LDS Trip Pricing Out of Sight

[leadweight]

(Kind of a) Disclaimer: There are other options on Roatan. You could sleep in a hammock and buy your dives from Paulo's Dive Shack and Taxi Repair.

Actually, I am going to Utila next week and doing something like that.

One way to avoid a lot of the work in planning a trip is to use a specialty dive travel agent like Island Dreams, World of Diving, or Caradonna to name a few that I used with satisfaction. They are often the least expensive way to go.

I understand that if you lead trips for a dive shop this is not the kind of thing you want to hear. But, just because it is not what you want to hear does not make it into a whine.

 

[cowboyneal]

Too many "freebies" built into that pricing if you ask me. When I do a trip everyone (including me) pays the same, so everyone gets to take advantage of the group pricing (since they are...errrrrr....ahhhh...uhhhhh....part of the group?). I guess that's just me though (and a few others). It's really not that hard to put a trip together that you should make a free trip for making a few internet inquiries and etc. It's all pretty much done for you. I find it better to spread the wealth, which makes everyone happy. Sometimes if there is a villa involved or something, I take the preferred room or whatever for my troubles (which no one has ever even cared about or argued about at that point).

CN

 

[mike_s]

I've been on LDS shop trips and the same place on my own.

I can say that LDS trips typically cost more some of the time.

However, I don't think they are really making money on the trip but simiply covering their costs. Especially since they tend to send at least one employee on the trip with them.

Also additional costs are included in the LDS Group cost that you don't see in the up front cost of doing it yourself.
A perfect example is tax. There is tax on boat trips, air fills, tank rentals that add to the cost. This adds on average 6-9% depending on where your trip is. There is also a lodging tax on hotel/resort accomadations. This ranges from 10% to 17% for this portion of the trip.

Don't forget that sometimes other things such as meals, coolers of soft drinks, etc are included on the group trips. One nice thing that one of our LDS's does is carry your luggage/dive-gear to south Florida so you don't have to check it on the airplane. That's nice because it's waiting on you when you get there. So there's definately some "value add" in some LDS trips.

 

[oly5050user]

I run trips thru my LDS and usually the cost is the same or less than what the consumer can usually get..I book trips 5/6 months early and during any trade show/DEMA specials.We may add on $50. to $75. to cover costs(time,tee shirts,etc)..we do not add $ to pay for any staff to go "free"..Staff pays for airfare out of pocket or out of commission earned on land portion of trip.We offer free open water training dives or advance course or nitrox course for those on trip.

 

[wilkie]

I have been on "guided" group trips, and have also booked my own. Both ways have very real advantages, as I think the group trip advantages have been pretty well covered, I will speak to the book your own option.
Advantages of booking your own:

Flexibility, in each area of the trip; a "group" of one to four can be light on its feet.
Travel: use of air miles, choice of routes, perfered method of travel, dates, how long you stay, returns.
Acomidations: choices, not mandates; even on the fly-if you dislike what you have booked, something can be worked out- or you can seek lodging elsewhere.
Diving: chouse your dive op., change your dive op, change again..Dive where You want, When You want, dive as mutch, or little as You want.
Pick your own buddies: not put up with whoever "signed up" for the trip.
Having said this, self guided trips ase not the best for all, if you do so, you must take responsibility for yourself, both above and below water.
It's your call, do it like a dive plan-ok!!

 

[scubadobadoo]

I find the LDS trips here in NYC average 2x what it would cost me to travel to most of the places they visit. For example, one shop is going to Roatan for a week and the cost is 2200 bucks per person. I am also going to Roatan and staying at the same place about the same time and the cost for both my Wife and I is 3100 bucks and that is including everything in the budget from cabs to the airport and tips and gifts for friends and the dog sitter and more. SO 4400 vs. 3100. You do the math. That's a DUI dry suit. If my LDS charged less like some of yours seem to charge, then I might go with them once in a while. At any rate, diving with a large group of once a year divers sounds like hell to me any way. For that, they should pay me the 1300 extra they charge for the same trip.

 

[seaangel]

Just my 2 cents here. I don't know about the other groups that go from LDS, ours does two land based week long trips a year somewhere most years. I have been involved in 3 of them and I am about to go on my fourth with them.

Yes, they are large groups usually. Are they made up of only once a year divers, not really. We may have one or two in the group that only go on this trip annually, but the other 95% of us dive year round. I have never felt that I was in a group of unsafe, or bumbling newbie divers. Prehaps that is because we all have been through the same
training and had excellent dive instructors.

I feel that we have very competent divers in our group and the leaders as well as instructors are always there with us too. They are not there to baby us or baby sit, we are fully certified and they expect us to be diving as such.

If there is someone in the group that has not been diving for quite awhile they are required to do a refresher or go to the shop and use the pool to refamiliarize themselves.

