Need recommendation: Belize or Turks & Caicos?

[DcubedLP]

Debating between the Sun Dancer (Belize) or Explorer Venture (T & C) for May. Does anyone have a recommendation for either one?? Is diving better in Belize vs T&C??

 

[diveprof]

If you want big stuff (sharks etc.), T&C.

 

[Mossman]

At first I was going to comment on price, since I assumed the Dancer boat would be more expensive than the Explorer as that's usually the case. I was surprised to learn that the Sun Dancer is actually a bit cheaper than the T & C Explorer and around $600 cheaper than the Belize Aggressor, making the OP's question much harder to answer.

Last time I looked into Belize (admittedly years ago when the Nekton was still running), the Aggressor and the (then) Peter Hughes boats were approximate the same price and the Nekton much cheaper. Now the Dancer is only a few hundred more than what the Nekton used to run. What's up with that? Did the Dancer slip in quality and is it now considered inferior to the more expensive Aggressor or is it simply a much better deal?

(Edit: I found this on the Dancer site, which shows a large price drop - $700 - between 2009-2010. Anyone know why?)

03-Jan-09 to 03-Jan-10 **
$2795
$2595
$2595
14-Apr-10 to 22-Jan-11 **
$2095
$1895
$1895
09-Apr-11 to 31-Dec-11 **
$2095
$1895
$1895​

 

[ChainDiver]

Not sure why the price drop, but my wife and I were on the Sun Dancer (May 2010) and it was the price drop that convinced us to book. It was the best boat and crew we have ever experienced. The diving was good, the blue hole something you want to do once but nothing to write home about. After the cruise we talked to some divers from the Aggressor and I would say the Sun Dancer was the better boat.

I would chalk the price drop up to a loss leader, the Dancer boats are on the top of my list right now.

We did the Explorer Ventures in T&C (May 2007) and liked the diving better. The boat was above average and the crew very good.

Tough call picking between the two, but for diving T&C, for the crew and on-board experience Belize. Shore excursions were much better in Belize.

At first I was going to comment on price, since I assumed the Dancer boat would be more expensive than the Explorer as that's usually the case. I was surprised to learn that the Sun Dancer is actually a bit cheaper than the T & C Explorer and around $600 cheaper than the Belize Aggressor, making the OP's question much harder to answer.

Last time I looked into Belize (admittedly years ago when the Nekton was still running), the Aggressor and the (then) Peter Hughes boats were approximate the same price and the Nekton much cheaper. Now the Dancer is only a few hundred more than what the Nekton used to run. What's up with that? Did the Dancer slip in quality and is it now considered inferior to the more expensive Aggressor or is it simply a much better deal?

(Edit: I found this on the Dancer site, which shows a large price drop - $700 - between 2009-2010. Anyone know why?)

03-Jan-09 to 03-Jan-10 **
$2795
$2595
$2595
14-Apr-10 to 22-Jan-11 **
$2095
$1895
$1895
09-Apr-11 to 31-Dec-11 **
$2095
$1895
$1895​

 

[nycdivegal]

Tough call as I thought they were both very good.

I would preface any commentary on T&C by saying that this was where I did my checkout dives (and spent an additional 5 days diving). It was also November 2005 so awhile ago now. Nonetheless I LOVED it. I did boat dives and it was fabulous - most days we did the wall, and the dropoff was something like 4000+ feet (Continental shelf and all that) so the sea life was amazing. Lots of big pelagics (grouper, barracuda, some sharks, a turtle or two), and overall a very healthy reef. I would imagine on a liveaboard it would be even better because you'd get away from Providenciales and into some of the "out" islands.

Belize was also good though. I went with Sun Dancer in July 2007 - we went to Lighthouse Reef for most of the week, and then of course also the Blue Hole. BH was rather disappointing to dive - they made it a mandatory deco dive (max depth is 140ish feet) - there is nothing really down there except sometimes a few sharks but it's sort of BS because some of the land-based locals chum for them and then bring people out from Ambergris to dive it. But Lighthouse and the rest of the week was great. I do not recall seeing as much in the way of big stuff - I think with the exception of BH we only saw one or two other sharks the whole week - but lots of good smaller stuff (seahorses, tons of eels - I guess I call them small, octopus). This was also a very healthy reef system.

Tough call but if it were me, I'd go T&C. Huge shelf dropoff = much better chances to see lots of big guys.

E

 

[potato cod]

We did the Sun Dancer in January and it was absolutely top notch. Beautiful and spacious boat, great crew, great food, and we can't wait to do another Dancer liveaboard sometime. Hugely impressive operation and the diving was solid. We did, in fact, have the coolest shark encounters as there is one site where they did put something in the water to encourage the sharks (it worked!). It was apparently the first time they did it as an experiment, so I don't know if they're continuing to do it, but it was very exciting and memorable!

That said, the diving in the Turks and Caicos is AMAZING. Best diving we've done so far in the Caribbean and we're going back in two weeks. It's the first international destination that we've ever repeated, so I guess that says something. Every time we dive someplace new, we compare it to the T&C and T&C wins out. The diving in Belize was great, but not quite T&C impressive. Like the others have said, the sheer amount of life you see along the walls in the T&C is out of control. We've done land-based diving there, so I can't comment on the Explorer.

Either way, you'll have a great trip!

 

[DcubedLP]

After reading all the helpful reviews, I've decided on Turks and Caicos which seems to be the better dive destination. The Sun dancer to Belize is booked for the week I'm interested in so that made my decision easier. I would like to try the dancer fleet another time since it's gotten top ratings by previous guests.

Thanks!!

 

[RJP]

After reading all the helpful reviews, I've decided on Turks and Caicos which seems to be the better dive destination. The Sun dancer to Belize is booked for the week I'm interested in so that made my decision easier. I would like to try the dancer fleet another time since it's gotten top ratings by previous guests.

Thanks!!

Not sure when you plan on going, but T&C Explorer is (was?) offering $500 off the last week in May. (21-28) My buddy and I will be on-board that week - for $1595.

 

[parrotheaddiver]

After reading all the helpful reviews, I've decided on Turks and Caicos which seems to be the better dive destination. The Sun dancer to Belize is booked for the week I'm interested in so that made my decision easier. I would like to try the dancer fleet another time since it's gotten top ratings by previous guests.

Thanks!!

I have done both and prefer T&C....I think you made the right choice.....the Dancer/Aggressor boats are a little more fancy but you are there to dive not sit on a boat....have a great trip and give us a report when you return

 

[NCDiver]

I have booked for a group on Explorer Ventures Turks & Caicos in October, the 22 - 29. Have a deal at $500 off PLUS free Nitrox. Have a lot of interest but still have a few spots open.