Only one word is needed to describe our experience aboard Cat Ppalu ~ "M A G N I F I C E N T!"
We have just returned from an absolutely incredible trip aboard this great catamaran ~ the whole experience was EXCELLENT. From the ease of booking, the pre-trip information help and the degree of professionalism exhibited by everyone we interacted with, both by phone and in person, this company has truly earned the respect it receives.
The Cat is truly a great boat and its design makes for a really convivial atmosphere, however there are also spaces where you can go to be alone if you so wish. We had a group of 11 guests (max is 12) along with 4 crew and at no time did I ever feel crowded.
The cabins are well appointed and very clean and comfortable. They are not spacious but they are efficiently designed. The showers were hot and the water was plentiful given that we followed the protocol of not running water unnecessarily.
Food is plentiful and delicious. Chef Jim is just amazing and as half of our boat had dietary restrictions he made the menus work seamlessly for everyone from vegan to carnivore (not an easy task) and always with a smile. He always had great tasting cookies or muffins ready for us at the end of every dive. Jim is just a really great guy with a true passion for his craft!
Highlights of our trip are way too numerous to mention ~ but here are a few...
The atmosphere on the boat ~ FUN, convivial and very relaxed, a really great place to get to know new people and share new experiences.
The impeccable professionalism and attentiveness of the crew.
The stunningly beautiful locations ~ I have never seen so many ocean hues ~ from aquamarine to deep green and indigo blue. Absolutely breath-taking!
The endless variety of dive sites ~ shallow to the abyss, wrecks, coral swim thrus and walls all with great viz.
The variety of critters seen ~ macro, micro and pelagic ~ something for everyone.
Finally, kudos to all for a great trip but truly special thanks must go to Captain Bill who, being the consummate professional that he is, really made this trip beyond excellent.
On the first day he took an inventory of what each of us were hoping to see and do, and then, working in tandem with the weather, he hand-picked the perfect dive sites to fulfill each of our wishes. EVERYONE was completely satisfied ~ now that is truly EXCELLENT customer service.
Bill is also a really lovely and genuine guy; he truly cared for each and every one of us and strived to make all of our wishes come true. He is very safety conscious and extremely knowledgeable, and meets everyone with a big heartfelt smile. One of the things I shall always remember from this trip is him greeting each of us at the dive steps, collecting our fins and saying "Welcome back ~ did you have fun?" Invariably we did! The most common reply I consistently heard on the dive deck was "That was absolutely AMAZING!"
What did we see? Everything!
HUNDREDS of sharks in their yearly migration in the Blue Hole, Caribbean Reef and Nurse sharks, Rays, huge Groupers, enormous Lobsters and Crabs, infinite numbers of neon colored reef fish, beautifully healthy corals and all the attendant micro and macro organisms that thrive upon them, Sea Slugs and Cucumbers, Turtles, Tiger Tails, Moray and Snowflake Eels, Octopus, enormous Hermit Crabs journeying along the sea floor, elusive Nudibranchs ~ the list is just endless.
Sentimental though it may seem to some ~ but on our very last dive at Periwinkle Reef I was so completely overcome with the beauty all around me that for the first time in 30 years of diving I started to cry (happy tears) underwater. In fact it was so beautiful that my partner and I just stood on the ocean floor and watched as hundreds of fish, tiny and large, circled us and nibbled at us ~ with gentle fishy kisses! Then as we were about to end our dive we found a huge PERFECT heart shaped purple fan coral. As my partner and I swam towards it Mike, a fellow diver, captured us on video. It was beyond romantic and so idyllic and an absolutely WONDERFUL way to end our amazing vacation on Cat Ppalu.
So.... I hope that this gives you an idea of what our amazing trip was like.
Will we be going back on Cat Ppalu?
ABSOLUTELY!
Last edited:
