I dont normally post on this board but, I'd like to warn all divers and cruise ship passengers of the Underwater Safari dive operation in St.Thomas USVI.
Do NOT allow your ships shore director to book your dive with Underwater Safari in St.Thomas. Cancel your dive if they do so!! ..Dont waste your hard earned money at Underwater Safari.
The management/owners(Michelle) are just flat out rude and COMPLETELY disrespectful. This "cattle boat" operation needs to be shut down.
I'm shocked that respectable cruise lines like Carnival and RCCL would do business with such people.
We were on a 10 day trip to St.Thomas with some friends who booked dives with Underwater Safari. Little did we know that we would be railroaded to the SAME dive site for 3 straight days (Buck Island) and treated like cattle. When we asked if their were other dive sites to see, we were promptly told no, and if we didnt like it then we should have done more research before booking our dives. Our friends who where traveling with us booked the dives and were unaware of this as well.
After the second day, we called 4 times, yes 4 TIMES in the same day, to try and talk to someone about canceling our other dives only to be told that they were to busy to talk to us on the phone and that they would have to call us back. No one ever called us back after waiting all day. And when we finally called them again for the 5th time the next day, the lady from the shop knew nothing about anything related to the day to day operations, scheduling or diving in general. What the ?..... absolutely no help at all. At this point we're feeling like these people have just taken our money and ran.
Our friends that were traveling with us called and spoke with a women named Michelle?, claiming to be an owner or manager of the shop, and was just completely rude and disrespectful. She was absolutely no help at all. Saying there's nothing she could do or offer us and its just tough sh* t. Then she just rushed us off the phone. I guess because she's so busy and has no time for people who are not making her money right this second.
Their dive site is nothing but big rocks covered in fire coral and a big piece of bent up metal they call a "shipwreck"...? Once we got back to the dock our boat driver was yelled at for 10 minutes in front of the whole boat of customers by whom I assume was the owner Michelle. She yelled at him for being late getting back to the dock and among other things. We actually felt sorry for the guy as everyone could see this lady rules with an iron fist and all the employees live in fear of her. What a great way to run a business...?
Also, they passed around a completely blank sheet of paper on a clipboard on the way back into the dock, asking everyone to write comments down about their "service" or dives. I, like most people, wouldn't feel comfortable being singled out in front of everyone else on the boat if I DID write a bad comment on the sheet and then made to explain myself in front of everyone, or cause a scene. This is not a legitimate way to get real comments or criticisms for a business, when others can see whose writing what and whose unhappy when running the risk of being singled out for writing a negative comment. Someone on the boat mentioned they probably have to do this to counter all the complaints they get from people who complain to the cruise lines...? Interesting point and makes sense too. hmmm....
After talking to some of the other divers on board that were from cruise ships, I feel sorry for them being dropped into this place. And then told they dont have a choice of dive operators or dive sites.
In conclusion, avoid this place at all cost. I would never give my money to an operation like this. Dont let the cruise line shore director push this dive operation on you because its cheap, easy and convenient for them. Its appalling the level of disrespect for their customers and uncaring attitude portrayed by this operation all the way up to the owner herself.
Enjoy your vacation and book elsewhere.
Do NOT allow your ships shore director to book your dive with Underwater Safari in St.Thomas. Cancel your dive if they do so!! ..Dont waste your hard earned money at Underwater Safari.
The management/owners(Michelle) are just flat out rude and COMPLETELY disrespectful. This "cattle boat" operation needs to be shut down.
I'm shocked that respectable cruise lines like Carnival and RCCL would do business with such people.
We were on a 10 day trip to St.Thomas with some friends who booked dives with Underwater Safari. Little did we know that we would be railroaded to the SAME dive site for 3 straight days (Buck Island) and treated like cattle. When we asked if their were other dive sites to see, we were promptly told no, and if we didnt like it then we should have done more research before booking our dives. Our friends who where traveling with us booked the dives and were unaware of this as well.
After the second day, we called 4 times, yes 4 TIMES in the same day, to try and talk to someone about canceling our other dives only to be told that they were to busy to talk to us on the phone and that they would have to call us back. No one ever called us back after waiting all day. And when we finally called them again for the 5th time the next day, the lady from the shop knew nothing about anything related to the day to day operations, scheduling or diving in general. What the ?..... absolutely no help at all. At this point we're feeling like these people have just taken our money and ran.
Our friends that were traveling with us called and spoke with a women named Michelle?, claiming to be an owner or manager of the shop, and was just completely rude and disrespectful. She was absolutely no help at all. Saying there's nothing she could do or offer us and its just tough sh* t. Then she just rushed us off the phone. I guess because she's so busy and has no time for people who are not making her money right this second.
Their dive site is nothing but big rocks covered in fire coral and a big piece of bent up metal they call a "shipwreck"...? Once we got back to the dock our boat driver was yelled at for 10 minutes in front of the whole boat of customers by whom I assume was the owner Michelle. She yelled at him for being late getting back to the dock and among other things. We actually felt sorry for the guy as everyone could see this lady rules with an iron fist and all the employees live in fear of her. What a great way to run a business...?
Also, they passed around a completely blank sheet of paper on a clipboard on the way back into the dock, asking everyone to write comments down about their "service" or dives. I, like most people, wouldn't feel comfortable being singled out in front of everyone else on the boat if I DID write a bad comment on the sheet and then made to explain myself in front of everyone, or cause a scene. This is not a legitimate way to get real comments or criticisms for a business, when others can see whose writing what and whose unhappy when running the risk of being singled out for writing a negative comment. Someone on the boat mentioned they probably have to do this to counter all the complaints they get from people who complain to the cruise lines...? Interesting point and makes sense too. hmmm....
After talking to some of the other divers on board that were from cruise ships, I feel sorry for them being dropped into this place. And then told they dont have a choice of dive operators or dive sites.
In conclusion, avoid this place at all cost. I would never give my money to an operation like this. Dont let the cruise line shore director push this dive operation on you because its cheap, easy and convenient for them. Its appalling the level of disrespect for their customers and uncaring attitude portrayed by this operation all the way up to the owner herself.
Enjoy your vacation and book elsewhere.
