Please tell me about snorkeling at CC

[ToyStory3]

We are thinking about trying snorkeling at CC. I saw an excursion that's about $40 per person. It includes snorkeling gear and a tube. Is it for the entire day? Can I just get the excursion for 2 people and share within my family (2 adults, 2 kids). I don't feel like all 4 of us need the gear and a tube. We could easily share...but not sure how that works. Thanks!

 

[truck1]

Yes the rental is for the entire day. You could easily rent for 2 and swap off. You can get into and out of the lagoon as often as you like. Another option is to buy your gear before you leave and take it with you. The snorkeling gear at CC is 1 size fits none, and it may leak or be uncomfortable. Bringing your own gear you know it fits and is comfortable before hand.

 

[DISNEYFAN3260]

We are thinking about trying snorkeling at CC. I saw an excursion that's about $40 per person. It includes snorkeling gear and a tube. Is it for the entire day? Can I just get the excursion for 2 people and share within my family (2 adults, 2 kids). I don't feel like all 4 of us need the gear and a tube. We could easily share...but not sure how that works. Thanks!

FWIW, we are a family of 6 and I wasn't sure how much we'd really snorkel at CC, despite our good intentions! Since it was a 7 night trip and I didn't mind packing a bit heavier, I found it cheaper to buy our own gear at Costco. It was about $25 per person and we can bring it anytime we cruise. Worked fine, no waiting in lines for gear, and still saved money. Just an option to think about. Then if you want the tubes you can always get 1 or 2 and share - you don't need to book them in advance, just get them on CC.

 

[DISNEYFAN3260]

Yes the rental is for the entire day. You could easily rent for 2 and swap off. You can get into and out of the lagoon as often as you like. Another option is to buy your gear before you leave and take it with you. The snorkeling gear at CC is 1 size fits none, and it may leak or be uncomfortable. Bringing your own gear you know it fits and is comfortable before hand.

Agree completely - crossed posts!

 

[DisneyMommyMichelle]

Have to agree with the people that brought their own! We bought our own as a family of 5. The kids were able to get ones that properly fit as were my husband and I. We saved money and can bring them with on each cruise as well as when we vacation in Mexico. We DO rent the tubes though We only rent 2 because the kids tend to wander and just my husband and I use them

 

[The Sasquatch]

We use the equipment on CC and find it absolutely fine for us. We spend an hour or so in the lagoon and then move on to the next thing. I wouldnt carry gear from home to do that

 

[ToyStory3]

Thanks all!

 

[bobbiwoz]

How easy is it to get a vest for snorkeling? Do you wait in the equipment rental line? Is there a charge?

 

[Maggie'sMom]

How easy is it to get a vest for snorkeling? Do you wait in the equipment rental line? Is there a charge?

They are hanging on the lifeguard towers and are free to use. No need to go to the equipment rental line.

 

[JoieNsk]

We are adults and 17 yo, and we just were using CC equipment. We are not sophisticated snorkelers. It worked great for us, and my husband even commented that their rental equipment at CC was really nice compared to what you usually get in Mexico for example.

We don't snorkel on regular basis, so I would hate first to buy equipment we rarely use to keep it somewhere at home, and then drag around while travelling.

I suppose if we were living somewhere close to snorkeling places I would consider buying. But we live in WI ))

 

[Chemist]

A thought about snorkeling gear.

If you haven't snorkeled before, learning to breath has a bit of a learning curve to it. Some people catch on much faster than others!
We bought some for our 8 year old ahead of time so he could learn to snorkel in the pool.

He also brought it with him to Magen's Bay. He spent the whole time playing around in the water with it. Now there really isn't much to see on a sandy beach (which is why Castaway Cay's stuff is all planted), but he really enjoyed it.

 

[The Sasquatch]

On this last cruise we spent the majority of the day with another family in the cabana next to us and they told us the snorkeling was way better at CC than what they paid some pretty good money for in Nassau. They said the water was much clearer and there was way more to see with the kids

 

[GPaLarry]

We snorkel every time we stop at CC with our own equipment. I get a life vest from the lifeguard's tower, blow it half way up and take off for the large floating balls way off shore. They mark the cool things to see underwater...more fish there, too. Since I don't swim much at home, having the vest gives me a chance to catch my breath between the sunken Mickey and Minnie. It is a pain, but bring a camera. You will love the photos, even fuzzy ones, later. With all the people at the beach the water is murky close in but clear farther out. The snorkeling area is marked with ropes and bobbers and lifeguards are out there, too. Cheap thrills for us!!

 

[truck1]

We are adults and 17 yo, and we just were using CC equipment. We are not sophisticated snorkelers. It worked great for us, and my husband even commented that their rental equipment at CC was really nice compared to what you usually get in Mexico for example.

We don't snorkel on regular basis, so I would hate first to buy equipment we rarely use to keep it somewhere at home, and then drag around while travelling.

