Need Advice on a Liveaboard

[diversteve]

I think the OP already booked the Nekton mid-Jan.

 

[Driznik]

I just got back from a week on the Sundancer II (Peter Hughes) in Belize and had a great experience. The water was calm and warm, and while I didn't follow them around, there was a crew member in the water for every dive. There was a lot of macro, not so many big animals, but we did see Dolphins the first three days of the trip, a couple of turtles and at least one eagle ray every day. Unfortunately, the Dolphins never got closer than 20-25 feet.

I figure by the time I factor in flight (from Toronto through Miami), walking around money, tip, etc. I probably spent around $3,500.00.

 

[jasondcrawford]

Just pay the extra couple of hundred dollars for the Belize or Cayman Aggressor. You'll be glad you did.

Just say'in. It's way worth the extra mere couple hundred dollars. And the Belize and Cayman crews are superb.

All the best, James

The agressor is actually a LOT more expensive... $2300 as compared to $1500. The difference on 2 people is $1600, which is another dive vaction in itself.

 

[fdog]

The agressor is actually a LOT more expensive... $2300 as compared to $1500. The difference on 2 people is $1600, which is another dive vaction in itself.

Take a look at the taxes, fees and other stuff that adds to the base price. That will take it to about half that difference...did you notice that there's a little asterisk on the Nekton cruise price?

Even if it was an $800 difference, it would be worth it. For us. Your mileage may vary, but, our experiences with liveaboards has proven that we truly do get what we pay for.

All the best, James

PS - I am in no way affiliated with Aggressor, except for paying them money.

 

[DiveMaven]

For me the extra money isn't worth it for the Aggressor....but that's why there is more than one liveaboard out there, so there are choices!

I was 100% comfortable and happy on my Nekton cruise, and frankly there's nothing that could have made it better for me. There are definitely more luxurious boats out there, but I'm there to dive, dive, and dive some more. Give me a private room, private head, 5-6 dives a day, excellent service, yummy food, and a relaxed atmosphere and I'm happy.

One thing that hasn't been mentioned is that the Nekton is the only boat in Belize that does 6 FULL days of diving. There is diving all day on Friday unlike the others which only have 1/2 day of diving on Friday.

It isn't just the Nekton that charges all those extra fees on top of their base cruise rate. Aggressor also charges for nitrox, taxes, park and port fees, and a fuel surcharge. They also don't include dinner the last night in port (Friday), which is included in the Nekton fare.

 

[vondo]

I wonder if you are sure you want to do a liveaboard. I just did my first one a couple of months ago. At ten dives, the idea of diving 4-5 times per day didn't really apeal to me and not enough to know that I would like it. In fact, after two dives in the morning I was knackered. I wanted a nap until dinner time.

You might consider going somewhere and hanging on an island for a week or two and just dive from there. Then if you want to do other things, you are not trapped.

Just a thought. If you know you want to do this, do it.

(Edited)

 

[Desert_Diver]

I have never been on one of the Agressor boats and don't want to make it sound like I'm bad mouthing them. But I've been on both Nekton boats, and I have to side with Dive Maven. I'm there to dive. The amenities on the Nekton boats meet and exceed my requirements. They are (to me anyway) significantly cheaper than the Hughs boats or the Agressor fleet. And nobody had mentioned it, but the Nekton crews have regularly treated me well- even when they were short staffed and sleep deprived. <grin>

This is not the thread to pursue the subject, but I do feel uneasy about the Hughs boats.

If being pampered is more important to you than the diving, maybe Agressor is the way to go for you. I wouldn't look down my nose at you if you decided to go that way. My philosphy is that you should have fun and dive safely. And whichever liveaboard best meets your requirements is the one you should go with.

Remember- dive safe; have fun.

Art

 

[mm777]

"One thing that hasn't been mentioned is that the Nekton is the only boat in Belize that does 6 FULL days of diving. There is diving all day on Friday unlike the others which only have 1/2 day of diving on Friday."
_________________________________________
That's the "cincher" for me....thanks.

 

[DiveMaven]

"One thing that hasn't been mentioned is that the Nekton is the only boat in Belize that does 6 FULL days of diving. There is diving all day on Friday unlike the others which only have 1/2 day of diving on Friday."
_________________________________________
That's the "cincher" for me....thanks.

I have to admit that was a big one for us too!