No passport - where to go snorkeling with teens
 

It appears we won't get my 16 yr old' pssprt this summer. Can someone please help with where to go when snorkeling is a priority for 19 and 16 and a little peace, beauty and safety is a priority for their tired old mom? Don't think we'll have much a choice of places to stay but those suggestions would be greatly appreciated also.
Thank you for any and all help...

Assuming you are US citizens, you can travel to/from the USVI's without a passport. St. John has excellent snorkeling and St. Thomas has access to some very good snorkel sites.

The rules have changed in the last week or so for passports, because the backlog is now more than 12 weeks, so as long as you have a receipt that you sent in for the passport and you can print, you can prove that you sent in for the passport and it has not arrived. So all you will need is ID with picture and birth certificate will work.

The Atlantis on New Providence is having some specials right now you might check there, the kids will LOVE it.

Have a great time.

For travel from the US with no passport and a snorkeling requirement, St. John is the no brainer answer. It has the reputation for ranking among the best snorkeling in the Caribbean.

Travelbuff - while the US has relaxed its rules - those rules only cover US citizens coming BACK into the US. Thee US has no control over the requirements set by foreign countries and not all Caribbean islands will allow you to ENTER their countries without a valid passport. Any person travelling to the Caribbean without a passport (even thought they may have an "official receipt of filing") should check to see what the requirements are for Entry on the island they are planning to visit.

St John or Grand Cayman would be good choices for snorkeling.

Christie

oops! not Grand Cayman..you would need a passport!

St. John, St. Croix, St. Thomas, Vieques, Culebra ... all these are good possibilities and all U.S. territories where no passport is required. Of course, there is also Key West or Hawaii.

I would personally not compare the Florida Keys with St. John's. St. Thomas has some nice sail boats that take 8-12 people-you do not want more, then it it's too crowded, and they go to snorkel sites in and around St. John. It pays to spend $125/person for a 6-7 hour day that will motor part of the way so you can spend at least 2 hours snorkeling snorkeling. You want a boat that makes 2 or 3 snorkel stops of 30-45 minutes each. Just ask when you book. They usually tell you the truth.