First time in liveaboard

[Phong78]

Emperor Harmoni is new, yes, but Emperor Divers are not new, they've been around Egypt, Maldives and Indonesia for a while now. I've done 2 LOBs with them, once off Marsa Alam and the other one in the Maldives. Fantastic trips both times and I'd go with them again to Raja when I'm ready. I was supposed to go this November but ended up picking Sipadan as Indonesia was not completely open when I booked.

As for the cabin, the higher you go, the better it is because you're further away from the engines... I've only booked lower deck cabins and never had issue but that's up to each person's level of comfort. You can have engine noise or smell, if they move the boat around at night (which is quite common, as it's one of the nice thing about LOBs, you get to move around at night and you wake up in a completely new place.
Lower deck cabins might still have small windows, for fresh air. check that carefully before booking.

For connection, I always buy a local SIM card when I travel, so that I can at least do some emergency texting when needed. Wifi onboard is dependent on where the boat is, so it's on and off. If you really must have connection for peace of mind, then I'd recommend getting the best local operator SIM card (it's very cheap in Indonesia) or count on the roaming capabilities of your home operator. All dependent on local reception of course but from memory, it's rare that you're completely off the grid for the entire week. I did a LOB in Komodo and still manage to have reception now and then.

 

[mcohen1021]

So I definitely abandoned the idea of a new liveaboard, as you all had very valid arguments.

Good choice. You don't want to be the guinea pigs.

Since I never slept on a boat, any recommendation between upper deck vs lower deck? I understand that in general you get windows on the upper deck, but does it also change the stability?

I have been on the top and bottom decks after 5 LOB trips. With the exception of Socorro, seas were calm. The captains are constantly monitoring weather, winds, seas for the best travel times. Just 2 weeks ago, the captain delayed moving to another site until 5 AM instead of moving the evening before to take advantage of better conditions. That being said, its your call as to how prone to sea sickness you are. Personally, I do not know what its like to be sea sick. So....

1. Top deck: will rock more than lower. oftentimes, they might have a door to the outside world which is nice for several reasons.

2. Lower deck: more stable, but noiser...

3. front berth: more apt to smack the water in rough conditions

4. rear birth: closest to engine, so noisy, but the most stable ride on the boat.

I have had the "delux" level rooms on 4 of the 5. I had the master on this last trip and I have to admit, it was AWESOME. So if you can upgrade for a reasonable amount, it was well worth it.

I'm must admit I never encounter strong to mid current. I had a few drift dives but with very light current in Bonaire and the Red Sea, but never had to fight against it.

Sounds to me you should be ok. I have not heard of currents in bonaire, but I remember looking around the corner @ Red Sea's Little Brother, current was ripping, we stayed on the calm side.

 

[Darnold9999]

Unlikely you will need to fight against current in RA. The comfort level you need is the ability and experience to go with it and most importantly to know how to get out of it. It helps to understand fish behaviour so you don’t inadvertently enter a current you can’t handle. Down currents particularly. One of my favourite pics is in RA of a school of small fish swimming furiously straight up - going nowhere against a background of soft coral bent over by the current going down over the top of the reef. I didn’t swim over to test it out! This was at a site where the guide was wearing free dive fins and we were warned in advance of the current. I wished I had free dive fins by the end of the dive!

If you let the guides know your concerns they won’t take you into something you can’t handle - or they will introduce you to currents gradually. Not like the liveaboard I did in Komodo where we dropped in for the first dive of the trip for a flight above the reef in a ripping current. All very experienced divers and known to the crew so no issue. But you do want to communicate your experience level honestly.

 

[Cali_diver]

If you are doing a trip to Raja Ampat you will not need to worry about where your cabin is. Raja is a pretty compact/dense and doesn't have many long crossings most of the time you get to the next area in a couple hours. I like windows because I need light and I tend to travel on wood phinisi type boats that are made of dark woods. The general rule is lower/middle cabins are going to be the smoothest/quietest etc. In the front you will hear the anchor, in the back the engine!

Most of the time guides will turn you around if a current changes. Only sometimes are you required to kick a short distance to get past an area of current usually to see something really cool(hammers, mantas etc.). That being said I have given up before and told guide nope when it was too much. They will figure out your abilities and desires pretty quick. You might be surprised to find out most the the divers in Raja aren't super young and fit so you might even be on the young side!

There are only a couple mooring in Raja that have cell signal so unless your boat camps in one area for most of the trip you will probably only have signal a couple times during the trip. Definitely get a local sim card to ensure you have service when there is a signal. Not sure if it is the same in Switzerland, but in the US we have to make sure we have our phones are unlocked from our home carrier (ie. AT&T etc) in order to use a local sim.

You have gotten some great advice and I think you will really enjoy the trip!

 

[conger77]

If you want to stay more on the grid and you don't mind the cost, a Satellite phone is an option. In the States you can rent them by the week. The downside as I said is the cost, and you do need to be aware that they don't work like a cell phone. You need line of sight to an open sky. Which usually means that you have to initiate the call outside on the deck, and no incoming calls unless you have a prior agreed upon schedule that puts you outside with your phone.

I have used them several times over the years when the choice was cancelling the trip, going land based, or being accessible (to some extent) for family or business. It is far more pleasant to be off the grid completely, but it is much better than staying home or in my opinion being land based to travel with a sat phone.

I am not an expert, and it has been a few years since I have used one, but at least at that time email was close to impossible on the small popular hand held devices (Iridium). Even though it was advertised as an option. It may be different today, voice was fine although calls were dropped from time to time.

 

[gerald werner]

To stay connected you could also get an InReach mini with a subscription for a month. Works via satellite as conger77 said and allows you to text, email and maintain social media.

 

[BikerManiac]

RA is the most amazing place to dive. You will have a great time. With 60 dives!!! you will be spoiled!

Here are my opinions from experience:

1. 1/4 of the dives I did in RA had strong to moderate currents. In this situation, the question is how good is your air consumption? Bring a sausage and don't be afraid to surface earlier. It would be a good idea to bring a reef hook.
2. I prefer cabins in the front. But it's not a dealbreaker unless the boat sails into open ocean. I don't remember engine noise at all in RA. But, it was annoying in Galapagos.
3. 3G internet was available to me in the more populated areas. **3G cell service**. So sending text messages was ok, but nothing else.
4. Let your dive guide know your experience level. Likely they will figure it out when they see your air usage and buoyancy.

 

[acidrush]

Regarding internet connection, I know that being off the grid is part of the journey, however, ensuring that the kids (and the cats) are alright from time to time will make my wife feel better.

Blue Manta has satellite wifi, so that will solve one of your problems. Can't remember the cost though, you have to check with them. Its also a large steel boat so stability is not really an issue.

 

[Iknee]

Not really dive related, but the last time I was in Papua I flew in through BIK (Biak). If you go that route, and push your trip to be in Biak on April 20th, you will be in the path of totality for a total solar eclipse...

 

[Cali_diver]

We did the total eclipse on a boat in Halmahera in 2016 and it was awesome!!