Cruise to Cozumel and Great Stirrup Cay.....any tips?

NowandThenTreasures

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Jul 23, 2014
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My wife and I just planned a Caribbean cruise for us this spring, I plan on trying to take my metal detector pinpointer and scoop. It's Our 1st time on a cruise and my 1st time sand fishing in salt water. I think we get a couple days of downtime in Florida too.
From the variety of comments I've read, I am wondering how much push back I may get from customs, getting on and off the boat, on the beach or in the water with a metal detector in either Cozumel or Great Stirrup Cay in the Bahamas. Our time at the Port locations is during the daytime, 8am-5pm when the beaches will be more crowded, which is not ideal, but I have to try it. Sounds like I should pack goggles or a scuba mask too.
Thinking of taking a back pack with the gear and assembling the detector on the beach? Any advice would be greatly appreciated.
 

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WaterWalker

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First: check the cruise line's band / restricted list. If metal detectors are on it...forget taking one.

Second: Cozumel - there are no problems at the airport, I don't know about the docks - they should be the same.

Third: For GSC, the island belongs to NCL, but comes under the Bahama law. I have no information for you from my searches. I would check with the cruise line.
 

ctdirtdigger

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Grand Cayman ?

First: check the cruise line's band / restricted list. If metal detectors are on it...forget taking one.

Second: Cozumel - there are no problems at the airport, I don't know about the docks - they should be the same.

Third: For GSC, the island belongs to NCL, but comes under the Bahama law. I have no information for you from my searches. I would check with the cruise line.


Do you have any information on Grand Cayman ? Thank you !
 

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NowandThenTreasures

NowandThenTreasures

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NCL Restricted Items List

My wife and I just planned a Caribbean cruise for us this spring, I plan on trying to take my metal detector pinpointer and scoop. It's Our 1st time on a cruise and my 1st time sand fishing in salt water. I think we get a couple days of downtime in Florida too.
From the variety of comments I've read, I am wondering how much push back I may get from customs, getting on and off the boat, on the beach or in the water with a metal detector in either Cozumel or Great Stirrup Cay in the Bahamas. Our time at the Port locations is during the daytime, 8am-5pm when the beaches will be more crowded, which is not ideal, but I have to try it. Sounds like I should pack goggles or a scuba mask too.
Thinking of taking a back pack with the gear and assembling the detector on the beach? Any advice would be greatly appreciated.

Great Feedback, Thanks!
Found the Norwegian Cruise Line Restricted Items List
https://www.ncl.com/prohibited-items

Good News! Metal Detectors nor Sand Scoops are NOT on the list!
 

CASPER-2

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Jan 3, 2012
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I DID GOOD IN COZUMEL YRS AGO
hunted just a few days - all from water
lot of silver - few nice golds

 

gus

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Oct 15, 2004
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Nowadays lots of locals and tourists are out searching. Best beaches are south end of island along San Francisco beach.
 

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NowandThenTreasures

NowandThenTreasures

Full Member
Jul 23, 2014
190
458
Wisconsin
Detector(s) used
Garrett AT PRO, Minelab Equinox 800, Garrett Ace 350, Garrett Pro-Pointer AT
Primary Interest:
All Treasure Hunting
I DID GOOD IN COZUMEL YRS AGO
hunted just a few days - all from water
lot of silver - few nice golds


Wow! That was a great treasure trove of goodies! What turned out to be the most valuable? The coin ring? How many hours of sand fishing did you put in on that trip to Cozumel?
 

CASPER-2

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Jan 3, 2012
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NEW ENGLAND
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🏆 Honorable Mentions:
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WHITE'S XLT, PI PRO, GARRETT 2500, 3- FISHER CZ21s, JW FISHER 8X
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All Treasure Hunting
Wow! That was a great treasure trove of goodies! What turned out to be the most valuable? The coin ring? How many hours of sand fishing did you put in on that trip to Cozumel?

No sand hunting - all water - a hurricane had hit like month before i went - it wiped out my resorts beach - took all the sand out and left just dead reef - no finds
other spots were the same - my Girl and i usually always rent a car so i can hit and move till i get a spot - many others take a taxi and some times they
get skunked
i got a lot of older coins and crusted silver from an area that was an old resort and only used by a few locals now a days - i got no gold there - know there is some but i was hitting
coin after coin and lot of silver jewelry and older junk with every swing that i would have to clean all that out to get to the gold - if i go back i will go back to this spot
because not the regular spot that most would hit - the main tourist beach near this one was couple 100 yrds away - it had been hammered by others before me i had heard
so it was pretty clean - i got the gold with diamonds out at low over my head and a watch - from chest in was clean - not only that there were 5 local kids with goggles
fanning for gold and they were po'ed when they saw me get the gold band - couple went to shore and told a guy at the bar - so they were prob working for him
i know many islands that guys do this - pay kids to fan for gold and pay them pennies on the dollar to do it - saw older guys doing it in P.R. - i was hunting out far and
4 guys were fanning hard in close with flippers and made a mess - they were fanning holes big enough to bury a body - one guy did get a small gold - but
people probably blamed detectorists for the holes
 

Robot

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Mar 10, 2014
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No Gamble...No Gain!...With High Gain...You Hit Gold!

I have brought Metal Detectors into Mexico for over... Four Decades!

Early years...I always had someone who would pay me double price before I left.

The best is to break them down in your luggage.

Best of Luck!
 

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