Liveaboard then resort or vice-versa?

[koozemani]

Here's the deal, we booked a trip on the Sun Dancer II in Belize. We are also planning to spend a week in Placencia to spend some time on the beach, see the sights etc...

My question is should I do the land based portion before or after the liveaboard?

I was leaning toward after the liveaboard, but the more I think about it, I'm leaning toward before the liveaboard. Primarily because of potential missing luggage issues, flight delays and jet lag. All of which would be survivable at a resort, but not so much on a boat.

Any thoughts or previous experience on this topic would be welcome!

 

[Doubler]

Gee what a terrible conundrum. I would go down the day before the liveaboard and stay at the Radisson Fort George. I think that would be easier. Not really an exhausting trip.

 

[koozemani]

Gee what a terrible conundrum. I would go down the day before the liveaboard and stay at the Radisson Fort George. I think that would be easier. Not really an exhausting trip.

Sooooo..... Liveaboard first then?

 

[richh32]

jet lag? you live in arizona? lol

 

[Doubler]

Yes, liveaboard first.

 

[vladimir]

Resort first, for the reason you cited: it'll ensure that you and your luggage arrive on time. I also like to get in a few dives before the liveaboard, when possible (it usually isn't). For me it's an opportunity to knock the rust off, sort out any equipment issues, and get over any jet lag, but if you have been diving regularly and won't be crossing many time zones, then those won't be issues for you.

 

[eponym]

Know that the lagoon (from Pacencia all the way to the outer keys) is relatively shallow. I've snorkeled it and I've sailed it (bareboat charter out of Placencia). Don't remember seeing much more than 25 feet of water.

It could be a good shakedown, as previously suggested.

-Bryan

 

[jameseg]

Are you significantly more excited about one portion of the trip over the other? If so, I'd do that first, so you don't spend your entire first week thinking about your second. We did a liveaboard first on a trip to Turks & Caicos, and really enjoyed having a few days on land afterwards to sleep in and generally be lazy (27 dives in 5.5 days was amazing, but exhausting). If you can do one day on land before the liveaboard, that should give you enough time to (hopefully) take care of any luggage issues. I'd also suggest carrying any really critical items onto the plane (change of clothes, toiletries, mask, regs, etc).

James

 

[koozemani]

So.... I'm getting the sense that it doesn't really matter. The responses are more or less split evenly. Well the livabiard dates are set, I guess We'll see how everything plays out with scheduling.

 

[Shasta_man]

Sure it could matter, but it may not. It's more the chances you want to take. It can go both ways.

I would tend to lean toward doing the liveaboard first because I would rather have plenty of time to deal with delays on the liveaboard because that's the diving I really want out of the trip. If it shortens shoretime, so what, because you can always come down in future and pay little to get in some more shore time, but you don't want to have to come down and pay 3 grand again for the liveaboard. Second is you tend to come into contact with sick people when traveling, so I would rather go from my safe well home to get diving right away. Of course, if you are already sick, you'll want extra time before diving to get better, so that can go both ways. Then there's the stress factor of making it safely and healthly to your 3 thousand dollar boat ride, so again, I'd rather get to it since I can't sleep too well anyway dodging all the other guests at the resort. (Getting sick has happened to me so I'm a touch paranoid but I don't have the cash to just try it again next year.) So it's an easy decision...
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