Just got back from a week on the Pirate's Lady and can offer strong recommendation for the Blackbeard Cruises!
Re the crossing, we were a little more lucky than SueMermaid and had okay seas for the first crossing (no seasick passengers!) and really calm seas for the trip back. But the crossing really is the luck of the draw as they were predicting nasty seas for tomorrow's crossing.
But on to the good stuff. 18 dives during the 5 diving days and except for Stevie's Wonder/Redneck Reef, each dive was outstanding. Stevie's Wonder/Redneck Reef had poor visibility, but every other dive was a good mix of fish, reef, and visibility. We got in 2 shark dives at Bull Run (one with a feeding, one without). My daughter and I got to pet one of the nurse sharks for about three minutes!! Encountered Carribean reef and nurse sharks on about five other dives and had two dives with some of the hughest turtles I have ever seen.
The Blackbeard operation is smooth, friendly to experienced divers, and obviously committed to quality and satisfied customers. The crew made it a fun trip, gave divers lots of freedom, and were very accomodating. High marks for Chef Ron, who delivered consistently delicious meals and a Thanksgiving feast with stuffed lobsters (and kudos to Captain Paul for catching them all while snorkeling!). Given the price, the ability to dive most or all of one's last day (depending on your departure time), and the savings from not having to cough up $$ for an international flight, this has got to be one of the best values in diving!
The operation also seems to attract a comfortable, friendly class of guests that makes the trip fun. Imagine a week WITHOUT:
- newbies killing reefs at a rapid pace
- testosterone-jacked "I'm gonna dive to 180' on this one" divers
- diving couples who surface screaming at each other
Is it a plush, spacious boat? Obviously not. Were there little things that I might have wanted to see done differently? Yes. But overall, the Blackbeard operation seems to work quite well. We'll certainly be going back!
(And no, I don't have any affiliation with Blackbeards!)