St. Thomas or St. Maarten

Hi,

I am going on a cruise in May with 2 stops that have a scuba
excursion. One is in St. Thomas (the brochure says this is a wreck
dive, but who knows what the divemaster will decide at the time) and
the other is St. Maarten.

Now, not knowing specifics and just based on the basic knowledge of
the two locations, is one any better than the other?

Thanks!!

Eddie

On Jan 31, 11:07*am, Eddie G <egoldb...@amh.org> wrote:
> Hi,
>
> I am going on a cruise in May with 2 stops that have a scuba
> excursion. *One is in St. Thomas (the brochure says this is a wreck
> dive, but who knows what the divemaster will decide at the time) and
> the other is St. Maarten.
>
> Now, not knowing specifics and just based on the basic knowledge of
> the two locations, is one any better than the other?
>
> Thanks!!
>
> Eddie

Neither is great, but if I had to do it, I'd pick St. Thomas without
hesitation.

gc

[Default] Thus spake aquadiver <george.cathcart@gmail.com>:

>On Jan 31, 11:07*am, Eddie G <egoldb...@amh.org> wrote:
>> Hi,
>>
>> I am going on a cruise in May with 2 stops that have a scuba
>> excursion. *One is in St. Thomas (the brochure says this is a wreck
>> dive, but who knows what the divemaster will decide at the time) and
>> the other is St. Maarten.
>>
>> Now, not knowing specifics and just based on the basic knowledge of
>> the two locations, is one any better than the other?
>>
>> Thanks!!
>>
>> Eddie
>
>Neither is great, but if I had to do it, I'd pick St. Thomas without
>hesitation.
>
>gc

St. Martin (but not St. Maarten) is better known for its beaches than
its dive sites.
--

- dillon I am not invalid

Men are like a carpet. Lay them well and you can
walk on them for years.

Eddie G wrote:
> Hi,
>
> I am going on a cruise in May with 2 stops that have a scuba
> excursion. One is in St. Thomas (the brochure says this is a wreck
> dive, but who knows what the divemaster will decide at the time) and
> the other is St. Maarten.
>
> Now, not knowing specifics and just based on the basic knowledge of
> the two locations, is one any better than the other?
>
> Thanks!!
>
> Eddie

When doing dives from a cruise ship be very careful, The ship
excursions are usually horrible. The object is to get you a cattle boat
- zip you thru dives with little consideration to experience. There
object is to get your money.

I did the cruise dive in St Maarten - it was okay.

St Thomas I booked my own with Blue Island Divers

http://www.blueislanddivers.com/

They were very good and close to where you dock. The great thing was it
was only two divers - me and an inexperienced female that aborted her
dive 5 minutes in. I was basically by myself with the divemaster nearby
letting me roan wherever. I think they have a sunken barge there that
was a barracks in WWII. I got to hang on a dolphin a hitch a ride for a
very short and friendly ride. The dolphin hung around for a few minutes
then vanished.

I would highly recommend them - I would certainly dive with them again.

The only downsize - and maybe someone already told you - if you miss the
ship on the cruise dive - you still make the boat - if you book your own
you may be out of luck

[Default] Thus spake Joe <J*e@joe.com>:

>Eddie G wrote:
>> Hi,
>>
>> I am going on a cruise in May with 2 stops that have a scuba
>> excursion. One is in St. Thomas (the brochure says this is a wreck
>> dive, but who knows what the divemaster will decide at the time) and
>> the other is St. Maarten.
>>
>> Now, not knowing specifics and just based on the basic knowledge of
>> the two locations, is one any better than the other?
>>
>> Thanks!!
>>
>> Eddie
>
>When doing dives from a cruise ship be very careful, The ship
>excursions are usually horrible. The object is to get you a cattle boat
>- zip you thru dives with little consideration to experience. There
>object is to get your money.

My first cruise ship dive was in Cozumel with Sand Dollar. Yeah, okay
is good description. The comparison between crappy diving and good
working probably applied.

My second was also with Sand Dollar. This time, however, I was put on
a smaller boat with three other very experienced divers. Very good
diving. The other 16 people were put on another boat and were already
gone by the time we got back to the shop.

>
>I did the cruise dive in St Maarten - it was okay.
>
>St Thomas I booked my own with Blue Island Divers
>
>http://www.blueislanddivers.com/
>
>They were very good and close to where you dock. The great thing was it
>was only two divers - me and an inexperienced female that aborted her
>dive 5 minutes in. I was basically by myself with the divemaster nearby
>letting me roan wherever. I think they have a sunken barge there that
>was a barracks in WWII. I got to hang on a dolphin a hitch a ride for a
>very short and friendly ride.

Someone correct me, but isn't that illegal? Not that I'm slamming you
or even coming at you.

