I've done three trips on the CE I on three different itineraries (Saba/Statia in '01, Turks & Caicos in '03 and Bahamas in '07). She is definitely top-heavy as the upper staterooms were added later in life. It was a nice boat to dive from. I'll always remember the giant-stride entry (a giant leap for mankind!) with about ten feet of freeboard to cover before hitting the water.
Say goodbye to the Caribbean Explorer I
- Thread starter Papa_Bear
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Damselfish
Contributor
AFAIK the T&C Explorer isn't changing. The CE2 will be splitting between Bahamas and Eastern Caribbean (the Saba route.)
OP
Papa_Bear
Contributor
At night it looks even further! LOL
scubafanatic
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The Juliet did not leave the Bahamas because the diving is in decline.
They left because their customers are 80-90% repeat business and those customers want to go to new destinations.
I'd like to quote a 10/1/08 e-mail my local travel agent sent me :
"I talked to the captain today and he said the diving there was wonderful, biggest reason they left the Bahamas.
He is really excited about starting the charter there!"
...she's quoting the captain of the JULIET about why they've abandoned the Bahamas and moved to Puerto Rico...so apparently it ...IS... because Bahamas diving has declined.
Karl
I was on the boat with John Beltramo who owns the Juliet and there are others here on SB that will back me up on my version (if you find it that important
). He said the business plan had always been to develop the repeat clientele and keep them booked by taking them to new places. In the end, it doesn't why they left except that there are now two fewer liveaboards in the Bahamas.
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scubafanatic
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I was on the boat with John Beltramo who owns the Juliet and there are others here on SB that will back me up on my version (if you find it that important
In the end, it doesn't why they left except that there are now two fewer liveaboards in the Bahamas.
Hi Brian,
...I don't have any reason to doubt your story...however, I also think what I reported Captain John as having said reveals another reason JULIET has moved...yeah sure, 'variety is the spice of life', but I doubt JULIET is walking away from great Bahamas diving ...I noticed a dramatic decline/collapse in fish/animal life between summer '04 (JULIET) and summer '07 (CE I), and it would be irresponsible for JULIET to ruin their reputation and continue dive ops in such a diminished location.
...as a side note, I went to Co Co View/Roatan summer of '05 and noticed a similar almost complete absence of fish/animal life there too...in both places it was spooky/errie to see to witness a completely empty ocean.
Karl
There are far too many places where the fish are being wiped out. :depressed:
I experienced the same thing in Grand Cayman. Many people told me it was because I was there shortly after Ivan passed through but I went back a year ago and it was still just as desolate. We have more fish here in SE Florida by a huge margin.
OP
Papa_Bear
Contributor
I guess Beauty is in the eye of the beholder! I have no problem finding critters, Fish, Turtles, Sharks, and all the regulars in the Bahamas! Maybe it is where your going (Dive sites) or the number of divers in the water scaring away everything? I thought this last trip was one of the better ones for healthy reefs and critters? I haven't noticed much of a change in the last 8 years except maybe improvement in a number of places including Roatan! Roatan has really come cack from the 1990's! Lots of fish and even sea Horses! I would suggest you dive with a better DM? Most divers have done the same old thing and the dollars are getting harder to attract so many are changing the trips to get the "New trip" bunch! There is a problem in the Exumas and its not enough big storms! GC will and is just fine
Damselfish
Contributor
hmm, so they just sent out another newsletter saying they "unexpectedly" sold the Nimrod in Australia in early October. (However does one "unexpectedly" sell a boat?) And they will have a new boat in the Galapagos the Humboldt Explorer. Now I wonder what they did with the Galapagos Eco Explorer.
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