buster243
Registered
Trip Dates May 24 to Jun 1
We were eagerly anticipating our trip on the Turks and Caicos Explorer II, but unfortunately, it fell short of our expectations. Many of the dive sites were disappointing. Visibility was poor for the Caribbean, often no more than 50 feet, and sometimes we couldn't even see the ship unless it was directly above us. While visibility is out of their control, the selection of dive sites was also lacking. Our first dive near Turks showed promise with decent marine life and slightly better visibility. However, upon moving to West Caicos, visibility deteriorated, and there was a noticeable lack of larger marine life. Although we did encounter some larger creatures, the sites did not compare favorably to other liveaboards, even within the Explorer Ventures fleet. Rumors suggested a hurricane had impacted the sites, but if true, the operators should have moved to other locations, given the abundance of options available. It seemed they stayed close to save fuel, as the sites were only a few hundred yards apart.
The boat itself is older and showing signs of wear and tear. Many things were damaged or in need of repair. Given its age, repairs are probably a constant necessity, making it difficult to keep everything in top shape. Our room was small but typical for liveaboards. However, our bed linens were not changed throughout the week, and our towels were only replaced mid-week.
The food on board was plentiful and generally good, though some dishes felt too fancy for a dive boat, such as couscous and unusual soups like spinach and carrot. While some guests seemed to enjoy the meals, we would have preferred more comfort foods like vegetable soup, baked chicken, or turkey and dressing. Thankfully, the menu did shift towards more comforting options towards the end of the week.
The dive area was adequate but not ideal. The camera area was semi-exposed to rain, and the charging station was inconveniently located under the dive table. We opted to use the other charging stations inside instead.
A significant concern was the additional costs at the end of the trip. Even though we knew before hand there were extra charges, each of us incurred around $800 in extra charges for fuel, taxes, park fees, and tips. The purser manually recorded our credit card information, which felt outdated and very insecure. Despite having Skylink-type internet onboard, they don’t use it for online payment processing. Ideally, they should bill everything except tips the week before the trip. Internet access for passengers was not available, even though it could be offered for a fee with limited use for emails.
The crew was adequate but not exceptional. No one stood out as making the trip memorable. We have over 500 dives each and can distinguish excellent dive masters from mediocre ones. Some crew members barely interacted with guests.
We won’t be returning to Turks and Caicos for diving unless the dive sites improve. There are much better places to invest your money.
We were eagerly anticipating our trip on the Turks and Caicos Explorer II, but unfortunately, it fell short of our expectations. Many of the dive sites were disappointing. Visibility was poor for the Caribbean, often no more than 50 feet, and sometimes we couldn't even see the ship unless it was directly above us. While visibility is out of their control, the selection of dive sites was also lacking. Our first dive near Turks showed promise with decent marine life and slightly better visibility. However, upon moving to West Caicos, visibility deteriorated, and there was a noticeable lack of larger marine life. Although we did encounter some larger creatures, the sites did not compare favorably to other liveaboards, even within the Explorer Ventures fleet. Rumors suggested a hurricane had impacted the sites, but if true, the operators should have moved to other locations, given the abundance of options available. It seemed they stayed close to save fuel, as the sites were only a few hundred yards apart.
The boat itself is older and showing signs of wear and tear. Many things were damaged or in need of repair. Given its age, repairs are probably a constant necessity, making it difficult to keep everything in top shape. Our room was small but typical for liveaboards. However, our bed linens were not changed throughout the week, and our towels were only replaced mid-week.
The food on board was plentiful and generally good, though some dishes felt too fancy for a dive boat, such as couscous and unusual soups like spinach and carrot. While some guests seemed to enjoy the meals, we would have preferred more comfort foods like vegetable soup, baked chicken, or turkey and dressing. Thankfully, the menu did shift towards more comforting options towards the end of the week.
The dive area was adequate but not ideal. The camera area was semi-exposed to rain, and the charging station was inconveniently located under the dive table. We opted to use the other charging stations inside instead.
A significant concern was the additional costs at the end of the trip. Even though we knew before hand there were extra charges, each of us incurred around $800 in extra charges for fuel, taxes, park fees, and tips. The purser manually recorded our credit card information, which felt outdated and very insecure. Despite having Skylink-type internet onboard, they don’t use it for online payment processing. Ideally, they should bill everything except tips the week before the trip. Internet access for passengers was not available, even though it could be offered for a fee with limited use for emails.
The crew was adequate but not exceptional. No one stood out as making the trip memorable. We have over 500 dives each and can distinguish excellent dive masters from mediocre ones. Some crew members barely interacted with guests.
We won’t be returning to Turks and Caicos for diving unless the dive sites improve. There are much better places to invest your money.
