Too old and soft for a Blackbeard trip?

[Ron G.]

Vanduse...

This was a promotional price that expired on 9/27/08. It did include December trips.

It was listed under "Promotions" on their website www.NektonCruises.com. I can't get their website to load right now, but you can check there when it's back up. (Given the bad news in the financial markets, I won't be surprised if the come back with a similar deal soon.)

Ron

 

[robint]

Vanduse...

This was a promotional price that expired on 9/27/08. It did include December trips.

It was listed under "Promotions" on their website www.NektonCruises.com. I can't get their website to load right now, but you can check there when it's back up. (Given the bad news in the financial markets, I won't be surprised if the come back with a similar deal soon.)

Ron

looks like they still have a special, just not as much off as before:
Promotions- Mona Island
$400 off Mona Island

$300 off St/Croix
http://www.nektoncruises.com/Specials/Promotions/PromotionsPRStCroix/tabid/364/Default.aspx

 

[vanduse1]

looks like they still have a special, just not as much off as before:
Promotions- Mona Island
$400 off Mona Island

$300 off St/Croix
Promotions - PR & St.Croix

Ron,

I finally got the website to come up as well. I talked with reservations and they said the $600 had expired on Friday.

Like you said, I would think there would be some discounts with the economy the way it is sometime soon. I am in no rush so I think I will hold out for now.

Thanks,
Dan

 

[Scubasteve1982]

I did a blackbeards trip solo this past June and loved it. I'm 26 and was the youngest except for 3 others. I'd say the average age was about 45. With some in there 50's and maybe one or two 60's. Other than the first night and the Bimini night no one drank to the point of being trashed. Personally I like to party but found that I was way to tired to drink much while out on the water. 4 dives a day is enough to put me to sleep without any drinks. I probably had 2 drinks a night. There were very few people that ever got drunk. Thankfully I didn't witness any nudity while I was on the boat. The reason I say "thankfully" is that we only had 2 females on the boat.

I'd say BB is the way to go if your looking to dive dive dive. BB is the best bang for the buck. The food is great and plentiful. The crew is friendly and fun. It's not a 5 star hotel its a dive boat. Its for diving and having fun. And diving = fun for me.

 

[Ron G.]

I came close to giving Blackbeard a try, but decided that Nekton's promotional pricing is just not that much more. Then, when you consider that BB is a six night trip, compared to seven for Nekton. Also, BB says they do 3-4 dives per day, while Nekton does 4-5 per day.

Bottom line, I think my price per dive is about the same (or less) on Nekton, with dramatically nicer on-board facilities.

Don't get me wrong, I'm not expecting Nekton to be the luxury boat that others offer....but, it certainly looks 'way more comfortable than BB.

BB certainly has many proponents. In fact, I just saw (here, I think) an ad for a trip on BB that is very, very reasonable. Then, I think again about the difference between the two boats and this is something that I'm willing to pay a bit more for (even though I'm a very thrifty guy).

Having said that, if a group of friends were gonna go on a BB trip, I could probably be talked into it....to share the "camping at sea" experience. If I'm making the call, though, I want a real bedroom, private shower, and an awning on deck.

Ron

 

[WetCell]

I'm thinking seriously about going on .a Blackbeard trip in November. or December.

I'm wondering, though, if it might be just too spartan for me. I saw someone's photos and their boat looked very uncomfortable. I wasn't surprised to see the cramped sleeping quarters. I was surprised to see the deck of the boat had no awning, and only very simple, straight-backed seating.

I think I'd like the frequent dives, but I'd want to be able to hang out somewhere where I could relax, read, etc., other than my tiny bunk.

Also, the photos I saw showed participants much younger than my 59 years.

Any thoughts?

Ron

This post struck me on so many levels. I remember when my wife (of 34 years now) and I were in Rome in our 20's and circumstance forced us into the Holiday Inn Roma and not the hostel where we were scheduled to spend the night. I was in shock over the nightly rate at the time, but my wife was literally in heaven. Now I would not consider staying there since I have moved on to Crowne Plazas when I travel with her. My son and I joked about how she would not have even stepped into the room of the "Ponce De Leon Motor Lodge" where we stayed while we got certified at Vortex this summer. Of course, we were there to dive and learn, but still the room had a comfy king and free wi-fi. The reality is that I now expect a certain level of comfort and my idea of roughing it at 55 is significantly different from the way I saw it at 25. I have even commented that I put personal convenience and comfort above performance--this is why I have Zeagle EZ-travel fins. They float, they fit like slippers and they are about half the size of regular fins--what's the hurry for God's sake?

Accept the fact that you are no longer a seal and probably more like an old walrus. Take the luxury dive package--you earned it. Besides, the probability of a 50+ male dying on a dive cruise is much higher than a 20-something male. Enjoy it while you can.

 

[Bobby T]

Ron When you get back from Scuba Club Cozumel let me know how it was. I am heading to Coz in January and am considering Scuba Club. Just my wife and I - going to spend 4/5 days in Coz and 4/5 days in eithr Playa or Cancun. Thanks!

Bob Tarantino
rtarantino@wi.rr.com