Wow, I have been out of touch with diving for a while now and miss it very much....
I did my first liveaboard on the Pilot over a decade ago--loved it; I was hooked! Since then, I have taken trips on the Pilot, Rorqual, and Aggressor boats. They've spoiled me to the extent that if I am going to spend the time and money for a dive trip, I would rather save up and spend the extra money on a liveaboard (and just do fewer trips). Although it means that I haven't been diving in a few years :depressed:
Some posts have alluded to bad press about John Dixon, and I have no idea what that is about. But I guess I'll add my 0.5 cents....
All my interactions with John were positive. I thought that he worked very hard and was principled. I thought the same of most of the crew (particularly the ones that I took more than one trip with). Sure, there were some issues with some of the crew and with some of the trips, but overall, I respected and appreciated what John and his company had to offer.
I would consider either the Pilot or Rorqual for my next trip. In fact, I was thinking about it--until I learned that they were no on longer operational.... The pluses were
- an easy flight from the East Coast--at least the ones that departed from Ft Lauderdale
- departures from Ft Lauderdale were well organized (probably easier to run because the office was there)
- well priced for a week of diving (it mattered to me in my decision-making that they were less expensive than Aggressor and PH)
- nice roomy layout and cabins
- stable
- great upper deck for stargazing
While on Aggressor boats, I did sometimes try to watch movies, but I usually just fell asleep. I only tried to watch because it was there and available. I totally wouldn't care if there hadn't been a TV or movies. If no TVs means less expensive trips, then I am all for it!
So, I do hope that at least one of the boats (Pilot or Rorqual) come back.... There also needs to be more competition now that Aggressor and PH are the same company....