MV Orion in Maldives

[Tom O'Connor]

My wife and I just returned from an outstanding trip to the Maldives on MV Orion. The boat surpasses all the liveaboards that we have been on in luxury and accomodation. We were treated like royalty by the owner Alex and his friendly and competant crew. The diving was non-stop excitement, typical of the Maldives. The menu was unique and plentiful, tastey and tailored to individual taste. This boat is more like a luxury hotel than a liveaboard. The size of the staterooms (huge), ample storage, at least 8 private gathering spots, safety procedures, and the dive operations are state of the industry. The separate dive vessel that trails the Orion serves as dive deck so that all the wetsuit mess, tank filling, and gear storage is removed from the vessel, creating a standard of luxury on a dive boat that we have never experienced. The divemaster and crew were experienced and could find the sites and judge conditions accurately. They were particularly mindful of less experienced or special needs divers that needed extra attention and help managing their exits and entries, cameras and special gear, but they did not smother those who were comfortable independently enjoying all the Maldives had to throw at us...currents, big schools, drifts, deep creature chases...spectacular diving. Stay home if you are a beginner. Enjoy a great trip if you have a little experience and good bouyancy skills. This dive experience ranks with or surpasses Cocos, Palau, PNG, and GBR in my mind. This beautiful new boat and the hospitality of the crew and owner blow the boats that most US divers typically book to these destinations out of the water. Good, inexpensive land-based ops are Villamendoo and Club Faru.

 

[mantajohn]

Are you for real?

First ever post ....

about a new liveaboard... reads more like brochure text than a trip report.

i'm struggling to believe than you are not closely connected to the boat operators!

 

[Tom O'Connor]

I'm a dentist in St. Louis. No connection to this operation, but very grateful. If our trip had been a bust I'd have let you know that too. This will be my last post. What a friendly board.t

 

[Zippsy]

Surprisingly Tom, you do a disservice to the Orion if you really are a first time member and dentist from St. Louis. Your post really does look like it was written by a crew member trying to promote the boat. We often see these and this looks too familiar.

Note that almost every boat in the Maldives has a separate dive dhoni and decent dive crew.

Having said that, I know Alex although I have never been on his boat. He is safety conscious, knows how to take care of customers and is a decent guy. Purely from what the Orion website shows and personal experience on other boats in the Maldives, the Orion definitely looks like the top luxury boat, or very close to it, in the Maldives. It's not cheap but the floating luxury hotel comment looks accurate.