Cayman Aggressor fleet

[ivyleaguediver]

I'll be on the Cayman Aggressor leaving on February 24. Will let you know how the trip went.

I have been on other Aggressor Boats and some will not let you sit in the dining area and solon with damp clothes. It contaminates the cushions and upholstery and makes it smell funny. They do allow you to go in and change in your cabin tho.

 

[Debraw]

I took the Cayman Aggressor in December 2005. It was just ok. The boat had been in dry dock for three weeks before we boarded Christmas Eve, Dec 24 2005. Christmas Day we made our first dive to 45 feet for a checkout of everyone's skills, etc. We got back on the boat and headed back into the dock where we were informed the air conditioning did not work and the plumbing was backing up. We stayed in port all day while they attempted to locate someone to fix the AC and get parts. We were told nothing all day of the status of repairs. We finally made it back out for a shallow night dive and then to bed we went. The next few days were mostly shallow to close to shore for my taste dives. We finally made it to the Northwall on day 4! We were offered two make up dives during the trip that we missed on the first day. We had to be up at 4:30AM to make them up. I did just that and it turned out to be the two best dives I made the whole trip. Food was plentiful but uninspired and consisted of rice crispie treats, hamburgers, cheese and crackers, eggs ( every morning), lasagna, cereal, ribeyes one night, etc. and blah blah blah. Get ready they are going to video everything and make you do stupid stuff and then sell it to you at the end. We did not make the crossing to Cayman Brac or Little Cayman, blamed it on the seas, but it was smooth sailing the whole trip for us. Then charged us a $100 fuel surcharge for a boat that went no where! We missed Stingray City and they did Bonnie's Arch instead. Bonnie's Arch is a mess from the big hurricane a few years ago. They high tailed it back to the port so one of the crew could make it to the bank by 12 noon on Friday. While we were all sitting at the hotel for the car service pickup on Sat morning we began to talk about the experience and realized they never washed the towels in between divers, only dried them. Nothing like wiping your face with a towel that someone blew their nose in after the last dive. The one guy that used the hot tub, got a massive ear infection and had to be taken to the Dr. in town one after noon. Oh yeah and the sewage backed up into the room across from us, 2 inches in their floor. Nice way to end the trip. I expected an upscale yacht type trip and got an expensive boat with a lot of problems. We all complained and received a $300 voucher for a future trip but I cancelled my plans for a Galapagos Aggressor trip that I would have taken this year. My advice is to bring your own towel. All your showers will be on the back of the boat because the inside showers are to small for words. Bring a bottle of Sink the Stink for the rinse bucket and make sure they change the water at least once in the week you go. We only had some downy detergent in the 55 gallon bucket and they never changed the water. It really stunk like pee after day three. I was told they could not afford sink the stink. BY THE CAPTAIN!!! Bring an Mp3 player or portable DVD player for your cabin. I will say the boat is roomy and we had 16 during our trip. The diving is easy and I expected more of a challenge so I wsh i had not gottne my hopes up so high. I have been to Cayman 7 times now and the last time I was there was on the Aggressor. I really thought they would do more North Wall and East End spots but they stayed mainly along 7 mile beach. Sometimes due to weather but it was really great weather 4 out of the 5.5 days of diving. I did get some of the best pictures I have ever taken during this trip. There are lots of opportunities to dive and the relaxed pace was great for photography. We were allowed to do our own profiles and the dive deck was open for blocks of time rather than just get in and get out all at one time, so it spaced everyone out. I did like that part a lot. I think my hopes were up to high for the boat experience and I will definitely take my expectations down a notch in the future. I still love Cayman and if you have never dove there you will love it.

 

[parrotheaddiver]

Nice report Debraw.....I am surprised at the conditions you described....I have been on that same boat....and everything was top shelf....the food was great and spent most of our time on Little Cayman....I hope the quality of the Aggressor boats are not taking a nose dive....:11: I would hate to spend that much money and spend most of the time on sites that are also dived on by the land based ops.....It doesn't sound like the 300.00 voucher was a fair exchange for the service you received...:shakehead I am hoping things have changed for the better in the last year...

