Blackbeards vs. Juliet liveaboard

[scubadiverdeb]

I came to liveaboard diving late as I thought I would be bored. In 2005, I did a 5 day trip on the Avalon, which was going out of Miami at the time, and fell in love with the concept. However, I had no comparison to other liveaboards, and the trip leader for the Avalon trip mentioned Juliet, and I can honestly say I never looked back. This isn't to say I haven't done other liveaboards since, including Rocio Del Mar, Aggressors, and Cat Pplau. I am only mentioning these to put some perspective to my comments regarding Juliet. I am usually someone looking for new and different adventures, but I just completed my 12th Juliet trip and am looking forward to number 13 in January. She never fails me. Diving, crew, food? Fabulous. Almost instant friendships. I have only seen Blackbeards from a distance, it doesn't excite me in the slightest to be with 20-22 divers on a 65 ft boat with no privacy.

 

[ppatin]

One other difference is that the Juliet usually goes to Bimini while I believe that Blackbeard's boats usually go to the Exumas. The Exumas have better sightseeing on land but I've heard the diving there is only so-so. Bimini still has some very nice dive sites IMO. The Sapona at night is probably the coolest site I have ever done.

The Juliet is also under new ownership. I never got to meet John , the boat's old owner, but Liza (new owner) was the engineer on a couple of our trips in the past and she is awesome. Very friendly, hardworking in a way that makes me feel like a total bum and she seemed to be a big believer in treating divers like responsible adults unless they act like idiots.

 

[radioles]

Radioles:

Now that's an interesting comparison. The Bahamas Aggressor is pretty 'cheap' by Caribbean live-aboard standards, and I believe offers considerably more dives than Blackbeard's or the Juliet do. While the B.A. is more expensive than the Juliet, it's not by a huge margin, and if I'm right & you get more dives for the trip, could be worthwhile.

Since you've done both, how'd the compare?

Richard.

Really not more "dives" as far as total number goes. Average 4 a day. The Aggressor service was great and the crew on my Exumas trip was great. Having said that, when it comes down to it, Juliet is a totally different experience. I don't need my bunk straightened and turn down service, you know? I don't require white shirts and table service at meals. Having an ensuite head is great, but not a deal breaker for the price difference. The crew on both the Aggressor and Juliet go out of their way for you, no doubt. The Exumas were ok for diving, but not outstanding when I was there. The Bimini trip on Juliet is out of this world and I have done it 4X. Juliet puts you on sites no one else dives and that is an amazing experience. For me, the repeated quality experience on Juliet is my bottom line. I hope that's what you were asking. If not, ask again.

 

[radioles]

Awesome, thanks for all the great replies!!! I'm always looking at different trips, and I think the Juliet is getting toward the top of the list. I can fly from Fairbanks-Seattle, then Seattle- Fort Lauderdale on Alaska Air on fairly short notice, so I like the idea of maybe taking advantage of last minute deals if they work out. I'm in the process of selling my coldwater dive gear that I use locally, that way I will have more money and time to hopefully take more then 1-2 dive trips per year in warm water locations. Usually any issues on finding a shared room for a solo diver?

Check out the "Friends of Juliet" on Facebook. Once you are connected there, it is pretty easy to find a solo berth option to share. Also, the boat has a page. Both are good options and I've seen solo divers accommodated through the years. See you on board!

 

[Midge907]

So how does the diving compare between the usual Cozumel dive sites, and the dive sites that frequented by the Juliet. Walls, coral heads, current, turtles, sharks, swim-thrus, water temps late October- early November. ?, Viz, days that the water is to rough to dive?

 

[Wookie]

Actually, I used to dive Juliet's sites too. They gave me the numbers. I gave them my numbers and Nekton's numbers for Old Bahama Channel. Be that as it may, they are excellent patch reefs. Unless you get on a very rare trip to Cay Sal, or a not so rare trip to Mona or St. Croix (I think they are spending all winter in St. Croix this year), there is not so much wall diving. It's big patch reefs, your chances of seeing dolphins are excellent, the fish are spectacular, the corals are healthy, the company is grand. I'm biased, of course, I think the reefs at the Dry Tortugas are better, but you can't get out there in November.

Compared to Cozumel? The fish life is better in that part of the Bahamas. The coral formations are not as spectacular and there are not the shallow walls like Coz. The walls are there, but they start deeper. The corals are healthier IMHO. That part of the world is nearly impossible to get to unless you go with Juliet or have your own yacht . I happen to have my own yacht and the right numbers. I intend to spend lots of time there.

 

[WarrenZ]

Can I come with? I'll bring beer.

 

[drrich2]

Really not more "dives" as far as total number goes. Average 4 a day. The Aggressor service was great and the crew on my Exumas trip was great. Having said that, when it comes down to it, Juliet is a totally different experience.

That surprised me. On both Aggressor boats I've been on elsewhere, the standard dive day (if we weren't leaving early to get somewhere distant, or skipping a dive for a land tour after the Blue Hole dive) entailed 2 morning dives at site 1, boat moves during lunch, then 2 afternoon dives + 1 night dive at site 2. Boat moves later that night, repeat schedule the next day. On the Sun Dancer 2 (now renamed Belize Aggressor IV) I got 26 dives, on the Cayman Aggressor IV 25 dives (every dive they offered both my trips).

So, how many total dives were offered on a Juliet trip? A Bahamas Aggressor trip? If there's no difference, that's a big change from what I'd thought to be the case.

Unless you get on a very rare trip to Cay Sal, or a not so rare trip to Mona or St. Croix (I think they are spending all winter in St. Croix this year), there is not so much wall diving.

Their schedule indicates yes, sometime in December till part-way through March the Juliet will work St. Croix. That'd be a nice option for diving there; St. Croix is on my 'maybe someday' list. It'd make where to stay, where to eat, how to get around & how to get in a lot of dives pretty much moot points. Problem is, that's a narrow time window.

To me, live-aboards are like those Staples commercials where there's a problem and someone hits the Easy Button, bam, solved, then says 'That was easy.'

Richard.

 

[Katch]

So Blackbeards doesn't have air conditioning? Somehow in all the reviews of it I read, I managed to miss that. Good to know.

BLACKBEARDS DOES HACE A/C!
Don't get misled by the "no A/C" comments.

I wasn't sure I would enjoy the small bunks and lack of privacy, but I was really happy with Blackbeards when I went a couple years ago. I travel solo, if that made a difference. With all the diving, I slept fine in the bunk. I had no problem packing an iPad and laptop along with several cameras and more clothes than I really needed. The drysack of clothes was kind of a pillow staying up near my head - lol.

A roundtrip flight on Southwest was only around $300 from Baltimore - and that includes 2x 50 pound bags! It seems like once per year, they have a special that is $100 off their regular price. I just signed up for my second trip at that deal this upcoming December (12/10 - 12/16). It's also nice to spend a couple days locally to check out the scene and eat some good seafood. The conch fritters beat out any of the ones I've had in the Keys.

I'm sure Juliet is nicer, as it should due to the higher cost; but, I am quite happy with Blackbeards and their low cost. Like mentioned by someone else - it is like comparing the Ritz to a Holiday Inn. I don't mind Holiday Inns, but if the price were the same; I would prefer the Ritz.

 

[Jondjames]

Anyone know the average cost of either operation??