anchochile
Contributor
I know this topic has been discussed to death, but I have a fairly specific question, so hopefully this merits a thread.
I am planning way ahead for a Raja Ampat liveaboard in late 2021 or early 2022. I will have extra vacation time that year, and since I don't know when else I'll have the opportunity to take such an extended dive trip without my wife and kid, or how long the reefs will survive, I figure I should see the best there is to see.
I've read all the threads I could find and done a whole lot of research. My criteria are:
Right now, Amira and Tambora are looking like the best bets - they both offer 11 or 12-night itineraries that are comfortably in my price range. However, I know that folks on this board absolutely love Blue Manta and Mermaid, so I'm considering those as well which would push my budget a bit but still be possible.
My questions:
I am planning way ahead for a Raja Ampat liveaboard in late 2021 or early 2022. I will have extra vacation time that year, and since I don't know when else I'll have the opportunity to take such an extended dive trip without my wife and kid, or how long the reefs will survive, I figure I should see the best there is to see.
I've read all the threads I could find and done a whole lot of research. My criteria are:
- Only considering boats where I can get a cabin on the main deck or above (I get claustrophobic and am not comfortable sleeping below deck)
- Ideally 9+ nights
- Mainly focusing on mid-range boats - ideally $400-500/night, could go a little higher if worth it
Right now, Amira and Tambora are looking like the best bets - they both offer 11 or 12-night itineraries that are comfortably in my price range. However, I know that folks on this board absolutely love Blue Manta and Mermaid, so I'm considering those as well which would push my budget a bit but still be possible.
My questions:
- Blue Manta is definitely stretching my price range at $550/night for their 10-night trip. However, their White Manta boat is much, much cheaper - around $470/night. The boats sound very similar. I would love any insight as to why the price would be so much lower - it's tempting but raises a bit of a red flag for me.
- Mermaid I only offers 9-night Raja Ampat trips, shorter than the 10, 11, and 12-night options on the other boats I'm considering. Is Mermaid such a great operation that I might have a better experience diving fewer days with them, vs more days with these other boats? I figure I should go for more days if I have the time and budget, and eliminate this option for that reason, but curious what others think.
- Overall - I'm curious if it's worth stretching my budget for a higher end Blue Manta/Mermaid trip vs the more affordable Amira/Tambora options.