Honest advice on snorkeling

[Archer_Girl]

Our first family cruise is in January! Seeking advice about snorkeling. We really would like the opportunity to see abundant sea life and are considering an excursion out to a reef. The one offered on CC seems like a bit shallower water than the one in Nassau but both open ocean. So my husband and I will be joined by our 2 children ages 7 and 10. Both are passable but not strong swimmers. Comfortable swimming in life vests though. Snorkeling newbies. Will we be in over our heads (nice pun...) with open ocean/reef snorkeling? Just seems like a better opportunity to see some cool stuff as opposed to snorkeling right off the beach.

Would love some feedback. Thanks everyone!

 

[bumbershoot]

This is just me, but I would never take anyone out in any open water unless they were strong swimmers.

 

[85glht]

Castaway Cay is a great place to snorkel.... it is usually at the end of a cruise so it will be to late do any other tour on another island. Usually on the island tours, they will take you to a "safe" place to go snorkeling. There was only one time in all the cruises that my wife and I have done, where the snorkeling tour was out in open waters and it was a little rough. I swallowed about half of the oceans worth of water and did not feel well on the return to land.
Probably the best thing to do is when on the ship, the first day when the port adventure desk opens up, go there and ask which tour would be best for your kids. They should have great suggestions for you.

BTW, every snorkeling tour I have done in the Caribbean, the tour operators offered inflatable life vests. Have fun on your trip!

 

[ldo]

for those ages, I would not do an excursion. Just rent snorkeling equipt at CC and go from the shore in the designated snorkeling area. You won't see a ton, but it will be a better experience for them. I would also get a life jacket, in addition to the snorkel vest that they can hold on to (or a small raft) and put their faces in the water. My DD did not get the hang of the snorkel, even at 12 years old. She did much better just holding her breath and using a mask or holding onto a small raft/float/life jacket and putting her face in. I think having a good 1st experience is more important than what you see.
Neither CC or Bahamas are that great for snorkeling IMHO, so shore from CC will be just fine.

 

[bobbiwoz]

My DGC learned to snorkel at CC but it took 3 trips to get them feeling secure, and that year we all stayed in the water snorkeling for 2 hours. The children were 9, 10 & 11 that year, and then we went from a boat.

 

[disneyholic family]

open water for a 7 year old? even shallow ocean currents are hard for strong swimmers...
i live 10 minutes from the mediterranean and my kids were and my grandkids are waterbabies- nevertheless, i would never ever take a 7 year old out into open water....recipe for disaster...

 

[cmph]

I wouldn't do it, either. We went to Aulani this summer, which has a man-made reef (essentially a seawater pool filled with sea creatures) and were very glad that was our kids' first snorkeling experience. We learned the 11yo loved it, and that the (then) 7yo could not at all use the snorkel mouthpiece properly. Now that he's about to get early braces to correct his bite, we're pretty sure that he literally will not be able to snorkel without sucking in water until his bite is corrected. Obviously not every kid is going to have that issue, but my point is that a much calmer, controlled experience for newbie kids is going to be easier for everyone, all around - b/c there is usually going to be some random thing you didn't expect where kids are concerned! Especially if both you and your spouse are also newbies... which I say b/c I was a teenager the first time I went, with my also teenage sister and our dad, and he had the most trouble snorkeling, by far. Sis and I were good swimmers and didn't need his help, but he practically needed OUR help. If we'd been 10 years younger, it would have been a disastrous scenario. Not all adults easily get the hang of it either!

Since snorkeling is out for our family for a while now, we booked the semi-sub in Nassau. I figure it's the closest we'll get to seeing underwater wildlife for now.

 

[ALCooper3]

If you and your kids have never been snorkling before I would suggest just renting the equipment at CC and going to the snorkling beach area. We did that on our last cruise and it was fun, even if we didn't see a huge amount of Ocean life. It is a relatively inexpensive "excursion" and you can let the kids get a feel for it. Maybe plan an open ocean excursion on your next trip.

 

[smadath]

I went to the Galapagos Islands when I was in my early 20's. I had never snorkled before going, but thought it would be a great place to start!

I must have seen 1 too many Jaws-type movies in my day, because I couldn't do it. I got in the water and immediately started hyperventilating. I just couldn't deal with not being able to hear anything, and having no peripheral vision. Maybe a clear mask would've helped, but all they had were black ones.

I would definately recommend a beach excursion for the first time snorkling. It costs less, and there's something else to do if it doesn't work out!

 

[Jenn M]

We want to CC and rented our snorkling gear for our then 9 and 5 year old boys. Our 9 year old and my hustand went all the way out to the submarine and loved it! They said they saw lots of fish. I have snorkling many times before, so I was excited to get out and snorkle. I was with our 5 year old, and he could not get the hang of it. You have to swim out pretty far before you get to any sunken statues (even though you can swim much faster with flippers), and he kept lifting his head and getting water in his mask. We went back to the beach and hung out there instead. The water is still over our heads out in the snorkle area.

For our trip coming up, I plan to book a snorkle and beach day in Cozumel for our 10 and 7 year olds. I am not worried about the open water. They have life vests and you can jump off of the boat usually and snorkle right there. You usually don't have to swim a distance before you get to the reef. I actually think it is easier in deep water because you can't step down on the coral or you will kill it, and it can cut you. I snorkled in a very shallow reef in Panama, and it was much more difficult because of that reason. if you wanted to sit up and pause, it was too hard to do that. I figure if my youngest is having a difficult time, I can sit on the boat with him and enjoy the view! However both of my boys can swim pretty well. My oldest doesn't have any problems. My youngest can swim in deep water, but I always keep an eye on him.