 

[fdog]

Wow! I too am shocked. This has not been the experience we had on the Cayman Aggressor, our accomidations/trip itinerary/food was 6 stars out of 5.

They've always been at pains to note that the crossing to Little Cayman is heavily dependent on the seas. If they can't cross, they move the boat around to keep the the island between you and the weather, which it sounds like they did, which of course places some dive sites on the "wrong side".

All the Aggressor boats we've been on they just dry the deck towels between use.

I do know the plumbing has been an issue with all of the "linaege" of this particular model built in Louisianna. Plumbing has always been a black art for boats at sea, especialy in this particular size range; just look at all the Nekton series boats. They have to cruise around with the nose pointing in the air like a drag racer just to get the plumbing to flow at all.

Still, for just being out of dry dock, it should have looked like new, and behaved that way.

Sad to hear that you had to endure such a cruise. I also would have squawked loudly.

All the best, James

 

[Mossman]

I took the Cayman Aggressor in December 2005. It was just ok. The boat had been in dry dock for three weeks before we boarded Christmas Eve, Dec 24 2005. Christmas Day we made our first dive to 45 feet for a checkout of everyone's skills, etc. We got back on the boat and headed back into the dock where we were informed the air conditioning did not work and the plumbing was backing up. We stayed in port all day while they attempted to locate someone to fix the AC and get parts. We were told nothing all day of the status of repairs.

Either were we by you. I take it they fixed the A/C?

Get ready they are going to video everything and make you do stupid stuff and then sell it to you at the end.

Standard practice on many a liveaboard. But you certainly don't have to buy it.

We did not make the crossing to Cayman Brac or Little Cayman, blamed it on the seas, but it was smooth sailing the whole trip for us.

It's not the seas around Grand Cayman that they're concerned about when making the crossing.

Then charged us a $100 fuel surcharge for a boat that went no where!

This is definitely unwarranted, but for some reason it's also becoming standard practice. Don't think of it as a fuel surcharge, but a euphymism for "price increase".

They high tailed it back to the port so one of the crew could make it to the bank by 12 noon on Friday.

Again, it's standard for liveaboards to return to port on the second-to-last day and kick passengers off the boat for refueling, resupplying, maintenance, etc. Making it to the bank is probably another part of the weekly routine.

While we were all sitting at the hotel for the car service pickup on Sat morning we began to talk about the experience and realized they never washed the towels in between divers, only dried them. Nothing like wiping your face with a towel that someone blew their nose in after the last dive.

I never really paid attention to this until it was brought up on a Tahiti Aggressor trip I did a few years ago. I've since realized that a lot of boats are guilty of this, so I stopped blowing my nose in the towels.

I expected an upscale yacht type trip and got an expensive boat with a lot of problems. We all complained and received a $300 voucher for a future trip but I cancelled my plans for a Galapagos Aggressor trip that I would have taken this year.

Too bad about your CA experience, but you shouldn't have taken it out on the GA or even Aggressors in general. The Aggressors are franchised and the GA II was one of the best boats I have ever been on. The Turks & Caicos Aggressor was also nearly perfect. On the other hand, the Okeanos Aggressor (Cocos) was in miserable shape. The Tahiti Aggressor had a lot of minor glitches, though nothing major, and I've heard from people that went on it since that it was wonderful.

I've been thinking seriously about doing a Cayman liveaboard in the next year or two, but so far can't make up my mind between the Aggressor and the Nekton, especially since they're priced almost exactly the same (the Nekton is $50 cheaper on air, $50 more on nitrox). Normally I'd go with the Aggressor since they're usually a cut above the Nektons, it's $50 cheaper, and they include beer and wine, but I've heard a lot of mixed reviews about this particular boat and it's common knowledge that they make it to the sister islands less than half the time. I've already done a couple land trips to Grand Cayman and dove the north wall plenty, so I'd really be looking forward to visiting the other islands. I'm definitely leaning toward the Nekton.

