The Plan

Newbie Joined: 18 Aug 2006 Posts: 12

Arriving Tue Nov 24 on Carnival Valor noon to 7pm. The plan is to rent a car within walking distance to the pier, diving Eden Rock, Sunset House and finishing at Cracked Conch (dive,drink and dine), return the car in time to miss the traffic jam on 7MB.
We booked this cruise 3 days ago and leave in 9 days, live in the sticks and slow dial up is the only thing available out here so research is slow. We did GC 5 years ago on a cruise when we were snorklin and then stayed for a week a year later on the North Side so we're a little familiar with GC, loved Rum Point but don't think we'll have time for it.
Any problems/suggestions for this plan?
Also, loved Blackbeards Banana Rum, any way to get it back home other than smuggling it onboard?

Posted: Sat Nov 14, 2009 9:35 am Post subject:

Sounds like a full day. If I may I would suggest get on dock, take cab (or maybe Andy's will pick you up) to Andy's (right next to Coconut Joe's on SMB - contact them ahead and arrange for car), head to Cracked Conch. Have lunch at Cracked Conch and get your dive in (or vice versa depending on your stomach Smile

). Head down to Sunset House and get Dive in and have a snack, and end at Eden Rock. Take car back and stop on the way back to the Pier at Rackhams for day end cocktails. I think the Blackbeard's people can arrange for your rum to be on board for you. You may have to wait until you get home to drink it though :(

Posted: Sat Nov 14, 2009 9:54 am Post subject:

Wow, that's ambitious.

Definitely go directly to the Cracked Conch for the dive and dine experience. Then evaluate what time is left. Personally, I've had good experience with Eden Rock and not so good with Sunset House, but that was years ago. I don't know if you'll have time for both Sunset and Eden Rock.

And yes, any of the duty free booze shops can get your rum on board!

Hve a great time a let us know how it all goes.
DS

Newbie Joined: 18 Aug 2006 Posts: 12

First off I had the hours wrong, we were there from 7am to 4pm ship time. Andys was full so we got Avis thru Economy. Got to the Blue Iguana at 7:45, at 8:00 they opened and we called Avis and a van arrived about 15 minutes later. Went to the airport, got the car, drove to Cracked Conch and dive computer said we hit the water at 10:30. Then drove down to Eden Rock for a dive, returned the car, got a ride back to the pier and got in line for a tender with about an hour to spare. If we had to do it again I think we would catch a taxi at the pier and go straight to Cracked Conch and spend the day there and catch a taxi back to the cruise pier.
The setup was nice at CC, everything was in the shade, and a nice easy ladder entry. We got good detailed info on how to enter the water, what depth the buoys were at, where the wall was, current direction, etc. We got to the wall and went South, a decent dive for such an easy shore entry, about 50 tarpons just hanging out I got right in the middle of them and they didn't care. Southern stingray cruised in making the garden eels duck, some soft corals and decent fish. Should of stayed tghere and dove to the North.
At Eden Rock everything was out in the sun, gearing up and rinse tanks, we basically sat on the sidewalk and geared up because the two picnic tables were in use. There was a map this guy was showing me and trying to tell me how to dive the area but it was too much info, go right, left, swim thru here, turn this way, anothe swim thru,etc. We made it to a couple swim thrus and then just winged it. Swim thrus are nice we like them in Cozumel. My impression of the area we were in was it was a wall of dead hard coral although alot of swim thrus, no soft coral and alot of small fish. CC was about $4 a tank cheaper also.

Posted: Thu Dec 03, 2009 10:49 pm Post subject:

Ray and Pam,

Sounds like it was a fulll day. I could easily spend an entire day at CC diving, dining, diving... The setup there is wonderful, and the staff has always been great to us.

So, did you get the rum? drinking

DS

Posted: Thu Dec 03, 2009 11:00 pm Post subject:

Hello Ray and Pam,

Thanks for checking in after your trip and letting us know how your "plan" worked out. Like Divesergeant, I'm very partial to the dive up at Cracked Conch, as well as the staff. Glad they took such great care of you and told you so much about what to expect on your dive. You mentioned a Southern Stingray......was it REALLY HUGE? Two years ago, while snorkeling there, the largest stingray I've ever seen swam just below me. Despite all the times I've been to Stingray City, seeing one that big and in that setting really kind of spooked me.

Char

Newbie Joined: 18 Aug 2006 Posts: 12

Didn't get the rum, it wasn't at the duty free shops last time we were there and didn't stop to check this time. However, we did find that you can bring it back to the ship and they will hold it for you until the last nite and then return it to you at the same time they turn over all the duty free things to everyone else.
The stingray was good size but not overly huge.

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