Transfer on board
After landing we were picked up at Sorong arrivals, porters were organized and our luggage was loaded into pick up trucks whilst all the people arriving were moved into air conditioned cars and transferred to a local hotel were we had to wait until a further pick up to get us to the boat.
Since most airlines have changed their schedule flights arriving from Makassar get to Sorong between 730 and 900 at that time the boat has not been cleaned yet, you get parked at this local hotel, in Indonesia there is no such a thing like smoking ban so you may be there exhausted after 20 hours of plane and trying to rest whilst someone is puffing cigarettes away. Around 1300 the drivers reappear and you get transfer to Sorong marina from there using the boat tenders onto the Dewi Nusantara.
Boat and facilities
Dewi is a very large boat, the largest in its category and the owner Guido built it from scratch based on some historical reminiscence of America Sail cargo boats. The first impact is that there is a lot of space and you are not going to be on top of each other. The boat has a lovely lounge with large plasma tv an ipod system and plenty of fish and reef guides plus several copy of the Raja Ampat diving guide that I recommend reading once you are onboard as it does describe well the local conditions at the sites.
The cabins are spacious and very well appointed the boat has a wastage sink so you can flush toilet paper without problems. The bathroom is also large and you get given robes and towels for sunbathing. In general terms there is plenty of storage and everything is clean, however we did have two bugs coming out every time we left the cabin hanging out on the sinks. The bathroom has a hair dryer and has soap and shower gel so no need to pack anything other than sun cream. You can hang your order for the morning coffee on the door if you wish so. Towels are changed mid cruise for new fresh ones.
Meals are served outside on what is also the dive deck, guests spread over two tables. Food on this boat is first class and service in the restoration is excellent too thanks to Hendrick who has been on the boat since nearly the beginning. There are also spirits and Hendrick makes cocktail including margarita alcohol is expensive due to duties $8 for a small glass of wine.
Food is consists of do it yourself coffee and toast before dive one, at that time the breakfast order is taken, after dive 1 you sit down for the cooked breakfast then some time to relax back in the water lunch indonesian style some rest and then afternoon dive, followed by little snack and finally night dive before dinner. All in all the food is of excellent quality and is nice to have sit down meals instead of buffet all the time.
The boat has two decks for sunbathing and the crew members who take care of the cabins also give massage at the end of each dive on neck and shoulder and can also provide full body massage for $10 when they are not busy working by prior arrangement. We had it twice and it was good especially for the price.
There is a large shaded area on the main deck whilst the one on the bow is not sheltered and has two hammocks.
Diving facilities
The dive deck is spacious and each cabin has a dedicated crate. The equipment like BCD and regulators are for most part stored away or on the tenders, there are hanging spaces for wetsuits, all in all the only storage in crates is for small items and your mask. The boat has membrane system for Nitrox that costs an extra charge of $200 for the trip guests are 'encouraged' to go on nitrox as the nearest recompression chamber is in Manado. However the dive profiles are not deep in 10 days only 4 times we were deeper than 24 meters 80 feet and there is plenty of surface interval as dives are at 8 12 15 18 hours, we did a total of 36 dives, on some days only 3 because of longer transfers and on the last day two. So we did not take the Nitrox option we were the only buddy team on air and never had any issues of being nowhere near the decompression limits. To be honest if the management thinks is really a good idea to dive on nitrox it should be included in the price as this is a membrane system that has not got very expensive maintenance (Nuvair by Coltri) and not charged extra, anyway as said it is not necessary due to the type of diving that is done.
The compressor is a weak area of this boat, I recorded only 12 fills over 200 bars or 3000 PSI, 3 times I have fills below 180 bars that needed changing and the rest was in the 190-200 region, not really good. Many guests had the same issue but just kept quiet about it. The compressor is set to stop at 200 probably a contingency stop at 205 bars would be more appropriate as when the air cools down and the tanks are moved some bars get lost.
