Padi Scuba Certification With Royal Caribbean
Cruise the seas and earn a PADI scuba certification at the same time.
By Cassie Bailey | Published on August 7, 2025
We’re excited to announce that Royal Caribbean is the first and only cruise line to offer on board Professional Association of Diving Instructors® (PADI) Five Star Dive Centers, letting our guests become certified scuba divers as part of their cruise. While diving trips long have made for some of the coolest shore excursions we offer, from exploring shipwrecks in Bermuda to scoping the world’s second largest barrier reef in Belize, adventure-seekers now can take their explorations to new depths.
Here’s everything you need to know about the program, with special insights from Mario Almeida Irisarri, one of our Royal Caribbean International Dive Instructors on board Harmony of the Seas.
1. Who Should Try The Padi Program?
2. How Does The Program Work?
Guests will receive first-rate training and certification, with a mixture of online lessons, practice sessions in the ship’s pool, and finally, four open-water dives. The PADI eLearning™ online course and the PADI Touch™ mobile app are designed to let you study scuba theory pre-cruise, so, as Mario says, your trip will be “all about the fun of scuba diving.”
The best part? The four open-water dives will take place in two ports of call—in either the Caribbean or South America—letting you hone your skills in exciting environments.
3. What Are The Benefits Of Becoming Certified?
you can explore more of the sea, by going on deeper and more advanced dives than beginners. “After all, 70 percent of the planet is covered in water, so the best way to explore it is scuba,” Mario says.
Safety is a major factor, too: there’s no better preparation than knowing the ins and outs of your equipment, diving techniques, and dive procedures. Certified scuba divers also can rent their own equipment from dive shops on land, a perfect way to extend your adventure after a Caribbean cruise that wraps up in Miami.
