Enjoy a magical day underwater during this full-day scuba diving trip from Bavaro. Travel to picturesque Catalina Island and immerse yourself in its clear turquoise waters, incredible coral formations and outstanding fish life. Relax on a private beach and enjoy refreshments at the open bar overlooking the ocean, then feast on a delicious Dominican meal prepared by a renowned chef. Don’t miss this incredible opportunity to improve your diving and see some of the Dominican Republic’s most beautiful natural areas.
Posted By : Laura_M
We were picked up on time, and taken to a gas station where we waited for almost an hour to get on a bus. The guides and drivers did not speak much English so we weren't sure what was going on most of the time. We got the boat, which was packed and there was no where to sit. At no point did anyone ask if we were snorkeling or diving. We had to speak up when we noticed that other's were getting ready to dive and the dive masters didn't know there were more divers and we had to show our tickets to prove we paid for diving. We were nervous because it was unimpressive so far, however Joel who we dove with was amazing. He did a great job reviewing things quickly with us. My mom who hadn't dove 30 years had trouble clearing her ears and he was able to help her. She was very impressed. We so many rays and a huge variety of coral. It was great diving. We did two dives then got to the island for lunch. We were able to eat, but it was pretty picked over and they were out of a few things. Then we got shuttled back to the big boat and headed back to dock. It took a long time to get back with the wind. Once we got to the dock, we had to just assume we went back up the stairs to where we were dropped of. The drivers didn't speak English. It took us over 2 hours to get back to our hotel, after 7:30pm. This is a full day like 12 hour tour if you do your transportation with them. It was disappointing that there was not more communication. If we had known how long the transportation would take, we would have taken a taxi to save out time. It was also a shame that the boat was so full, and we spent a lot of time sitting on the boat getting to and from the island, which was uncomfortable since it was packed. Joel the dive master saved the trip!! We loved the diving.
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Posted On : 2023-01-02 16:07:31 
Posted By : Craig_T
I will be calling someone to review the situation that happened on this tour as there isn't enough characters allowed in this text box to explain. this was by far the worst excursion i have ever gone on in my life.. i will call tomorrow to review with management as i want something done regarding this . I WAS FEAFUL FOR MY FAMILIES SAFETY MANY TIMES NOT JUST REGARDING COVID EITHER..
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Posted On : 2021-03-13 19:53:41
Posted By : Trevor_L
We were staying at a Punta Cana hotel and the bus was 1/2 hour late. During the drive, we made three stops and transferred vehicles. We made the 120km trip to Catalina in 2 and a half hours.
When we arrived we were bustled onto a very nice boat with a group of snorkellers, the scuba equipment appeared to be good quality, (I have my own so didn't use any) and the crew prepared it for their clients. They also prepped my personal gear, but I had to assist anyway because they weren't familiar with the elaborate self-contained BCD.
Once in the water, I found the visibility and the flora and fauna to be much superior to that of the Punta Cana area which is pretty much dead. However, I was rather disappointed with my fellow divers' disregard for the environment. Being a certified divemaster I prefer to take up the tail end of the group so I can keep an eye out for trouble with other divers and be ready to assist. Our group of 5 other divers was quite inexperienced and I repeatedly had to pull one guy off the coral that he was standing on to pose for pictures, another time he was going much too deep and putting himself at risk. Eventually, my patience wore thin and I decided that if he's going to end up killing himself, so be it. Then, there was a couple who held hands the entire duration of the dive. She had a death grip on her husband's hand because she was so scared. That's all well and good, I applaud her courage to overcome her fears, but by the end of the dive, they had lost contact with the rest of the group. The dive guide and three others had already surfaced, but this couple was still on the bottom, completely lost. When I came to realise their predicament I checked their pressure which was well below 500 psi, so I indicated we should surface.
The meal on the beach was decent. A buffet-style meal with rice, chicken, pork, veggies, alcoholic drinks or fish for your meal was an additional charge. We returned to the boat, docked, and rode the mini-van bus 2 hours back to our hotel.
In essence, the ride was long but tolerable, the equipment was good quality, the boat was very nice, the meal was delicious and the underwater sights were typical for the Caribbean. The point of this is that the dive guide was completely oblivious to the skill levels of his charges. He did not ensure that they remained safe, followed the dive briefing, or were even accounted for before he surfaced. Everything else might have been great, but the most important safety aspect, the dive master, was essentially useless.
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Posted On : 2020-03-10 12:23:40
Posted By : Jose_T
Very knowledgeable, fun, and entertaining. The diving was amazing and the dive master was able to point out amazing fish and rays. Drinks provided were excellent and the beach and food was too. Overall 10/10 would recommend.
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Posted On : 2019-05-21 16:12:15
Posted By : HendersonCMC
I thought this might turn out to be a negative review by me because they were nearly 2 hours late picking me up at the hotel and I had no idea what was wrong... I eventually got an email from Chantel telling me they were 10 minutes out...
The van arrived and rushed me to another waiting van and off we went. Tour was supposed to leave the dock at 9:30am but we didn't arrive until after 10:45... Boat was waiting. I felt bad for all those who had to wait for us.
But after taking to Joel, the dive master, it turned out it wasn't the translation company, they delayed picking people up due to a marginal weather forecast with a tropical storm looming.
Once it was clear that the transportation company didn't simply forget me, and the trip began, all was great.
Joel is excellent and tailored the dives to my personal interests. Water was balmy and crystal clear.
Lunch on the beach was decent. The beach at Catalina Island was beautiful.
Overall, after the initial issues, was a great day with excellent people.
I stayed in Uvero Alto, so be aware that La Romana, where the dock is located, is a long drive away. With dropping others off at their hotels it took nearly 2 hours to get back to my hotel.
Even with all that, I give it an excellent recommendation, just be aware and prepared for the long drive of you're not staying closer to the dock.
My only criticism would be for Passion Paradise to be more proactive about giving updates to patrons if there is going to be a delay. Not knowing what was going on was frustrating.
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Posted On : 2018-08-16 03:51:53 
