Liveaboard, extra charges after full payments

[kelemvor]

What liveaboard did you find for $1500 a week? I thought most were closer to $5k for a week? Granted I haven't looked much, just see scubaboard posts sometimes...

 

[scubafanatic]

What liveaboard did you find for $1500 a week? I thought most were closer to $5k for a week? Granted I haven't looked much, just see scubaboard posts sometimes...

As last I checked, there are a number of $ 1500/wk liveaboards........Ultimate Getaway.......SPREE.......Juliet......all based in Florida. I haven't done any recent price checks on all those boats, but they are all in the $1500 - $ 2000 per week range. I've been on SPREE numerous times (while it was based here in Texas doing the Flower Gardens) and Juliet once, and both are fine boats with good value for $. Now, a week @ Galapagos WILL typically run $ 5 K for the basic boat cost, not counting airfare/hotels/tips/etc.

 

[KathyV]

What liveaboard did you find for $1500 a week? I thought most were closer to $5k for a week? Granted I haven't looked much, just see scubaboard posts sometimes...

Besides destination, there are a number of other factors that influence the price of a livaboard trip (e.g., season, the number of nights in the charter, the level of accomodations you choose, and taking advantages of various sales and "repeat customer" discounts.)

We will be taking an all-inclusive, week long trip in a deluxe stateroom on the Turks and Caicos Aggressor soon for approximately $2100 per diver. The retail price is closer to $2800 per diver but they were offering a $700 off "fall frenzy" special that brought the price down. If we had chosen a master stateroom then the price would have been $2400 after the discount, but a twin stateroom (with a shared bathroom) would only be $1900.

The aggressor and dancer boats are considered to be a "more-expensive livaboard" operation but you often get what you pay for! And when you figure out the "cost per dive" then a livaboard is often a much, much cheaper bargain than land-based diving because you get more dives - when you factor in hotel, restaurant, bar, transportation, and diving costs. If you are land-based diving off Provo you could probably do 10 -13 dives in a week but the livaboard dive opportunities are around 25 dives per week.

We have done a number of livaboard trips and some have been "bargain charters" and others more expensive and we loved them all. They were all a great value for the price but paying extra for a private (tiny!) bathroom, comfortable accomodations, excellent food, and excellent crew and dive operation are worth it IMO; but I still like to look for a discount!

And the diving is often of better quality because the livaboards can go to spots that are less-frequented by land-based divers. It is also easier for a livaboard to adjust their itinerary when there are concerns about the weather.

All that being said, if the weather is really bad I would rather be on a land-based trip. The living conditions are more comfortable and there are more venues and opportunities for having fun on on land on vacation. On a livaboard the days are mostly "eat, sleep, dive!"

We usually only take one big dive trip per year so we try to do 2 weeks. This year we will spend a week on Provo and may do some dives depending on weather but we plan to do most of our diving during the second week on the Aggressor. The airfare is the same whether or not you do one or two weeks and the longer time gives you an opportunity to relax and enjoy the destination, the people, and the topside activities. This year the airfare is free because we were able to use credit card air miles!

There are no guarantees and weather is always a big factor no matter what venue you choose, but don't be put off just because the all-inclusive price of a livaboard seems high, think about the cost per dive and other intrinsic values they offer! Have fun!

 

[BDSC]

There should never be any surprises. Have done a multiple liveaboard trips, with all of the major operators, and have never had a charge come up that I wasn't aware of before booking the trip.

Right on. I have never been "surprised" at the end of a liveaboard trip by some unknown charge. Pretty much every liveaboard or company will post on their website what the charter price includes and what is extra and how much that extra will be. Most tell you what the recommended tip is. If anyone is caught off-guard at the end of a trip by unexpected charges, they probably didn't do their homework upfront.

 

[scubafanatic]

Right on. I have never been "surprised" at the end of a liveaboard trip by some unknown charge. Pretty much every liveaboard or company will post on their website what the charter price includes and what is extra and how much that extra will be. Most tell you what the recommended tip is. If anyone is caught off-guard at the end of a trip by unexpected charges, they probably didn't do their homework upfront.

I disagree, at least to some extent. Probably the biggest failing is not disclosing 'associated' fees (things like port taxes/bed taxes/sales taxes/pier taxes/arrival and departure taxes, chamber taxes/marine park taxes...etc.) While it's true that some ofd these extra taxes/fees are not boat imposed charges, they are charges a customer-service oriented boat operation should disclose as being related to the customer's trip, in the interest of honesty.

 

[chillyinCanada]

I don't understand the 15% tip on overall price of the trip. If one was landbased would only tip for meals dives and services not for accommodation. I'm just a bit choked about my upcoming liveaboard trip (first ever). The tip is going to be in the neighborhood of $7-800. Ack

 

[tekkydiver]

And some all inclusive boats are indeed all inclusive, unless you tip or use trimix.

If there are additional charges, then how could it be ALL-Inclusive?

I once had a situation at the end of a trip, where a supposedly all-inclusive operation came looking for a tip!! Not just a casual mention, but a gathering where a specific amount was suggested. This is with "all inclusive" in their promotional materials, web site etc. Had the operation not taken this approach, my tip would have exceeded what was suggested. I told the person in charge, since this was an all inclusive package, my tip had already been collected.

 

[RJP]

What liveaboard did you find for $1500 a week? I thought most were closer to $5k for a week? Granted I haven't looked much, just see scubaboard posts sometimes...

Yikes - there are few that are that much. My buddy and I are on Carib Dancer in a few weeks, and with the deal they were running paid $1,199.

---------- Post added October 20th, 2013 at 09:34 PM ----------

I disagree, at least to some extent. Probably the biggest failing is not disclosing 'associated' fees (things like port taxes/bed taxes/sales taxes/pier taxes/arrival and departure taxes, chamber taxes/marine park taxes...etc.) While it's true that some ofd these extra taxes/fees are not boat imposed charges, they are charges a customer-service oriented boat operation should disclose as being related to the customer's trip, in the interest of honesty.

I have never, ever, ever, seen a boat NOT disclose these fees. (And I would say that at one time or another I have looked I to every liveaboard out there.)

---------- Post added October 20th, 2013 at 09:36 PM ----------

I don't understand the 15% tip on overall price of the trip. If one was landbased would only tip for meals dives and services not for accommodation. I'm just a bit choked about my upcoming liveaboard trip (first ever). The tip is going to be in the neighborhood of $7-800. Ack

On a trip that expensive, I would go with 10%.

 

[Wookie]

If there are additional charges, then how could it be ALL-Inclusive?

I once had a situation at the end of a trip, where a supposedly all-inclusive operation came looking for a tip!! Not just a casual mention, but a gathering where a specific amount was suggested. This is with "all inclusive" in their promotional materials, web site etc. Had the operation not taken this approach, my tip would have exceeded what was suggested. I told the person in charge, since this was an all inclusive package, my tip had already been collected.

The tip is your choice. If you choose not to tip, then the trip was all inclusive.

 

[RJP]

What liveaboard did you find for $1500 a week? I thought most were closer to $5k for a week? Granted I haven't looked much, just see scubaboard posts sometimes...

Check out Explorer Ventures current sale - week on Caribbean Explorer for $999. $5-grand would get you five full weeks on that boat!