Diving Procedures
Diving is from tenders and is spotless, the crew takes everything on the boat for you including cameras all you need to take is the mask. Standard rollback entry on all dives and you hand back the equipment before going back on to the tender, my fiance has knee issue but this time she had no remarks to make. Really excellent. After jumping in the water you get handled cameras by the crew. The dive briefings and procedure are not the strongest point of this boat. At the beginning you get told that the guides are there to show fish not to check your air or similar, however the briefing are really short and not detailed enough to dive as buddy team, this is because 'you follow your guide' however that is a contradiction of the previous point and in fact on day one we had 6-8 people getting separated and shooting with the current because the possible conditions and how to deal with it was not explained. Procedures on how to use a reef hook were explained on day 8 of the cruise (!?!). In terms of spotting critters the guides on the boat have laser eyes and try to help you finding the critters you request this is especially useful if you have a camera or video. The guests are split between two tenders for the duration and a guide is assigned to 4 people on average or more if the boat is full. In our group two had cameras and two did not, this creates a balance as there are no people hogging critters however there were some moment were I am sure the other two divers were annoyed for the time spent on a specific feature. We did repeat some dive site twice, like Manta Sandy and Algae patch on the last diving day as well as windows and Melissa Garden. We felt that the second dive did not add anything as the wow factor had gone and was just a convenience to the boat handling. Raja Ampat is a big archipelago it would be worth exploring as many dive sites as possible.
Camera Facilities
The boat has a camera room but this is a transit between the dive deck and the compressor area and is not very spacious, during our cruise there was only one professional photographer and us two with camera with tray and arms and then other few guys just with a housing so it worked well. Drying air is provided with a tank and a low pressure nozzle. I have seen better set up on other boats but for Indonesia this is quite high standards. During the briefing for the next day you get told what is likely to be on the diving menu the following day and which lens to mount. We have compact cameras with wet lenses so that was not important but I guess useful for DSLR and system compact users. One thing that was a concern on this trip was the fact that the professional photographer, a repeat guest, insisted to be dropped on her own in specific points so she could take the pictures she wanted and not dive with a buddy in certain occasions. Considering she had not been in the area that was a risk not only to her but also to the rest of the guests, if we had to cut short the holiday after spending $5,000pp to get on this boat to perform some search and rescue of a lost photographer I would have been asking for a full refund for the two of us. Anyway we decided not to raise the issue as in the end this is a management choice. There were also some other strange observations on protocols to follow to take picture of seahorses, which to be honest make sense, so I was target of some remarks because of my video lights that look really bright but are nowhere near as annoying for a seahorse than a photographer shooting with two guide 24 strobes for 45 consecutive minutes, considering in the whole trip I spent 12 minutes spread on at least 10 animals this looked a bit like having different measures for different people but I just got on with it.
Transfer To airport
On the last day all guests are expedited out to the airport as the crew has to clean and prepare for the next cruise. Sorong airport is miniscule and being there 2 hours before the flight for check in an overkill but has to be accepted because of the logistics. The crew helps with check in and any excess luggage until all procedures are complete before leaving.
All in all a great boat and service with excellent accommodation and food standards, with some possible improvements around the compressor and the diving procedures and schedule.
The management have been doing this for a very long time and think they know best in all occasions, whilst sometimes a bit of listening would do wonders to make sure the guests have a memorable experience and not just a good one.
I will put some info on the diving itself in the Indonesia forum but to have an idea it may be worth checking the pictures and videos I just put together after the trip
Pictures Raja Ampat - a set on Flickr
Videos
North Raja Ampat
[youtubehq]DuCMkUyYiDE[/youtubehq]
Misool Area
[youtubehq]2p6g12dxIBU[/youtubehq]
Muck Diving
[youtubehq]nwmEg9yY874[/youtubehq]
Night Diving
[youtubehq]HN6t4c7JfDU[/youtubehq]
Seahorse Special
[youtubehq]vyegzx70EcU[/youtubehq]
After landing we were picked up at Sorong arrivals, porters were organized and our luggage was loaded into pick up trucks whilst all the people arriving were moved into air conditioned cars and transferred to a local hotel were we had to wait until a further pick up to get us to the boat.
