Trip Report Cayman Aggressor IV Trip May 2016

[tkaelin]

Just a note on the T&C and Cayman comparisons, I have been to both and I am diving GC next weekend and T&Cs in July. Both short 3 nite land based dive trips. Both islands are expensive but manageable. The diving is very good on both. I find the dive experiences to be different, both enjoyable.

I booked the T&C trip specifically to be able to do the 3 tank all day trip. Take a look at T&C on google earth and you will see the large shallow triangle shaped expanse of open water that leads to a unique dive experience and day out on the water. Diving off west caicos and French caye in the same day is a great time. Diving T&C will have reef sharks on every dive.

As far as dive trip planning, cost per dive analysis and preferences, we all have our own. I like diving solo but do not care for traveling solo for diving. Much prefer to go with my wife and/or family (all divers). I enjoy being on the island, trying local restaurants almost as much as the diving. Have not done a LOB but still considering some day. When I saw the picture of the size of your room on the Cayman Agressor that did not compare so favorable with even economy land accomodations. For dive per dollar Bon seems to win. If you shop around (which sounds like you do this pretty well) you can find a manageable affordable way to travel and dive. We are going to GC because I found air for $260 r/t nonstop Cayman Air from JFK. On the T&C trip, we found for $1,200 for two of us r/t nonstop air and 3 night at Sibonne, a place we always wanted to stay at for two of us. Sibonne looks and sounds like some of the no nonsense simple right on the water accomodations we use to stay at on 7mb on GC many years ago that are long since gone and replaced by huge hotels.

 

[KathyV]

..If someone is prone to sea sickness, that someone might want to have med.s known to be effective & well-tolerated for them, be on those med.s in advance (the old saying an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure comes to mind; preventing sea sickness tends to be easier than resolving it), and if it were me, I'd take some sort of (legal) sleep aid...

Your comment about being able to tolerate the seasickness medications is an important point. I always take some travel sickness meds before boarding liveaboard but I have to be careful with them. I have had issues with my eyes and vision resulting from the use of motion sickness meds.

On one of our earliest liveaboards I developed some floaters in my eyes that will never go away. I learned later that they were caused by the combination of taking my daily antihistamines for allergies and the motion sickness meds.

Later I tried one of the patch medications for seasickness and I developed a temporary narrow angle glaucoma and I lost my near vision - I couldn't read anything. It was pretty scary but the problem went away about a day after I removed the patch. This was listed as a rare complication on the package insert.

I have a regular routine that helps to control the seasickness, it may be based superstition but I cling to it. I eat lightly and avoid alcohol on the day of boarding and I take the motion sickness medication about an hour before we board. As soon as we get on board and while the boat is still at the dock, my husband heads up to the dive deck to set up our gear while I head to the cabin to put away our clothes and personal items. Then I go upstairs and try to stay in the open air and concentrate on watching the horizon. Unfortunately, the Captains always insist upon giving a lengthy orientation speech inside the crowded dining room cabin. As soon as I can escape I head back upstairs and I try to stay hydrated if I can tolerate water. If the seasickness is bad I will stay on the deck and try to get some sleep. It a pretty miserable night but I am usually fine by the next day and am not bothered during the rest of the trip, even if it gets stormy. My body just needs time to acclimate to the motion and then I'm okay. I haven't tried taking a sleeping pill but I would probably just throw it up.

The biggest variable for me seems to be a deep water crossing early during the voyage. I have not gotten ill on liveaboards that stayed close to shore like Kona, St. Croix, Red Sea, and T&Cs. But I have been very ill on trips with significant early, open, deep water crossings like Florida to the Bahamas, St. Martin to Saba, and Grand Cayman to Little Cayman.

On the crossing to Little Cayman I remember thinking about Star Trek and wishing that Scottie could just beam me off of that damn boat!

Liveaboards can be wonderful dive vacations but the tendency toward seasickness is an important factor for consideration. I don't regret any of our liveaboard trips but I have had some nasty experiences with seasickness.

