My wife and I spent the week of March 16-23, 2019 on the Caymans Aggressor V. We had a wonderful experience so I thought I would give my review of what to expect:
Airport arrival: If you arrive on a Saturday, be prepared to stand in line for an hour waiting to get to the immigration desk. I was told Saturdays are always busy, especially during spring break season. Once through, an Aggressor representative was waiting for us. He brought several guests together and arranged a taxi to the boat. Charge was $10 US per person.
Arrival at the boat: Boarding doesn't begin until 3p so we had an hour to kill. We were able to leave our luggage and go across the street for a beverage. There are several restaurants/bars in the immediate area as well as shopping.
Boarding: The first thing we did after boarding was to set up gear at our spots in the dive area (main floor). Once you pick your spot, you are at that spot for the week. Same tank that is refilled after each dive so your BC never needs to come off. After squaring away your gear, you are shown to your room and given a quick orientation on the boat.
The boat: This is my 3rd liveaboard experience with the first being an excellent boat and the second being a worn down boat. As a comparison to the 2 prior, I would rate this boat 9/10. Overall, I thought the boat was well thought out in regards to the diving experience. The dive area is on the main floor toward the rear. In the center of the dive area, there is a place to hang wetsuits and there are 2 camera tables with lots of outlets to plug things in - this was a huge bonus. There is also a rinse tank and bin for cameras and wetsuits. There is a lounge toward the center of the boat with the 2 rooms (#9 & #10) that have balconies also on the main floor. All other guest cabins are down below. On the second floor, there is an outdoor lounge area as well as the dining area. On the upper floor, there is sun lounging, a hot tub, and a covered bar area. What I really liked was the showers at the rear of the boat. Reef safe soap and shampoo were kept here and the water was always warm. I showered after every dive and only ended up having to use my room shower once.
Our room (#7): this was a basic guest room with a bathroom. 2 twin beds were strapped together to make a queen sized bed. there was plenty of storage below the bed with overhead storage as well. there was a night stand with drawers for additional storage. There were plenty of outlets with USB ports. There was even a TV in the room, though we didn't use it at all. The bathroom was tight but plenty usable - might be an issue for tall people. There were a couple MINOR finishes in the room that were visible but nothing to bat an eye over. Being close to the engine room created some extra noise, but I didn't mind.
The diving: This was my first time to the Caymans, and overall I thought the diving was really good for the Caribbean. I wouldn't put it to the level of my diving experience in Utila Honduras, but still pretty good. I saw most everything I would expect to see/want to see in the Caymans. I was surprised I didn't see more scorpion fish, but had several spotted eagle ray encounters, octopus encounters (on night dives), and plenty of turtle encounters. The grouper were super friendly and that was enjoyable. I really enjoyed diving the Russian Destroyer on Cayman Brac. The weather did cooperate for a good portion of the trip, so we did get to dive all 3 islands. On Little Cayman, I enjoyed Lea Lea's Lookout, Bus Stop, & Marilyn's Cut. I didn't care so much for the Black Hole site too much. Our last 2 dives were at Bullwinkle on Grand Cayman and I liked that site - lots of tarpon and areas to search for the macro life.
The food: Prior to the trip there were several reviews of the food being so-so with the meat always being overcooked. I didn't find this to be true at all. I thought the food was very good and had plenty of variety during the week. Kris was the chef and I was very happy with his meal selections. There were alternatives for those with dietary needs. No complaints from me.
The staff: there were 6 staff aboard and I thought they did an excellent job. what surprised me the most compared to the 2 other liveaboards I had been on is that the staff shares all duties - one day they could be diving, the next they are cleaning, and the next they could be filling tanks - including the captain. On previous boats I had been on, staff had specific duties - for example, the divemasters only did guided dives. this was a nice surprise and showed that no one was below doing the unpleasant duties. RJ was a new crew member, but he was an awesome guy to be around.
Miscellaneous stuff: There is no wifi. I changed my Verizon plan to get international service, but the data was slow as could be and barely usable. I did send a few texts and had to make a call which worked fine. On Friday, we got back to port in George Town around 5p - would have been earlier but weather kept us out. The last evening, there is an evening cocktail party with drinks and appetizers (not a full meal, but you could make one out if it if you are a light eater). Some awards and achievements were presented at the cocktail party. We walked to a nearby restaurant for dinner and drinks. after the dives, there are always dry towels for you to use.
Getting off the boat on the last day: departure is at 8a. Transportation is offered at $10 US to either the airport or a couple select sites if you are staying over. we ended up just walking around the shops around the area and caught a 10:30a taxi to the airport - warning: not much is open before 9a. There is an area available to leave your luggage while you walk around.
Tips: bring towel clips to hang wet bathing suits up top. get to the airport early for departure, especially on saturdays. We got to the airport 2.5 hours early and waited in line for 2 hours of that. by the time we got to the gate, most of the boarding for our flight had taken place. there are 2 rooms on the boat that have a small balcony. I did not go in either of the rooms but you can see the balcony from the exterior of the boat, and it is VERY SMALL. I personally wouldn't pay the extra money for these rooms.