Since most airlines have changed their schedule flights arriving from Makassar get to Sorong between 730 and 900 at that time the boat has not been cleaned yet, you get parked at this local hotel, in Indonesia there is no such a thing like smoking ban so you may be there exhausted after 20 hours of plane and trying to rest whilst someone is puffing cigarettes away. Around 1300 the drivers reappear and you get transfer to Sorong marina from there using the boat tenders onto the Dewi Nusantara.
Boat and facilities
Dewi is a very large boat, the largest in its category and the owner Guido built it from scratch based on some historical reminiscence of America Sail cargo boats. The first impact is that there is a lot of space and you are not going to be on top of each other. The boat has a lovely lounge with large plasma tv an ipod system and plenty of fish and reef guides plus several copy of the Raja Ampat diving guide that I recommend reading once you are onboard as it does describe well the local conditions at the sites.
The cabins are spacious and very well appointed the boat has a wastage sink so you can flush toilet paper without problems. The bathroom is also large and you get given robes and towels for sunbathing. In general terms there is plenty of storage and everything is clean, however we did have two bugs coming out every time we left the cabin hanging out on the sinks. The bathroom has a hair dryer and has soap and shower gel so no need to pack anything other than sun cream. You can hang your order for the morning coffee on the door if you wish so. Towels are changed mid cruise for new fresh ones.
Meals are served outside on what is also the dive deck, guests spread over two tables. Food on this boat is first class and service in the restoration is excellent too thanks to Hendrick who has been on the boat since nearly the beginning. There are also spirits and Hendrick makes cocktail including margarita alcohol is expensive due to duties $8 for a small glass of wine.
Food is consists of do it yourself coffee and toast before dive one, at that time the breakfast order is taken, after dive 1 you sit down for the cooked breakfast then some time to relax back in the water lunch indonesian style some rest and then afternoon dive, followed by little snack and finally night dive before dinner. All in all the food is of excellent quality and is nice to have sit down meals instead of buffet all the time.
The boat has two decks for sunbathing and the crew members who take care of the cabins also give massage at the end of each dive on neck and shoulder and can also provide full body massage for $10 when they are not busy working by prior arrangement. We had it twice and it was good especially for the price.
There is a large shaded area on the main deck whilst the one on the bow is not sheltered and has two hammocks.
Diving facilities
The dive deck is spacious and each cabin has a dedicated crate. The equipment like BCD and regulators are for most part stored away or on the tenders, there are hanging spaces for wetsuits, all in all the only storage in crates is for small items and your mask. The boat has membrane system for Nitrox that costs an extra charge of $200 for the trip guests are 'encouraged' to go on nitrox as the nearest recompression chamber is in Manado. However the dive profiles are not deep in 10 days only 4 times we were deeper than 24 meters 80 feet and there is plenty of surface interval as dives are at 8 12 15 18 hours, we did a total of 36 dives, on some days only 3 because of longer transfers and on the last day two. So we did not take the Nitrox option we were the only buddy team on air and never had any issues of being nowhere near the decompression limits. To be honest if the management thinks is really a good idea to dive on nitrox it should be included in the price as this is a membrane system that has not got very expensive maintenance (Nuvair by Coltri) and not charged extra, anyway as said it is not necessary due to the type of diving that is done.
The compressor is a weak area of this boat, I recorded only 12 fills over 200 bars or 3000 PSI, 3 times I have fills below 180 bars that needed changing and the rest was in the 190-200 region, not really good. Many guests had the same issue but just kept quiet about it. The compressor is set to stop at 200 probably a contingency stop at 205 bars would be more appropriate as when the air cools down and the tanks are moved some bars get lost.