Remember, the US has asserted that, even if an act in another country
is legal there, if it's illegal in the US you've broken the law.

>The dolphin hung around for a few minutes
>then vanished.
>
>I would highly recommend them - I would certainly dive with them again.
>
>The only downsize - and maybe someone already told you - if you miss the
>ship on the cruise dive - you still make the boat - if you book your own
>you may be out of luck

Do not believe that entirely. Typically the ship will/can stay about
another hour, so if you are on a cruise line sponsored excursion, you
may still miss the boat. But they'll get you to the next port.
Otherwise it's KMAGYOYO.

--

- dillon I am not invalid

Men are like a carpet. Lay them well and you can
walk on them for years.

Eddie G <egoldb...@amh.org> wrote:
>
> I am going on a cruise in May with 2 stops that have a scuba
> excursion. *One is in St. Thomas (the brochure says this is a wreck
> dive, but who knows what the divemaster will decide at the time) and
> the other is St. Maarten.
>
> Now, not knowing specifics and just based on the basic knowledge
> of the two locations, is one any better than the other?

Having spent a week on St. Maarten and getting in a half dozen or so
dives, I'd try St. Thomas. I think the way that I've described St.
Maarten in the past was along the lines of "...after a couple of days
of diving, I actuallly stopped bothering to carry my UW
camera..." (sic).


-hh

Dillon Pyron wrote:
> [Default] Thus spake Joe <J*e@joe.com>:
>
>> Eddie G wrote:
>>> Hi,
>>>
>>> I am going on a cruise in May with 2 stops that have a scuba
>>> excursion. One is in St. Thomas (the brochure says this is a wreck
>>> dive, but who knows what the divemaster will decide at the time) and
>>> the other is St. Maarten.
>>>
>>> Now, not knowing specifics and just based on the basic knowledge of
>>> the two locations, is one any better than the other?
>>>
>>> Thanks!!
>>>
>>> Eddie
>> When doing dives from a cruise ship be very careful, The ship
>> excursions are usually horrible. The object is to get you a cattle boat
>> - zip you thru dives with little consideration to experience. There
>> object is to get your money.
>
> My first cruise ship dive was in Cozumel with Sand Dollar. Yeah, okay
> is good description. The comparison between crappy diving and good
> working probably applied.
>
> My second was also with Sand Dollar. This time, however, I was put on
> a smaller boat with three other very experienced divers. Very good
> diving. The other 16 people were put on another boat and were already
> gone by the time we got back to the shop.
>
>> I did the cruise dive in St Maarten - it was okay.
>>
>> St Thomas I booked my own with Blue Island Divers
>>
>> http://www.blueislanddivers.com/
>>
>> They were very good and close to where you dock. The great thing was it
>> was only two divers - me and an inexperienced female that aborted her
>> dive 5 minutes in. I was basically by myself with the divemaster nearby
>> letting me roan wherever. I think they have a sunken barge there that
>> was a barracks in WWII. I got to hang on a dolphin a hitch a ride for a
>> very short and friendly ride.
>
> Someone correct me, but isn't that illegal? Not that I'm slamming you
> or even coming at you.
>
> Remember, the US has asserted that, even if an act in another country
> is legal there, if it's illegal in the US you've broken the law.

Not sure - I guess it would be pretty hard to prosecute especially since
the ride lasted all of about three seconds. I have some sex longer than
that


>
>> The dolphin hung around for a few minutes
>> then vanished.
>>
>> I would highly recommend them - I would certainly dive with them again.
>>
>> The only downsize - and maybe someone already told you - if you miss the
>> ship on the cruise dive - you still make the boat - if you book your own
>> you may be out of luck
>
> Do not believe that entirely. Typically the ship will/can stay about
> another hour, so if you are on a cruise line sponsored excursion, you
> may still miss the boat. But they'll get you to the next port.
> Otherwise it's KMAGYOYO.
>

Personally have never seen it happened either - just that the
restriction is out there

On Feb 2, 4:25*pm, Joe <J...@joe.com> wrote:

> > Someone correct me, but isn't that illegal? *Not that I'm slamming you
> > or even coming at you.
>
> > Remember, the US has asserted that, even if an act in another country
> > is legal there, if it's illegal in the US you've broken the law.
>
> Not sure - I guess it would be pretty hard to prosecute especially since
> the ride lasted all of about three seconds. *I have some sex longer than
> that

The MMPA defines a "taking" as including "harrassing" or "confining".
Clearly taking a 3 second ride on a dolphin would fall within the
scope of "taking". Having sex with the dolphin, even if it was longer
than 3 seconds and appeared to satisfy the dolphin, would still
qualify as "harrassing". You have heard of sexual harrassment,
haven't you? Unless you have a written statement from the dolphin
that it consented to sex with you, you've definitely violated the act.

