Porthole....

CRUISES THAT ARE ALL WET:

CRUISE SHIP DIVING

One minute, you're in your cruise ship cabin gazing out to sea, and the next, you're underwater. If you love scuba diving as much as cruise ship travel (or just think you might), then your ship has definitely come in.

With the rapid growth of scuba diving as a recreational sport, many cruise lines have incorporated scuba diving programs into their menu of options for passengers. From a simple introduction to the underwater world to a daily schedule of diving excursions, it's easy to find a cruise that's all wet.

It's only natural that scuba diving would develop as a popular cruise ship offering. Many of the advantages of cruise travel are also advantageous to the traveling scuba diver, including only needing to unpack once, ever-changing ports of call and dive sites, and the ease of having arrangements made for you in advance. Cruisers have definitely been diving right in.

For years, several lines offered diving excursions to certified divers, as well as introductory courses on board and on land. But the growth of the diving industry has led to many more organized programs and offerings, drawing divers to cruise ships like never before.

CLOSE TO HOME

SCUBAmerica's ScubaCruises on Norwegian Cruise Line provide a perfect example. Their packages include: traditional cruise accommodations and amenities; transportation to and from dive boats; scuba equipment (you just need your own mask, fins, and snorkel); guided tours and supervision by SCUBAmerica's certified scuba instructors and divemasters; marine life identification seminars and kits from The R.E.E.F. Foundation; complimentary gear bag and t-shirt; and special prices and shore excursions for non-divers.

Like a cruise with NCL, it's diving in style, with every detail taken care of on and off the ship. They currently offer dive packages aboard the M/S Leeward (dives in Cancun and Key West), the M/S Dreamward (dives in Grand Cayman, Cozumel, and Cancun or four dives in Bermuda), and the M/S Seaward (dives in Aruba, Curacao, and Tortola/Virgin Gorda).

Seawind's Crown offers a similar program through Aqua Fun Adventures, with lesser-known southeast Caribbean destinations. Along with introductory dives for non-certified passengers, certified divers can enjoy diving on Curacao, Grenada, Barbados (including a night dive), and St. Lucia during the Antilles itinerary or Antigua, Barbados, and Dominica on the Leeward itinerary.

Like many cruise lines, Norwegian also offers their own in-house program, called Dive-In. For certified divers, diving is currently offered aboard NCL ships that call at Grand Cayman, St. John, St. Thomas, the Bahamas, and Cozumel, all excellent dive destinations. In addition, the Windward's Alaska sailings feature scuba diving in Ketchikan's Clam Cove, with the opportunity to view marine life native only to those waters.

Princess Cruises recently introduced New Waves diving programs on their seven-day Caribbean sailings. Sanctioned by Scuba Schools International, New Waves is organized and conducted by a staff of fully-certified and professional instructors, with at least two staff members on each ship. New Waves diving activities include: demonstrations; introductory scuba tours; dive trips for certified divers; and a range of certification courses. Love Boat diving may not include an underwater encounter with Gavin McLeod, but it's sure to include a wide range of Caribbean diving.

With Carnival Cruise Lines, Caribbean coverage for divers is particularly strong. Carnival's shore excursion programs include diving in the Bahamas, St. Thomas, St. Croix, Aruba, Grand Cayman, St. Maarten, Cozumel, and Key West. As you can guess, Carnival's fun-loving clientele typically includes many divers.

All three Windstar ships cater to divers, from an introductory course to diving at lesser-known destinations. The daily diving possibilities include Grenada, Tobago, Bequia, Carriacou, Grenada, St. Maarten/St. Martin, Nevis, St. Barth's, Montserrat, Martinique, Corsica, Portofino, and much more. As is typical of cruise ship diving, a Windstar cruise offers a great opportunity to sample diving at many locations during a cruise.

Similarly, Windjammer Barefoot Cruises counts many divers among their dedicated fans. Its fleet of five majestic schooners and barquentines sail year-round on 6- and 13-day cruises to more than 50 ports of call throughout the Bahamas, British Virgin Islands, West Indies, and Grenadines. Though the best ship for divers is probably the Flying Cloud out of Tortola, all of the ships provide good diving opportunities on a large number of islands. Diving (including instruction and resort courses) is offered throughout the sailing cruise and, through December 22, certified divers receive a 25% discount on any standard cabin aboard the Polynesia, Flying Cloud, or Mandalay.

For Hawaii-bound passengers, American Hawaii offers an Intro Dive for first-timers, as well as separate excursions for certified divers. The half-day excursions head to Pawai Bay, just off the coast of Kona, with unusual marine life and coral reef formations the highlight.

