Couple of Aquacat questions

[ncchuck]

Gee whiz Papa Bear. I've had several operators tell me their employees don't make a real salary because they (the owner) expects the employees to be "paid" by tips. When no divers are around and all the maintenance work needs to be done (which is much harder and less rewarding than working with guests) the crew gets little to live on. This is just crazy and all us American tippers (yes I do) just keep this scheme going. Many countries including some very large westernized ones just don't tip as it's not in their culture. The system of paying crew from tips only is inherently unfair to the crew and the divers. The only people it benefits ae the dive operations owners.
All this being said, I have no idea how to fix it so I just keep on tipping but I try not to criticize divers that don't like it and feel the system is screwed up.

 

[Papa_Bear]

Then get another job! It is what the employee is willing to do! My point is tipping is up to you regardless of so called pressure..... The diving public will not always pay 10% to 20% more for the advertised price and with competition what it is? I also must tell you the tip is not just for the DMs it is for the House Mouse, Cooks, and behind the scene people!

 

[cmaha76]

I don't really care about having a DM in the water. My wife/dive buddy and I prefer to do our own thing anyway. My favorites are when they put a DM in the water and you have the option to follow them or do your own thing. It seems like 80% of the folks will follow leaving us to do our own thing without the crowd.

Glad to see that some of the excursions are fit in around the diving.

 

[Papa_Bear]

Aqua Cat does just that! They put a DM in and you can follow or do your own thing! They become more lax about it later in the week if the group demonstrates good skills! If you notice the DM on every dive time to look inward!

 

[scubafanatic]

Get a life, first they are in the Bahamas and a lot of them are not even US citizens! So climb down from your high horse and chill! It is a service industry Mr. Cheapo and that's how it works! So now you want the citizens of other countries working out of the USA to pay us taxes? Obama needs you as a Czar!

...I'm amazed I actually have to spell this out......most countries have personal income taxes and CITIZENS need to pay those taxes to the APPROPRIATE country......paying people in pure untraceable cash = tax evasion !

....which reminds me, I need to go burn some free, pirated .....Twotankedproductions DVD's....'cause, afterall, that's how 'it works'.....the way of the world, I mean. Dive ops/boats stealing crew 'labor' to fatten their own bottom line......someone stealing intellectual property...what's the difference......stealing is stealing...it's all good, right ?

 

[Papa_Bear]

WOW, your off the rail! First you haven't a clue as to how taxation works here let alone in other countries! No one is stealing a thing, unless it is you stealing their time! Look up VAT and that is how it works in the Bahamas! Next it they are US citizens their out of country income is exempt up to 80 grand! So unless your the Secretary of the Treasury (Tax cheat) you should look things up before you accuse people of breaking laws! It is amazing what people will do to make themselves feel better about being CHEAP!

 

[TravisD]

We did the Aquacat in 2008 - only Liveaboard (so far!) but didn't feel the pressure to Tip was overbearing. In our case, we had pre-paid the tip since we got a special deal on the trip (auction prize). They settle up on the last day and mentioned tip, but it wasn't high pressure. They did explain it to some non-US folks who asked, since they're not used to tipping. Again, wasn't a pressure thing.


Beers, there were two local microbrews which were good. Honestly, nobody did much drinking though!

Cabins: We were in 10, wich was great since it has a double(?) bed and a single - slept on the double and used the single for clothes and such. About the only thing that 3 people might not enjoy so much is the storage space, but if you follow the "half the clothes, twice the money" rule, it shouldn't be a problem. To be honest, I think I used the in-room shower like twice during the week. With the hot-water showers on the dive deck, that took care of that most of the time.

Clips and maybe a travel clothes line might be nice for hanging up bathing suits in-between dives. They dry quick in the airconditioned rooms, but it's nice to always be able to rotate to a dry one after each dive. There's clothes lines over the dive stations for towels and such, never really felt that things were in danger of blowing off. They supply hangers and hanging rails for wetsuits. On the last day when you take everything upstairs to the top deck to dry before packing, some clips would be nice.