Not only does Dillion's general advice that laws affecting Americans
in the U.S. can also regulate their behavior outside the country, but
the MMPA specifically does not limit its range to U.S. waters, instead
purporting to cover all U.S. persons wherever they might be.

As for being "hard to prosecute", I bet a written admission posted on
a public newsgroup would go a long way to aid the dolphin police,
though I'd guess that the chances of them actually attempting to
prosecute you are close to nil.

[Default] Thus spake Joe <J*e@joe.com>:

<snip>

>
>Not sure - I guess it would be pretty hard to prosecute especially since
>the ride lasted all of about three seconds. I have some sex longer than
>that

"Did the world move for you?"

"Shit honey, it didn't even jiggle."

I wish I could remember the movie.

>
>
>>
>>> The dolphin hung around for a few minutes
>>> then vanished.
>>>
>>> I would highly recommend them - I would certainly dive with them again.
>>>
>>> The only downsize - and maybe someone already told you - if you miss the
>>> ship on the cruise dive - you still make the boat - if you book your own
>>> you may be out of luck
>>
>> Do not believe that entirely. Typically the ship will/can stay about
>> another hour, so if you are on a cruise line sponsored excursion, you
>> may still miss the boat. But they'll get you to the next port.
>> Otherwise it's KMAGYOYO.
>>
>
>Personally have never seen it happened either - just that the
>restriction is out there

On our first cruise, we went to Xcaret (stopped in Calica) and got
back to the ship about 2:30 for a 5:00 departure. It was about 103
that day and we had spent about 45 minutes in a wonderful 72F
"undergroun" "river", but were still soaked with sweat.

So we showered off and were just kind of looking out our window, which
was on the dock side. Supposed to be back on the ship by 4:30. There
were a bunch of vendor tents that you had to walk through to get back
to the ship, but at least it was shade. Carol bought some small
"genuine jade" carvings for $10 (I know, she knows. But they're
pretty). Well, about 4:25, people were kind of hustling along. At
4:30 it was more of a quick trot. 4:45 and most people were blowing
through the tents. 4:55 and a taxi blows around the barricades and a
couple runs out towards the gangway, throuwing a wad of money at the
taxi driver, to cheers and jeers from the folks on deck (the very
drunk folks on deck). We watched the dock hands cast off the lines,
the thrusters started pushing us away. We're about 100 feet from the
dock when another taxi comes pulling up and two couples come running
out, waving and screaming. The howls from the drunks above us. I
guess they learned the lesson about "mas cervesas. por favor".

In 2006, we had one of the pilot boats pull up after we had already
picked up the pilot and 5 people periously climbed from it in to one
of the passenger entrances. I understand from talking with my Royal
Caribbean DSM that they probably paid $1000 for that 5 minute boat
ride. Cheaper than flying back to Houston, probably.

--

- dillon I am not invalid

Hi, I'm Michael Phelps and Olympic Gold isn't the only
Gold I'm thinking of.

Hi, I'm Michael Phelps and when I'm on Maui, Wowwie.

[Default] Thus spake Greg Mossman <mossman@qnet.com>:

>On Feb 2, 4:25*pm, Joe <J...@joe.com> wrote:
>
>> > Someone correct me, but isn't that illegal? *Not that I'm slamming you
>> > or even coming at you.
>>
>> > Remember, the US has asserted that, even if an act in another country
>> > is legal there, if it's illegal in the US you've broken the law.
>>
>> Not sure - I guess it would be pretty hard to prosecute especially since
>> the ride lasted all of about three seconds. *I have some sex longer than
>> that
>
>The MMPA defines a "taking" as including "harrassing" or "confining".
>Clearly taking a 3 second ride on a dolphin would fall within the
>scope of "taking". Having sex with the dolphin, even if it was longer
>than 3 seconds and appeared to satisfy the dolphin, would still
>qualify as "harrassing". You have heard of sexual harrassment,
>haven't you? Unless you have a written statement from the dolphin
>that it consented to sex with you, you've definitely violated the act.
>
>Not only does Dillion's general advice that laws affecting Americans
>in the U.S. can also regulate their behavior outside the country, but
>the MMPA specifically does not limit its range to U.S. waters, instead
>purporting to cover all U.S. persons wherever they might be.
>
>As for being "hard to prosecute", I bet a written admission posted on
>a public newsgroup would go a long way to aid the dolphin police,
>though I'd guess that the chances of them actually attempting to
>prosecute you are close to nil.

IIRC, Noriega was prosecuted for breaking US laws.
--

- dillon I am not invalid

Hi, I'm Michael Phelps and Olympic Gold isn't the only
Gold I'm thinking of.

Hi, I'm Michael Phelps and when I'm on Maui, Wowwie.