Question Regarding Explorer (Expedition?) liveaboards

[mrlipis]

Some scuba board info on the Eco explorer

http://www.scubaboard.com/forums/ph...6566-eco-explorer-runs-aground-tubbataha.html

 

[Got2godown]

I think CDNN has underwater pix of the damage done by the Big Blue Explorer at the German Channel in Palau.

 

[robint]

mrlipis... I had heard about that story (Eco) but it was in 2004, pretty old news. I really don't take the stories on CDNN very seriously, if you do a search on Scubaboard regarding them you will see most people consider them the National Enquirer of the scuba world.... they tend to sensationalize every story a bit. It should never have happened for sure, but it does seem that there have been numerous boats hitting reefs in the past several years all over the south pacific. I know the Thorfinn is just coming back into service after a collision, too. Some of these boats just have too deep a draft for the channels they are trying to navigate.

Got2godown - I had heard rumors that the Big Blue wasn't going back to Palau at all even though most travel agencies still advertise it. I hadn't heard that the whole operation was for sale. Seems odd since they just put one boat over in Truk Lagoon this year (so all the boats are not sitting over in Philippines). Do you work for one of their competitors in Philippines?

 

[mrlipis]

I wasn't trying to sensationalize the claims, just did some quick research and posted the links. I too am skeptical of posters giving both negative and positive feedback. Leave for Roatan tomorrow... woo hoo.

Bruce

 

[Got2godown]

robint - No, I don't work for any of their competitors and my posts were in reply to those of the OP. Their boats did run aground, this is fact, not rumour. I didn't say that that the whole fleet was at anchor. I said MOST. Everytime we drive to Anilao to go diving we can see the boats anchored in the bay.

What I know is that it's just the fleet that is for sale. Don't think they are selling their dive shops.

Don't know if the Big Blue will be going back to Palau.

Are you affiliated with them in any way? Do you sell Expedition Fleet tours?

 

[robint]

robint - No, I don't work for any of their competitors and my posts were in reply to those of the OP. Their boats did run aground, this is fact, not rumour. I didn't say that that the whole fleet was at anchor. I said MOST. Everytime we drive to Anilao to go diving we can see the boats anchored in the bay.

What I know is that it's just the fleet that is for sale. Don't think they are selling their dive shops.

Don't know if the Big Blue will be going back to Palau.

Are you affiliated with them in any way? Do you sell Expedition Fleet tours?

I never said they hadn't had reef collisions before - I said it was old news, like 4 years ago, not recent as you implied. It is terrible but not a factor with the boats right now as the Eco Explorer is in Palau doing liveaboard trips as of 2007.

nope, I am not affiliated with them or any travel agency. I was just on the Eco Explorer a few months ago and worked with a travel agent booking the trip. I also have friends who have done the Big Blue in the past and loved it. One of the DMs from the Eco, Marco, is from the Philippines and worked on one of their liveaboard boats there (sorry, don't remember which one) and from what he told me, they only send out that boat as a liveaboard for part of the year as conditions are best then.

I just find it interesting that you suddenly become a member here (you only have 3 posts now) and start bad-mouthing an operation that you have obviously never used. Also, your profile is blank, which makes people here question your association.

 

[Got2godown]

Like I said, my posts were in reply to the OP, and I wasn't the one that posted the links. If you loved your trip on the Eco, that's good, but it doesn't mean that people are required to feel the same way as you.

 

[Shasta_man]

Thanks for the info Got2godown. We welcome all info. We'll sort out the reality from all posts. We also know that profiles mean zip.

I didn't know that the Big Blue Explorer ran aground in German Channel. Such a beautiful place there...