Horrible Service - Seafari Princess Haleema and Seafari Explorer Sinking!

[Maverick17]

based on B2B ethics in the industry we are not able to give our personal evaluation of a liveaboard

Can you explain this a bit more please? I have never booked any liveaboard, with you or anywhere else, so it's not meant to be accusatory, I just don't understand this comment you made very well. But it kind of sounds like you are saying the boat is your client, not the diver, so you have to do what the boat says even if you know it isn't true.

 

[outofofficebrb]

Can you explain this a bit more please? I have never booked any liveaboard, with you or anywhere else, so it's not meant to be accusatory, I just don't understand this comment you made very well. But it kind of sounds like you are saying the boat is your client, not the diver, so you have to do what the boat says even if you know it isn't true.

It sounds like they are not able to convey any bias by speak negatively of one liveaboard or another. They can probably only advise customers of which itineraries or boats will suit their budgets and needs but not sway them in any way to book with one boat over another given their personal opinions or assessment beyond what meets the needs of a potential dive customer.

It looks and sounds like this boat has never had a dry dock and does not go under annual maintenance or any maintenance at all. I've been on many liveaboards and that photo of the peeling wallpaper is very disturbing. If an area that is frequented by guests and very visible is looking that dilapidated, what about the areas that guests do not see? How is their upkeep of their compressor, the filters, the engine room, the kitchen? What do the crew quarters look like? I very much enjoy the crew and care about their well-being as well. I keep in touch with many of them after disembarking.

 

[KathyV]

I forgot one more thing. The air in the tank smelled heavily of plastic which concerned me. Nobody onboard seemed to be worried though...

...That poor chap that I know of who was on the Maldives Princess earlier this year shared a photo that he said was taken on the Maldives Princess. That photo is attached. I think the photo is consistent with the 2 reviews on Dive Booker...

...It looks and sounds like this boat has never had a dry dock and does not go under annual maintenance or any maintenance at all. I've been on many liveaboards and that photo of the peeling wallpaper is very disturbing. If an area that is frequented by guests and very visible is looking that dilapidated, what about the areas that guests do not see? How is their upkeep of their compressor, the filters, the engine room, the kitchen? What do the crew quarters look like? I very much enjoy the crew and care about their well-being as well. I keep in touch with many of them after disembarking.

I am most concerned about the comment that the air in the tank smelled like plastic, that would scare me more than any peeling wallpaper! I would be interested to learn what @DandyDon would advise in that situation - when you are on a liveaboard you don't have many options, but here is what DAN has to say about detecting odors in breathing air:

https://www.diversalertnetwork.org/diving-incidents/Post-Dive-Symptoms-Possibly-Caused-by-Gas-Contamination-

“…Checking breathing gas quality before diving rather than only when symptoms occur during or after a dive is best practice to prevent contamination related injuries. Divers can incorporate practices into their predive safety check to help prevent injuries and illness related to breathing gas contamination. For instance, opening the valve on the scuba tank to smell and taste the gas flowing through the regulator is one way to detect bad breathing gas. If your breathing gas has an unusual odor or taste, do not dive with it - this is a red flag for oil or hydrocarbon contamination from the compressor or combustion engine exhaust. It is important to remember that not all contaminants can be detected this way; CO for example, is odorless and tasteless. The diver in Case 2 conducted a predive check and did not notice any unusual odor or taste, but still experienced symptoms possibly related to contamination. For this reason, electronic CO detectors or products such as CO-PROTM can be used to detect the presence of CO in breathing gas. Using a CO detector instead of a buddy to confirm contamination also prevents others from being exposed to CO. Personal CO detectors are especially important in remote locations where gas analysis services from accredited laboratories is not an option and medical evaluation is not easily accessible.”

 

[JHC]

FYI the Maldives Princess is NOT the Princess Haleema! As bad as my experience was with the Haleema it did NOT have peeling panels/wall paper.

The Princess Haleema is run by Seafari.

At any rate on the last day of the trip the French Dive guide mentioned that the boat did sink and they were preparing to salavage it, maybe it only sank in shallow water after all it did hit a reef. If i ran my boat a ground and was in danger of sinking it I would try my best to beach it so that it wasn't a total loss. Also he said that they had leased a replacement boat for it. That was all the info I was given.

At any rate i got sh!t service, was lied to on many occassions even though i knew the truth (they didn't know that at the time), carbon monoxide issues in one cabin, flying termites in another and a strong plastic smell out of my tank.