Diving Procedures
Diving is from tenders and is spotless, the crew takes everything on the boat for you including cameras all you need to take is the mask. Standard rollback entry on all dives and you hand back the equipment before going back on to the tender, my fiance has knee issue but this time she had no remarks to make. Really excellent. After jumping in the water you get handled cameras by the crew. The dive briefings and procedure are not the strongest point of this boat. At the beginning you get told that the guides are there to show fish not to check your air or similar, however the briefing are really short and not detailed enough to dive as buddy team, this is because 'you follow your guide' however that is a contradiction of the previous point and in fact on day one we had 6-8 people getting separated and shooting with the current because the possible conditions and how to deal with it was not explained. Procedures on how to use a reef hook were explained on day 8 of the cruise (!?!). In terms of spotting critters the guides on the boat have laser eyes and try to help you finding the critters you request this is especially useful if you have a camera or video. The guests are split between two tenders for the duration and a guide is assigned to 4 people on average or more if the boat is full. In our group two had cameras and two did not, this creates a balance as there are no people hogging critters however there were some moment were I am sure the other two divers were annoyed for the time spent on a specific feature. We did repeat some dive site twice, like Manta Sandy and Algae patch on the last diving day as well as windows and Melissa Garden. We felt that the second dive did not add anything as the wow factor had gone and was just a convenience to the boat handling. Raja Ampat is a big archipelago it would be worth exploring as many dive sites as possible.
Camera Facilities
The boat has a camera room but this is a transit between the dive deck and the compressor area and is not very spacious, during our cruise there was only one professional photographer and us two with camera with tray and arms and then other few guys just with a housing so it worked well. Drying air is provided with a tank and a low pressure nozzle. I have seen better set up on other boats but for Indonesia this is quite high standards. During the briefing for the next day you get told what is likely to be on the diving menu the following day and which lens to mount. We have compact cameras with wet lenses so that was not important but I guess useful for DSLR and system compact users. One thing that was a concern on this trip was the fact that the professional photographer, a repeat guest, insisted to be dropped on her own in specific points so she could take the pictures she wanted and not dive with a buddy in certain occasions. Considering she had not been in the area that was a risk not only to her but also to the rest of the guests, if we had to cut short the holiday after spending $5,000pp to get on this boat to perform some search and rescue of a lost photographer I would have been asking for a full refund for the two of us. Anyway we decided not to raise the issue as in the end this is a management choice. There were also some other strange observations on protocols to follow to take picture of seahorses, which to be honest make sense, so I was target of some remarks because of my video lights that look really bright but are nowhere near as annoying for a seahorse than a photographer shooting with two guide 24 strobes for 45 consecutive minutes, considering in the whole trip I spent 12 minutes spread on at least 10 animals this looked a bit like having different measures for different people but I just got on with it.
Transfer To airport
On the last day all guests are expedited out to the airport as the crew has to clean and prepare for the next cruise. Sorong airport is miniscule and being there 2 hours before the flight for check in an overkill but has to be accepted because of the logistics. The crew helps with check in and any excess luggage until all procedures are complete before leaving.
All in all a great boat and service with excellent accommodation and food standards, with some possible improvements around the compressor and the diving procedures and schedule.
The management have been doing this for a very long time and think they know best in all occasions, whilst sometimes a bit of listening would do wonders to make sure the guests have a memorable experience and not just a good one.
I will put some info on the diving itself in the Indonesia forum but to have an idea it may be worth checking the pictures and videos I just put together after the trip
Pictures Raja Ampat - a set on Flickr
Videos
North Raja Ampat
[youtubehq]DuCMkUyYiDE[/youtubehq]
Misool Area
[youtubehq]2p6g12dxIBU[/youtubehq]
Muck Diving
[youtubehq]nwmEg9yY874[/youtubehq]
Night Diving
[youtubehq]HN6t4c7JfDU[/youtubehq]
Seahorse Special
[youtubehq]vyegzx70EcU[/youtubehq]
Last edited:
