Tips for Booking 1st Liveaboard - Destination Maldives

[ABLAB]

About to book my 1st liveaboard. Destination is Maldives.

Wandering if anyone has personal experience or reliable 2nd hand info about the Maldives Master or Master liveaboards?

And, is it more prudent to book directly with the company or through a broker?
Have been communicating with US based broker who is very responsive, forthcoming on details and pricing, and easy to get a hold of. Have also been communicating directly with the company (UK based) who are also very communicative and forthcoming with relevant info and pricing.

Thanks all.

 

[wknight0691]

About to book my 1st liveaboard. Destination is Maldives.

Wandering if anyone has personal experience or reliable 2nd hand info about the Maldives Master or Master liveaboards?

And, is it more prudent to book directly with the company or through a broker?
Have been communicating with US based broker who is very responsive, forthcoming on details and pricing, and easy to get a hold of. Have also been communicating directly with the company (UK based) who are also very communicative and forthcoming with relevant info and pricing.

Thanks all.

No brainer.... always book direct wherever possible.

 

[Parlem]

No brainer.... always book direct wherever possible.

I'm not so sure, to be honest. I've booked several liveaboard trips directly with the boat but also through a broker.

Provided the price is the same, booking through a broker may come with some advantages. For instance, they might have more leverage than an individual customer if/when something goes wrong. Typically, when you first set foot on any liveaboard, the full cost has already been paid, even if in some fees are still outstanding in certain locations (port fees, nitrox, fuel surcharge, etc). You're pretty much on your own if somehow something onboard is not what you were told to expect.

On the flipside, your broker may have failed to keep their end of the bargain with the liveaboard company and you will be held responsible as soon as you board. This happened to me about 25 years ago in the Maldives: I boarded the Manthiri and was soon told that the specialist travel agent I had booked the trip with had failed to make the second payment. Fortunately it was all resolved satisfactorily within a day or two and I had a good trip. It seems that the travel agent had chosen to hold on to my cash till the very last minute and then their bank transfer had taken a tad too long to clear. This was well before online banking was an everyday thing.

I don't think I can advise one or the other unreservedly, to be honest.