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certified scuba diving question


pabrumm3

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Am trying to book scuba for my daughter thru RCL and see the note "Online reservations are not available, Please check onboard" .  Is this standard practice for scuba excursions so they can validate your certification onboard or is this perhaps shorthand for a fully booked excursion?....hoping its not the latter.

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Am trying to book scuba for my daughter thru RCL and see the note "Online reservations are not available, Please check onboard" .  Is this standard practice for scuba excursions so they can validate your certification onboard or is this perhaps shorthand for a fully booked excursion?....hoping its not the latter.

How far out from your cruise are you? I think RC opens up the online booking for excursions at 150 days out from the sailing date. Also, if you are over 65 years old they will not let you book a scuba excursion. I ran into that restriction last year for our cruise to Bonaire this past March. Got around that by booking with a local dive operator which worked out just perfect. What ship will you be on and which islands?

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Thanks for the response!  We sail on 21 May on Oasis for the first time - we tend to favor Freedom but she switched ports on us!. We stop in San Juan, St. Maarten, and Labadee.  It's for my daughter (23), she just got her Dive Master certification in Thailand so I was hoping to book a dive or two for her. She got her original dive certificate on Freedom a few years back.  The problem is that I'm booking excursions for the rest of our group and don't know what to do about her.  If she can't dive she wants to join us, but her first choice is to dive.  I'm surprised RCL won't let you book after 65!!  :(

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Thanks for the response!  We sail on 21 May on Oasis for the first time - we tend to favor Freedom but she switched ports on us!. We stop in San Juan, St. Maarten, and Labadee.  It's for my daughter (23), she just got her Dive Master certification in Thailand so I was hoping to book a dive or two for her. She got her original dive certificate on Freedom a few years back.  The problem is that I'm booking excursions for the rest of our group and don't know what to do about her.  If she can't dive she wants to join us, but her first choice is to dive.  I'm surprised RCL won't let you book after 65!!   :(

From what I have read in scuba mags, Puerto Rico has some very decent scuba diving. I have made a couple of dives in St. Maarten and they were ok. Too close to shore, shallow and low visibility. Can't say anything about scuba diving in Labadee, but, if you are adventurous, book and excursion on the Dragon's Breath Zip line for the two of you and go tandem. You can also google "scuba diving" on the islands you are visiting for more info. Here's a link for more excursion options also: http://www.shoreexcursionsgroup.com/.

Yeah, the over 65 thing is a pain in the ass. All has to do with scuba dive operator liability, contracts, etc. Even with a signed waiver from my primary care physician RC said "No". I also would recommend you call RC and talk to someone about booking the scuba excursion you want for your daughter. They may be filled. If that's the case, try the link above.

Congrats to your daughter on her Dive Master Certification! 

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yes, these surely aren't the best dive spots, but its new for her.  And thanks, I will contact RCL to see what I can find out. I kind of feel like once we get on board she can go to the dive shop and get something figured out - but I like to have things figured out ahead of time.  thanks also for the excursion link!

 

That's so crazy about the age rule - don't they know 65 is the new 45!?  :)

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yes, these surely aren't the best dive spots, but its new for her.  And thanks, I will contact RCL to see what I can find out. I kind of feel like once we get on board she can go to the dive shop and get something figured out - but I like to have things figured out ahead of time.  thanks also for the excursion link!

 

That's so crazy about the age rule - don't they know 65 is the new 45!?   :)

I thought it was 39, actually. You are correct in figuring things out ahead of time. I've learned from experience that if you wait until you're on board to book an excursion, it may be filled up by folks who book ahead of time on line. Something to consider. Also, if you book on line, you can cancel while on board 24 hours before the excursion starts. 

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