Red Sea Liveaboard Sinking

[scubaozy]

Upthread it was mentioned that this was the second voyage.

So, likely not tested to boundries of full/empty of any tank in practice.

 

[Dan]

I was on Nautilus 2 Maldives on its maiden voyage and there were a lot of small problems because its very hard to keep the deadlines in a developing country. Yes, things did not run that smoothly but it was safe, Austrian owner him self was there and did his best to keep everything pleasent. We eventually all got a free pass for another week for free.
I know the owner of one of the newer boats, he brought in a group with a discount for the maiden voyage, in turn people were prepared for problems. New boats usually offer a discount until they can iron out the bugs and get some good reviews. It could be the case here as well.

I like the low profile shape of that boat. Also having Dhoni for storing diving equipment (including air compressor) and conducting diving activities separate from the mother boat is a good concept.

Courtesy of Liveaboard.com

 

[Searcaigh]

I think most reviews were good until these divers posted photos and comments.

You need to read past the first page.

Bad staff captain and manager
Jun 2021 • Friends
Very unprofessional very bad staff the air for diving smelled bad staff shouting at the people and pushing them in the zodiacs … the Captin threatened us to cancel the trip and turn back … when we sent an email to the manager simona she did not take action and tried to turn the table on us … the torches wasn’t working … one got licked in the bathroom… the food was bad … its not my first diving safari but this was the worst boat.

Nearly worst dive trip ever
Nov 2018 • Friends
Good things: Food varied and yummy, crew very nice and friendly, boat is slightly faster than other liveaboards.

This is all. Now the rest.

I think the positive ratings to this boat are all sponsored. Otherwise it can't be we've been on the same one. I rated this review the "nearly worst" because the top is a trip on one boat that actually sunk a while after, so my standard i

Worst liveaboard ever
Jun 2018 • Couples
NO A/C NO A/C!!!! Rooms were terribly hot, saloon extremely hot during meals and dive briefings! No apologies for inconvenience! Sewage smell was awful in downstair rooms as well as upper cabins. Upper cabins not as bad until you flushed the toilet.
95% of paying customers slept on all decks outside surrounding rooms due to heat conditions.
75% customers were stomach ill within 4 days of trip start.
Scuba dives were very nice except for the rush to finish your dive and get back to the boat. Several people had better air consumption but were rushed anyway.

Worst Dive Boat EVER
Jul 2018
No A/C! When, after the first sweltering evening spent in our cabin, I asked the senior crew, Simona, if they could turn up the A/C, she said it was already on full blast. I said the A/C must not be working well then because it was awfully hot in the room, she said that it was working because she just spent 10,000 euros to have it serviced so, yes, it was working. Unbearable temps in the rooms beg to differ... Still cannot believe she actually argued this point of fact with me. They never apologized for not having any A/C. The majority of the passengers slept topside for the entire week. The temperature in the main salon, where we had our meals and did our dive briefings, was also unbearable. For the majority of the

 

[BoltSnap]

my experience on 30 liveaboards (more than that if you count repeated trips on the same liveaboards, some were up to 3-5 times)

You really should write a book/guide on live-aboard diving.

Guess what, the boat burnt down and sank in October 2019. Aggressor hired a temporary replacement, Scuba Scene, for my trip. That trip went well and I posted my trip report, here, Trip Report - BDE Trip Report, 21-28 December, 2019 . Then few months after my trip, Scuba Scene sunk too. Another fire on a Red Sea LOB

All of these plus other tragedies all in Egypt's red sea, coincidence or there are reasons?? If you look at the incidence rates of accidents in Egypt's marine and rail disasters, you will find a pattern of terrible safety record with hundreds, or thousands, of victims. We, in the middle east, know very well about the culture and mentality prevailing in Egypt. This callous disregard to human life value and public safety is endemic to Egypt. The socialist BS politics of Jamal Abdul Nasser introduced and fostered this cultural malaise and continued since then.

 

[scubaozy]

I like the low profile shape of that boat. Also having Dhoni for storing diving equipment (including air compressor) and conducting diving activities separate from the mother boat is a good concept.

It was in 2007 biggest LoB in Maldives, we were told, it is extremely wide. For the maiden voyage, they did not have the masts on yet, it really looked like an aircraft carrier. Many years later, when I did a trip with Scubaspa, it was dwarfing all of them. There is this trend of bigger and more luxurious new boats every year. Local boat designs are bound to reach to their limits as they are continuously being bumped up. 20 years ago, budget Red Sea LoB were 28m and luxury were 32-36meters..

 

[DandyDon]

Upthread it was mentioned that this was the second voyage.

Ok, that means that most of the Tripadviser reviews were for a different boat of the same name as suggested earlier here.

You need to read past the first page.

I did, but I did not do an actual survey of the number of positive vs negative. And I take positive Tripadviser reviews as questionable anyway.

 

[Dan]

Ok, that means that most of the Tripadviser reviews were for a different boat of the same name as suggested earlier here.

I did, but I did not do an actual survey of the number of positive vs negative. And I take positive Tripadviser reviews as questionable anyway.

If you go to Home - Carlton Fleet, the Carlton Fleet is a fleet of 2 boats, M/Y Carlton Queen (newer) & M/Y Carlton (older & smaller). It’ll be a fleet of one now.

 

[DandyDon]

If you go to Home - Carlton Fleet, the Carlton Fleet is a fleet of 2 boats, M/Y Carlton Queen (newer) & M/Y Carlton (older & smaller).

Ok, so the TA reviews were on both boats.

 

[Dan]

Ok, so the TA reviews were on both boats.

I guess so, as some of the comments dated back to 2018.

 

[Dan]

Here’s the lastest TA review (posted yesterday)
“sallypilates
Altea la Vella, Spain
Disastrous trip! Yacht sank and the captain abandoned ship! Safety & emergency procedures appalling
Review of Carlton Fleet diving live a board
Reviewed yesterday
This newly refurbished yacht was listing to one side from day one. It seems that the refurbished boat had too many levels added for the depth of the hull and was destined for such a disaster.
The health and safety and emergency measures were appalling. Emergency exits that didn’t work, very poor life jackets only provided under the beds and none on deck, no defibrillator on board, heavy furniture not fixed down, no hand rail on the stair case to the lower deck, crew apparently unable to swim or trained what to do in an emergency.

When we capsized the captain was one of the first to abandon ship, the life rafts were not attached to the boat and only one actually functioned. Luckily all 26 of us in the group managed to escape with our lives, some were trapped below deck and very nearly didn’t make it out alive. It was only due to the strength and courage of the group that we made it. It was utter chaos and there was no control or organisation from the captain or crew.
To add insult to injury there is no boat insurance or compensation forthcoming from the Carlton Fleet. We were injured mentally and physically, lost all of our belongs (we left the boat in a life raft in our swim wear) and we were left pretty much to organise our own emergency passports and journeys home.
The company is a disgrace and I fear for the lives of any passengers embarking on a live aboard with them in the future.
Date of experience: April 2023”