Snorkeling on a Cruise

It's one thing to swim at the beach and another to experience the underwater beauty of the ocean. Snorkeling on a cruise allows you to do the latter in a safe and novice-friendly atmosphere. Wearing flippers (and a wet suit in colder areas), you'll swim along the surface of shallow waters, with goggles boosting your visibility and a snorkel providing easy breathing.

Because snorkeling requires less equipment than scuba diving and doesn't require a license or delving deep into the ocean, classes tend to be shorter and easier. Most cruise lines offer quick snorkeling how-tos and plenty of gear. And while thousands of spots across the globe will deliver colorful fish, exotic invertebrate and alien aquatic life, there are a few places that are known the world over for their snorkeling.

The Caribbean delivers plenty of snorkeling scenery. Go to Grand Cayman with Princess Cruises (www.princess.com) to snorkel alongside stingrays. At offshore spot Stingray Sandbar, you'll also get to safely feed and interact with dozens of the bottom-dwelling creatures. Carnival (www.carnival.com) will ship you off to Grand Turk island, the capital of Turks and Caicos, and give you fish information cards so you can identify the creatures swimming alongside you.

Holland America (www.hollandamerica.com) offers outings to Maui's Molokini, a crescent-shaped volcanic crater that teems with sea life. In the turquoise waters, the consistently excellent visibility will allow you to see rainbow-hued tropical fish, sea turtles, and perhaps some humpback whales and dolphins. Or you can cruise the Mexican Riviera with Carnival, which will drop you off at Puerto Vallarta's Marietas Islands for a snorkel stop. Amid the rocky caverns, you may spy whales, dolphins, manta rays and, of course, schools of fish. But the marine-life mecca for snorkelers is Australia's Great Barrier Reef, which boasts the world's largest collection of coral reefs. Silversea cruises (www.silversea.com) sends snorkelers Down Under to see the elaborate walls of multi-colored corals as well as their resident reef fish and manta rays.

If you've been there, done that, Norwegian Cruise Line (www.ncl.com) will bring you to a place you've likely never snorkeled: its own private Caribbean island, Great Stirrup Cay Shore. You'll be on your own, but instructors give private snorkel lessons and guided snorkel tours around the cove to point out the local underwater life.