Let's break it down correctly instead...
Since you made the comparison....not counting any specials on either site.
You should be careful - Explorer is only very slightly cheaper once you pay for the extras ($125 fuel surcharge, $40 transfers to/from airport). Nitrox is $150 for the week on Explorer but only $100 on Aggressor. According each companies' websites anyway. Aggressor fed their passengers on Friday night, but the Explorer made their passengers go to town and buy a meal (est $50).
In the end Aggressor works out to be only $150 or so more expensive for a week.
Turks & Caicos Aggressor II:
Jan. 7, 2012 - Jan. 5, 2013 ............. master $2,995; deluxe $2,695; twin $2,495
Explorer
VIP Staterooms - upper deck $2495, main deck $2295, lower deck $2095.
So I see a $4-500 difference offset by a $50 Nitrox saving. There's also two upper deck staterooms on Explorer and let me see -
None on Aggressor...
Your estimate of the meal was a little high also, mine was around $25. Plus I had to pay for a ride at $10 - free ride back courtesy of the casino..lol And actually you're wrong about the Aggressor as well since they don't offer dinner on board Friday night either - just a cocktail party.:
The Turks & Caicos Aggressor II hosts a sunset cocktail party Friday evening at 6 p.m. Dinner is not served onboard which is the only meal not provided with the cruise. Turtle Cove has 5 restaurants within walking distance of the boat’s dock. The crew can recommend a restaurant and arrange reservations.
I don't dive Nitrox so that fee is immaterial. Unless the OP does.
I concede the $125 fuel surcharge and $40 cab ride as that's what it cost us. So add $165. I'm not happy about paying a fuel surcharge on any liveaboard. Offsetting that is that Aggressor charges a $45 bed fee. From Know B4 you Go on their website:
Each guest must pay a $45 US per person bed tax, which will be collected onboard at the end of the charter. (not included in the charter rate)
Since the Aggressor charges $400-500 more per charter to dive the same locations aren't they bundling the fuel surcharge in their base price?
Maybe it's just me but I prefer a bed over a bunk when paying that kind of money. Especially if rooming with a stranger. And I prefer that on Explorer most of the cabins are on the main or upper deck so have windows and views. The picture of the
Deluxe cabin on the Aggressor shows bunks and a porthole - or is that incorrect? IDK as I've never been on the boat.
On my recent trip on the T&C Explorer, 2 food items were very overcooked (the fish and the chicken). Some meals were excellent, most were acceptable. Overcooking was a problem though.
I didn't eat anything overcooked on the Explorer all week. But it happens. Most were at least acceptable - some very good. It's likely not 4-star gourmet food on either boat but the cooks do a great job with what they have IMO.
I didn't care for some of the explorer's sillier rules. Chief among them was the requirement for a tank attached glow stick for night dives. I don't recall the Aggressor fleet having such rules.
Safety is a sillier rule? Really? Glowsticks are like what $1.00/each? Weren't you offered them free onboard? IIRC we were. I didn't need one since I own one a $20 Glo-Tube instead. Aggressor also recommends safety gear and requires a computer - my guess would be they require some night marker also - just about every night dive I've ever done the operator has - Aggressors website:
We suggest you pack the following: mask, fins, snorkel, regulator with pressure gauge, depth gauge, buoyancy compensator, dive computer, dive light, mirror, safety sausage, Dive Alert and/or other safety devices. Dive computers are mandatory for each guest.
However the diving in T&C was fantastic. Healthy marine life with all sorts of stuff big and little stuff and not too many lion fish. I don't think you can go wrong with either boat.
Something we can agree on...
So I see it's more like a $3-400 difference. Even if it's only a $250 difference don't you consider 10% substantially cheaper. I guess I do... Factor in the special prices certain weeks on the Explorer and it's a lot better deal. We saved $500 off the base rate when we went. So our main deck room was $1795 + fees.
Granted the pay for 7 Days/Dive 10 Days Aggressor deal is
very attractive also if you have the time off. Add the three extra days and Aggressor probably is the better deal. But my dive buddy gets a week for dive vacations.