Similan Islands Liveaboard Recommendation

[ITSCUBA]

hi missdoo,

from what i have seen on many boats in the similans, all have a strict no smoking policy inside the boat and many boats encourage smokers to occupy areas down wind of non smokers. i do not think it would be an issue on any of the boats you are considering

 

[Batfish]

Some divers do smoke, I don't know any boat that has a 100% no smoking policy, but all boats that I know will not allow smoking in any indoor area.

A deluxe cabin on the main deck on Black Manta is just as nice as a Master on Pawara. The cabin names are just names.

 

[MissDoo]

And so the confusion continues then... Oh dear... For a moment there I thought it was easy to choose through the process of elimination but I guess I spoke too soon... Tricky!!!

 

[funrecdiver]

Interesting. Every dive boat I have been on in Thailand recently (not liveaboards) all had a similar "smokers, get to the back of the boat" policy; but in practice, the divers, instructors, DMs, etc. all enjoyed their smokes just about where ever they pleased. Some attempted to smoke on the back, until they needed to walk to the front. On my last boat trip, a group of divers (from a country where the men must smoke, I guess) smoked constantly, all the time they were out of the water (in the middle of the boat where I was eating and laying around).

If you are a non-smoker like me, and you have issues with it (the smell of it is not pleasant), I do advise to talk very candidly about your requirements related to secondary smoke before making a decision.

In other words, my experience in Thailand is there are a lot of smokers on dive boats and I guess liveaboards must be about the same. It is simply something to consider if you are a non-smoker.

 

[OnTheSpot]

MV Queen Scuba would win hands down for me.

The VIP double bed cabins have ocean views and en-suite bathrooms and are similar in price to MV Pawara and MV Black Manta.

She is a very spacious boat with an air-conditioned saloon which is large enough for all guests to enjoy comfortably as well as shaded deck areas and a huge and well designed dive deck.

The staff really make the trip...they are helpful, knowledgeable and professional.

Delicious food cooked by a cook who really aims to please.

I don't think you will have an issue with cigarette smoke on the liveaboards.

 

[Quero]

MissDoo, you are not the first to be overwhelmed by the options for liveaboards in Thailand. There are dozens of boats with different amenities and overlapping sailing dates. There are two ways to go about it:

1) set some "dealbreaker" criteria (like having windows and/or en-suite heads and/or Nitrox and/or double beds) and buy your plane tickets to meet the sailing dates of the boat that best meets those.

2) set your dates and pick the boat that best meets your criteria from among the possibilities.

Trying to use both strategies at the same time complicates it a bit because you make one short list and then you have to abandon it and start over, perhaps only to later go back to the first list. It's a time sink!

Most people follow the second strategy, and mostly they are happy with their choice. It's very hard to say which boat among similar ones is "best" for you because it's largely subjective. I had a whole string of customers who were happy with Colona VI, for example (as I've had customers very pleased with Nautica, Pawara, Black Manta, Queen Scuba, and others....), but then one customer complained because the water in the showers wasn't hot. Some people want a boat that is exclusively for divers while others would like a more family-oriented boat like Oktavia; some people want a boat with fewer passengers like Nautica while others like boats where they can make loads of friends....

All of the boats on your list are good in that they receive consistently positive reviews.

 

[stevenl]

I had a whole string of customers who were happy with Colona VI, but then one customer complained because the water in the showers wasn't hot.

To prevent misunderstandings: the showers on Colona since 2009-2010 season have been upgraded and equipped with hot water.

 

[Quero]

To prevent misunderstandings: the showers on Colona since 2009-2010 season have been upgraded and equipped with hot water.

I rarely get complaints :blinking: and that one was indeed from 2008. But anyway, it was just an example of how an apparently trivial thing might mean a lot to a particular person.

 

[ITSCUBA]

missdoo, may i suggest you contact the boats you are interested directly, maybe they can give you the precise information you seek and expand on their policies about smoking and other issues you are concerned about.

 

[Batfish]

Believe me, they will all say "we allow smoking in outdoor areas, and ask smokers to be considerate towards non smokers". There are no non smoking boats. I hate smoke myself but have never had an issue with it on any liveboard.