Aruba. That's a cattleboat!!!! :p

 

I went with Dive Fair Helen on a mixed dive/snorkel boat in St Lucia, also w/about 15 pax.

It was crowded, but nothing compared to cruise ship snorkel, and some dive, trips.

[kandlwed]

We have chosen to book with the ship due to the fact that they use Oasis. :)