towels and snorkelling equipment question

[younginspirit]

Do we need to bring along beach towels? If not, are the towels provided large or small? Can we bring them off the ship on excursions? Also are the snorkels provided (Castaway Cay) cleaned well? Are they the type with valves so you don't have to blow the water out?

 

[tstobb]

Towels are provided (in bins as you disembark) and are medium sized.
Not sure about the snorkels as we brought our own.

 

[my3kids]

The towels were on the small side, but okay. They were downstairs by the door at CC, but we had to get them by the pool before disembarking at other ports. They didn't care we took them...they just were not as convenient. Don't know about cleaning the snorkels, but they do make everyone wear an inflatable vest for snorkeling. They had extras right at the snorkel beach for familes who brought their own snorkels. These things have a mouth piece and you blow them up. When we finished snorkeling, the lady said we could just put them back on the chair if we wanted. Well, HORRORS! I'm glad I was there first so maybe the dirty mouth pieces had air disenfected over night (yeah, right) We ended up hanging on to them because I didn't want to pick up another from the beach later in the day....yuck. I have no idea if those mouth valves are wiped clean typically and she just made a mistake by saying I could put them back with the others, or if it really is a saliva free for all.

My advice is just buy snorkel eqip. ahead of time and take it with you. Then the only germs are your own and no rental fees....they would really add up. We took our own to 3 islands- times 5 people. At $25 pp/per day that would have been$375 for snorkel rentals...wow! I really did save us a pile of money by filling in missing peices and lugging it with us.

 

[prymsu]

I agree with my3kids. You can pick up your own snorkel equipment for about the same price as renting. If you get hooked on snorkeling, then you won't ever have to worry about having the equipment for the next time you go.

 

[garyss7]

Check ebay if your local store isn't carring snorkel equipment. Definitely worth
bringing your own stuff if you can. Gary