Still, a lot of your complaints pertain to a lot of liveaboards, so you might not be cut out for boat travel on anything less than a cruise ship or the above-mentioned Four Seasons Explorer. My earlier liveaboard boat background was sharing bunkrooms with 20 other snoring divers, so I'm usually pleased with the luxury liveaboard amenities even when they're a bit flawed.

 

[fdog]

Oh! I suppose I should have looked at dates more closely.

Didn't realize that Debra's experience was from 2005. I'd assumed it was 2 months ago.

Sorry!

All the best, James

 

[Debraw]

I get your points Mossman about the video. Yes you are right I did not have to buy it, BUT I was subjected to the camera in my face at least 3 times a day, and I was not ready to be "on" during my vacation. I do not want to chew with my mouth open for the camera, take big bites of my hamburger for the camera, wave my hands around my ears like a moose for the camera, have people filming me while I sleep, watching me pull up my wetsuit in front of the camera, filming me while I shower on the back deck, etc. etc. It was just annoying and I can only wave my hand in front of my face and say no, so many times without someone saying I just need to lighten up 10 times a day.
I do understand fuel surcharges but since we did not make the crossing I thought this was uncalled for. I also thought with the amount of boat trouble we had they could have let this one trip slide. The boat had been in drydock for three weeks, there was no reason for the shape it was in. Yes we had AC on the night of the 2nd day through the rest of the trip.
I take the MV Spree and MV Fling out to the Gulf Of Mexico at least 4- 5 times a year. They make two to three trips a week in a lot rougher seas and harsher conditions than the Cayman Aggressor will see in one year. They manage to keep the plumbing going, showers are hot, food is fresh and good, beds are clean, crew is happy, AC is cold, and so much more. I am use to boats, liveaboards and the like. It is hard for me to believe that the Aggressor Fleet can not do it as well or better than the Gulf boats, or any liveaboard for that manner. If my trip was normal operating procedures for most liveaboards then yeah you are right I may not be cut out for it. I will take my $2200 a person for a week's dive vacation and spend it somewhere else. I am embarrassed for spending that much money and even more humiliated now to find out this was normal for a liveaboard. I appreciate your efforts to let me know about some of the details or at least an explanation of my trip.

 

[Damselfish]

I think you have to have a certain level of tolerance for stuff going wrong on a boat. But I wouldn't say what you experienced was normal for a liveaboard trip, it sounds like enough went wrong (plumbing, AC, too much time in port, bogus fuel charge) to be worth complaining about and there should have been more compensation. Some of the other stuff is common knowledge and well known with a little research. It's really important to do research on a boat to see if it is likely to meet your expectations. It's also easier to know what to check for once you've done one. Older reports can be useful to show a trend but recent info is obviously best since so much can change. In most cases you unfortunately can't make too many assumptions (good or bad) about all the boats in a fleet from experiences on one. But how the company handles complaints (even if they're franchised boats) is good to know.

I agree the whole video thing can be a real annoyance, I don't mind a little bit underwater (like one short clip then go away and film the critters) but I have little tolerance for the above water crap. Sometimes some people will have fun with it and that's ok, but most of it is forced. But I have found that most photographers catch on quickly and leave you alone if you are obviously not interested in playing. If they're too dense to figure it out saying something can help too. ("I hate these videos, don't want to perform, don't want it in my face, and I'm not going to buy it.") There's nothing for them in taking video of someone ignoring them that won't be good footage and isn't going to sell.