I have been on both group planned and planned my own, generally the dive shop is more expensive but I really enjoy my friends that I have made by travelling with them.
Cindy

 

[oly5050user]

I find the LDS trips here in NYC average 2x what it would cost me to travel to most of the places they visit. For example, one shop is going to Roatan for a week and the cost is 2200 bucks per person. I am also going to Roatan and staying at the same place about the same time and the cost for both my Wife and I is 3100 bucks and that is including everything in the budget from cabs to the airport and tips and gifts for friends and the dog sitter and more. SO 4400 vs. 3100. You do the math. That's a DUI dry suit. If my LDS charged less like some of yours seem to charge, then I might go with them once in a while. At any rate, diving with a large group of once a year divers sounds like hell to me any way. For that, they should pay me the 1300 extra they charge for the same trip.

I don't know what facility you looked at for Roatan but we are a facility located in NY and a week in Roatan off the top of my head ,should be in neighborhood of a low of $1,200 to $$1600.We currently have a 8 day trip to Little Cayman listed at $2,100.Includes airfare,breakfast ,dinner,morning boat dives,afternoon boat dives,unlimited beach dives.There probably be a max of 12 going and we have 2 instr's going.We just did a big trip to Costa Rica with a group of 35..Yes there are some once a year divers on these trips,but most dive more frequentliy.The once a year people dive with the instr or local dms.Quite a few of our group are uw photographers and are no problem.

 

[scubadobadoo]

I have had more fun on the trips I have not made with a dive shop group. First, it is more expensive. secondly, you have less freedom and flexibility, third, there are always a higher percentage of whiners in a "group" than what you find in the population that will figure it out on their own. You will not be alone, because there are people at the destinations and in general, it is very easy to make friends with people at those sorts of places. The few hundred dollar discount you get leading a tour is not worth listening to the lady complain every night at dinner about the mold in some corner of her room. Just my opinion....

I have done two trips to Palau as a " leader" (sort of) and two without. The two without were vacations and a blast. The other two were two weeks of being around 20% people I would never choose to spend five minutes with. Unlike real life, you can't make a polite excuse and duck them. The majority of the people were fantastic, but you always get those few that are just not who you want to vacation with. I felt a little like one of those farm dogs they tie the dead chicken around his neck to try and convince him to not to kill the hens.

Like the previous poster said, if you put together a group of your own friends and call the destination operator...you can usually get a deal.

Of course, then there are the people who would not want to be stuck with me....I don't do live-aboards out of my empathy for those people. Two-three days, I think I can be okay. A week? on a boat? I know better than subject anyone to that.


Don't do a group tour for a discount, only do it because you want to be WITH the people going. (how can you ever know that, signing up anything but last?)

By buddies say I am sounding jaded.....sorry just spent a day with some loud profanity and keep imagining having her on my trip.

I agree 100%. Especially in my case because some NYC shops charge even more than what some of you guys are charging or being charged. Some of your LDS's seem to be offering pretty decent deals, assuming you like the people you are travelling with. Not my LDS. Manhattan prices and Manhattan bank accounts. :mooner:

However, as some have posted, it's not just about price. I was in Bonaire last week and a large group was at Buddy Dive. Mostly new divers. You know the divers that wear those 1 foot knives on their legs in a marine park because their LDS sold it to them and kick coral all the time. At one point this group of 25 all came up to me to see what I was taking a macro picture of on the Buddy Reef. I assume they thought I was their guide since I was the only one in the group not kicking coral or myself. 25 divers always mucking up the calm serinity of whatever dive site they visit. These are the same divers that ask if they can bring a spear gun into the marine park at the orientation and smoke and drink every minute they aren't in the water. The same group that won't shut up about politics at dinner. The same group that won't shut up and let the orientation start. The list goes on and on...Pure hell! If this isn't your group then good for you and don't take offense. If you are taking offense then you should ask if you were at Buddy Dive last week, lol.:lol:

Now I realize that not all groups (and probably most) aren't like this. But I have seen my fair share of these groups to avoid them. SO, how hard can it be to call up Anthony's Key or Coco View and book a week? "Hello, we would like to stay with you for a week. Here's my credit card number." WOW THAT WAS HARD! And it didn't cost me $1300 more like it would with my LDS. It's an all-inclusive for crying out loud. What planning?

Again, if you like going in a large group then have at it and I hope you have fun. Some people feel more comfy with a group leader and with groups of divers to meet and that's cool. It's just not for all people and with all groups. I prefer my dive vacation with some serenity and also enjoy the planning and research stages, some don't and that's cool too. Hey, who cares as long as you have fun!:sappy:

 

[Drewpy]

Scubadoobadoo I couldnt agree more-my sentiments exactly!
If I want to travel and dive in a herd Ill take a cruise ship!
My experiences with groups at resorts have not been pleasant either...?!:shakehead
I just came back from Bonaire as well 4/7-4/22 and choose to avoid the large resorts for that very reason!

Its interesting to hear everyones take on this subject....to each his own!

Drew