Question Regarding Explorer (Expedition?) liveaboards

[Andy in San Diego]

Finally decided to join a scuba forum because I'm looking for some information and feedback from other divers who travel regularly.

Just got back from yet another dive trip - One week in Truk and a second week in Palau. Truk was great. We stayed at the Blue Lagoon Resort on the southern tip of the island of Moen. Everything including the dive guides (Johnnie and MaKenzie) were great.

Didn't have such good luck with the Eco Explorer liveaboard in Palau however. Lots of games going on with state room assignments vs. what was paid for and guaranteed in advance. This ship also appears pretty marginal from an equipment standpoint. The dive related systems were acceptable (compressors, Nitrox availability, etc); but many staterooms were poorly fitted with no way to drain shower water, nonfunctioning electrical stuff, and other surface indications of poor maintenance. The diesel generator on this ship made so much racket that you couldn't even hear a dive briefing at the outside rear of the ship in the lounge area. This questionable ship condition, coupled with a bait and switch game on stateroom assignments, left a much less than favorable impression of the Explorer Liveaboard operation in general.

Has anyone else had any experiences with either the Explorer Liveaboard fleet or the Eco Explorer in particular? Others have suggested that the Eco Explorer and the Big Blue Explorer are not part of the Explorer Liveaboard fleet. I'd appreciate any information or experiences others have had with this operation.


Andy in San Diego

 

[Wookie]

Explorer Ventures operates the Galapagos Eco Explorer, Turks and Caicos Explorer, Caribbean Explorer I in the Bahamas, Caribbean Explorer II in St Maartin, St. Kitts, St. Eustatis, and the Nimrod Explorer on the Great Barrier reef. They are not associated with the Big Blue Explorer in Palau or the Nautalis Explorer on the west coast of North America. Sorry for the poor spelling.

Frank

 

[scorpenesub]

Hi Andy, welcome to ScubaBoard....

 

[robint]

Finally decided to join a scuba forum because I'm looking for some information and feedback from other divers who travel regularly.

Just got back from yet another dive trip - One week in Truk and a second week in Palau. Truk was great. We stayed at the Blue Lagoon Resort on the southern tip of the island of Moen. Everything including the dive guides (Johnnie and MaKenzie) were great.

Didn't have such good luck with the Eco Explorer liveaboard in Palau however. Lots of games going on with state room assignments vs. what was paid for and guaranteed in advance. This ship also appears pretty marginal from an equipment standpoint. The dive related systems were acceptable (compressors, Nitrox availability, etc); but many staterooms were poorly fitted with no way to drain shower water, nonfunctioning electrical stuff, and other surface indications of poor maintenance. The diesel generator on this ship made so much racket that you couldn't even hear a dive briefing at the outside rear of the ship in the lounge area. This questionable ship condition, coupled with a bait and switch game on stateroom assignments, left a much less than favorable impression of the Explorer Liveaboard operation in general.

Has anyone else had any experiences with either the Explorer Liveaboard fleet or the Eco Explorer in particular? Others have suggested that the Eco Explorer and the Big Blue Explorer are not part of the Explorer Liveaboard fleet. I'd appreciate any information or experiences others have had with this operation.


Andy in San Diego

Sorry you didn't like the Eco Explorer. We were just on it in Dec and had a fabulous time. Our trip report is here:
Palau on the Eco Explorer - Dec 2007

as I said in my report, the boat isn't fancy, yes the compressor was loud at times, but we had a fantastic time. The dives were amazing, the dive guides were amazing, and everyone got along great (except one guy who complained alot that the diving was too difficult/advanced, his room was too small, food like sushi - yuck!, no chardonnay? etc. Just one of those type of people who complain about everything.)

robin

 

[DeputyDan]

I agree that they are different operations and different companies.

 

[robint]

I agree that they are different operations and different companies.

Explorer boats:
Explorer Ventures: Adventures in Live-Aboard Diving

Expedition boats:
Home - Liveaboard Scuba Diving in the Philippines, Palau, Truk Lagoon (group of boats owned by a company in Philippines, Big Blue Explorer and Eco Explorer are both part of this group)

 

[Got2godown]

All the Expedition Fleet Liveaboards are named Explorer (Eco Explorer, Big Blue Explorer, Stella Maris Explorer, etc.).

The Big Blue Explorer had a case with the government of Palau (don't know if they still do or if it has been resolved) as this liveaboard ran aground at the German Channel when it was doing tours there.

The Eco Explorer ran aground at South Tubbataha in the Philippines (a world heritage site and a marine sanctuary) where it stayed high and dry on top of the reef for several days.

The Expedition Fleet is owned and operated by Cruise Island Adventure, a sister company of Scuba World Philippines.

Most of the fleet doesn't move but just sits at anchor at Anilao in Batangas, Philippines, uncrewed.

Word is the owner is trying to sell the fleet lock, stock, and barrel.

 

[robint]

All the Expedition Fleet Liveaboards are named Explorer (Eco Explorer, Big Blue Explorer, Stella Maris Explorer, etc.).

The Big Blue Explorer had a case with the government of Palau (don't know if they still do or if it has been resolved) as this liveaboard ran aground at the German Channel when it was doing tours there.

The Eco Explorer ran aground at South Tubbataha in the Philippines (a world heritage site and a marine sanctuary) where it stayed high and dry on top of the reef for several days.

The Expedition Fleet is owned and operated by Cruise Island Adventure, a sister company of Scuba World Philippines.

Most of the fleet doesn't move but just sits at anchor at Anilao in Batangas, Philippines, uncrewed.

Word is the owner is trying to sell the fleet lock, stock, and barrel.

Got2godown - what is your source for all this? Since this is your first post and your profile is blank it would be nice to know a bit more regarding the rumors you are hearing and posting.

 

[Got2godown]

These aren't rumours. I'm based in the Philippines, so that's how I know. The Expedition Fleet also had another liveaboard vessel, the Island Explorer which ran aground on Apo Reef, another marine park.

The diver guests had to be evacuated off the liveaboard. The Island Explorer stayed on top of the reef for a long time until it was eventually salvaged for scrap. Lots of horror stories from the guests on the web regarding this trip if you do a search.

 

[mrlipis]

I just did a search and found this.

CDNN :: Night of Hell Aboard Scuba World's MV Island Explorer

Bruce