ability to take great photos underwater

Underwater photography is totally new to me and will be primarily vacation related snorkeling trips and perhaps winter snowmobiling as well . Camera price and ease of use are major considerations. From reading many of the reviews online it seems that there is little difference between older underwater cameras and the new ones. Having said that, I feel a little overwhelmed by information overload and am looking to the community to help me sort out the pros and cons. Thanks.