Blue O Two: Simply The Worse!

Please register or login

Welcome to ScubaBoard, the world's largest scuba diving community. Registration is not required to read the forums, but we encourage you to join. Joining has its benefits and enables you to participate in the discussions.

Benefits of registering include

  • Ability to post and comment on topics and discussions.
  • A Free photo gallery to share your dive photos with the world.
  • You can make this box go away

Joining is quick and easy. Log in or Register now!

Shez Shafiq

Registered
Messages
5
Reaction score
0
Location
London
# of dives
50 - 99
Blue O Two are a terrible company. I would advise everyone reading this review to find a suitable alternative for their diving holiday. There are plenty of options worldwide.

I contacted them earlier in the year and asked what liveaboard trip i should go on if I wanted to see Sharks. They advised me to do the Project Shark: Simply The Best itinerary in August 2016. They stated that the time of year and location would give the maximum probability of seeing sharks.

The whole holiday left me feeling deeply disappointed. It was a bit windy so the Captain decided not to go to ANY of main dive sites that were originally offered. Instead we hugged the shore and were often accompanied by day boats, snorkeler and glass bottom boats. After meeting some divers on their other boats we found out that they managed to get to their main dive sites so why couldn't we?

The whole purpose of going on a liveaboard is to reach the best dive sites that are far our to see and have a much better diving experience. I could have experienced all of the above by staying in a cheap resort and going with the cheapest dive operators around.

A number of guests complained to Blue O Two. Even though they hadn't provided the holiday that was advertised, they refused to offer a single penny in compensation. They had our money and that was all they cared about.

They are a terrible dive operator and I will never use them again.

Visited August 2016

Simply The Worst! - Blue o Two, Hurghada Traveller Reviews - TripAdvisor
 

Attachments

  • 14444613_10157510263770080_7523073445432667883_o.jpg
    14444613_10157510263770080_7523073445432667883_o.jpg
    72.3 KB · Views: 93
I've just come back from a trip to the Red Sea with Blue O2, and I thought they were an absolutely fabulous company. Every step of the journey, at air ports and bus stops, there was always a Blue O2 rep helping you find the right way. The boat was nice and clean, and the diving was spot on. Even got to dive with oceanic white tips a few times off Elphinstone.

Sorry you had a bad trip, there's not a lot that can be done about the weather though.
 
Blue O Two are a terrible company. I would advise everyone reading this review to find a suitable alternative for their diving holiday. There are plenty of options worldwide.

I contacted them earlier in the year and asked what liveaboard trip i should go on if I wanted to see Sharks. They advised me to do the Project Shark: Simply The Best itinerary in August 2016. They stated that the time of year and location would give the maximum probability of seeing sharks.

The whole holiday left me feeling deeply disappointed. It was a bit windy so the Captain decided not to go to ANY of main dive sites that were originally offered. Instead we hugged the shore and were often accompanied by day boats, snorkeler and glass bottom boats. After meeting some divers on their other boats we found out that they managed to get to their main dive sites so why couldn't we?

The whole purpose of going on a liveaboard is to reach the best dive sites that are far our to see and have a much better diving experience. I could have experienced all of the above by staying in a cheap resort and going with the cheapest dive operators around.

A number of guests complained to Blue O Two. Even though they hadn't provided the holiday that was advertised, they refused to offer a single penny in compensation. They had our money and that was all they cared about.

They are a terrible dive operator and I will never use them again.

Visited August 2016

Simply The Worst! - Blue o Two, Hurghada Traveller Reviews - TripAdvisor
What we call this is a seagull post. You come, crap everywhere, and leave. Hi, welcome to ScubaBoard. We're happy you found us. Pull up a chair and stay a while. Grab a pint and settle in to see how things work. You may learn that diving is weather dependent, and you will probably find that liveaboards cater to the least qualified person on the boat. You probably had someone on the boat that shouldn't have been there and that itinerary probably wasn't appropriate to them, so the Captain did the best he could given a bad situation.

When you want the liveaboard to go exactly as you expect, you should consider chartering the whole boat. I assure you, the Captain and crew and boat can handle a lot more ocean than you can, so when it's you paying the bills, you get to go where you want instead of where prevailing conditions dictate.

Was there nothing redeeming about the boat? You gave it a one on trip adviser. My thought is that everyone else says the boat is clean, well appointed, and the crew is professional and fun. I expect the one you gave the operation is probably more a reflection on you than it is on the operation.
 
