Anyone Dive the Phoenix Catamaran Liveaboard?

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DiveProKoko

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Hey, guys! There is an old post on this I tried to bump, but no luck. My wife and I are considering diving aboard the Phoenix catamaran out of Nassau, Bahamas. We have read reviews online and they seem to have many more good reviews than bad. Problem is, many of the most recent reviews are from the middle of last year and there aren't any newer ones I can find. We just want to make sure the trip is worth it and the boat isn't falling apart. LOL

Has anyone done this trip? If so, what did you think and how was your experience? On a side note....anyone know of other similar options in the Caribbean? Most of the catamaran dive ops require you charter the whole boat at $15k a week and up. That's not gonna work. Haha! We're looking to book right in, which you can do on the Phoenix. Thanks for any help in advance!
 
I am curious about this operation also. Very reasonable for a Bahamas trip that is not a camping at sea situation. One thing that concerns me is a statement that you may have to share bathrooms if the boat is full.
 
Hey, guys! There is an old post on this I tried to bump, but no luck. My wife and I are considering diving aboard the Phoenix catamaran out of Nassau, Bahamas. We have read reviews online and they seem to have many more good reviews than bad. Problem is, many of the most recent reviews are from the middle of last year and there aren't any newer ones I can find. We just want to make sure the trip is worth it and the boat isn't falling apart. LOL

Has anyone done this trip? If so, what did you think and how was your experience? On a side note....anyone know of other similar options in the Caribbean? Most of the catamaran dive ops require you charter the whole boat at $15k a week and up. That's not gonna work. Haha! We're looking to book right in, which you can do on the Phoenix. Thanks for any help in advance!
Just escaped the Phoenix. Worst liveaboard! Advertising is fraudulent.

Boat is old and heading to dry dock for repair. Very small boat with little space to chill out between dives. Equipment station is such that crew must move BCD/tank to you as you sit at launching area. So much stuff stored in kitchen/dining area that it is not available to use. Two very old and broken air compressors on top (hence our need to return to port and escape). Captain was also chef which caused us to miss meals or dives.

Crew was very nice and helpful. They are, unfortunately, stuck on a boat which SHOULD NOT be used.
 
@YvonneG Thank you for the report. Very sorry you had such a bad experience. I was also considering it for a future trip as an introduction/tryout for the possibility of the Cat/Cruising/Diving lifestyle retirement. Guess not, or maybe as a good reality check ...
 
Just escaped the Phoenix. Worst liveaboard! Advertising is fraudulent.

Boat is old and heading to dry dock for repair. Very small boat with little space to chill out between dives. Equipment station is such that crew must move BCD/tank to you as you sit at launching area. So much stuff stored in kitchen/dining area that it is not available to use. Two very old and broken air compressors on top (hence our need to return to port and escape). Captain was also chef which caused us to miss meals or dives.

Crew was very nice and helpful. They are, unfortunately, stuck on a boat which SHOULD NOT be used.
Thank you! Looks like an "avoid" situation. Appreciate the honest review and sorry to hear it wasn't up to par. Bummer...
 
@YvonneG Thank you for the report. Very sorry you had such a bad experience. I was also considering it for a future trip as an introduction/tryout for the possibility of the Cat/Cruising/Diving lifestyle retirement. Guess not, or maybe as a good reality check ...
Same, actually. My wife and I want to get on a cat to get a very brief sense of what it's like to be on one for a week and also have diving as an option. If we like the small "sample", we'll seek other opportunities for more time on board, etc. Sounds like this boat is not a good example. Oh well. The search continues....
 
I dove the liveaboard in December of 2021 it went reasonably well. There were plenty of dives and diving wise it was awesome. Service wise it was ok. Plenty of food, I'd say too much food in fact. Got lucky because the see was not rough. I usually get a little sea sick, but this run went smooth.
If you do want to handle sea sickness, the best thing is to stick to the upper deck and avoid the cabin altogether. The cabin was fine. It's not a huge boat, and the main salon could be considered as a 'crew' area (now I would not be there anyway, give you can hang outside). By day three I most went between dive, eat, sleep. The amount of dives drains you from energy. Temperature was not an issue. A 5mm worked well. IF you ask me, I'd do it again.
 
There was a good mix of dive sites (reefs, sharks, wrecks), with flexibility to see different ones, depending on weather conditions. The crew was very good at their job. The dive masters were clearly well trained, and knew the dive sites and local sea life in-and-out. The captain is also an excellent cook. We never had the same dish twice, and the food was all creative, and just what you need after a day of multiple dives. The crew were quite friendly, and made us feel at home during the whole trip. The catamaran is a great boat to dive from. It is spacious, provides a stable platform, and offers easy entry and exit from the water.
 
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