 

[KathyV]

...When I saw the picture of the size of your room on the Cayman Agressor that did not compare so favorable with even economy land accommodations...

I think that Richard's cabin may have been the smallest option on the liveaboard. My husband and I have traditionally gone for a mid-sized room with a double bunk bed below and an upper single bed, which has a bit more space but still very tiny, see the pic below. We also get a small closet and a tiny ensuite bathroom with a shower and toilet with our rooms.

I always think of a liveaboard as the easiest place to dive and one of the hardest places to live. It is a place to eat, sleep, and dive and it can offer a unique cultural experience. Everything is very casual and you may not wear shoes for a week.

The advantages are that you get to do a lot of dives, very easily, and you usually have access to the best diving sites available. Plus everything is paid for and you know your costs up-front. But a disadvantage is that a liveaboard trip is even more weather-dependent than a land-based trip. There is a lot less to do when you are stuck on a boat and can't dive during bad weather.

And the cramped accommodations can make living a bit difficult. The Aggressors are actually rather spacious because they offer ensuite bathrooms. I have been on liveaboards with shared bathrooms and one (Blackbeards) that was like camping at sea where my husband and I shared a curtained shelf in the galley as our bedroom. I'll never do that again and if we ever go on another liveaboard I may spring for the master suite just to get more space and comfort.

There are differing issues whether you decide to stay onshore or risk boarding a liveaboard dive vessel. You probably need to try it out just once to decide what is best for you, good luck!

 

[drrich2]

My cabin was the smallest option; like flying coach, you accept some compromise on the cheapest seats. Thing is, on the 2 live-aboards I've done I spent little time in the stateroom. Mostly I'm eating or waiting to eat, laying up on the sundeck (in the shade) dozing, or in the den/living area talking to other divers. Or writing down notes in my little Rite in the Rain spiral notebook. Our cabin this time was the only one that didn't have a t.v. with built-in DVD player, because they were having trouble finding one, but I was rather grateful since I don't watch t.v. or play DVDs on these trips anyway. Here are a couple of pics of my Deluxe Stateroom on the Sun Dancer 2 (now Belize Aggressor IV) from a year ago (point is, live-aboard rooms can be a bit bigger, as Kathy also showed):

Land accommodations will nearly always be larger than boat accommodations. My last Bonaire trip, I went solo, did night dives on the house reef & managed to cram in 28 dives (1 guided Cai dive with BasDiving.com, 2 boat, 25 solo shore). Love the diving freedom of being able to dive when, where & how I want, answerable to none and navigation very easy. But I've got to load gear in the truck, drive around, change out tanks between dives, deal with somewhat rough entry & exit issues, and basically, it's a different kind of experience. One I've recommended often.

"As far as dive trip planning, cost per dive analysis and preferences, we all have our own. I like diving solo but do not care for traveling solo for diving. Much prefer to go with my wife and/or family (all divers). I enjoy being on the island, trying local restaurants almost as much as the diving."

I've booked cruises when a family vacation was the main objective. I've chosen Key Largo, Jupiter (Florida) & Morehead City, NC when 'scuba trips disguised as family vacations' (wife's terminology) were the objective. If traveling somewhere that I can get me, Jami, our 3 year old & my mother-in-law into a hotel room, and airfare's cheap, that can work if it's a place they'd enjoy being. Jami's got OW & nitrox, but raising our 3 year old hasn't dove in years and was very much a dabbling vacation diver who wanted tropical aquarium-like conditions and didn't want to dive heavily. Gotta wait at least 7 years to see if our daughter's gonna get the scuba bug.

Richard.

 

[tkaelin]

Hopefully a time will come when your daughter is older and you can dive as a family or take trips with your daughter. I treasure the memories of our family dive trips and love the last minute trips I have taken with either my daughter or son.

 

[KathyV]

Since we were discussing liveaboards I wanted to mention that Explorer has added some dates to their summer specials including T&C and Saba/St. Kitts see below.