Keep in mind I had no problems with Dive Booker. They did their jobs and gave me good service. It's Seafari that deserves all the blame and my anger in this case!

 

[DandyDon]

I am most concerned about the comment that the air in the tank smelled like plastic, that would scare me more than any peeling wallpaper! I would be interested to learn what @DandyDon would advise in that situation

Same thing I always say about tank air: Test for CO yourself, every tank, regardless. I can't smell hardly anything these days, simply olfaction challenged, but if I did - I'd reject the tank and the operator. Easier said than done after traveling to dive, more so on a liveaboard - but if you want to live to dive another day...?!

Sensorcon is currently offering 20% off and free shipping on new CO alarms. Use PROMO CODE: SPRING2018 at checkout, shopping at Sensorcon

I wouldn't travel or overnight without the basic model at least, and you can leave them turned on to monitor for two years, plus you can use various methods to test tanks. One diver is using a dome from an Analox tank tester to test straight from tanks, as it fits the Sensorcon.

 

[outofofficebrb]

Same thing I always say about tank air: Test for CO yourself, every tank, regardless. I can't smell hardly anything these days, simply olfaction challenged, but if I did - I'd reject the tank and the operator. Easier said than done after traveling to dive, more so on a liveaboard - but if you want to live to dive another day...?!

Sensorcon is currently offering 20% off and free shipping on new CO alarms. Use PROMO CODE: SPRING2018 at checkout, shopping at Sensorcon

I wouldn't travel or overnight without the basic model at least, and you can leave them turned on to monitor for two years, plus you can use various methods to test tanks. One diver is using a dome from an Analox tank tester to test straight from tanks, as it fits the Sensorcon.

I'm very intrigued by this. What model do you have? I'd love to get one at 20% off for travel. If I have a flow restrictor that attaches to my LP hose, can I use that to test CO in my tank as I analyze my nitrox? Also, do you have to replace the sensor like you do on nitrox analyzers? How often?

Any information you have is greatly appreciated!

Thanks!

 

[DandyDon]

What model do you have?

I use the basic CO Inspector for day to day monitoring, in my car, travels, overnight stays, etc. and as backup for my Cootwo nitrox CO tester. Many do use it as their only tank tester tho, and it can suffice in that role.

If I have a flow restrictor that attaches to my LP hose, can I use that to test CO in my tank as I analyze my nitrox?

I don't know what your flow restrictor is like so I can't answer that, but probably not. The intake is round and 1/4" diameter I think, and some divers have adapted low flow hoses to fit, but for my one trip a year - I use a gallon ziplock to trap tank air with the alarm already inside. If you do a Titles Search for Sensorcon, you can find a few threads with various discussions.

Also, do you have to replace the sensor like you do on nitrox analyzers? How often?

I don't really know the life expectancy of the sensor, but for a $139 unit ($111 today with promo) with a two year battery life - not worried. You could get reliable answers calling or writing Phone: 1-716-566-2728 - Email: sales@sensorcon.com

If you had demanding needs, you'd need to return it for calibration: $39 every six months. I just don't think that is needed for personal use. I know the sensor will drift a little over two years, but not tremendously. If the reading is 0 or 1 ppm, that's close enough for me even allowing for a little drift. If 10 ppm, reject the tank, as it's in the dangerous zone even with drift. Between those two, set the tank aside for a shallow shore dive. Over 10 ppm, find a new operator.

 

[Divebooker.com]

Can you explain this a bit more please? I have never booked any liveaboard, with you or anywhere else, so it's not meant to be accusatory, I just don't understand this comment you made very well. But it kind of sounds like you are saying the boat is your client, not the diver, so you have to do what the boat says even if you know it isn't true.

We are happy to advise our client to go with one liveaboard or another in personal conversations. Our advice is based on client's personal preferences and needs as well as our experience working with those particular suppliers. On the same time we are not able to give our negative opinion publicly.

 

[Divebooker.com]

Thank you for your response, were there any passengers onboard the Seafari Explorer during the incident and were any injuries reported? I am not asking you to disclose confidential specific details, but as a liveaboard diver, the general information is important to me.

Yes, there were guests onboard during an incident, all are safe, no injuries reported. The loss of personal equipment had place, however everything was fully reimbursed.

 

[JHC]

Yes the hitting the reef incident and subsequent sinking.