Adelaar Cruises
Contributor
Not all liveaboards operating in and around Komodo National Park are created equal and as the market continues to expand the difference in the experience of the operators and the level of service becomes more apparent. Indonesia offers everything from backpacker to luxury liveaboards with capacities anywhere from five to twenty+ guests. Most are traditional wooden Phinisis but a growing number are steel ships. Whichever you choose, we believe every diver deserves a break from their real life, an amazing dive experience, a safe and reliable operator, and some creature comforts. Don’t you agree?
You probably think this blog will start by saying, “Every diver deserves to dive Komodo once.” While we feel that Komodo is a must visit destination with many world-famous dive sites teeming with all manner of marine life, beautiful topside vistas, and amazing sunsets, this blog is about what we think every diver deserves. What follows are just some of the things that make ADELAAR an extremely attractive liveaboard for divers who like a personalized dive experience.
Small Dive Groups
On Adelaar four is a magic number. Our 4:1 guest to dive guide ratio allows for tailor-made dive plans resulting in a more personalized underwater experience. ADELAAR has four individual gear storage bins and a ladder on both the port and starboard side so guests are able to get dressed and enter the tenders easily and quickly. NO waiting in the hot sun for a tender to load eight or more guests and with only four guests aboard each of our two tenders, there is plenty of room to sit comfortably on the short ride to the dive site. Each tender is manned by two crew members to ensure that you have plenty of assistance before and after the dive and two pairs of eyes watching your bubbles. Upon returning to the ship each group of four has wetsuit and gear rinse tanks, hot water showers on both sides, and a large dedicated camera rinse tank centrally located for easy access from either side. This results in your being rinsed off and ready to enjoy your next mouth-watering meal in no time!
Scrumptious, Fresh Food
How does one perfect the art of fine dining at sea? First, we start with fresh produce locally sourced from Bali’s markets and trusted suppliers. Our chefs personally do all the shopping before each cruise to ensure you get the freshest ingredients available.
Lunch aboard Adelaar, Greek Salad
Trained by a top Belgian master-chef, our local chefs Wayan and Made ensure a sophisticated twist on the contemporary flavors of Indonesian and Western favorites. Seasoned by ten years of meal preparation on board ADELAAR, our main chef knows precisely how to pamper guests with the freshest seafood, aromatic local specialties, and global cuisine that is guaranteed to soothe your palates. By the end of your 11-day journey, we feel confident you will agree we have perfected the art of fine dining at sea!
Chef Wayan realizes “hungry divers are unhappy divers” so he strives to delight you with presentations, flavors, and healthy portions to satisfy your taste buds and fill you up four times a day (two breakfasts, lunch and dinner). Still hungry? During our mid-afternoon surface interval, enjoy an espresso or cappuccino while Agung serves tasty snacks and homemade cakes al fresco. After your dive day, sit back and relax with a sundowner from our fully stocked bar (or join the night dive).
Luxury Cabins, Competitive Price
Adelaar’s cabins were designed with guest comfort and luxury in mind. The beautifully decorated interior is in classical yacht style with rich teak wood paneling and marble baths. The high ceilings throughout the vessel give an intimate, yet spacious feeling. Measuring 127′ and with only four cabins for eight guests, there is plenty of space to relax and unwind.
Master Suite
The exquisite master suite, originally designed for the owners to live in, offers an extravagant amount of space. The other two guest rooms are equally spacious, by liveaboard standards, with a desk and fullsize couch that can serve as a bed for those who wish to have separate sleeping accommodations. A fourth stateroom, with a double bed, is equally nice, but it is a tad smaller than the others are.
Staterooms 2 and 3
All Staterooms are fitted with individually controlled air-conditioning and boast decadent en-suite marble bathrooms. Available in all cabins, as well as in the salon & dining area are flat screen TV’s connected to the ship’s video and audio streaming system with access to movies and music if you should crave any entertainment. With all these amenities, no wonder we were added to Charter Worlds Luxury Yacht Charter & Super Yacht division.
As strange as this may sound, Adelaar is as dry as a bone! You’re thinking, “Well I certainly hope so!”, but if you’ve ever been on a wooden ship you probably know they tend to leak. When it rains, some of them leak badly. Adelaar is a steel ship from top to bottom and tight seams throughout prevent water from entering the ship so the entire inside area, and therefore you and your belonging’s stay dry.
Experienced, Dedicated Crew
Our liveaboard diving & sailing team seems as if they were born to be at sea, and some of them have been loyal crewmembers since we arrived in Indonesia, over 20 years ago. They work tirelessly, many behind the scenes, to assure that our exclusive cruises run smoothly.
Our dive guides are NOT seasonal, they dive Komodo year round, it's like their second home! They are familiar with the numerous sites and how the currents can affect them. They know where to enter, how to dive each site safely and where the critters can be found.
Cruise Director – Foued
Foued, our PADI instructor, and cruise director looks after your safety and leads guests on the dives of their lives. Foued has been diving Komodo since 2003. For the two years prior to joining Adelaar Cruises he worked land based in Komodo so he knows all the best dive sites, plus a few more that seasonal liveaboards don’t dive. Depending on our guest’s needs (language, photography, courses…etc), ADELAAR works with a pool of Komodo dive masters to assist Foued with guiding.
Adelaar Navigation Room
Our captain Sam has 20 years of experience on Adelaar sailing throughout the Indonesian archipelago, his knowledge of the waters between Bali and Komodo, and how to safely navigate the vessel through them in all conditions is unrivaled. Our engineering department is on hand 24 hours a day to see that the mechanical systems are running smoothly.
Always accommodating, they stand by, willing to offer a hand where needed. From the engineers to the front house staff, the team aboard Adelaar is there to exceed your expectations and make your dive holiday a trip to remember.
Safety with Foresight
Above and below, your safety comes first! Our dive guides don’t lead 8-10 divers, they only have 4 guests, which allows them to focus on each guest’s well-being underwater. During your dive our eagle-eyed tender drivers watch your bubbles, currents, weather and where you are on the surface. Finally, as an additional measure, all divers are equipped with SMB’s and Nautilus lifelines FREE of charge.
Besides all the modern safety equipment on ADELAAR, our western management team ensures that all equipment on the vessel is inspected properly and up to date. Having a base in Bali allows us to get all our tanks serviced and hydrostatically tested properly and in a timely fashion.
Few liveaboard first aid kits are as well stocked as Adelaar’s medical kit. Adelaar’s owners both come from medical backgrounds so they have made sure that the ship has equipment and supplies in excess of the medical kits found on many boats. They have also made sure the Cruise Director is EFR certified, meaning he is trained in basic emergency medical procedures.
Hopefully, ibuprofen or throat lozenges are the only things you’ll ever have to use, but better safe than sorry.
Lastly, we also believe every diver deserves new experiences so we are happy to announce that our 2018 schedule is out and includes four new itineraries, including a secret Whale shark location and Southern itinerary.
