When a liveaboard trip is cancelled the day you arrive....

[outofofficebrb]

What you have outlined below are exactly all of my thoughts. There was one other person that was to be on the boat and he was given a refund (he paid full price bc all of the incentives came out after he had signed up) and offered a 1/2 price voucher for the same trip at a later date (the same incentive that is being offered in many emails i currently get). So all in all - my best guess is there was no group and somehow they forgot to tell us until we were there or on our way.

The irony of it all is that they gave away a free trip to market the new liveaboard/route and bring publicity to the Aggressor name and now it has come back to bite them in the butt because of how they managed (or didn’t manage) this fiasco. Be persistent and do not let them off the hook. Time wasted is one thing but your airfare and costs are another. They should reimburse you for that, or at the very, very least give you another credit that covers your airfare on top of the 1/2 voucher they’re giving you.

I wish there was someone from Aggressor we could tag on Scubaboard. There needs to be accountability for this. Each boat is a franchise but if they are going to put the name behind it they need to do something about this big snafu. I had an amazing experience with Aggressor in Oct, my first one, and this is so disheartening. I’m so sorry, Erica.

 

[richmonddiver]

We should all keep in mind this is the internet, the great engine of misinformation. There are two sides to each story. Facts that appear clear to one party are sometimes not clear to the other. All we have here is a claim that is not backed with any supporting information. I don't know the OP. I don't assume the OP is a liar. I also don't assume the OP is honest.

 

[BDSC]

I wish there was someone from Aggressor we could tag on Scubaboard.

You can believe that they keep up with what goes on with the internet. I suspect they have read this but their policy is not to post or respond.

 

[Erica Watson]

While I appreciate this comment in many situations I feel this is not very nice here- I have stated only the facts from my side, and what I was told by the Aggressor President when he called, and from that my best guess as to what I think happened. I am unsure what supporting information I could provide - I didn't come out and bash them- I simply stated facts along with one guess and asked if this had happened to anyone else and if so- what compensation were they given. This is something I never thought could happen so I came to a place to ask advice where others might have an answer.

We should all keep in mind this is the internet, the great engine of misinformation. There are two sides to each story. Facts that appear clear to one party are sometimes not clear to the other. All we have here is a claim that is not backed with any supporting information. I don't know the OP. I don't assume the OP is a liar. I also don't assume the OP is honest.

 

[KeithG]

Who do you use?

Blue Cross Annual Travel Insurance Annual travel health insurance - Ontario Blue Cross It is available for residents of Ontario, Quebec and Atlantic regions. I have no idea what is available out west or in the US.

For this policy there is nothing special about a LOB. It is just a "Travel Supplier" - any tour operator, wholesale group transportation, airline, cruise company or accommodation facility. The policy has no exclusions for Travel Suppliers (well other than war).

 

[KeithG]

...
If the Aggressor Fleet was a stand up operation they would have arranged for a hotel, all meals, and all the diving you wanted with land based operator for the week all at their expense. And a voucher for another trip for free. But they they are not a stand up operation they are flotsam with the customers jetsam.

Before you tar and feather anyone the OP did indicate that the Aggressor made such an offer at the time. From the first post: "I was given the offer of staying on the boat and taking day trips out with another provider but I didn't really want to stay on a boat in a marina alone on Christmas. The only other thing offered was an extension of my voucher."

The situation still sucks. Especially more so because travel insurance would not help given these circumstances.

 

[KeithG]

Dive Assure with liveaboard rider is no "elcheapo" travel insurance, which the OP had. It is actually very, very inclusive..one of the best for dive specific travel. It's just not inclusive of "cancel for not reaching group minimums and horrible communication about it".

I mispoke. Instead of "elcheapo" I should have said "substandard". That $700 quote is crazy expensive.

From their webpage: The Liveaboard Rider is a unique insurance product that is offered exclusively by DiveAssure to cover scenarios specific to liveaboard trips that are not covered by any other travel insurance program on the market.

False. My Blue Cross product covers way more.

The LOB rider appears to exclude most things in life: The only things included are:
Trip Cancellations Due To:

• Trip cancellation coverage due to a missed connection resulting in missing the liveaboard or in additional cost to join it.
• Trip cancellation coverage for missing liveaboard departure due to airline delays.

Lost Diving Days Due To:

• Medical inability to dive.
• Weather conditions not enabling diving/sailing.
• Diving accident to other passenger on boat causing the boat to abort planned diving.
• Expenses not reimbursed by the tour operator for default /mechanical breakdown to air supply.
• Financial Default of the liveaboard operating company, or tour operator (Covered already by the Elite Plan).

Everything else is excluded. My quick "tongue in cheek" list of top 10 reasons why the boat couldn't sail are
10: pirates stole the boat
9: the boat sank last week
8:the local drug lords have blockaded the boat since the cptn refused to run drugs / guns
7: the local authorities seized the boat because the cptn WAS running drugs / guns
6: the local dock workers are on strike and the boat cannot leave the dock
5: local health authorities have quarantined the boat
4:the captn is sleeping it off in the local drunk tank
3: the cptn murdered the first mate last night
2: local food supplier had an electrical failure and there is no food to stock the boat
and finally
1: the cptn just does not feel like sailing this week

Seems like it is a very expensive product that includes only a few situations.

