Reviews

Reviews - Dive Resorts

Roatan - Splash Inn

Review Date Jan 2025

Resort Rating: 7/10
Dive Shop Rating: 8/10
Food 9/10

We spent seven nights at Splash Inn, and while it’s not anywhere near a five-star resort, it delivered a solid four-star experience in fun and adventure—especially with the lifestyle couple who joined us. We booked the all-inclusive dive package, which covered everything: dives, gear (if needed), breakfast, lunch, dinner, and even wine or beer with evening meals (as long as you weren’t diving afterward). The package also included up to 17 dives, weather permitting.
Splash Inn is a boutique hotel with an attentive owner/manager who’s hands-on and always available to assist guests and staff alike. When the weather took a turn for the worse, he scrambled to find us dive spots on the island. Unfortunately, one day was a complete washout, so we swapped tanks for sloths and toured an exotic animal rescue farm. For under $20, we got to meet sloths, monkeys, parrots, and other exotic birds, plus transfers to and from the resort. Later in the day we did a chocolate factory tour, along with some shopping we thought this was a pretty awesome Plan B.
The rooms were simple but spotless, with comfortable beds and accommodating bathrooms. The cleaning staff was fantastic, delivering extra blankets and towels promptly and keeping everything fresh daily. We left them a small gratuity each day, and they more than earned it.
The food? Delicious, plentiful, and customizable! The wait staff was happy to accommodate requests—most of us traded beans for fruit all week, and the wife turned her Nutella crepes into banana-filled delights. No complaints there, except maybe that our wetsuits felt a bit tighter by the end of the week.
The diving itself was spectacular. Over a third of our dives featured friendly, photogenic turtles who seemed to enjoy the limelight. Add in plenty of parrotfish, spotted drumfish, trunkfish, pufferfish, and even one elusive ray (though murky water kept us from snapping a pic), and we had plenty to keep our underwater cameras busy.
All in all, it was a fantastic week. Oh, and did we have some naughty fun? Of course, we did—but you know we can’t spill the details here. Guess you’ll have to join us on the next trip to find out! We will be back next year

Roatan 2026

Roatan - Bananarama

Review Date Jan 2024

Resort Rating: 6/10
Dive Shop Rating: 7/10
Food 6/10

We chose Roatan for its warm winter waters, and a last-minute cancellation led us to Bananarama. The resort offered a no-frills experience: the rooms were rustic, but the AC worked, and the beds were comfortable enough. Breakfast was included, though the limited menu—just four choices for the entire week—got monotonous. While the food was decent, it was nothing to write home about.

The dive shop was the highlight, with excellent dive masters and skilled boat captains. However, the lack of a dock was a bit inconvenient. Wading through the water to board the boat wasn’t ideal, but the boats themselves were well-suited for diving. We enjoyed some fantastic dive sites, which made the experience worthwhile despite the minor inconveniences.

Roatan Trips

Jamaica - Hedonism II

Review date: Jan, Feb, May, Oct 2024

Resort Rating: 6/10
Dive Shop Rating: 8/10
Food 7/10

Hedonism might be best known for its... *extracurricular naughty activities,* but the diving here holds its own—especially since it's included in the price of your stay, gear and all.

**The Resort:** While many rooms have been upgraded (some more than once), they still fall short compared to most American hotel standards. Premium rooms are a step up but come with a price tag that rivals major chains like Marriott or Hilton and all of them are half the size of any of those properties. That said, it’s all-inclusive—though don’t expect gourmet dining. The food is fine but uninspired, with little variety and limited chef oversight.

**The Dive Shack and Staff:** Having dived here for years, we’ve always found the team professional, safety-focused, and fun. They strike a great balance between playful banter and serious diving. The 20–25 dive sites may sound repetitive after dozens of visits, but the marine life never fails to impress. Over the years, we’ve witnessed everything from eagle rays mating to dolphins feeding a nursing mother, along with sharks, turtles, and more. Every dive manages to surprise us.

**The Verdict:** Would we come here just for the diving? Probably not—except we did post-COVID trip when it was the only option. But the combination of included diving and a *naughty* atmosphere keeps us coming back. After more than 50 visits, Hedonism remains a unique blend of adventure under the waves and even adventures of the naughty kind. What more can you ask for?

Hedo Trips

Reviews Liveaboards

Caribbean Explorer II - St Kitts - St Martin

Sept 2023

Boat: 6/10
Dive Crew: 8/10
Food: 9/10
Diving Overall: 8/10

This trip covered St. Kitts, Saba, and St. Martin, though we only dived at St. Kitts and Saba. St. Kitts, as our first dive site, was incredible, but Saba blew us away—easily the best diving we've experienced in the Caribbean.

The Caribbean Explorer II, part of Explorer Ventures' fleet, is an older but seaworthy vessel. The dive deck, though retrofitted, was functional. Cabins are small, and ours had a double bed (one person crawled over the other all week) and a full bath. Storage is limited, so soft luggage is essential. Meals were hearty comfort food, served buffet-style, with plenty for everyone, including snacks between dives.

