DeputyDan
Contributor
This is not a trip report but just observations of my first liveaboard trip.
#1. When you arrive on GC - Nekton has an arrangement with the Sunset House for guests to meet there to wait for pick up.
If you arrive early, there is not much to do at the Sunset House (if you are not planning a shore dive) so drop off your stuff and head into town. Its not that far.
Make sure you know the times of the Nekton pickup. I had them wrong so I wasted several hours. There is a time for luggage pickup and there is a time for guest pickup. - Know the difference and know the time zone and effect of daylight savings time.
Lunch at the Sunset House was about $12.50 US (no alcohol)
#2. The diving was excellent, lots of swim throughs, no DM in the water you're own your own - SWEET! I went on this trip as a single and had no issues with anything as a single. The crew has a rotating schedule where someone is always available to dive with a guest.
If you go alone I would suggest that you call ahead and try to avoid a week booked by a group and try to go with lots of singles or couples. This will provide for more interaction with the other guests and you will avoid other issues that often accompany a large group.
My week had 11 guests of which five were single divers
#3. Personal opinion - Diving the north side of GC is better than Brac - Little Cayman is in a world of its own so its not fair to compare it with ANY other locales!
#4. The food was good but not great. The cook "Jaysen" went to great lengths to provide a vegeterian selection to the two vegeterians on our trip. I tried all the rabbit food also. Most was quite good - some I didn't care for. But what's vacation for if not to experience the new and different. No food complaints.
#5. Due to the small number of guests all the singles had our own room. I liked this more than I thought I would. It was nice to get away. I like to go to bed earlier than most and get up earlier than most. About 1/2 of the guests on my trip were up well before 6:00 am.
#6. I had an upper level cabin. My suggestion is that if you have a choice get the upper level. Cabin 4 is next to the lounge. The upper level just seemed to be closer to everything.
#7. You can hang your wet stuff to dry up on the sun deck. Unless it rains, if you have two of everything you will always be dressing in a dry wetsuit (not a clammy one)! I had read on a different post to bring lots of socks to wear around the boat to protect the toes. I did this. However, I has a scuffed toe and decided to try wearing the socks with my dive boots to better protect the toe and loved the snugger feel. Note to self, socks with the dive boots is the way to go. Except for dive boots - no shoes the entire week.
#8. On departure day, you only had to be out of your rooms by 9:00 am. They still allowed you on the boat (in the common areas such as the salon or sun deck). From where the boat was docked you could walk into Georgetown but nothing opens till 9:00 and I had to leave for the airport at 10:00 am.
#9. The airport (WHAT A ZOO). I was there four hours early and it took a solid hour and 45 minutes to reach the check in counter. It seems all the time share folks and most over travelers (just like me) do the Saturday to Saturday thing. My advice stay over a day or so if possible and travel on an off day.
#10. I am ruined. The only place I have been than can compare is COCO VIEW. The two or three dives a day places won't be seeing any more of my funds (Unless the wife spys one she wants to visit).
#11. This trip was a 50 year old birthday present from my wife. I married well. She does not dive and does not mind if I do!!!
#12. Its a long time till next year.
I posted this on the Cayman's board but most of the traffic there seems to be cruise related.
Deputy Dan
#1. When you arrive on GC - Nekton has an arrangement with the Sunset House for guests to meet there to wait for pick up.
If you arrive early, there is not much to do at the Sunset House (if you are not planning a shore dive) so drop off your stuff and head into town. Its not that far.
Make sure you know the times of the Nekton pickup. I had them wrong so I wasted several hours. There is a time for luggage pickup and there is a time for guest pickup. - Know the difference and know the time zone and effect of daylight savings time.
Lunch at the Sunset House was about $12.50 US (no alcohol)
#2. The diving was excellent, lots of swim throughs, no DM in the water you're own your own - SWEET! I went on this trip as a single and had no issues with anything as a single. The crew has a rotating schedule where someone is always available to dive with a guest.
If you go alone I would suggest that you call ahead and try to avoid a week booked by a group and try to go with lots of singles or couples. This will provide for more interaction with the other guests and you will avoid other issues that often accompany a large group.
My week had 11 guests of which five were single divers
#3. Personal opinion - Diving the north side of GC is better than Brac - Little Cayman is in a world of its own so its not fair to compare it with ANY other locales!
#4. The food was good but not great. The cook "Jaysen" went to great lengths to provide a vegeterian selection to the two vegeterians on our trip. I tried all the rabbit food also. Most was quite good - some I didn't care for. But what's vacation for if not to experience the new and different. No food complaints.
#5. Due to the small number of guests all the singles had our own room. I liked this more than I thought I would. It was nice to get away. I like to go to bed earlier than most and get up earlier than most. About 1/2 of the guests on my trip were up well before 6:00 am.
#6. I had an upper level cabin. My suggestion is that if you have a choice get the upper level. Cabin 4 is next to the lounge. The upper level just seemed to be closer to everything.
#7. You can hang your wet stuff to dry up on the sun deck. Unless it rains, if you have two of everything you will always be dressing in a dry wetsuit (not a clammy one)! I had read on a different post to bring lots of socks to wear around the boat to protect the toes. I did this. However, I has a scuffed toe and decided to try wearing the socks with my dive boots to better protect the toe and loved the snugger feel. Note to self, socks with the dive boots is the way to go. Except for dive boots - no shoes the entire week.
#8. On departure day, you only had to be out of your rooms by 9:00 am. They still allowed you on the boat (in the common areas such as the salon or sun deck). From where the boat was docked you could walk into Georgetown but nothing opens till 9:00 and I had to leave for the airport at 10:00 am.
#9. The airport (WHAT A ZOO). I was there four hours early and it took a solid hour and 45 minutes to reach the check in counter. It seems all the time share folks and most over travelers (just like me) do the Saturday to Saturday thing. My advice stay over a day or so if possible and travel on an off day.
#10. I am ruined. The only place I have been than can compare is COCO VIEW. The two or three dives a day places won't be seeing any more of my funds (Unless the wife spys one she wants to visit).
#11. This trip was a 50 year old birthday present from my wife. I married well. She does not dive and does not mind if I do!!!
#12. Its a long time till next year.
I posted this on the Cayman's board but most of the traffic there seems to be cruise related.
Deputy Dan
It sounds hectic but it isn't at all.... it is non-stop fun.
I did the Cayman Islands last year on the Nekton Rorqual. It was my first diving live-aboard and now I am hooked. 