In the end, you have to do what you feel comfortable with. CC was nice because you can rent the equipment for the day and just enjoy the beach. You can get used to the gear in the shallow water and have fun. Then decide if you want to go out farther or not. It is fun once you get the hang of it!

 

[dektolia]

My first time snorkeling was at Xel-Ha in Mexico and I've haven't yet seen anything else come close to that experience as far as the number of fish or the color of them. It was like snorkeling though an aquarium with schools of colorful fish. You also had the option to float around in a tube and just stick your face in the water, so it was an easy way to get used to the equipment. There were so many more schools of fish and so much more colorful fish than I've ever seen in the ocean (or a lake).

I think I saw a Disney excursion to Xel-Ha listed on the Western Caribbean itineraries, but I don't think the travel time to/from the ship for the amount of time you'd get to spend there would be worth it, especially if you're not sure your kids know how to use the equipment. Plus, every snorkeling experience I've had since then has been a little disappointing, so there's something to be said for starting out with something a little less extraordinary.

I'm currently planning for a Western Caribbean trip in February, and I'm leaning toward snorkeling with my 6 year old at Castaway Cay. She practiced with the snorkel in a lake so she knows how to use it. My only hesitation is that CC is our last day of the trip, and if we're unable to dock for some reason I wouldn't have another chance to go with her. If it ends up being a must-do for her, I'll plan it for earlier in the trip.

 

[Skittlesmom]

Castaway Cay is a great place to learn to snorkel. It's protected, but has plenty of deep areas and plenty of things to discover underwater. Every cruise we've done, we've snorkeled and thoroughly enjoyed it. I agree with comments above...open water swimming is unpredictable and could be dangerous to the kids. Castaway Cay would be worth the time and more enjoyable for those ages.

 

[dcassetta]

I agree with the previous posters, that for new snorkelers off the beach is probably the best option. However, if you do decide to do a boat snorkel, make sure that the tour operator would allow your children to get back on the boat whenever they wished, even if there was still time left to snorkel. Trip advisor is your friend!

 

[YohoAPiratesLife4Me]

Agree with all the previous posters! Learning to snorkel in a pool can be scary for some people let alone the ocean! The whole concept of "my face is submerged in water but I'm breathing" thing can be very scary. Nothing like a mouth full of sea water and rough waves to make a person feel like they're drowning. Definitely try it out first at the CC snorkel lagoon.
Enjoy your vacation!!!!!

 

[Archer_Girl]

Thanks everyone for the input! It seems I was right with my gut feeling that an excursion out to a reef wouldn't be the best option to start with. Looks like we will need to plan future vacations once we get some experience under our belt on this trip.

 

[Scillycruisers]

I have just booked our first snorkel excursion on St Thomas for me, DH and DS. It will be the first time for myself and DS, DH is a ridiculously strong swimmer so doesn't count! We will both wear the life vests and I am comfortable with us being in the open water - we live on a tiny island, so are very used to the sea, albeit with a huge amount of respect thrown in, we know what it can do. DS can't manage a normal snorkel and I don't like them so have bought us both full face masks with snorkels built in. They are brilliant and we could both use them immediately and it totally transformed the experience. Really looking forward to using them in warm water!

 

[MPS516]

Just a note that it can be cold in January. We were on a boat to a reef when over 1/2 the people could not last in the water more than about 30 or 45 minutes. They also discovered that getting out of the water and sitting on the boat was chilly as well, especially for those who did not bring sweat shirts and long pants. By January it is so cold here that we enjoy the water and temperatures in the Bahamas that time of year while so many others leave the water to us great northern-ers. You will enjoy the snorkeling at CC and there is always the ability to get back on the beach or ship if the weather is not what you had hoped.

 

[Vicki106]

Another thought about renting snorkeling equipment at Castaway, the charge to rent the snorkel, mask and flippers is $40 per person (if I remember correctly.) We bought a couple sets for my teenagers this summer at Costco for $40 and paid less for my son's set (age 8). I don't think they are carrying those items now, but it wouldn't hurt to check online before you go, if you think you might need them again for another trip.

 

[jrabbit]

Disney does require their vendors to provide and have mandatory use of buoyancy compensators. these can be filled with air to help keep you on the surface (they are like life jackets, but different).

Have your kids snorkeled? We started taking our kids snorkeling in the ocean when they were 9 and 10. They were comfortable in the water, but I would not say "strong swimmers". they actually did OK. The first snorkeling trip they moved their heads around too much looking at the reefs / sea critters, that they ended up getting a bit of water in the snorkel (well, putting their snorkel underwater). But with a little guidance and practice they picked up the technique.

 

[dmbcrush5]

We took our son for the first time when he was just shy of 4. We were on the Western and did a stingray city/snorkel excursion (not DCL sponsored) in Grand Cayman. We bought him a great snorkel set on Amazon for $40 and he practiced ("played") breathing in the tub and pool for a couple of months before our trip. He wasn't a great swimmer, but was doing pretty well. We put him in a puddle jumper to be safe. He LOVED it.

Most of the tour operators are required to issue snorkel vests to everyone and many also have noodles for additional flotation. On our most recent trip, he was 5 and wasn't using the puddle jumper anymore. He and I just shared a noodle, so he was always right next to me and we floated around with the noodle under our armpits checking out the fish and sea turtles in St. Thomas. Most of DCL's sponsored excursions have a minimum age of 5 years. There were plenty of kids under 10 on the St. Thomas excursion. We haven't bothered to snorkel at CC because I've heard that there isn't much ocean life to see. Also, right or wrong, I feel more comfortable having access to a boat that's only 30 feet away from me at any given time than I think I would having swum all the way out to snorkel area at CC. I've heard that you have to go pretty far out to really see anything and I'm sure he'd get tired and want to go back before we ever got out there.