 

[Lorenzoid]

@giffenk I'm confused. Are you saying your Blue Cross product that covers "way more" than the DiveAssure Liveaboard Rider would cover these instances (and more, such as your "top 10 reasons why the boat couldn't sail")?

Trip Cancellations Due To:

• Trip cancellation coverage due to a missed connection resulting in missing the liveaboard or in additional cost to join it.
• Trip cancellation coverage for missing liveaboard departure due to airline delays.

Lost Diving Days Due To:

• Medical inability to dive.
• Weather conditions not enabling diving/sailing.
• Diving accident to other passenger on boat causing the boat to abort planned diving.
• Expenses not reimbursed by the tour operator for default /mechanical breakdown to air supply.

 

[outofofficebrb]

Blue Cross Annual Travel Insurance Annual travel health insurance - Ontario Blue Cross It is available for residents of Ontario, Quebec and Atlantic regions. I have no idea what is available out west or in the US.

For this policy there is nothing special about a LOB. It is just a "Travel Supplier" - any tour operator, wholesale group transportation, airline, cruise company or accommodation facility. The policy has no exclusions for Travel Suppliers (well other than war).

I think there are some misunderstandings and incorrectly drawn conclusions here. Dive Assure does not state that a LOB is special or that it's excluded - it is also another travel supplier. The reason there is a LOB rider is because there are certain things that can happen on a liveaboard that do not happen with other travel suppliers or are very specific to diving and dive liveaboard operators that can interrupt and cancel a trip that would not otherwise be covered under normal travel insurance plans in the US. These include possible issues with air supplies, someone having DCS and having to medi-evac the diver, or even think back to Cocos Island last month when the diver died and the divemaster/guide was seriously injured and they had to leave Cocos and haul a day and a half for mainland Costa Rica. Everyone abandoned their plans for diving and they were only in the first few days of a 10 day trip. That is not something that would normally be covered under trip interruption or cancellation, at least in the US.

I mispoke. Instead of "elcheapo" I should have said "substandard". That $700 quote is crazy expensive.

From their webpage: The Liveaboard Rider is a unique insurance product that is offered exclusively by DiveAssure to cover scenarios specific to liveaboard trips that are not covered by any other travel insurance program on the market.

False. My Blue Cross product covers way more.

The LOB rider appears to exclude most things in life: The only things included are:
Trip Cancellations Due To:

• Trip cancellation coverage due to a missed connection resulting in missing the liveaboard or in additional cost to join it.
• Trip cancellation coverage for missing liveaboard departure due to airline delays.

Lost Diving Days Due To:

• Medical inability to dive.
• Weather conditions not enabling diving/sailing.
• Diving accident to other passenger on boat causing the boat to abort planned diving.
• Expenses not reimbursed by the tour operator for default /mechanical breakdown to air supply.
• Financial Default of the liveaboard operating company, or tour operator (Covered already by the Elite Plan).

Everything else is excluded. My quick "tongue in cheek" list of top 10 reasons why the boat couldn't sail are
10: pirates stole the boat
9: the boat sank last week
8:the local drug lords have blockaded the boat since the cptn refused to run drugs / guns
7: the local authorities seized the boat because the cptn WAS running drugs / guns
6: the local dock workers are on strike and the boat cannot leave the dock
5: local health authorities have quarantined the boat
4:the captn is sleeping it off in the local drunk tank
3: the cptn murdered the first mate last night
2: local food supplier had an electrical failure and there is no food to stock the boat
and finally
1: the cptn just does not feel like sailing this week

Seems like it is a very expensive product that includes only a few situations.

The liveaboard rider does NOT exclude anything that's not listed. That is your own conclusion. Dive Assure's regular travel insurance coverage applies, PLUS those things specifically for a liveaboard, not JUST those things for a liveaboard.

 

[Scared Silly]

Before you tar and feather anyone the OP did indicate that the Aggressor made such an offer at the time. From the first post: "I was given the offer of staying on the boat and taking day trips out with another provider but I didn't really want to stay on a boat in a marina alone on Christmas. The only other thing offered was an extension of my voucher."

I'll pick nits here. The Aggressor did not make the offer I suggested. For instance, the OP should have been given a voucher another free trip for any destination with no expiration. Not an extension to use the same Aggressor franchise.

Regarding the offer to stay on the boat and take day trips. Was the boat going to be at a dock or would one need to take a dingy to get to shore? Was there there going to staff on the boat to cook all meals? It is not clear if the Aggressor offered to pay for the shore diving. Normally on a LOB one gets 4 to 5 dives a day. Shore based diving is going to less so what is the OP going to do the rest of the time? The only other people on the boat is going to be some of the crew so socializing is going to be minimal.

At least if at a hotel the OP could have had the opportunity to do a few dives at one port then go to another port and dive from there while meeting other divers perhaps even having dinner with them rather than dinning alone each night.

My real point is that Aggressor screwed up big time and barely did anything to make things right. That is worth tar and feathering the Aggressor Fleet (again).

BTW I see Aggressor has a Last minute 50% OFF Oman Aggressor on 27 Jan - 03 Feb. Good luck to anyone who gets snorkeled into taking the offer (This comment is in no way a reflection on the agents representing the Aggressor Fleet - my comments are directed strictly towards the Aggressor Fleet).