Any shorter liveaboards?

[catone]

My wife doesn't dive so each time I go diving I feel a bit guilty for not including her in my schedule. I did a liveaboard alone before and it was great and I'd like to go again but this time to go together. She would like to join me but 7-8 days on a boat for a nondiver might be too much. Is there any liveaboard close to mainland offering shorter trips? Something like over the weekend? Or maybe 3-4 days? Is the pricing different for a nondiver?
Thanks!

 

[chrpai]

Checkout: Dry Tortugas Scuba Diving Liveaboard - Diving the Dry Tortugas - Flordia Key Wrecks New Itineraries - Northwestern Bahamas / Cay Sal Bank / Southern Bahamas Spree Expeditions M/V Spree

They just announced new international destinations. The capt/owner of the boat is a regular on this board.

 

[diversteve]

It might be where the liveaboard is also. While most are focused on diving, Aquacat in the Bahamas also does some shore excursions. Snorkeling Adventure Travel - Aqua Cat Cruises Also they have 12 single/double kayaks on board. The other nice thing about Aquacat is with all those decks your wife can get away from the dive talk when it becomes too much.

If there's space available, Cat Ppalu also does a range of excursions. Bahamas Sailing Catamaran activities Although they market it as a full boat, there sell the extra spaces if available. Smaller boat so they only take 12 - four double cabins and two singles on the whole boat. Each has a vanity/sink but there's two shared heads/showers for the whole boat though. They would be one to talk to about a non-diver rate also since they're likely going to have a cabin free if a group doesn't take the whole boat.

The best by far for your wife will be Cuan Law though. They sail among the BVI's and are almost never out of range of some island. And always willing to take someone to it. Things to do in the Virgin Islands: other activies on your Cuan Law cruise

Shore excursions are available almost anytime, with at least one shopping trip and hiking and other island excursions.

Even being a diver, I'd snorkel the Baths. The other thing about Cuan Law is that it's like sailing your house around - that boat has some room...we saw it once in the BVI's - it dwarfed all the 60-70' cats nearby. Cabins are the size of some normal bedrooms on land, they're ensuite and since you eat outside the main salon is always usable. They even offer massages on board. There's also two Hobie Cats for guests use. It is of course priced accordingly.

I don't think either offers a non-diver price because she's taking up a space and they're limited. Can't hurt to ask. Cuan Law also does sailing only trips so might be more open to that.

Spree might not be such a good idea because in addition to be a dive boat, it's all dormitory style with a couple of shared heads. Most of the bunks are in one area with curtains. No offense to Spree since I plan to be on it in the future but do you think your wife would like this:

Spoiler

JASA's boat - Shearwater has the same issue. So do the Blackbeards boats. Some of those even have some of the bunks off the kitchen - including the bigger ones for couples. If your wife doesn't like liveaboard living, she probably really won't like that.

 

[tracydr]

Truth Aquatics. Channel Islands are fantastic.

 

[chrpai]

The press release on the Spree said it'd be running at about 1/2 capacity. I'm guessing those dorm bunks you see will really be a cabin for a couple.

 

[diversteve]

Do you want to sleep in a bunk near your wife? I'm fairly certain there's only 2 quads also on board. The rest (the green curtains) are in a big open area.

I want to stress that I'm not panning Wookie's boat in any way either. I plan to be on one of the Cay Sal trips in the future. But it is what it is. Not optimal for the OP's non-diving wife. Especially to Cay Sal since the only place you can make port near there is Cuba. They might be a little fussy about that...

 

[Wookie]

The press release on the Spree said it'd be running at about 1/2 capacity. I'm guessing those dorm bunks you see will really be a cabin for a couple.

We're wracking our brains to figure out how to make the cabins convertible. I'd make permanent doubles, but my NOAA contract for the next 5 years requires me to carry 24. Those with more imagination than I have are welcome to provide suggestions.

Do you want to sleep in a bunk near your wife? I'm fairly certain there's only 2 quads also on board. The rest (the green curtains) are in a big open area.

I want to stress that I'm not panning Wookie's boat in any way either. I plan to be on one of the Cay Sal trips in the future. But it is what it is. Not optimal for the OP's non-diving wife. Especially to Cay Sal since the only place you can make port near there is Cuba. They might be a little fussy about that...

I certainly take no offense, we are what we are. We're a diver's boat for divers who want to dive their butts off. We don't want anyone who is unhappy being on a boat, especially if it's... lumpy.

 

[DiverAmy]

My husband and I squashed into a single bunk, alone in one of the quads, on our Spree adventure. It was cozy and romantic

 

[Tom Winters]

Pipe berths for the slimy polliwogs. And if the grumbling in the fo'c'sle gets audible, water down their grog.

 

[TravisD]

Mike Ball in Australia does split trips - 4 or 3 days on the boat, and they fly you back (low level, small plane, pretty cool in itself) to/from the midway point.

Not sure if they're still around or not, but I recall seeing some Liveaboards where the Big Boat basically stays out at sea, and they ferry passengers to and from it as necessary. Might have been the Nekton boats though, which as I recall haven't sailed in a couple of years?