Best liveaboard for price and location?

[Jvalent]

I haven't been diving much and am relatively new to the sport, but I wanted to gather all the information i could to make sure I hit the best vacation spots available. I noticed that a liveaboard is a very neat way to spend a week or so scuba diving. I haven't seen much however on relative prices and locations for these trips. I was wondering what were some of the best liveaboard experiences, what is the approximate price per person, and where it departs/returns to. Thanks for any information. Judson

 

[DiveMaven]

Wow, I've been trying to figure out how to answer this one, but there are too many variables to consider to give you a simple answer. "Best price and location" are extremely personal preferences since there are huge differences in service and accommodations that may be offered. For instance, Blackbeard's offers great prices, but limited services. On the other hand, the Cuan Law offers 5 star service and accommodations, but is more expensive. Which one is "best" for the money? Depends on who you ask.

Now if you narrow your question down to "best" in a particular region, that would give us something to talk about and help you decide which one you might be more interested in.

 

[Jvalent]

ok lets see if I can help you out some, umm, I am a college student so price is more of a factor than location. I don't require great treatment at all as long as I'm fed and have a place to sleep at night, I am fine (hence the college life again). I would prefer a liveaboard in a location that doesn't require a 2000 plane ticket to get there. I don't even know the price range so that is something I was looking for also.
As for location, price to get there is a major concern, other than that, I am new to the sport and just diving in clear blue water amazes me (SC beaches are murky and all of course).
I am not looking for a boat to go diving on right away, just trying to get a feel for how these trips work. Thanks again and any advice or information is appreciated. Judson

 

[jasondcrawford]

About a month ago me and my wife were in the same boat, and spent a lot of time doing our own research. Since you said you were new to the sport (as we are), that narrows it down quite a bit. Most people told us that most of the carribean locations would be a good bet for beginner divers. The water is warm, clear, and fairly calm for the most part. Most of the Pacific dive spots tend to be for more intermediate to advanced divers. Depending on when you go, prices will vary. We signed up for a week on the Nekton (http://nektoncruises.com) and will be leaving on January 15th. After port fees and the fuel surcharge, it was $1800 per person, another $200 for nitrox (optional, and probably not neccesary) and $200 for gear (we havn't accumulated our own sets yet). Plane tickets were $500 each (from Phoenix). The nekton seemed to be the best deal for the weeks we were going, but depending on time of year, and the itinerary you choose, the price will fluctuate a bit.

 

[tstormdiver]

I did a Blackbeard's cruise in the Bahamas last year. For the cruise, plane ticket, tips & spending money, I spent a total of about $1800. I had a great time on board, but will warn you that the accomadations are a bit spartan. The 65' sailboats can carry up to 22 passengers (up to 6- 8 people/ cabin). The cruise I went on had only 9 passengers, so room wasn't a huge issue. The food was good & other than a little tension between a couple of the crew members, they were all great. I am going to do a cruise in May with Explorer ventures with another local diver. It is only slightly more expensive and has a larger ship & carries fewer passengers (max. 18). Like the others have said, how much you pay depends on where you want to dive & what kind on amenities you are looking for. If you don't mind roughing it with up to 21 other people then perhaps Blackbeard's may be for you. If you perfer something with more services there is any number of other companies (nekton, Explorer Ventures, Aggresor & so on). Hope this helps a bit.

 

[FredT]

The best $/good dive I've found is under the Gulfstream Eagle out of the WPB area.

http://www.gulfstreameagle.com/

 

[Jvalent]

See, I am not interested in a luxurious vacation type atmosphere or anything, I'm interested in the adventure and diving side, so as long as the diving is fun and interesting, the amenities don't matter to me.

 

[laurelgsc]

I vote for Blackbeards. I did a cruise with them in August and it was awesome. There were 18 other people on the boat and it did not feel crowded at all. We did 21 dives including 3 night dives. As a beginner it was a great thing for me to be able to dive so much in a short amount of time. I really improved my diving skills during that week. The water was clear, the sealife abundant and the diving was very diverse. We did everything from drift diving to wreck diving. If you are on a budget you can't go wrong with Blackbeards. The trip itself was $879 plus $150 crew tip, plus plane fare from Atlanta $300.

 

[Jvalent]

ok so it sounds like blackbeards is hte way to go for right now, seeing as I don't have a steady job and rely on extra scholarship money for stuff like this. Sounds like a very cool trip. How many dives are possible during the trip and does the price differ through the year? If so, when is the best time to go with decent water temp and the best prices?

 

[deepstops]

The best $/good dive I've found is under the Gulfstream Eagle out of the WPB area.

http://www.gulfstreameagle.com/

Agreed on the Gulfstream Eagle. They run a very enjoyable and affordable liveaboard and have been doing it for a long time and have it nailed.
To dive Blackbeard's you have to get to PBI/FLL/MIA then fly to the Bahamas which increases the price by a few hundred dineros.