10 Reasons You Will Love A Cruise Ship Dive Trip
From #10 least important, working up to #1 most important of all; here are ten reasons you will love a cruise ship dive trip. I’ve compared liveaboards, cruises, land-based resorts, and even Airbnb/VRBO stays for dive trips. You can take advantage of all my experience and research, because economical and effortless travel is our goal.
1. Very Big Ship
You get the run of an entire ship!
In addition, you get to go somewhere of the old-fashioned way, with civility and grace and views of the ocean for the entire voyage.
So it’s not just a dive trip: it’s a voyage with ocean views the entire trip!
2. Easy Weekend Getaway
You can fit two days of diving in when you go on a three-night cruise if you pick the right itinerary.
This means you can board the first day, dive the two weekend days, and return to shore the fourth day.
If you are fortunate and live close to a cruise port, you could even work a half day Friday, board, then disembark in time to make it to work Monday morning. That’s really pushing it!
3. Sea Days
For a week-long cruise ship dive trip, often the first and the last day of the eight-day cruises are days at sea.
You can use the first day at sea to get your dive gear organized, and the last day at sea will allow you to wind down and relax from four days of diving all over the Caribbean.
If your plans is to fly out the same day as disembarkation; you will be ready to go no matter how early your flight is!
4. Other Than Dives, There’s Nothing to Plan
You don’t have to plan for hotels, you don’t have to plan breakfast, snacks, lunch, snacks, tea, and dinner for every day of a
You don’t have to plan for hotels, you don’t have to plan breakfast, snacks, lunch, snacks, tea, and dinner for every day of a cruise ship dive trip.
All your ports are scheduled, entertainment is provided, someone else is cleaning the pool and emptying your trash and making your bed. The most you are required to do is put your dive gear in your rolling bag and show up on the dock!
5. No Clearing Customs in Every Port
Also, you don’t have to worry about clearing customs at every port when you take a cruise ship dive trip. Everything is taken care of by the cruise line in every port.
We do find that in Nassau, you will need to wheel your dive gear through the customs building on the way to your dive and on the return trip as well. They give you a colorful sticker; that’s all.
They briefly check that you do have dive gear in that huge bag – and not parrots or iguanas or whatever else travelers like to smuggle around in dripping wet dive bags.
6. There’s Lots More For You and Your Family To do Beyond Diving
Between the diving, depending on the age and interests of the divers in your group, there are dozens of activities for them after the immersions on a cruise ship dive trip.
There’s an endless list; like bungee jumping, ice-skating, comedy shows, rock climbing, gym, spa, eating, or dancing all night. It’s like a dive trip on land; only with a lot of added entertainment. And endless soft-serve ice cream.
7. Less Expensive Than a Flight and a Trip to a Resort
You are going to pay for the entire cruise ship dive trip about what lodging alone would cost you on land.
Add in three meals a day, dives, and flights, and your cost has doubled.
Don’t believe me? Read “Diving An All-Inclusive Resort Compared With a Self-Led Airbnb Scuba Trip” then compare with a cruise and dive cost. Better yet – I’ll write the article and prove it!
The Final Three Reasons
This is really hard – there are three almost equally-important and equally-great reasons a cruise ship dive trip is easier than other types of dive trips.
Let me know in the comments below if I’ve got these in the right order, or if one is more or most important to you!
8. Unlimited Luggage; No Size or Weight Restrictions
Planning a cruise ship dive trip means no worry about luggage!
Well, you certainly can’t say that about flying out of country!
As many bags as you like, as much weight as you like, and whatever dimensions – all allowed.
Plus, most of the time; someone else is moving them from point to point.
9. You Can Dive the Last Day of Your Vacation!
You can dive on the last day of a cruise ship dive trip if you are driving your car to the cruise ship port.
Also, if you are flying out 24 hours after the end of your last dive; then you are still in good shape.
This is a great reason to dive from a cruise ship! More diving!
10. If the Weather Turns Bad; You Lose Fewer Dives
This is a HUGE benefit, and my favorite reason for planning a cruise ship dive trip!
Since you are driving at several different locations; if conditions deteriorate and one location is shut out; you might still manage to get in your dives at the other islands.
From land, if you were at your destination for the week and the whole week is bad… That’s all you’ve got; ALL your dives might be cancelled.
Since the ship moves; if the weather in one port is bad; you might have to scrub one dive, but you get to salvage the others.
What To Read Next
- How to Pack for a Cruise!
- Western Caribbean Dive Sampler by Cruise Ship // Diving Four Countries in Four Days
- Planning a Budget Three Night Cruise Ship Dive Trip // Budget Dive Trips and Tips
- Western Caribbean Dive Sampler by Cruise Ship // Diving Four Countries in Four Days
- Planning a Budget Three Night Cruise Ship Dive Trip // Budget Dive Trips and Tips
- How to Turn a Three-Night Cruise Into Two Days of Scuba Diving // 8 Options For Getting in the Water on a Cruise
- And, my favorite:
- How We Cut Our Dive Gear Weight by 38 Pounds for Travel
My Favorites
My favorite cruise line is RCCL, Royal Caribbean Cruise Line. I can get ALL my dive gear AND clothes and shoes in this: Akona Roller Dive Gear Travel Backpack. The bag in the photos above – Bill fits either all his dive gear and clothing, or both our sets of dive gear into his BLACKHAWK! Enhanced Divers Travel Bag with Wheels That red tag on the bag – our Divers Alert Network insurance!
We Don’t Go Anywhere Without:
- Stream2Sea Reef Safe SPF 20 or 30 mineral, regular or tinted sunscreen, mask defog, shampoo, conditioner, rash guards and more reef-safe supplies. Use my code “DeepWH” for 10% off. The packages are biodegradeable – not just recycled and recyclable.
- Cycle Booty Citrus Cleanser and Post Ride Cream.
- Crisis Medicine Tactical Casualty Care Course knowledge so we can help ourselves. With code “DeepWH” you save 20% on the TC2 course
- MyMedic Individual Bleeding Control Kits, this link and my code “DeepWH15” will save you 15% on your purchase. We take ours everywhere.
- North American Rescue CAT tourniquets. Use code “MAY25” for 20% off through midnight on 5/31/20. This is a huge savings!
- Airbnb, “Kimberly gave you up to $55 off your first trip.”
- Airbnb says, “Deep gave you up to $415 off your first adventure.
- Uber gives you $2 off your first three rides.
- Travelex is our trip insurer – click for a free quote.
- Girls That Scuba – members discount card for all things diving.
- REI Co-op for great sports equipment and travel clothes.
- Sailo for $100 off your next boat rental! Discount Code: “KimWa1”
- PierShare to rent your dock out or rent a dock.
- BoatUS for your boat towing insurance! Code: “HEWAF88”
- RoadId for $5 off your cycling/running/kayaking/travel id.
- Dazer Ii Ultrasonic Aggressive Dog Deterrent Repeller Dazzer – keeping dogs at bay while we cycle.
- Guardline Security Wireless Driveway Alarm – alerts us when someone approaches. Less expensive directly from the company.
- Thank you for using my links – your price does not change, but they may gift me a small percentage of your sale in return for my mention, which allows me to continue to bring to you fun content.
- AD: affiliate links used.
- Thanks Bill for being the Best Dive Partner Ever!
What to Read Next: 7 Items for Dive Boat Survival – The Prepared Diver