The dive staff were experienced and helpful, pointing out highlights like a seahorse at St. Kitts dive site. However, one divemaster was overly focused on macro life and over the top strict about sand or reef contact. Nitrox certification should be mandatory, as the yo-yo dive profiles (deep to shallow) were challenging. A nearby hurricane forced us to miss a day of diving, and instead of sheltering in a bay, we endured rough seas that left many guests seasick.

Saba was the trip's crown jewel. Its protected, pristine reefs were teeming with life—turtles, sharks, rays, barracuda, eels, and even an occasional octopus at nearly every site. We wish the entire week had been spent there.

Highlights:
- Exceptional diving at Saba.
- Improved our skills significantly, learning from both staff but mostly fellow divers.

Lowlights:
- Credit card payments were written down manually, despite onboard internet access.
- An unnecessary lecture on tipping soured the experience for everyone and likely reduced tips.

Overall: A great trip with incredible diving, especially at Saba, but a few operational shortcomings detracted from the experience.

Liveaboard Trips

Juliet - Miami - Bimini, Bahamas

August 2025

Boat: 5/10
Crew: 7/10
Food: 8/10
Diving: 8/10

We sailed on the Juliet, a no-frills liveaboard focused on diving, not luxury. The ship, an older converted diesel vessel with rarely used sails, is functional but basic. The dive deck is mid-ship, requiring a five-foot jump into the water, with no low dive platform for easy reentry—climbing back up can be a workout.

The 50-mile crossing to the Bahamas was rough both ways, so seasickness remedies are a must. Most cabins share a bathroom, but we lucked out with an en suite. While rooms are air-conditioned, the common areas are not, and dining in the minimally cooled galley meant most guests ate outside to catch a breeze. Meals were hearty comfort food, heavy on carbs like pasta, bread, and potatoes.

The crew was professional, with the captain adjusting plans to ensure we didn’t miss any dives. Diving was unguided, offering freedom to explore at your own pace and enjoy extended bottom times—often over 60 minutes. However, without a dive master, spotting small critters like octopuses or seahorses was hit-or-miss. Still, we encountered plenty of sharks, rays, barracuda, and large marine life across sites like Big Greenie, Lewda, the Strip, the wreck of the Sapona, and more.

We completed four dives daily, including night dives, except Thursday, when we did three before returning to Miami. The six-day itinerary (shorter than typical liveaboards) emphasized self-reliant diving, honing compass skills, and navigating underwater landmarks. With 100-foot visibility, it was easy to lose sight of the boat, but by trip’s end, we felt like better navigators.

Highlights:
- Quite a bit of sharks around Bimini.
- Improved our navigation skills significantly

Lowlights:
- To many beans the entire week.
- Small cabins, tight spaces

The Juliet is perfect for divers seeking adventure and skill-building, not luxury. If solid diving and a back-to-basics experience appeal to you, this liveaboard delivers.

Liveaboards

Dive Companies

Off The Wall Divers - Grand Cayman

April 2023

Boat: 8/10
Crew: 9/10
Food: N/A
Diving: 7/10

We booked this dive with Off the Wall Divers a week prior to diving at the docked at the main port on the Bliss Cruise. Tom, the owner and dive master, was easy to contact online and proved to be an excellent underwater guide.

The two-dive package included all necessary gear at a reasonable price. It turned into a private day for just the two of us, which meant undivided attention underwater. A nice touch was the souvenir water bottle filled with ice water. The boat, designed for diving, was relatively new and had a shaded deck but no indoor space or kitchen. Conveniently, the shop was within walking distance of the cruise port—no taxis needed!

The dives were enjoyable but not extraordinary. We spotted a turtle, rays, and plenty of parrotfish but fewer lionfish than expected—likely thanks to the island’s popular lionfish tacos. Visibility was lower than anticipated, and there was no wall diving, which limited the underwater excitement.

Highlights:
- Easy walk from the cruise ship
- Private dive experience for just the two of us

Lowlights:
- Fewer marine highlights than expected
- Visibility was underwhelming

Overall, we’d recommend Off the Wall Divers, especially for cruise passengers looking for a convenient and personal dive experience.

Bliss Feb 2026

Garfield Diving - Ocho Rios, Jamaica

April 2023

We booked Garfield Diving online about a week before our Bliss Cruise and found it easy to walk from the ship—though a detour around a building made it a bit longer than expected. Garfield arranged all our gear and provided a reliable, albeit older, dive boat. The boat was well-equipped for diving, shaded, and perfectly fine for the calm waters we explored. Payment was simple, as they accepted credit cards at the shop.

With reefs close to shore, the boat ride was short, and we lucked out with another private tour. The personal attention made for an enjoyable day.

We completed two shallow dives. The highlight was an octopus we thought was trapped in a fish trap—only to watch it finish its meal and effortlessly squeeze out. The second dive included a shallow wreck and a network of underwater channels illuminated by sunlight streaming through. It was a serene and memorable experience.

Highlights:
- Surprisingly abundant marine life for Jamaica
- Private dive experience with personalized attention

Lowlights:
- Older boat, but functional
- Directions from the ship could have been clearer

Overall, Garfield Diving is a great choice for cruise passengers seeking convenience and a reliable dive experience.

Bliss Feb 2026