Should I Try to Scuba Dive While on a Cruise Ship?

When planning your holiday at sea, you might ask yourself the question “should I try to scuba dive on a cruise?” There are plenty of things to do on a cruise ship, from sunbathing and enjoying unlimited food to nightly entertainment and shore excursions. However, as cruises obviously take place on water, often in the world’s most beautiful destinations, wondering whether scuba diving is a good idea is a valid thing to do.

Of course, here we all think that you definitely should. And just because you’re reading this, you’re probably at least considering it as well. Let us pull you across the line with the following arguments/reasons you should try to scuba dive while on a cruise.

When picked well, a cruise is never boring. If anything, they can be both active and relaxing, inspiring and informative, active and relaxing. There’s endless entertainment, plenty of food and drinks, and lots of epic activities to take part in.

Scuba diving on a cruise is one of them, a superb way to spend your day. In fact, we’d go as far as to say that, if you’re cruising a tropical destination, your cruise will not be complete without a dive or snorkel.

If you need a bit more convincing, consider the following five reasons to scuba dive on a cruise.

Breathtaking Destinations

Cruise ship in front of a reef.
Image Credit: Shutterstock / lunamarina

From the Caribbean and Florida to Hawaii and from the South Pacific to the Mediterranean, cruises can take you to the world’s most beautiful destinations. You might have the unique opportunity to scuba dive with whale sharks!

It’s no secret that you need to have a certain personality to truly enjoy a multi-night cruise, but the usually high number of amazing ports of call makes it worth it for many people. The beauty of scuba diving on a cruise is also that you’ll have the opportunity to dive at more than just one world-class dive site.

Scuba Diving Classes

Group of scuba divers
Image Credit: Shutterstock / Rostislav Ageev

Some cruise lines offer scuba diving classes, course or initiation lessons, be it onboard or onshore in collaboration with a local diving company. Even if you’re not an experienced scuba diver, you can still get your feet wet—quite literally! Royal Caribbean, for example, has onboard PADI Five Star Dive Centers where you can become a certified diver.

Comfort and Convenience

Kids on vacation
Image Credit: Shutterstock / Brocreative

Cruises are arguably the most convenient way of traveling. You only need to unpack and pack once while the ship takes you from one destination to the next. Food is readily available, activity options are plentiful. If you’d like to try to scuba dive while on a cruise, there’s no need to do any advance planning.

The staff on the ship will be able to help you out, either by teaching you themselves or by booking a diving excursion with an affiliated local company. The absence of stress is one of the most attractive things about cruising, and this applies 100% to scuba diving as well.

Well-Organized

Scuba diver in a cave.
Image Credit: Shutterstock / Jellyman Photography

A successful cruise runs like a well-oiled machine. Everything goes smoothly, there are no complaints and things happen fast. Organization is what makes or breaks a cruise and, luckily, all major cruise lines in the world have things figured out.

If you’re looking to scuba dive on a cruise, you do not have to worry about anything. There’s no need to bring equipment as rentals will be available. No need for research either. All information you could possibly want about each destination is right there and you have plenty of time to go over it.

Relaxation

Bartender on a cruise
Image Credit: Shutterstock / petereleven

What sets cruises apart from other holidays is that amenities, facilities and activities are present in abundance, in a relatively condensed space. Immediately after enjoying the beauty of the underwater world, wherever you are, you can find yourself sipping a cocktail at a waterfront bar, watching a magic show or sampling excellent cuisine.

A scuba dive on a cruise will enhance your vacation experience tremendously. It would be a shame to visit a tropical destination without taking a peek at what lies beneath the surface. Scuba diving opens up an entirely different world, a place of stunning natural beauty that, honestly, shouldn’t be missed.

So yes, you should definitely try to scuba dive while on a cruise!

Bram Reusen

Author: Bram Reusen

Bio:

Bram Reusen is fluent in both English & Dutch, and his writings include news articles, equipment manuals, and more.

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