Trip Report Palau Aboard the Black Pearl
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ScubaPilot77
New
Super nice crew. They all worked hard – especially to put on beach BBQ!
Vessel’s torn, tattered, and faded ensign and consider what this may indicate about this “luxury” vessel, the operator, and what else may be being scrimped on or overlooked?
Caveats are included in website, but trip was billed as “Jellyfish Lake” – a lifetime bucket list destination for me. Onboard the crew explained “it wasn’t worth it” to go there since there were few jellyfish. They decided it wasn’t worth it! That information was NOT INCLUDED ON THE WEBSITE. Oh, but I got a $50.00 credit (out of a total cost for the trip of $17,000!)
M/Y Black Pearl may be nicer than economy operators like the Aggressor Fleet. However, it does not reach the standard of a “luxury” vessel (while charging luxury rates). The following are observations my March 2025, 10-day Palau itinerary:
SOLAS would not approve storing flammable liquids the way they are on Black Pearl (in the open in the garage, near the compressor, see attached images)
No Diver Down flag displayed at any of 28 dive sites we visited
No diver sign in / sign out system to track divers in the water. Not a best practice. Dive Guide memory works fine – until a diver gets left in the water at a dive site
Night of beach BBQ, all 22 guests transported in one dingy – with NO lifejackets aboard. And the engines failed for the fourth time in 10-days
In addition to the issues above, the Black Pearl operator may consider:
Designating a smoking / vaping area on the top deck so all the non-smoking guests don’t have to wade through smoker’s pollution on the main deck immediately aft of the main salon!
During welcome aboard introductions, have the crew speak loud and clear. Do NOT mumble. Consider having the crew rehearse in advance. It may increase tips
There is little “housekeeping” done aboard the dingy. Daily I would pick up trash including broken zip ties and o-rings – things that find their way into the water and are hazards for wildlife – on the deck of the dingy. The driver, who has hours to sit and wait on divers to return, should check use downtime to organize and clean the dingy.
Nowhere on website did it mention laundry services available on the boat. This is a nice service, and it would have been good to know in advance that it was available. Add to the website, including $8.00 per load cost
In FAQ section of web site, add an expanded discussion of tipping policy. I spoke with Australian guests who were not planning to tip at all because no one tips in Australia. Huge area of confusion. It would be helped to have more information so I wouldn’t have brought way too much cash
Dives are closely shepherded. Mandatory SMB deployment, gas quantity checked every few minutes during the dives, leading small groups around by the nose, nitrox analysis for you.
Charging a single supplement is unethical practice foisted on divers for decades! Consider if I book a land-based hotel room for just myself, the hotel doesn't charge me a 60% premium merely because I am the only occupant! A hotel has limited number of rooms to book just as a dive vessel has limited cabins to book. Yet Black Pearl charges a 60% “single supplement” which, on this $6,000+ trip, ballooned the cost to nearly $10,000
Crew discipline and service orientation:
See attached image of a crew member passed out – just Day 2 of the trip -- on the main deck, just outside the main salon at 2:15 in the afternoon, next to a bottle of prescription medicine. No idea what the pills were for, and it doesn’t matter. This is not a good look for a crewmember to be passed out in front of guests on the main deck. The same crewmember napping on main deck on subsequent days so this wasn’t a one off
One morning I got up and walked out on deck to find empty beer cans and used cups still out from the night before, while a crew member was hanging out in the main salon – primary guest area -- talking on a cell phone
Dive briefs are posted to begin at 6:30 am. Repeatedly beginning 10+ mins late is disorganized and disrespectful
Guests are reminded to close the main salon door while crew often leave it open!
Multiple requests to get the location / lat / long of a dive site we visited since it was not in the SSI database. Never got a reply. Four requests to get a 15L tank finally resulted in a tank change
Multiple requests to purchase a boat t-shirt. Finally told they were all out of stock
Vessel’s torn, tattered, and faded ensign and consider what this may indicate about this “luxury” vessel, the operator, and what else may be being scrimped on or overlooked?
Caveats are included in website, but trip was billed as “Jellyfish Lake” – a lifetime bucket list destination for me. Onboard the crew explained “it wasn’t worth it” to go there since there were few jellyfish. They decided it wasn’t worth it! That information was NOT INCLUDED ON THE WEBSITE. Oh, but I got a $50.00 credit (out of a total cost for the trip of $17,000!)
M/Y Black Pearl may be nicer than economy operators like the Aggressor Fleet. However, it does not reach the standard of a “luxury” vessel (while charging luxury rates). The following are observations my March 2025, 10-day Palau itinerary:
- Smoking and vaping on the main deck just outside the main salon. Gross and inconvenient for non-smoking guests. Designated the far upper aft deck as a smoking area (for guests AND crew!) so non-smokers don’t have to suffer through smoker’s pollution.
- No Wi-Fi onboard. Starlink or another service should be an easy addition. SIM cards are not the answer since most newer devices only accommodate eSIM
- No satellite TV onboard
- The ensuite marine toilets that do not accept toilet paper. Placing used toilet paper in a small trash receptacle for later collection by housekeeping staff is gross and not “luxury.” And the marine waste system creates a strong odor in the cabin every afternoon
- A single outlet in each room. Guests may charge smaller devices while in the cabin, but are not allowed to charge a laptop in cabins (only at the camera station on deck)
- Meals are served family style and are generally OK (Beach BBQ was excellent!). However the food is often overcooked
- The dive boats are poorly maintained and laid out. None of the vessel system instruments were operational aboard the dingy from which I dove. RPM, electrical, fuel – all appeared to be non-functional – which may indicate deficiencies in Black Pearl maintenance and saety. One of the two dive “dingies” had both engines fail FIVE times during the ten-day trip.
