pinkerton
Registered
After a 14 hour flight from JFK we spent a few days in Dubai. We were very happy that we were able to fly business class. Emirates Air is everything it claims to be. We did all of the "things" one must do in Dubai and are glad that we did.
We arrived in Male during a pouring rain. The crew met us and took us by boat to the White Pearl.
We dove The Maldives in 2008. At that time, we were on the only live aboard and the area was very remote. There are now over 100 boats and many, many high rises and man made islands with resorts.
Our group of 4 Americans from western New York State did 2 back to back cruises. Both were full with 26 guests. We were the only Americans on both trips. Most guests were Asian, and most were considerably younger than us.
The water temp was 85-88 and there were 3 dives each day. There was not a charge for Nitrox and it was assumed everyone would be using it. We were on the last cruise of the season and the boat was headed for deep cleaning and maintenance.
We dove off of a Dhoni. There was always fruit and water in between dives. Getting from the boat to the dive Dhoni was thru a little door. There were always crew to help with cameras and the transition but we felt it was often unsafe. It was annoying that there were so many smokers on the Dhoni (mostly crew).
The boat is beautiful and spacious. The top deck has good sun protection and lots of seating. Our cabin was gorgeous with big windows (even in the shower) and it was cool watching the world go by from my bed. They gave us fresh water bottles and towels every day. The guest laundry was really helpful. Our rooms were always attended to which was very important as the toilets did not accept any paper. There was a lovely bar area with seating near the pool. Unfortunately, it was also a smoking lounge which limited availability for us. We each had a massage during our trip and it was really nice.
Great space on board for the photographers-a well equipped camera room. The Dhoni could use a larger rinse tank or more rinse tanks. We had to do a quick rinse and remove our equipment so the next person could use it.
The food was buffet and there was always fresh fruit and salads. The downside was that it was always waiting for us after dives and rarely was it hot. One big negative was that there wasn't brewed coffee, only instant. When there was dessert it was pudding/mousse consistency. We would have appreciated cookies, cake, bread or crackers to eat with the salads and soups. They really need a pastry chef!!
Our memories from our first trip were of lush corals, gazillion schools of fish, and always beautiful topography. We were disappointed. This time there were several dives dedicated to sharks and less of the schooling fish and soft corals. We think it is a combination of climate change, our location, the season, and that they are catering to a younger group who are all about the sharks. We were able to have encounters with a couple of whale sharks and mantas- they never disappoint!! There are still a lot of anemones and a variety of anemonefish which also never disappoint.
Each week there was a BBQ on a beach. The staff went all out with a whale shark sand sculpture and LOTS of food. It was so much work for them and they did an amazing job. They also had a romantic dinner on the top deck that was lovely. The last day they brought out water toys to amuse us while drying out our equipment.
I cannot begin to say enough about the wonderful staff. We have been on many liveaboards and this set of staff are right at the top. Every single person we encountered set out to please us in any way possible.
We arrived in Male during a pouring rain. The crew met us and took us by boat to the White Pearl.
We dove The Maldives in 2008. At that time, we were on the only live aboard and the area was very remote. There are now over 100 boats and many, many high rises and man made islands with resorts.
Our group of 4 Americans from western New York State did 2 back to back cruises. Both were full with 26 guests. We were the only Americans on both trips. Most guests were Asian, and most were considerably younger than us.
The water temp was 85-88 and there were 3 dives each day. There was not a charge for Nitrox and it was assumed everyone would be using it. We were on the last cruise of the season and the boat was headed for deep cleaning and maintenance.
We dove off of a Dhoni. There was always fruit and water in between dives. Getting from the boat to the dive Dhoni was thru a little door. There were always crew to help with cameras and the transition but we felt it was often unsafe. It was annoying that there were so many smokers on the Dhoni (mostly crew).
The boat is beautiful and spacious. The top deck has good sun protection and lots of seating. Our cabin was gorgeous with big windows (even in the shower) and it was cool watching the world go by from my bed. They gave us fresh water bottles and towels every day. The guest laundry was really helpful. Our rooms were always attended to which was very important as the toilets did not accept any paper. There was a lovely bar area with seating near the pool. Unfortunately, it was also a smoking lounge which limited availability for us. We each had a massage during our trip and it was really nice.
Great space on board for the photographers-a well equipped camera room. The Dhoni could use a larger rinse tank or more rinse tanks. We had to do a quick rinse and remove our equipment so the next person could use it.
The food was buffet and there was always fresh fruit and salads. The downside was that it was always waiting for us after dives and rarely was it hot. One big negative was that there wasn't brewed coffee, only instant. When there was dessert it was pudding/mousse consistency. We would have appreciated cookies, cake, bread or crackers to eat with the salads and soups. They really need a pastry chef!!
Our memories from our first trip were of lush corals, gazillion schools of fish, and always beautiful topography. We were disappointed. This time there were several dives dedicated to sharks and less of the schooling fish and soft corals. We think it is a combination of climate change, our location, the season, and that they are catering to a younger group who are all about the sharks. We were able to have encounters with a couple of whale sharks and mantas- they never disappoint!! There are still a lot of anemones and a variety of anemonefish which also never disappoint.
Each week there was a BBQ on a beach. The staff went all out with a whale shark sand sculpture and LOTS of food. It was so much work for them and they did an amazing job. They also had a romantic dinner on the top deck that was lovely. The last day they brought out water toys to amuse us while drying out our equipment.
I cannot begin to say enough about the wonderful staff. We have been on many liveaboards and this set of staff are right at the top. Every single person we encountered set out to please us in any way possible.
