Hi Boris,
I too am sorry that your trip didn't meet or exceed your expectations. I also would encourage you to call the Nekton office to discuss it. Please wait until July 10th, because I work at Nekton, handle any guest satisfaction issues and I will be on this very itinerary the week of July 1st - July 8th. My name is Pam.
As a member of this board, I am in a delicate position. I'm a diver first, Nekton employee second, but perhaps I can help people understand the nature of dive vacations and how to get the most from a liveaboard trip, no matter if it with Nekton or any other liveaboard operation.
First I would suggest: Educate yourself about the destination and what it likely to give you. If you are a world wide traveler/diver please know for example, that a itinerary like the Northwest Bahamas is not going to measure up to a trip to Palau. It is, however, very nice, diving with many, many high points in the trip. Much of it will have to do with your expectations. I am taking my 12 yo granddaughter on this trip to finish her dive certification. I won't have to worry about not going too deep on a wall, getting surrounded by sharks, and I know that she is going to see lots of pretty fishes, turtles, probably some dolphins and perhaps a few sharks. We can relax and enjoy the "sweet" diving. Always read everything you can about the itinerary, call the operation's office and talk with the people there, talk with other people that have been there and satisfy yourself that you know what to reasonably expect under normal conditions.
Second: Please realize that weather conditions affects many things on your trip. Places where there is normally not any current many have ripping currents during your time there due to a weather front that moves in. I have never met any dive captain that doesn't do their best to get you to the best dive spot possible. They know that their livelihood depends on making the guests happy. If they could order perfect weather, they would do so every week. They know that for most of their guests, this may be their only diving vacation for the year and they will try their very best to keep you diving in a safe manner. Many of these Captains have been diving in the area for years and know them like they know the back of their hand and they know when the spot they're in is the best they can safely get to.
Third: Communication is very important to let the dive operation know what you want and expect. Some people want to be taken care of including having someone put their fins on for them. Some people don't want any of that...neither is wrong, just communicate as you go along. We can have a full boat of guests and for 30 of them, it was the best trip ever, 1 it was so so and for 1 it was the worst....it can be hard to make everyone happy, but it's our job to try. If you have something that doesn't please you, you should first talk with the crewmember involved and if it isn't resolved, go to the Captain.....they are ultimately responsible for everything...but also know that they are having to really work at keeping you safe so they may ask to speak to you after they have gotten the boat (and the divers) in a safe position. If the Captain can't give you satisfaction, then communicate with the head office after your trip but again, be realistic and fair to everyone involved. For example, if you wanted bananas every day but you didn't tell the office ahead of time that you wanted them every day....does it really warrant not leaving a tip for a crew that tried very hard to please you or to demand all of your money back from a operation? I don't think so but I've had it happen at Nekton and yes, that was the only thing wrong with their trip but bananas were very important to that guest and it colored their whole Nekton experience.
Having said the above, let me give you my diver's perception of the Nekton operation. It's a "middle American" experience. There's nothing fancy about the boat or the food. Its good and plentiful. It's spacious and very easy to dive from. The boats show some wear around the edges. There are some rust spots. As an insider I know that because we choose to stay a US flagged company with all of the good (for the guests) and the bad (for the company's pocket book), during times of economic difficulties which all dive ops have experienced in the last few years, we'll be spending money on maintaining the safety requirements that the US Coast Guard set forth and we won't have the money to completely refurbish the boats every few years like we wish we could do. Does it diminish the dive experience? Not for me...I want safety, I want a good crew that makes me laugh and helps this old woman have an easier time getting in and out of the water for some hopefully good diving, I want good food and a comfortable place to sleep. Anything above that is "gravy" for me. For other people, they may expect more and there is absolutely nothing wrong with that... Just be an informed consumer and whatever operation you choose....Happy Diving! Pam