FURTHER AFIELD

Though the Western Hemisphere does offer some of the world's best diving, cruise ships also call at many other exotic dive destinations around the world. Whether it's the Great Barrier Reef or a great wreck dive off Fiji, it's easy to find cruise ship diving even further afield.

The Star Clippers fleet has on-board PADI Dive Centers, making them the largest "dive boats" to receive certification from PADI, the largest scuba diving certification agency in the world. This serious emphasis on diving represents the personal commitment to the sport on the part of the builder and owner of Star Clippers, Mikael Krafft. He was certified as a teenager in Stockholm, tries to dive every day, and personally selects itineraries based in good part on availability of superior dive sites. Along with an array of exotic Caribbean possibilities for both ships, the largest clippers in history, the Star Flyer starts a weekly sailing between Phuket, Thailand, and Singapore this fall, focusing on diving in some of the world's foremost diving waters.

Royal Olympic Cruises features several unique opportunities for passengers to dive off Israel, Egypt, and Jordan. Their Epirotiki ships include famed Red Sea diving, a dive in the protected Ras Mohammed National Park, and a dive at Jordan's Aquaba.

The Oceanic Grace carries two Zodiacs on-board, making scuba diving easy to arrange. Divers will can enjoy a luxurious cruise above the surface and the exotic waters of the Orient below sea level, including the famed wrecks of Truk Lagoon and the reefs of Palau.

The Club Med 1 and Club Med 2 also carry a Zodiac, which departs from the Hall Nautique, the unfolding marina as sea on both ships. The Club Med cruises give certified divers an opportunity to dive in a wide array of exotic locales, including the Mediterranean coasts and islands of Spain, France, Italy, Greece, and Turkey and the South Pacific coasts and islands of Tahiti, Bora Bora, and Moorea.

The advantages of organized programs like those above, ranging from nearby to the far seas, are that they cater to divers and are run by professionals familiar with the unique needs of scuba divers on cruise ships. If you're serious about scuba diving as part of your cruise, it's best to choose a line, ship, and itinerary with a dedicated program and good dive sites (see sidebar).

As you can see, many lines offer specific scuba diving programs or diving as a shore excursion, but that doesn't always make them the best bet for divers. Most times, the dive experiences available from cruise ships are quite good, but they may also cater to the least-experienced of the group, take large groups of divers, or go to dive sites that are chosen only for their convenience. Be sure to check details about the dive program and scheduled dives beforehand, in that you may choose to arrange your own diving instead or go with another ship.

You can arrange things completely on your own, either before the cruise, on the ship, or once you reach port, but you run the risk of experiencing difficulties. If your chosen cruise or line doesn't offer diving programs, ask the line for referrals to dive shops in ports where you want to dive. You should also contact your local dive shop and dive travel wholesalers for additional help. They may have specific contacts and packages.

If you or someone cruising with you doesn't dive, many cruises offer the perfect opportunity to try diving or to get fully-certified. The popular introductory "resort courses" teach the basics of diving in the ship's pool and usually include one or more dives ashore. Many people fall in love with diving because of this introduction and get certified later. However, though relatively safe, these courses just teach the basics and a full certification course is definitely your best bet.

Getting certified during your cruise is a great idea. It requires about 30-40 hours of classroom, pool, and open water time, leaving plenty of time to enjoy the rest of the cruise. You can also complete your classroom and pool time through your local dive shop and then complete your open water dives while on a cruise. Like many cruises, the experience may change your life. PADI, NAUI, SSI, and the YMCA are the most-recognized certifying agencies in the world.

In addition to diving programs on traditional cruise ships, many dedicated divers enjoy the opportunities offered by live-aboard dive boats. These boats offer an opportunity to complete lots of diving in unusual places. Some well-known possibilities include the Agressor Fleet (P.O. Drawer K, Morgan City, LA 70381, (504) 385-2628 or (800) 348-2628); the Dancer fleet of renowned Peter Hughes Diving (1390 S. Dixie Hwy., Ste. 2213, Coral Gables, FL 33146, (305) 669-9391 or (800) 9-DANCER); and Nekton Diving Cruises (520 SE 32nd St., Ft. Lauderdale, FL 33316, (305) 463-9324 or (800) 899-6753). The Nekton Pilot, for instance, features cruise ship-style cabins and amenities, ideal for divers who are serious about diving and the cruise ship experience. From Florida to Fiji, live-aboards can combine the best of cruising and diving.

As with cruise ship travel, scuba diving takes you to new places and experiences that will last a lifetime. They make for an ideal combination that's all wet.

