We are avid snorkelers and are starting to plan next summer's Disney Cruise/Disneyworld trip.

We plan on taking one of the 7night Disney cruises - can you give me advice on whether the Eastern or Western has better snorkel excursions? From preliminarily scanning the previous postings it would seem we would be happier with Western?

On the Western 7 day cruise are the snorkel excursions the way to go? or should we work independently with a snorkel boat you can recommend? What shouldn't we miss?

thank you in advance!

Western, hands down. Cozumel, Caymen....lots of good reefs. In the east, St John is the best and it's not that great.

I agree with Linda.....except for her opinion of St.John.There are numerous excellent places to snorkle on St. John if you know where to go.The western cruise has more locations to chose from at Cozumel and Grand Cayman.

thank you, Charlie and Linda!

Any input on Disney verus self-planned snorkel excursions on the Western itinerary islands? As snorkelholics not too happy when we are on a snorkel boat with 100+ people on them, would we be happier with a self-planned excursion? Any recommendations?

Both Cozumel and Georgetown are tourist friendly so if you don't mind going out on your own hail a taxi dockside. Most taxi drivers know the island intimately and will take you to a good snorkle area and return at a specified time to take you back. I usually do this so that I can get my fill of snorkling and I haven't been stranded yet.(LOL).

The best of the best snorkling in my opinion is Grand Cayman, so good that I land tour there every year. Be sure you have a long port day ( no 1pm departures), Cozumel snorkling is good- so you have 2 ports that would fill the bill.

Then again there's Aruba and Curacao - but you'd have to take a southern caribbean and Disney doesn't do any of those.

Peter

thank you so much BudgetQueen and Charlie - sounds like the first of many decisions is concluded: Western it is!

We did the St. Thomas, St. Martin cruise and snorkeling was terrible. We just booked 7 days on NCL Majesty and are going to the Grand Cayman and Cozumel ports. From everything I've ever heard or read, Grand Cayman is second only to the Great Barrier Reef in Australia. I'm about to find out! Have a safe and fun trip!

Disney has only one ship sailing out of Port Canaveral in Summer 2005. The ship is only doing 3 and 4 night cruises. The other Disney ship will be sailing out of LA next June, July and August. There will be no 7 night cruise for Disney next Summer out of Florida. May want to look at another line for the Western Caribbean.

You probably want to arrange for a private boat trip. Closer to shore coral are generally stressed - too many snorkelers. Excursions through the ship usually takes you to very 'safe' places, good for biginners, often require you to wear life jacket, so you can't dive. There are plenty outfits listed in internet.
But if you are avid snorkelers like we are, trying going to the islands east of Bali. There are many liveaboard ships leaving from Bali to around Komodo where dragons live, where Indian and Pacific ocean meet, for a week of snorkeling and diving. It is absolutely the best in the world. Beats Barrier Reef hollow.

Hello, my name is P_M, and I'm a Snorkelholic....;-)

One of favorite places for snorkeling is the Grand Cayman. Don't miss Stingray City, it's clearer than a swimming pool. The best reefs I have found are in the Yucatan penninsula, around Cozumel or Playa del Carmen. Of course, the best in the world has to be the Great Barrier reef IMHO, I hope you will go there someday.

If you are really serious about snorkeling and won't miss cruise boat stuff, try Sea for Yourself at http://www.snorkeltours.com/
We have been with them 3 times. Roatan, Bonaire & Belize. Have cultural events mixed with snorkelling. They are NOT dive tours. If it weren't so far, I would be off to Gr Barrier Reef with them ASAP.

I second that. I've take a trip with them. SeaForYourself is a good outfit. They are the only one who specialize in snorkeling, not diving, trips. They are resort based and don't use liveaboard, though. I wish they did.