There's a couple of places close by, including the bar at the marina ( I think they serve food). We walked over to Atlantis too just to see the place (you can walk right in, don't bother paying the fee for the "tour"). Don't think we ate there though. On the last day most of us got a couple of cabs and went into town to a great Chinese place - can't remember the name though. The cabbies were friendly and happy to meet us back after for the ride home so we didn't have to find a ride.

Excursion wise, they were frequently *begging* to let you take them on excursions. There's enough staff where there's almost always someone free (usually the 1st mate) to take off somewhere to fish, see an island, etc. The Marine park and the Lizards were the two main ones that definitely happened. No excursions during the "washing machine" drift dives since they want all hands on deck to get people in the water quickly. Even the Engineer helped on that one.

I agree that they don't tend to "lead" dives, but there is always at least one DM in the water with you, and usually 3 (one shooting stills, one video). I'm sure if someone asked they would be happy accommodate.

For us, it was probably one of the best trips we've ever take, and will definitely go that one again.

 

[Wil]

My wife and I were on AquaCat a few years ago. We've done a few liveaboards and AquaCat ranks very high on the list!

We had cabin #5 and selected it because it's not next to the ladderwell to the machinery spaces or exterior access doors. I don't think the after cabins were much of a problem but it's habit when I look to selecting liveaboard accomodations. Talking with the other guests, there were no complaints and only compliments about the staterooms.

My thoughts and recommendations;
- You'll be in bathing suits, tee shirts, and shorts the whole time. Pack something else for your trip home or hanging around Atlantis before/after your underway period.
- Sun screen's a must, hat too. Don't bring a towel, they've got them for the stateroom and some for the dive/sun deck.
- Wet suits or skins? A decision for you to make. We used 2mm and sometimes just the dive skin. Bring a pair of gloves to protect your hands.
- The shore excursions are really the Exumas Marine Park. Take the hike and enjoy! Or relax on the park beach.
- You'll be doing ALOT of diving. I advise to bring Qtips and a swimmers ear solution. You can make your own with a 50-50 mix of rubbing alcohol and vinegar. Don't need much but an ear infection can really dampen the holiday.
- Save-a-Dive kit. Bring rechargeble batteries for your lights and the charger (label the charger with your name). Bring spare, and fresh, batteries for your dive computer. You're going to have the thing on almost all day for five days. Don't let a low battery give you concern. Bring a couple of each type for your computers, displays, and cameras. Two spare fin straps (yep two, when one goes the other is right behind it), a mask strap, and anything else you need for your setup.
- We had dive seats next to the Camera table. Doing it again, I'd select the ones outboard. They're closer to the dive ladder access.
- Bring you dive log to record each of your dives, you'll remember wher eand when you dived what. You'll be surprised how much diving you'll do.
- Enjoy the night dives! You'll not get lost and you'll see so much more. Ask one of the DM to go with you, (hint) they like to dive too and are more than willing to "help you out". This applies to any liveaboard you take.
- They'll arrange for Taxi delivery of you and your gear to/from the airport. It's a +30 minute ride with a few stops along the way for other hotels. The crew will meet you at the dock, help you stow your gear and give advice on where to go if you're heading out that evening. We arrived late (airline delay) and I was very thankful the crew took care of us when we arrived pierside.
- Advice on Atlantis is right on the mark. There's lots of shops and restaurants nearby, you'll have no trouble you last night finding things to do.
- Food is great onboard and the staff did a fantastic job taking care of the divers.
- Captain Mark Bailey did a wonderful job positioning the ship, looking our for our safety, and managing our schedule based on the weather.
- Ahhh, lastly, the tipping discussion. The crew works hard for your enjoyment. There's the cooks and housekeeping that you rarely see, the Engineer who makes fresh water, electricity, the AC, the Dive Masters who ensure your safety and comfort, the maintenance they do to the ship while you're not around in order to make sure everything looks great and works perfect. Being a Captain (U.S. Navy) I can tell you there's a lot that goes into running a vessel, a lot you never see and take for granted. The tips are for those folks, the ones who made your vacation enjoyable. Take care of them, they took care of you.

The most important thing is have a fun and safe time. If you need anything from the crew ask them or the Captain.

Safe Diving,
Wil