Looking for a 15-20+ dive liveaboard around Easter

[tomich]

Hi everyone! I have some time off around Easter and am looking for a liveaboard that lasts from 4-9 days and has at least 15-20 dives.

I am happy with Spartan (but clean) conditions - I'd rather pay for getting to some spectacular diving rather than a comfortable, fancy boat.

I live in Europe, so the Carribbean isn't as close as if I was living in the USA. And the Red Sea always looks great, but the airfare to these remote locations is like to be $1000, almost just as much as to fly anywhere else. So let me know your recommendations!

Thanks much!

 

[robint]

Hi everyone! I have some time off around Easter and am looking for a liveaboard that lasts from 4-9 days and has at least 15-20 dives.

I am happy with Spartan (but clean) conditions - I'd rather pay for getting to some spectacular diving rather than a comfortable, fancy boat.

I live in Europe, so the Carribbean isn't as close as if I was living in the USA. And the Red Sea always looks great, but the airfare to these remote locations is like to be $1000, almost just as much as to fly anywhere else. So let me know your recommendations!

Thanks much!

Coming from Europe, Caribbean is probably the closest place other than Red Sea.
Easter isn't that far off (March 23rd) and some boats may be full already but I would start here:
Nekton Diving Cruises - Comfort, Stability, Worldclass Diving
Explorer Ventures: Adventures in Live-Aboard Diving
boats are 7 days, Saturday-Saturday.

a little more fancy and expensive:
Aggressor Fleet | The ultimate in live-aboards since 1984
Peter Hughes Diving Inc.
boats are 7 days, Saturday-Saturday

 

[Doc]

Airfares being equal or... more? We don't know what it costs you, buying a ticket in Europe, to get to the Caribbean... but I can't imagine it being less than a flight to Sharm (Red Sea) or even Maldives.

Our liveaboards are set up on a Saturday to Saturday schedule. Pretty well written in stone. This carries over in many instances to resort properties (skiing included) but they are easier to organize a variation in the days of your visit.

Our Caribbean can be a delight of colors with creatures and corals, but your "local" regions (as those mentioned above) have their own unique draw. I have to think they would be cheaper as well.

The Red Sea can be done land based with daily excursions on the many day boats (large cabin cruisers) that pull out of the docks. The Red Sea has many many shallow wrecks including the fabulous Thistlegorm. She lays in 85~100fsw, upright and largely intact- just as she gently settled... remaining fully laden with military cargo. Again- there are many other very shallow wrecks.

The Maldives is well known for flexible bookings on their many liveaboard options. You fly into Male and then hook up with the liveaboard via fast cigarette boat or float plane. It is common to see guests for four days then they're gone. Again- quite a few wrecks and some very large critters!

I know that it is relatively cheap and/or easy to fly to certain Caribbean island countries from their "motherland" in Europe. We see more Brits on Tobago and places like Columbus Isle (San Salvador) and the Dutch in the ABC's for this reason. Just note the 747's flagged with national markings (KLM, BA) that frequent these little rocky dots in the ocean! I don't recall the Swiss having any colonial aspirations in the Caribbean, but maybe through a neighboring country you could fnd a well travelled route. Remember- the more traffic, the cheaper the airfare... usually.

 

[tomich]

Thanks everyone for your in-depth and knowledgeable responses!

 

[deepstops]

I'll throw another one in there: Zürich to Miami and then dive on the Juliet in the Bahamas. It's a bit more cost effective than the other Caribbean options mentioned so far.

That being said, the Red Sea is probably THE most cost effective option for you.