The Best Places to Dive in the Caribbean

Seasoned divers and newbies alike all adore the Caribbean for its rich biodiversity, beautiful coral reefs and other exploratory endeavors, like discovering a shipwreck.

Aboard a Norwegian Cruise Line cruise, certified divers can book diving excursions in many destinations, while new divers can book a discovery course with a certified diving instructor.

To book a diving excursion, guests must bring their diver certification and show proof they have dived in the past twelve months. Tours include necessary equipment, transportation and a divemaster as a guide.

SCUBA Discovery excursions only require basic swimming skills. A doctor’s note is required if the participant has a health condition like diabetes, heart disease, epilepsy, asthma or other conditions.

One of these destinations is St. Thomas. This U.S. Virgin Island offers a variety of different dive sights to fit divers with varying degrees of experience. It’s also a great snorkeling destination for its clear, shallow water in which grows over 40 types of coral and over 500 species of fish.

Certified divers can book a SCUBA two-tank dive excursion that includes a reef and wreck dive, while newbies can take a discovery course in shallower waters. Bermuda is another great diving destination, home to 300+ shipwrecks as well as coral reefs, as is Nassau in the Bahamas. Both offer SCUBA and discovery excursions.

Roatan, Honduras is another ideal scuba diving destination, as it’s located along the Mesoamerican Reef System. With year-round warm and clear water filled with marine life, you’ll love snorkeling, scuba diving or learning how to scuba dive there. Certified divers can book the Wall and Reef Certified SCUBA Dive with Equipment excursion, where they can find eagle rays, sharks and eels.

Harvest Caye, Belize is home to the second-largest barrier reef system in the world. The Belize Barrier Reef is a UNESCO World Heritage Site and offers some of the best snorkeling and diving experiences. NCL even offers a Barrier Reef Snorkel excursion for newbies and families, where they can discover sea turtles, eagle rays, coral reefs and the tropical fish that inhabit them.

Lastly, Kralendijk, Bonair is a top diving destination due to the fact that the area surrounding the island is home to some of the Caribbean’s healthiest coral reefs. Experienced divers can book the Bonaire Marine Park SCUBA Experience, while non-divers can take the Double Dip Snorkel Trip, which includes an excursion to Klein Bonaire, an uninhabited islet.

To learn more, please click here.