TonyK Posted January 20, 2020 Report Share Posted January 20, 2020 Hello, I am new to cruising. Going on Harmony in April. I would like to go snorkeling with my 12yr. Old daughter. The ports we are visiting are St Marteen, Puerto Rico and Coco Cay. Can anyone give me some advice as to which port is best and if I book with RC will it be crowded.? Any advice would be appreciated. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JLMoran Posted January 20, 2020 Report Share Posted January 20, 2020 Hi @TonyK, welcome to the Royal Caribbean Blog forums! Before giving one possible answer to your question, I just wanted to let you know that there is a section of the forums specifically for excursions that posts like this are best created in. I'm wondering if maybe you meant to post there, as the link for that section is located right above the link for this section, which is focused on live blogs and recaps submitted by folks while on, or just after, their cruises. Puerto Rico really isn't a snorkeling port, it's biggest draw is the old forts, restaurants, and other sight seeing activities. I haven't been to Coco Cay so can't offer any suggestions there, but I believe that it has some areas where you can rent snorkeling gear. Others who have been there recently can give better info. St. Maarten is where I can offer some more solid recommendations, as I was there about 2 years ago. All the reports I've read of the snorkeling excursions you can book with the ship suggested that crowding was definitely an issue. Based on that, I had booked an all-day tour of the island with two snorkeling stops, as well as two beach stops and lots of sightseeing and description of the island's many different areas. The tour is run by Soualiga Destinations, and information can be found on this page. It's a fantastic tour, and my family and I all had a great time. My two girls aren't quite as young as yours, but my younger one was 14 at the time and really enjoyed the snorkeling stops along with the rest of the trip. Hope this helps! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TonyK Posted January 20, 2020 Author Report Share Posted January 20, 2020 Thank you for the reply. New to this forum, have to get used to how and where to post. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ChessE4 Posted January 20, 2020 Report Share Posted January 20, 2020 8 hours ago, TonyK said: Hello, I am new to cruising. Going on Harmony in April. I would like to go snorkeling with my 12yr. Old daughter. The ports we are visiting are St Marteen, Puerto Rico and Coco Cay. Can anyone give me some advice as to which port is best and if I book with RC will it be crowded.? Any advice would be appreciated. At Coco Cay, we have typically snorkeled off the beach at Chill Island. To see the fish, you need to swim to the rock reefs at the edges of the small cove. Next trip, I am going to try an excursion that goes to a natural reef nearby. It wasn't very expensive, and I am thinking it would be a better snorkeling experience at Coco Cay. At Puerto Rico, as @JLMoran has stated, we typically check out the fort or walk through the old town area for shopping, vendors, cafes, etc. Have a great trip! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TonyK Posted January 20, 2020 Author Report Share Posted January 20, 2020 Did you book with RC? And was it crowded? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JLMoran Posted January 21, 2020 Report Share Posted January 21, 2020 @TonyK, the below was just posted in the live blogs and gives an idea of what the snorkeling was like at Coco Cay. @ashonthesea might be able to give you more information about crowds, but it sounded like it was a good experience. She did bring her own snorkeling gear, so no immediate information in the blog post on cost to rent, but maybe she noticed some signage or other info that she can post here. ashonthesea 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ashonthesea Posted January 21, 2020 Report Share Posted January 21, 2020 @TonyK I recently snorkeled at Coco Cay earlier this month. I didn’t see how much snorkel rentals were going for on the island, but if you booked ahead of time on the Royal Caribbean site it was about $30 per person for an all day rental. This included a mask, snorkel, and life jacket (possibly flippers too, not 100% sure though). I bought my own snorkel & mask set on amazon for about the same price. Whether you bring your own gear or rent, everyone is able to use the same snorkeling area by Chill Island. If you do decide to snorkel at Coco Cay, I recommend doing it earlier in the day as it’s less crowded, so easier to see more fish. JLMoran 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TonyK Posted January 23, 2020 Author Report Share Posted January 23, 2020 I would like to thank everyone who responded. It gives me an idea of what to expect and how to plan, JLMoran 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
irishfitz Posted February 19, 2020 Report Share Posted February 19, 2020 I would love some recommendations too. I will be on this cruise in December. Wanting to know if we need to book anything for the island or is it ok to just to go to the beach that day. Wanted to spend $ in other locations. Also curious about the crafters that are there...heard that they only take cash. Just wanted to know if it was worth taking $ to the island...or just visit the beach and food huts! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WAAAYTOOO Posted February 19, 2020 Report Share Posted February 19, 2020 Yes, you can definitely go to Coco Cay and spend absolutely $-0-. I've done it twice. I think you might find a few trinkets so it would probably be worth your while to take $20-40 on shore with you. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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