I suppose if we were living somewhere close to snorkeling places I would consider buying. But we live in WI ))

You don't necessarily have to be a sophisticated snorkeler to buy your own gear. What ends up happening is this. (I work in a dive shop part time) Everyones face is different. We have several prepackaged sets which are masks and snorkels. No 2 masks fit the same and same with snorkels and fins. Ive seen some people in 1 family fit the prepackaged set nicely and others......not so much. The masks at CC are actually a Aqualung variant. They are designed to fit about 80% of the adult population. Some people get lucky and some don't. If you fit into the mask at CC, great. If not, it can be a miserable experience, and may turn people off to snorkeling or diving later on.

 

[Maggie'sMom]

You don't necessarily have to be a sophisticated snorkeler to buy your own gear. What ends up happening is this. (I work in a dive shop part time) Everyones face is different. We have several prepackaged sets which are masks and snorkels. No 2 masks fit the same and same with snorkels and fins. Ive seen some people in 1 family fit the prepackaged set nicely and others......not so much. The masks at CC are actually a Aqualung variant. They are designed to fit about 80% of the adult population. Some people get lucky and some don't. If you fit into the mask at CC, great. If not, it can be a miserable experience, and may turn people off to snorkeling or diving later on.

My biggest issue with the equipment at CC is the snorkels. I wish they had dry snorkels for rent. My first snorkeling experience was in Hawaii and all the places I rented from had dry snorkels. I purchased my own set prior to my first DCL cruise so I didn't realize until I rented a set at CC for my DD that their equipment had just the plain snorkels without the dry valve.

 

[JoieNsk]

You don't necessarily have to be a sophisticated snorkeler to buy your own gear. What ends up happening is this. (I work in a dive shop part time) Everyones face is different. We have several prepackaged sets which are masks and snorkels. No 2 masks fit the same and same with snorkels and fins. Ive seen some people in 1 family fit the prepackaged set nicely and others......not so much. The masks at CC are actually a Aqualung variant. They are designed to fit about 80% of the adult population. Some people get lucky and some don't. If you fit into the mask at CC, great. If not, it can be a miserable experience, and may turn people off to snorkeling or diving later on.

Thank you for the explanation. I had no idea about that it can be that complicated.

We are probably lucky, I tried snorkeling for the first time about two or three years ago and that time we just used some real basic equipment the hotel provided us for free. My husband knows more about snorkeling, he even used to have diving certificate. And he told me that the equipment we got that time was not good. But I am just not somebody who generally is comfortable swimming, don't swim very well, so I was not sure that I would be able to snorkel at all. So I insisted we try the free stuff so we would not waste money on something I would not be able to do or if I found I didn't like the experience.

Surprisingly I liked to snorkel even that first time Whenever we snorkeled we rented the equipment and luckily never had any issues. Even my daughter who is extremely sensitive to everything (she supposedly has some Asperger) didn't have any problems using CC equipment. Though she is the one who is extremely comfortable being in water, used to swim for school swim team, so it was not new experience for her.

 

[truck1]

Thank you for the explanation. I had no idea about that it can be that complicated.

We are probably lucky, I tried snorkeling for the first time about two or three years ago and that time we just used some real basic equipment the hotel provided us for free. My husband knows more about snorkeling, he even used to have diving certificate. And he told me that the equipment we got that time was not good. But I am just not somebody who generally is comfortable swimming, don't swim very well, so I was not sure that I would be able to snorkel at all. So I insisted we try the free stuff so we would not waste money on something I would not be able to do or if I found I didn't like the experience.

Surprisingly I liked to snorkel even that first time Whenever we snorkeled we rented the equipment and luckily never had any issues. Even my daughter who is extremely sensitive to everything (she supposedly has some Asperger) didn't have any problems using CC equipment. Though she is the one who is extremely comfortable being in water, used to swim for school swim team, so it was not new experience for her.

Your Welcome.
Its not really complicated. Its more like trial and error get a mask and fins to fit correctly. Its like buying clothes. This manufacturer makes an item that is cut 1 way, and a second cuts it a different way so they both fit differently. Its all about what is comfortable and wont leak on the individual.

Our biggest question is, what is the best mask. Most will assume the $200 Atomic Venom Arc Mask is the best based on price. Maybe it is, but only if it fits you. Theres people that wont fit that mask, but will fit a $50 Tusa Liberator. Its all about comfort and fit.

A lot of women we see (and some men) are turned off by diving or snorkeling, because they had a bad experience. Mask leaked, or they got a headache etc. (We had 1 woman say that she was basically thrown off a boat onto 60 feet of water, over weighted with poor fitting gear)99 times out of 100, its either a snorkel mouthpiece was too big, or they had a bad fitting mask. Once we get someone dialed in, it becomes a whole new world.

 

[bumbershoot]

We rented on CC. Took my son half an hour to get used to the mask, and he wasn't pleasant about it. He had a kid mask and I had an adult mask and we ended up swapping. His head is large and mine is normal and that worked.

I wished we had had our own! Because that extra half hour and a good amount of time in the water meant that we outlasted our sunscreen and we ended up burned.

 

[adSimba]

what does a tube rental cost?

 

[PrincessShmoo]

what does a tube rental cost?

Plus 7.5% Bahamian VAT