We had some pretty windy weather on our trip but managed to get out to all the sites, I have to say if it had been much rougher I don't think we would have wanted to make the trip even if it was still deemed safe as pretty much everyone had a horrendous night of no sleep. If the skipper made the call on your week not to make the long trip (8-9 hours) to the offshore sites I am sure it was for a valid safety reason. Sorry you had a miserable week though!
 
Sorry that you had such a bad time.

We have travelled with BO2 many times and love them. The prices , service , and of course amazing sites in the Southern Red Sea so accessible from the UK are incomparable.

We have done four LoBs on this itinerary and I can tell you that this is not Mickey Mouse Diving. On a Northern trip we were on, not with Blue O 2 , a passenger almost died for a combination of reasons. On another trip , this time with BO2 , conditions were very very rough. The crossings were pretty hairy. Also the currents were so bad strong that relatively inexperienced divers were being pushed up and down ....not good. We did return to the main coast a day or so sooner than planned , but had seen hammerheads , so everybody was happy. I have read that August is a very windy time of year , not sure how true that is. The crew would have wanted you to be satisfied , so they would not have changed the itinerary without a good reason.

It's always tough when a holiday that you look forward to so much does not go according to plan. Sorry but I would consider it unreasonable to expect Bo2 to compensate you for something that was not their fault. Perhaps it was not handled well , we weren't there, but for your own peace of mind put it behind you.
 
You may learn that diving is weather dependent, and you will probably find that liveaboards cater to the least qualified person on the boat. You probably had someone on the boat that shouldn't have been there and that itinerary probably wasn't appropriate to them, so the Captain did the best he could given a bad situation.
I have no idea on what happened to the OP, and this August I had quite strong winds both in the north and in the south.
However, I'm not sure I agree with your statement that le LOB adapted to the worse diver at the detriment of all others. To my mind a good liveaboard is able to cater diverse divers profiles, even if that means that all divers are not diving at the same place, which can usually be done easilly with the use of Ribs as they usually have. While it is quite understandable not to offer a specific dive if no alternative option is available nearby and it would be too difficult to several divers, I would hate to have a whole itinary modified just for the sake of one diver who shouldn't have been there in the first place.
 
Thanks for everyone's comments (Apart from Wookie who obviously has some biased views towards tour operators and not paying customers).

I completely understand the situation with the weather, no one can control it. The captain probably made the right decision not to go to the sites as it was too risky.

However what I strongly disagree with is Blue O Two's approach to the disappointed customers after the week was over. Most of the customers were unhappy and a large number put in official complaints. Some of them had been diving with Blue O Two for many years and will now switch to other liveaboard companies.

Blue O Two were unable to provide the holiday that was advertised and that the customers paid for. The weather is out of their control but that shouldn't prevent them from making gestures of goodwill to all the customers that complained. If you pay for a product and don't receive it, the provider should be willing to do something to appease you. No matter how small it is.

They have lost out in the end. I will take my future business elsewhere and so will everyone else whose complaints were ignored.
 
Thanks for everyone's comments (Apart from Wookie who obviously has some biased views towards tour operators and not paying customers).

I completely understand the situation with the weather, no one can control it. The captain probably made the right decision not to go to the sites as it was too risky.

However what I strongly disagree with is Blue O Two's approach to the disappointed customers after the week was over. Most of the customers were unhappy and a large number put in official complaints. Some of them had been diving with Blue O Two for many years and will now switch to other liveaboard companies.

Blue O Two were unable to provide the holiday that was advertised and that the customers paid for. The weather is out of their control but that shouldn't prevent them from making gestures of goodwill to all the customers that complained. If you pay for a product and don't receive it, the provider should be willing to do something to appease you. No matter how small it is.

They have lost out in the end. I will take my future business elsewhere and so will everyone else whose complaints were ignored.
You can always make a claim under the Travel Package Regulations. These regulations are to deal with holiday that weren't provided as advertised.
 
i have been with blue o two 6 times and generally recommend them. I do feel their egyptian side of the business is the better run side. I love the experiences once I'm there but dealing with the guys / girls in the office is a pain. I have spoken to jason before and he seems very good. Maybe arrange to actually see them as I do worry about customer services of any company when solely phone based.
 
https://www.shearwater.com/products/swift/

Back
Top Bottom