Just the two of us.... on a Liveaboard

[dianna912]

We leave this Friday for a trip to Cambodia, Vietnam, and then Thailand. In Thailand, we will be on the Diva Andaman for a one week trip. We just got word that no one else is booked on the boat, so it’s just going to be us. Has anyone else ever been in the situation? The reviews for the boat are great, and they are actually full this week and next. It just seems like a fluke. Interestingly, they are not running any kind of special to try to add more people, which I would think would be a no brainer. Oh, well. Extra pillows and blankets, right?

 

[Pedro Burrito]

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A ScubaBoard Staff Message...

Moved from Basic

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[CuzzA]

I'd make sure that boat is going to make the trip. Most would cancel rather than operate at a loss and there's been threads here over the years of people arriving to their destination only to be disappointed.

 

[Wookie]

True, many would cancel. When I ran a liveaboard, I ran short if I couldn't cancel 30 days out. But I ran a lot of trips with 2 people also.

It's called customer service.

 

[DreadnoughtNH]

I did the Diva Andaman for Xmas 2017 and did the Mergui Islands of Burma. I don't want to rain on your parade, but I have to say I was disappointed; dynamite fishing and overfishing in general really has done a number on the reefs. Lot of trash as well.

The boat itself is ok, but I would not call it "luxury" at all. You will need those extra pillows; all the mattresses are like rocks. Beware the cabins near the stern; they reak of diesel fuel and are noisy from the generator.

On the other hand, "Joy" the chef (if he is still aboard) is hands-down the best liveaboard chef I have encountered. You will eat WELL.

HIGHLY recommend a sarong or two; those wood decks get HOT.

 

[dianna912]

True, many would cancel. When I ran a liveaboard, I ran short if I couldn't cancel 30 days out. But I ran a lot of trips with 2 people also.

It's called customer service.

Liveaboard, who I booked it through, said that they will still run as planned. I’m praying this is the case, I can’t even imagine what we would do otherwise.

 

[loosenit2]

not worried about it being a little boring? I mean half the fun is meeting new people right?

 

[dianna912]

I did the Diva Andaman for Xmas 2017 and did the Mergui Islands of Burma. I don't want to rain on your parade, but I have to say I was disappointed; dynamite fishing and overfishing in general really has done a number on the reefs. Lot of trash as well.

The boat itself is ok, but I would not call it "luxury" at all. You will need those extra pillows; all the mattresses are like rocks. Beware the cabins near the stern; they reak of diesel fuel and are noisy from the generator.

On the other hand, "Joy" the chef (if he is still aboard) is hands-down the best liveaboard chef I have encountered. You will eat WELL.

HIGHLY recommend a sarong or two; those wood decks get HOT.

Thank you for the advice!

I did the Diva Andaman for Xmas 2017 and did the Mergui Islands of Burma. I don't want to rain on your parade, but I have to say I was disappointed; dynamite fishing and overfishing in general really has done a number on the reefs. Lot of trash as well.

The boat itself is ok, but I would not call it "luxury" at all. You will need those extra pillows; all the mattresses are like rocks. Beware the cabins near the stern; they reak of diesel fuel and are noisy from the generator.

On the other hand, "Joy" the chef (if he is still aboard) is hands-down the best liveaboard chef I have encountered. You will eat WELL.

HIGHLY recommend a sarong or two; those wood decks get HOT.

Thank you so much for this info!! Maybe I can stack two mattresses.

I will keep all of that in mind.

 

[Johnoly]

.. But I ran a lot of trips with 2 people also..

The Spree was a giant costly ship. I've had 20 passenger day trip boats tell me it was just me & my buddy and they would still run. But we've always been able to 'bribe' additional customers by me bringing free hot lunch or for us to jump over (be placed on) to another local day boat.

I know how extremely expensive it is to run a dive boat charter and my 'GUILT FACTOR' just wouldn't allow me to 'enjoy' the trip. In addition since the deck crew usually works for just Tips, no way would it be practical to cover that much. If I see it's not the minimum passenger load, I'll immediately offer before the captain asks, to Transfer / Cancel / reschedule.

P.S. I have gone out on a 2 person charter because a dive shop booked half the seats (with healthy non-refundable) deposits or full pre-pay and then cancelled the day before hand. In that case, the boat chipped in for crew tips because it was free money.

 

[jameseg]

Interesting situation, as I agree most boats would cancel the trip or try to get a few more passengers by offering a discount. Hopefully the crew are engaging. I'd try to stock up on reading materials if you have the opportunity.

I say enjoy the relaxation. If nothing else, this is a great time to find out if you're the kind of person that would enjoy sailing the world on a private yacht if you ever won the lottery

Safe diving,
James