 

[Mossman]

I get your points Mossman about the video. Yes you are right I did not have to buy it, BUT I was subjected to the camera in my face at least 3 times a day, and I was not ready to be "on" during my vacation. I do not want to chew with my mouth open for the camera, take big bites of my hamburger for the camera, wave my hands around my ears like a moose for the camera, have people filming me while I sleep, watching me pull up my wetsuit in front of the camera, filming me while I shower on the back deck, etc. etc. It was just annoying and I can only wave my hand in front of my face and say no, so many times without someone saying I just need to lighten up 10 times a day.

Like Damselfish said, you could have said something to the videographer. Failing that, flip them the bird every time you catch them filming you and they'll quickly get the hint. But it does sound like you need to lighten up, especially if you work in the same business as the people filming you. You should know better.

I take the MV Spree and MV Fling out to the Gulf Of Mexico at least 4- 5 times a year. They make two to three trips a week in a lot rougher seas and harsher conditions than the Cayman Aggressor will see in one year. They manage to keep the plumbing going, showers are hot, food is fresh and good, beds are clean, crew is happy, AC is cold, and so much more. I am use to boats, liveaboards and the like.

Apples and oranges. (1) The Cayman Aggressor runs year round. I checked the site for the Spree and Fling and noticed they don't even run three months out of the year, and the charters are hardly full the rest of the time. Plus they run short trips, usually 2-4 days max, not week-long trips like the CA. (2) The CA has en-suite heads in each of its cabins. I couldn't tell from the Spree/Fling website how many heads are on board, but I'm guessing less than half the number as the CA, and probably not spread out over several decks. (3) Finally, I'd venture to guess that maintenance, parts, etc. are a lot cheaper in Texas than in Grand Cayman and probably a lot more reliable.

It is hard for me to believe that the Aggressor Fleet can not do it as well or better than the Gulf boats, or any liveaboard for that manner. If my trip was normal operating procedures for most liveaboards then yeah you are right I may not be cut out for it. I will take my $2200 a person for a week's dive vacation and spend it somewhere else. I am embarrassed for spending that much money and even more humiliated now to find out this was normal for a liveaboard. I appreciate your efforts to let me know about some of the details or at least an explanation of my trip.

You had a bad week to be sure and it's a shame they didn't make it up to you better, but I'm sure there have been times on the Fling and/or Spree where things didn't go as planned. I've taken a lot of local "liveaboard" boats on weekend trips and suffered blown engines, blocked heads, and once, a condensation problem that drenched me in my bunk in the middle of the night. Boats are fickle and require constant maintenance. Hopefully the crew is capable of dealing with any problems that might arise, but you often have to be open-minded. It's a bit late now, but as a dive shop owner you really should have contacted Wayne Hasson directly with your complaints. He has a more vested reason to listen to you versus a run-of-the-mill diver since you have the opportunity to send a lot more business his way, and instead of a voucher you might have received a comped fam trip on another boat.

Even on one of the top-rated liveaboards, the Truk Odyssey, I was stuck with shampoo in my hair when the water suddenly stopped right when I was taking a shower. The water was shut down for two hours while they fixed the problem. I've been inconvenienced a bit on almost every liveaboard trip I've ever taken, yet I'm willing to put up with the occasional inconvenience of boat life vs. hotels to take advantage of the many factors where liveaboards excel: as many dives a day as possible with as much comfort and as little work as possible. I just have a more realistic view of what's possible.

 

[Debraw]

"Like Damselfish said, you could have said something to the videographer. Failing that, flip them the bird every time you catch them filming you and they'll quickly get the hint. But it does sound like you need to lighten up, especially if you work in the same business as the people filming you. You should know better."

Your kidding me right? I should know better? LOL, that's a good one. Professional courtesy is a two way street. They knew who I was, and it just didn't matter to them. I paid my fare, it was Christmas Eve, through New Year's Eve and my husbands fortieth birthday all in one week. I paid my $2200 a person and my airfare down there, tipped and paid their excessive fees. $7000.00 in total. Yeah right, I should lighten up. .