Explorer Ventures Last Minute Offers


SABA/ST. KITTS/ST. MAARTEN
Caribbean Explorer II
Save $600 per person!
Only $1495 per person!
Departures Dates:
July 16-23, 2016 (St. Kitts to St. Maarten)
August 20-27, 2016 (St. Maarten to St. Kitts)
September 10-17, 2016 (St. Kitts to St. Maarten)

TURKS & CAICOS ISLANDS
Turks & Caicos Explorer II
Save $600 per person!
Starting at $1795 per person!

Departures Dates:
August 6-13, 2016
August 27 - September 3, 2016
September 3-10, 2016

MALDIVES
Carpe Novo Explorer
Save up to $540 per person + Free Nitrox!

Departure Dates:
June 25 - July 2, 2016 - From $1395 per person + Free Nitrox!
July 16-27, 2016 - From $2199 per person + Free Nitrox!
July 27 - August 6, 2016 - From $1992 per person + Free Nitrox!
August 20-27, 2016 - From $1395 per person + Free Nitrox!

MALDIVES
Carpe Vita Explorer
Save up to $674 + Free Nitrox!

Departure Dates:
June 23-30, 2016 - From $2088 per person + Free Nitrox!
August 10-20, 2016 - From $2696 per person + Free Nitrox!

Book Now

 

[drrich2]

If I were hunting a trip, that Turks & Caicos Explorer II trip would catch my eye.

I've been using Liveaboard.com to check destination & month combo.s and I notice they give me boats, beds & type available for Aggressor Fleet, Explorer Venture & the AquaCat offerings (probably others; those I looked for) with sale prices factored in. It's a way to see how many spaces are left on a boat. I didn't book through them, so I've no direct experience with that.

I've read before that in comparing Explorer Ventures and Aggressor boats, be mindful there may be a difference in how all in what all is included vs. an add on. Tips aren't included with either. I believe the Explorer Ventures T&C boat allows certified solo divers to solo dive, and offers rental equipment for that and even teaches the course. T&C is a destination with 2 well-regarded boats from different lines to choose from, and some comparison was made in the old thread on Picking Your First Caribbean Liveaboard.

But book far enough in advance so the boat's got a bed and you don't lose your savings with high airfare.

Richard.

 

[KathyV]

If I were hunting a trip, that Turks & Caicos Explorer II trip would catch my eye. I've been using Liveaboard.com to check destination & month combo.s and I notice they give me boats, beds & type available for Aggressor Fleet, Explorer Venture & the AquaCat offerings (probably others; those I looked for) with sale prices factored in. It's a way to see how many spaces are left on a boat. I didn't book through them, so I've no direct experience with that...

Thank you for that site, it's very helpful and I've bookmarked it. Of the 3 sites you've mentioned I would rank them in terms of diving as T&C best, Saba second, and Bahamas third. The only Explorer boat I have been on was Saba/St. Kitts but it was great so I am sure that the positive reviews of their T&C boat are also accurate.

I've never been on the AquaCat but I've done several liveaboards in the Bahamas and they were good trips and that boat has good reviews, too.

I think that Saba is often underrated as a liveaboard dive destination. The sea mount diving is very interesting. The reefs are healthy, or at least they were when I was there. And the opportunity to spend shore time on 3 different islands with different cultures and histories was a lot of fun. St. Martin is French and Dutch, Saba is Dutch, and St. Kitts is British so it was a very international experience! We got off the boat to spend a few days on Saba before heading back to St. Martin so we also had the opportunity to take off in an Otter from the "world's shortest commercial runway" and that was exhilarating!

The down side was that I got very seasick during the deep water crossing from St. Martin, but I was okay the next day.

Saba/St. Kitts is a less popular destination and you often see discounted offers from Explorer so it can be a bargain.

 

[drrich2]

Minor Edit: It was a 31% off Aggressor deal, that I got, not a 32%.

