Arriving by cruise ship?
If you want to SNUBA with our company, you must book directly with us. Being the oldest SNUBA operation in the world, we provide you with over 30 years of SNUBA expertise to make your SNUBA adventure memorable and enjoyable. We accommodate thousands of cruise ship passengers every year and everyone has a great time and gets back to their ship on time!
We have worked directly with numerous cruise lines in the past but found the pressure to rush large groups of people through the SNUBA experience was not conducive to the learning process and the more intimate experience we like to provide you, our guests. The internet has allowed us to “cut ties” with the cruise lines while still providing the opportunity for cruise passengers to find and experience our tour in a much less hurried manner.
Keep in mind there are two separate and different SNUBA operators at Coral World, VI SNUBA (the original SNUBA operator at Coral World since 1998) and Coral World SNUBA (since 2008). VI SNUBA cannot be booked once you arrive at Coral World.
Our SNUBA operation differs in a few ways from the ship’s SNUBA tour:
- Your SNUBA dive will be longer and less rushed
- You will receive a thorough safety orientation and then enter shallow water for a practice session. Your dive consists of a shallow-water practice, which allows you time to get comfortable with the breathing and the equipment (while keeping your feet firmly planted in the silky sand of Coki Beach). We check your buoyancy, practice ear adjustment, and then you are led on a guided underwater tour. The average dive time is 30 minutes, not including the time in the water getting comfortable. Total in-water time is about 45 minutes to an hour
- The shallow-water practice is an important aspect of the tour. With the time constraints of directly booked cruise ship tours, this practice session is often shortened or eliminated–we do NOT skip this session! It is needed for the comfort of the divers
- We take photos (provided our camera is operational) of you underwater, which can be purchased and viewed once you get back from your cruise
- We are the SNUBA specialists! We have conducted SNUBA tours for over 30 years and do not divide ourselves between snorkeling and scuba diving; we ONLY do SNUBA
- Keeping our groups small provides you with a more personal tour allowing you more time to feel comfortable
- Our SNUBA operation is the only exclusively family owned and operated SNUBA operation in the Virgin Islands—our family will be your personal guides on your SNUBA dive
Common Cruise Questions
-
If your ship does not come into port or changes its itinerary, you will be refunded in full. If your ship is running late you need to call to see if you can be accommodated at a later time.
-
Yes, it is very safe. SNUBA is a franchise and has specific safety guidelines, which must be followed. It is one of the safest water activities in existence.
Getting to your SNUBA excursion
-
Take a taxi from your ship’s docking or drop off area to Coral World. Leave at least a half hour before your reservation time. (Be aware of local island time or you may be late for your dive.) The cost should be about $9-$11 per person each way depending upon your ship drop off location. There are plenty of taxis going to and from Coral World so you need not worry about making return arrangements. Once at Coral World, you will meet Frank or Tammy at the Coral World ticket booth about five minutes before your reservation time.
-
~Getting to St. John is easy and you need to look at it as a couple of tours in one as you get to go on a few adventures to get to us from St. Thomas. You get an “island tour” on your way to catch the ferry, you get a boat ride while on the ferry, and you get another “island tour” on your taxi ride to Trunk Bay. What fun!
~Take a taxi from the ship docking or drop off area to Red Hook ($9-$11 per person). Give yourself a minimum of 40 minutes for this and make sure the taxi driver knows what ferry you must catch. (The 10 a.m. ferry for the 10:45 a.m. dive on St. John and the 12 p.m. ferry for the 1:15 p.m. dive on St. John)
~The ferries leave every hour on the hour from Red Hook and the price is $8.15 per person each way for adults and children under 12 are $1 each way. You must catch the 10 a.m. for the 11:00 a.m. dive.
~Once on St. John, take a taxi to Trunk Bay. This takes about 10 to 20 minutes and the cost is $6 per person each way. Again, there will be plenty of taxis going both ways so no need to make pickup arrangements if you do not want to be set with a return time
~At Trunk Bay, you will pay the Virgin Islands National Park admittance fee ($5 per person, kids under 16 are free) and then meet your guide by the snorkel rental shop.
~If you participate in the 11:00 a.m. St. John dive you can be back to your ship by 4 p.m.