- Despite the arrival briefing, safety does not appear to be “the #1 priority”
SOLAS would not approve storing flammable liquids the way they are on Black Pearl (in the open in the garage, near the compressor, see attached images)
No Diver Down flag displayed at any of 28 dive sites we visited
No diver sign in / sign out system to track divers in the water. Not a best practice. Dive Guide memory works fine – until a diver gets left in the water at a dive site
Night of beach BBQ, all 22 guests transported in one dingy – with NO lifejackets aboard. And the engines failed for the fourth time in 10-days
In addition to the issues above, the Black Pearl operator may consider:
Designating a smoking / vaping area on the top deck so all the non-smoking guests don’t have to wade through smoker’s pollution on the main deck immediately aft of the main salon!
During welcome aboard introductions, have the crew speak loud and clear. Do NOT mumble. Consider having the crew rehearse in advance. It may increase tips
There is little “housekeeping” done aboard the dingy. Daily I would pick up trash including broken zip ties and o-rings – things that find their way into the water and are hazards for wildlife – on the deck of the dingy. The driver, who has hours to sit and wait on divers to return, should check use downtime to organize and clean the dingy.
Nowhere on website did it mention laundry services available on the boat. This is a nice service, and it would have been good to know in advance that it was available. Add to the website, including $8.00 per load cost
In FAQ section of web site, add an expanded discussion of tipping policy. I spoke with Australian guests who were not planning to tip at all because no one tips in Australia. Huge area of confusion. It would be helped to have more information so I wouldn’t have brought way too much cash
Dives are closely shepherded. Mandatory SMB deployment, gas quantity checked every few minutes during the dives, leading small groups around by the nose, nitrox analysis for you.
Charging a single supplement is unethical practice foisted on divers for decades! Consider if I book a land-based hotel room for just myself, the hotel doesn't charge me a 60% premium merely because I am the only occupant! A hotel has limited number of rooms to book just as a dive vessel has limited cabins to book. Yet Black Pearl charges a 60% “single supplement” which, on this $6,000+ trip, ballooned the cost to nearly $10,000
Crew discipline and service orientation:
See attached image of a crew member passed out – just Day 2 of the trip -- on the main deck, just outside the main salon at 2:15 in the afternoon, next to a bottle of prescription medicine. No idea what the pills were for, and it doesn’t matter. This is not a good look for a crewmember to be passed out in front of guests on the main deck. The same crewmember napping on main deck on subsequent days so this wasn’t a one off
One morning I got up and walked out on deck to find empty beer cans and used cups still out from the night before, while a crew member was hanging out in the main salon – primary guest area -- talking on a cell phone
Dive briefs are posted to begin at 6:30 am. Repeatedly beginning 10+ mins late is disorganized and disrespectful
Guests are reminded to close the main salon door while crew often leave it open!
Multiple requests to get the location / lat / long of a dive site we visited since it was not in the SSI database. Never got a reply. Four requests to get a 15L tank finally resulted in a tank change
Multiple requests to purchase a boat t-shirt. Finally told they were all out of stock
Sounds like you had a terrible trip, and you raise some valid concerns. FWIW, we have been on outstanding liveaboards, but never one which wants wastepaper in the marine heads. As a former owner of a marine head, I very much understand why. Not charging devices in cabins is the standard now, and for excellent reasons. And it is not, in my view, remotely unethical for a vessel owner to charge extra if someone wants an unoccupied bunk in their cabin. Those fees are fully disclosed and we have encountered many solo travelers who are grateful that the owners facilitate partnering up with others to fully occupy a cabin. Their alternative would be to simply refuse solos.
How was the diving?
How was the diving?
Single room supplement is NOT a smart idea.
I will not use nitrox unless I personally analysed it myself or carried out in front of me. PERIOD.
Mandatory smb deployment!! I do carry one but usually let the guide deploying his/her at the end of the dive.
If I found some trash under water, I would dispose it properly rather than letting someone else to finish it. How difficult it is to bring it back to the mother boat.
Tips? No one can advice me on the sum, I do it my way. PERIOD.
Laundry service never ever crossed my mind in any trip.
I will not use nitrox unless I personally analysed it myself or carried out in front of me. PERIOD.
Mandatory smb deployment!! I do carry one but usually let the guide deploying his/her at the end of the dive.
If I found some trash under water, I would dispose it properly rather than letting someone else to finish it. How difficult it is to bring it back to the mother boat.
Tips? No one can advice me on the sum, I do it my way. PERIOD.
Laundry service never ever crossed my mind in any trip.
runsongas
Contributor
@ScubaPilot77 the jellyfish lake issue has been ongoing for years since even before COVID, I'm not sure why you even booked the trip if that was a dealbreaker for you
banning unattended charging in rooms is becoming more commonplace, a small inconvenience to not risk ending up another conception
single supplement if you don't want to share a room with another diver of the same gender is standard practice for liveaboards also
the rest is more concerning like poor maintenance, a diver log to track everyone is back on board, and availability of emergency o2.
banning unattended charging in rooms is becoming more commonplace, a small inconvenience to not risk ending up another conception
single supplement if you don't want to share a room with another diver of the same gender is standard practice for liveaboards also
the rest is more concerning like poor maintenance, a diver log to track everyone is back on board, and availability of emergency o2.
OP
McGinty
Registered
Sorry for the delayed response. I've been out diving!
No prep really needed. The bump heads only spawn one or two days a month but the dive operations know when it is. you don't want to be too close becasue you may disrupt the spawning. I also think it's good to get a full photo of multiple fish in a single shot.
Enjoy!
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