Today I ran across one of my research notes from back around April 20th, where I priced some different trip options based on online booking options minus airfare costs aiming for a hypothetical last week in August trip. This was done to take a 'one point in time' snap shot comparison of trip costs between some popular options. Since part of the point of this thread was to help people weigh their options, I decided to post it here.

Cayman Diving Comparison

4-20-16. A comparison of 7 day stays with heavy diving. Cayman Aggressor IV, LCBR & CBBR for last week in August 2016.

Cobalt Coast.

Grand Getaway Package - 7 nights, FAP meal plan (+ 5 drinks daily), 12 boat dives, airport ground transfers and if weather cooperates, there’s a shore dive. $2,064.00.

Little Cayman Beach Resort.

2 Diver/room rate for 7 days in August, FAP meal plan (3 meals/day) and includes ground transfers, Pool View Room. 3 Tanks/day diving, except only 2 tanks the last day: $4,443.51, or $2,215.76 apiece. You have to provide your own room mate, or pay a single supplement. Up to 17 dives; if they offer some night dives, you can pay extra.

Cayman Brac Beach Resort.

Based on double occupancy, has ‘The Clearly Cayman Package’ with FAP meal plan, 3 drinks nightly, airport ground transfers included & up to 17 dives for $1,725 apiece. Their description of ‘The Paradise Getaway Package’ looks the same but costs $1,995 per person. If night dives are offered, expect to pay extra.

I e-mailed CBBR about the difference between the Clearly Cayman and Paradise Getaway Packages, and was told “Clearly Cayman is capacity controlled and when sold out the Paradise Getaway is offered.”

Cayman Aggressor 2016 rates.

Twin Share: $2,695. Does not include $45 port fee or airport transfers. You can travel alone & they’ll assign a same gender room mate, unless you pay a 65% single supplement. Up to 25 - 27 dives?

You can sometimes get a 10 night for the 7 night rate deal; nitrox is more expensive for 10 nights.

Going with 2016 7 day rates, ignoring the added cost night dive option with the land-based options, cost per dive comes out to:

Cayman Aggressor: Let’s throw in $45 port fee, and at a wild guess maybe $40 for ground transport? So, $2,695 becomes $2,790.

Cayman Aggressor: $103.33/Dive for 27 dives, $111.60/Dive for 25 dives.

LCBR: $130.34/Dive.

CBBR: $101.47/Dive.

Note: LCBR is sometimes lauded as the best diving in the Caribbean (if you speak of Bloody Bay Wall and Jackson’s Bight), with Cayman Brac close behind, and Grand Cayman good-to-very good but behind the other 2, so the implied assumption all dives are equal doesn’t hold water.

Note #2: I don't know whether shuttle charges or port fees are involved with the 2 land-based resorts.

More Notes:

1.) Flights to Little Cayman or Cayman Brac can involve a ‘puddle jumper’ flight from Grand Cayman, but Cayman Air offers direct from Miami to Cayman Brac flights. The Cayman Aggressor docks at Grand Cayman. So your airfare for the destinations will vary a bit. Kathy V. noted flights to Little Cayman can book up, so be wary you don’t book LCBR with no way to reach it!

2.) With up to 5 dives/day, plan to dive nitrox on the live-aboard, and pay a $100 upcharge.

3.) Specials/Sales can make a major difference. In 2016 I caught a ’31% off, 31 years in business’ Aggressor fleet deal, knocking $2,695 down to $1,832.60. Sometimes you can get a ’10 nights for the price of 7’ deal on the Aggressor. I’ve heard of a sweet CBBR deal after the remodel.

4.) Time of year (e.g.: high season vs. low season) can affect costs at some places.

5.) Grand Cayman has so much more to do topside that viewing it solely as a collection of dive sites misses part of the point. It’s so large and diverse that where you stay geographically (e.g.: northwest vs. the east) has a big impact on both diving and access to topside attractions.

 

[scubadada]

I thought I was obsessive compulsive about planning my dive trips, but, Richard wins this hands down