First Live Aboard - Should We Go to Australia or...

[Cali_diver]

While I agree Belize is a great liveaboard destination, I don't know that I would recommend it in this case. Besides that it's not on the OPs list of planned trips they were trying to work this into - it's not always calm. Might be fine once you get out to the atolls, but it involves a long unsheltered nighttime crossing. I've done it when it's pretty smooth, and I've done it when I literally had to hang onto the bed all night so as not to fall out. I'm thinking that's not a good bet for someone afraid of sleeping on a boat.

Ha..I guess I should have read the OP's post all the way through I also guess I lucked out the two times we were in Belize. Calm Seas both times!

 

[DreamChaser]

Update:

We did it guys and gals! I had the talk with her and she is completely sold on the Spirit of Freedom 3 night dive. We're going mid-September.

Thank you all so much!

 

[diversteve]

Update:

We did it guys and gals! I had the talk with her and she is completely sold on the Spirit of Freedom 3 night dive. We're going mid-September.

Thank you all so much!

OK, now if you ever want to get her on another one - pop for the Ocean View Deluxe or Ocean View Standard Cabins only. Besides: "Spirit of Freedom is the only dive boat in Australia with a private bathroom in every cabin" they are the only two cabins with all-important windows. Size of bathroom equates to price paid also...

All the other cabins are below deck and due to the design of the ship probably don't even have portholes - they're one deck below in the solid hull. The lower you get in a liveaboard the louder it gets. Warn your wife that if you're sleeping when they depart overnight that dropping/bringing up the anchors etc. make some funny and loud noises. Typically lots of thumps and often hydraulic sounds if the boat is stabilized. In some of those lower cabins those things may be in the ship wall outside/below your cabin.

Options are Australia/Cairns (mid-September, 2015), Cozumel (January, 2016), Tahiti (November, 2016), Philippines (TBD), Thailand (TBD), Costa Rica (TBD), or Fiji (TBD).

If you get to go again - here's some to consider. Far from a complete list, just some options I know - we're pretty much only diving liveaboards recently.

No liveaboards in Cozumel. Almost all the diving - even some on the mainland is day boat accessible - so why would someone pay to circumnavigate the island for more $$. There was one that tried, made a big splash, nice boat but they failed. The boat is in Egypt now.

There's boats out of Cabo but they go to the Socorros - a rough 24 hour crossing. You both need more dives for it frankly. Spectacular, rough, colder water, high current diving. Nautilus has a new boat - Belle Amie. Be my first choice.

I don't know Tahiti boats at all.

In the Phillipines there's a Siren boat - S/Y Philippine Siren - Siren Fleet Also Atlantis Resort has a boat - according to them the nicest in the region - you can book it separately or in combination with a stay at the Atlantis resorts there. Atlantis Dive Resorts & Liveaboards | OFFICIAL BLOG

Lots of Thailand options. I don't know this company but they list a lot of options. Thailand Liveaboards :: Similan Islands Liveaboards | Similan Diving Some do shorter trips also.

The better Costa Rica boats go to Cocos. You don't want to take your wife out there if the plan is to stay married. It's a long, rough crossing and there's no coming back until the boat does. Again, you both should have more dives first. There might be a few weekend liveaboards to Catalina/Bat Islands from the west coast but that will be a lot like camping at sea - shared heads etc. I think there's one sailboat that dives out there - it's in the 40-50' size range.

Island Dancer is in Fiji - it's a pretty nice boat - my friend was on it last year. It's part of the Aggressor Fleet. Aggressor Fleet and Dancer Fleet - Luxury LiveAboard Diving

Hope it works out for you. One thing I often mention is that the best part of liveaboard diving is you're 50' from the dive site wherever you go. On the longer trips, the food/service is often excellent or better.

 

[Damselfish]

Also Atlantis Resort has a boat - according to them the nicest in the region - you can book it separately or in combination with a stay at the Atlantis resorts there.

The Atlantis Azores is another boat with no portholes in the cabins below. There is one "owners stateroom" on the upper deck which has a large window on each side, which I recently enjoyed. (Really great trip/crew/food.)

Lack of window or porthole seems to bother some people more than others.

 

[Wingy]

Polynesia Master starting in the Tuamotus,
> French Polynesia in 2016. 25 guests and 7-10 night trips with exploration trips to the Marquises. AFAIK this will be the only other boat than the Paul Gaugin operating in FP.

 

[diversteve]

Lack of window or porthole seems to bother some people more than others.

It would bother me. I don't check into hotel rooms with no windows either. Also I just like to look at the water/islands as we pass early morning.

I guess from the OP's perspective, if his wife is already reluctant, has no view and hearing ships noises at night - it might push her over the edge. Plus the upstairs cabins are going to be bigger.

 

[Iralub]

Update:

We did it guys and gals! I had the talk with her and she is completely sold on the Spirit of Freedom 3 night dive. We're going mid-September.

Thank you all so much!

You'll love it. I did both the 3 day and 4 day trips on the Spirit and both were amazing. It's hard to feel unsafe on that boat.

 

[Shasta_man]

My trips are almost exclusively on liveaboards because I really like the whole experience you get with it, and my trips are going diving and then everything else. So I enjoy the liveaboard style very much too.

I have a question for you though... are you sure you want to switch her to demanding trips where all the lodging and transportation is charged per person?