I was on the Aqua Cat from October 21 - 28, 2006. What a blast! If you've ever thought of going on a liveaboard...you must get on the Cat now!!! Right now!! Just a word of caution: If you get motion sick, make sure you take something for it (one of the passengers had the prescription patch behind the ear and was fine). Even with the design of the Cat and its size, you definately feel the motion of the ocean. That being said...
Flight into Nassau was fine. Our luggage was delayed a few hours, which made me worried since my bag with all my gear was the one that didn't come in. It finally arrived two flights later. That was the worst that happened all week!
Upon arrival on the Cat, you get your room assignments and are told to set up your gear. The best part is that once your gear is set up, it stays that way for the week! The just fill your tank using a long whip...green for Nitrox (what I used), and black for air.
The schedule during the trip is pretty consistant: Breakfast at 8am, dive at 9 and 11, lunch at about 12:30pm, dive at 1:45 and 4, dinner around 5-6pm, night dive around 7:45pm. You can dive up to five times a day.
Food: I managed to put on 4 pounds! Even with all of that diving, Chef Kirk will have you loosening your belt. The food was amazing! The lunches were larger than most dinners I've had. Everything was fresh and yummy!!! Breakfasts had fresh eggs, sausage, pancakes, quiche (!), bacon, breads, cereals, oatmeal, juices...Lunches were subs, soups, grilled cheese, etc...Dinners served pastas, pizzas, fresh Tapia and other fish, salads, vegies, chicken, steak, lobster...too much to list. Plus the awesome desserts!
Diving: We had a great group and the diving was fantastic. Water temps were consistantly 82-84 with vis in the 50-70ft range. Plenty of sharks (reef and nurse), eels, rays (eagle and sting), fish, corals, turtles, lionfish (!), etc... I personally liked Jeep Reef and the Blue Hole the best. Perriwinkle Reef was fun because we got to feed the fish...and they knew it was coming! The shark feed was also very exciting.
Rooms: I would say it is well above average for a ship of this size. Plenty of room in the rooms, and the shower/bathroom was great. They also have 2 showers and a bathroom on the dive deck.
Crew: Fun, fun, fun! A great group of guys and gals that helped complete the trip. Everyone was very nice, and if they even overheard you wanting/needing something...it was taken care of instantly!
Overall...some of the best money I've spent. I even won the weekly photo contest, which got me a free shirt and a 1 in 48 chance on winning a free trip! Pics to follow. I'll answer any questions you might have.
Flight into Nassau was fine. Our luggage was delayed a few hours, which made me worried since my bag with all my gear was the one that didn't come in. It finally arrived two flights later. That was the worst that happened all week!
Upon arrival on the Cat, you get your room assignments and are told to set up your gear. The best part is that once your gear is set up, it stays that way for the week! The just fill your tank using a long whip...green for Nitrox (what I used), and black for air.
The schedule during the trip is pretty consistant: Breakfast at 8am, dive at 9 and 11, lunch at about 12:30pm, dive at 1:45 and 4, dinner around 5-6pm, night dive around 7:45pm. You can dive up to five times a day.
Food: I managed to put on 4 pounds! Even with all of that diving, Chef Kirk will have you loosening your belt. The food was amazing! The lunches were larger than most dinners I've had. Everything was fresh and yummy!!! Breakfasts had fresh eggs, sausage, pancakes, quiche (!), bacon, breads, cereals, oatmeal, juices...Lunches were subs, soups, grilled cheese, etc...Dinners served pastas, pizzas, fresh Tapia and other fish, salads, vegies, chicken, steak, lobster...too much to list. Plus the awesome desserts!
Diving: We had a great group and the diving was fantastic. Water temps were consistantly 82-84 with vis in the 50-70ft range. Plenty of sharks (reef and nurse), eels, rays (eagle and sting), fish, corals, turtles, lionfish (!), etc... I personally liked Jeep Reef and the Blue Hole the best. Perriwinkle Reef was fun because we got to feed the fish...and they knew it was coming! The shark feed was also very exciting.
Rooms: I would say it is well above average for a ship of this size. Plenty of room in the rooms, and the shower/bathroom was great. They also have 2 showers and a bathroom on the dive deck.
Crew: Fun, fun, fun! A great group of guys and gals that helped complete the trip. Everyone was very nice, and if they even overheard you wanting/needing something...it was taken care of instantly!
Overall...some of the best money I've spent. I even won the weekly photo contest, which got me a free shirt and a 1 in 48 chance on winning a free trip! Pics to follow. I'll answer any questions you might have.
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