Overall: I was very happy with this liveaboard. i would recommend it to others. Thanks to Captain Randy and all the staff for a great week.
Airport arrival: If you arrive on a Saturday, be prepared to stand in line for an hour waiting to get to the immigration desk. I was told Saturdays are always busy, especially during spring break season. Once through, an Aggressor representative was waiting for us. He brought several guests together and arranged a taxi to the boat. Charge was $10 US per person.
Arrival at the boat: Boarding doesn't begin until 3p so we had an hour to kill. We were able to leave our luggage and go across the street for a beverage. There are several restaurants/bars in the immediate area as well as shopping.
Boarding: The first thing we did after boarding was to set up gear at our spots in the dive area (main floor). Once you pick your spot, you are at that spot for the week. Same tank that is refilled after each dive so your BC never needs to come off. After squaring away your gear, you are shown to your room and given a quick orientation on the boat.
The boat: This is my 3rd liveaboard experience with the first being an excellent boat and the second being a worn down boat. As a comparison to the 2 prior, I would rate this boat 9/10. Overall, I thought the boat was well thought out in regards to the diving experience. The dive area is on the main floor toward the rear. In the center of the dive area, there is a place to hang wetsuits and there are 2 camera tables with lots of outlets to plug things in - this was a huge bonus. There is also a rinse tank and bin for cameras and wetsuits. There is a lounge toward the center of the boat with the 2 rooms (#9 & #10) that have balconies also on the main floor. All other guest cabins are down below. On the second floor, there is an outdoor lounge area as well as the dining area. On the upper floor, there is sun lounging, a hot tub, and a covered bar area. What I really liked was the showers at the rear of the boat. Reef safe soap and shampoo were kept here and the water was always warm. I showered after every dive and only ended up having to use my room shower once.
Our room (#7): this was a basic guest room with a bathroom. 2 twin beds were strapped together to make a queen sized bed. there was plenty of storage below the bed with overhead storage as well. there was a night stand with drawers for additional storage. There were plenty of outlets with USB ports. There was even a TV in the room, though we didn't use it at all. The bathroom was tight but plenty usable - might be an issue for tall people. There were a couple MINOR finishes in the room that were visible but nothing to bat an eye over. Being close to the engine room created some extra noise, but I didn't mind.
The diving: This was my first time to the Caymans, and overall I thought the diving was really good for the Caribbean. I wouldn't put it to the level of my diving experience in Utila Honduras, but still pretty good. I saw most everything I would expect to see/want to see in the Caymans. I was surprised I didn't see more scorpion fish, but had several spotted eagle ray encounters, octopus encounters (on night dives), and plenty of turtle encounters. The grouper were super friendly and that was enjoyable. I really enjoyed diving the Russian Destroyer on Cayman Brac. The weather did cooperate for a good portion of the trip, so we did get to dive all 3 islands. On Little Cayman, I enjoyed Lea Lea's Lookout, Bus Stop, & Marilyn's Cut. I didn't care so much for the Black Hole site too much. Our last 2 dives were at Bullwinkle on Grand Cayman and I liked that site - lots of tarpon and areas to search for the macro life.
The food: Prior to the trip there were several reviews of the food being so-so with the meat always being overcooked. I didn't find this to be true at all. I thought the food was very good and had plenty of variety during the week. Kris was the chef and I was very happy with his meal selections. There were alternatives for those with dietary needs. No complaints from me.
The staff: there were 6 staff aboard and I thought they did an excellent job. what surprised me the most compared to the 2 other liveaboards I had been on is that the staff shares all duties - one day they could be diving, the next they are cleaning, and the next they could be filling tanks - including the captain. On previous boats I had been on, staff had specific duties - for example, the divemasters only did guided dives. this was a nice surprise and showed that no one was below doing the unpleasant duties. RJ was a new crew member, but he was an awesome guy to be around.
Miscellaneous stuff: There is no wifi. I changed my Verizon plan to get international service, but the data was slow as could be and barely usable. I did send a few texts and had to make a call which worked fine. On Friday, we got back to port in George Town around 5p - would have been earlier but weather kept us out. The last evening, there is an evening cocktail party with drinks and appetizers (not a full meal, but you could make one out if it if you are a light eater). Some awards and achievements were presented at the cocktail party. We walked to a nearby restaurant for dinner and drinks. after the dives, there are always dry towels for you to use.
Getting off the boat on the last day: departure is at 8a. Transportation is offered at $10 US to either the airport or a couple select sites if you are staying over. we ended up just walking around the shops around the area and caught a 10:30a taxi to the airport - warning: not much is open before 9a. There is an area available to leave your luggage while you walk around.
Tips: bring towel clips to hang wet bathing suits up top. get to the airport early for departure, especially on saturdays. We got to the airport 2.5 hours early and waited in line for 2 hours of that. by the time we got to the gate, most of the boarding for our flight had taken place. there are 2 rooms on the boat that have a small balcony. I did not go in either of the rooms but you can see the balcony from the exterior of the boat, and it is VERY SMALL. I personally wouldn't pay the extra money for these rooms.
Overall: I was very happy with this liveaboard. i would recommend it to others. Thanks to Captain Randy and all the staff for a great week.