SCUBA DIVING HOTSPOTS FOR CRUISERS

Here's a short overview of some of the world's top diving destinations that also happen to be popular cruise destinations:

AUSTRALIA'S GREAT BARRIER REEF--Say "G'day, mate" to the mother lode of scuba diving. The Great Barrier Reef stretches more than 1,200 miles along the Queensland coast of Australia. Along the way, there are more than 1,400 species of fish and an incredible variety of coral formations. The world's longest barrier reef has become known as a haven for sharks, bringing cruise ship passengers incredibly close together during dives. It's the perfect place to see great whites and other toothy fish from the deep.

BAHAMAS--About 700 landmasses over 90,000 square miles of the Caribbean and Atlantic make for plenty of uncrowded dives in the Bahamas. The closeness to Florida, along with many dives on cruise ship itineraries, mean it truly can be better in the Bahamas. Grand Bahama features the legendary Underwater Explorers Society (UNEXSO) and unique diving with sharks, dolphins, and Theo's Wreck. New Providence, known for busy Nassau, also offers some great diving off the southwest side (the site of many James Bond underwater scenes). The quieter Family Islands and some cruise line "private" islands also feature fantastic dive sites.

BERMUDA--This popular cruise ship destination also has some fine diving (with a British flair). A wide range of historic wrecks, clear conditions, and unusual Atlantic Ocean marine life make Bermuda a surprisingly good place for cruise ship diving. A typical cruise ship stay of several days gives divers a chance for many dives.

BONAIRE--Part of the Dutch ABCs (the other two are Aruba and Curacao, which also offer great diving), Bonaire attracts divers from around the world for the consistently perfect conditions. The marine park surrounds the entire island and offers more than 100 documented dive sites. Bonaire is dedicated to dive tourism and offers one of the best overall diving experiences in the world. There's lots of shore diving, short boat trips, and incredible underwater life. Bonaire is just becoming popular with cruise ships.

CAYMAN ISLANDS--The Caymans still reign as a major mecca for divers. From big-time operators to small and quiet places, diving cruisers flock to these islands for some of the most-renowned diving in the Caribbean. Grand Cayman is the granddaddy of Caribbean diving. From Stingray City, where friendly stingrays often congregate, to some of the best wall diving in the world, this is a grand spot for cruise ship divers. Cayman Brac and Little Cayman are much more subdued on the surface, but every bit as colorful below.

COZUMEL--Si, Cozumel is Mexico's most popular diving destination for good reason. The dive operators are much-improved and have shed their reputation as being non-professional. A dive trip to Cozumel today brings few hassles and lots of Mexican romance. Mexico's Yucatan Peninsula is the Mexican Caribbean for divers, with consistently Caribbean-like conditions. Cozumel features legendary sites, like Palancar, Punta Sur, and the airplane wreck. Most of the trips are drift dives, making picture-taking a bit like film-making as you drift by the reefs and marine life.

FIJI--Though Fiji is pretty far afield, it's worth the trip. Though it's an exotic dive destination, the services and dive operations are typically modern. The main attraction for divers is the soft coral, making for incredibly colorful and lush landscapes. The most popular spot is Beqa Lagoon, on the southern coast of Viti Levu. Even further out-of-the-way islands include Taveuni and Matagi.

FLORIDA KEYS--According to all reports, the Florida Keys are the most-visited dive destination in the world. All those divers can't be wrong. The Keys offer great diving, excellent operators, and convenience. Famous dive sites include Christ of the Abyss, Dry Tortugas, and The Elbow. Along with protected marine parks at Key Largo and Looe Key, the Keys have been designated as a national marine sanctuary. This should save the reefs for centuries of cruisers to enjoy, all the way from Key Largo to Key West.

HAWAII--Diving in the Hawaiian Islands is different. Colorful coral and marine life is generally replaced by craggy outcroppings from volcanic eruptions, lava tubes and caverns, and lots of strange underwater formations. Dive operations abound on the Big Island, Kauai, Maui, and Oahu. Due to the isolated location of the islands, divers often find unusual fish and other marine life to view before heading back to the ship.

RED SEA--Moses may have been the first to part the Red Sea, but modern divers are discovering it as well. The unusual marine environment between Arabia and the continent of Africa offers unique diving and underwater life. Still relatively undiscovered, the most popular diving is in the north, around the Gulf of Aqaba (out of the resort city of Eilat). From Egypt, Ras Muhammad's reefs are reached from Sharm El Sheikh.

Some other great diving and cruise ship destinations include: Belize; the British Virgin Islands; parts of the California coast; the Atlantic and Gulf of Mexico coastlines of Florida; the Galapagos Islands; Honduras; Puerto Rico; the Turks & Caicos; and the U.S. Virgin Islands.