Deep Blue October 1 - 11

[Fionab]

I have been considering posting this for a few weeks and I have finally decided to post.

Let me first say that the dive deck guys on Deep Blue must be some of the best around and couldn't fault them.

Now some background. I have been a long time member of another dive forum - Yorkshire Divers, who like Scubaboard has members around the world. So when back in late summer of 2005 one of our members posted pictures and a trip report from his Galapagos trip on I think one of the Aggressor boats, some friends and I who had just come back from a Redsea trip went WOW how do you fancy another trip. We did some searching and I found Eric Chang's website and pictures we looked into boat and because of the recommendation on here we decided on Deep Blue it was a relatively new boat at the time and look just the job.

We went to the Birmingham Dive Show (UK) and spoke to a tour operator some of us had used before and told them what we wanted, which was Wolf and Darwin. They were the UK operator for Deep Blue which worked out really well, the itinerary looked great and included Wolf and Darwin and the CDRS on a 10 day trip. We told them we wanted the trip and they gave us until the end of October to pay the first deposit, we told them we wanted a whole boat charter so we needed a little time to get the guys together.

Some of you will be aware of the tipping issue we were given in the summer of 2006, basically an ultimatum was issued either pay up front or don't come - yes it really was that blunt - now I haven't saved and waited 18 months for some one to tell me we aren't welcome so despite our reservations that we wouldn't get the service we expected we paid, well most people did some decided not to which was very upsetting. Lets face it you don't need to try very hard when the boat has over $5000 in tips.

We all know of the problems in July - September and I had quite a few emails and PM's with another SB member, he came back a week before we left and had a fantastic time. Our group departed the UK and one from Sweden and arrived in Quito all bags accounted for - no problems. We spent two days in Quito and then it was on to Galapagos, when I arrived I was somewhat overcome by emotion and shed a few tears I couldn't believe we were actually here.

We were informed of the itinerary at the airport - great 5 days at Wolf and Darwin although we did have to move each day between the two.

The diving at Wolf and Darwin was great we had a total of 31 whale shark sightings which isn't bad for 6 dives. The other dives were like diving in the UK, cold and low viz.

Now the reason for my post. Some observations. Main guide was Jeff and assisted by Luis.

I had read on a couple of posts that Jeff was a great guide and spent time in the evenings talking about his passion - Galapagos. Well either we had a different Jeff or he really couldn't be bothered, his evenings were spent editing his trip DVD. Early on in the trip he had drawn a dive site on the board, my friend Lou was just about to copy it down and I asked him if he could wait 5 mins before he wiped it off, he muttered something and them wiped the board clean - we couldn't believe it.

The food - Don't go on Deep Blue if you are a vegetarian, I am not but 4 of our group were and I was embarrassed eating our meat based meals, for some reason the chef thinks being veggie includes eating chicken and fish. Even soups were chicken stock based, although he did work this out after being told for about 3 days, they started producing two soups - why just do one.

Soft drinks - We had read about this as an issue on one of last years European based trips and we to ran out of soft drinks. Nothing was going to be done about this and as we were now in a location with other boats I had to resort to telling Luis to get someone to go and buy some more. They came back with 2 cases, not a lot between 16 people, especially since quite a few were drunk in the kitchen during main meal.

Our last day was not spent as I thought it might be at the CDRS in Santa Cruz but at some interpretation centre on San Cristobel, now if I was being cynical I could put it down to the requested itinerary not being granted but as the wifes arrived on board I started to think this is what always happened.

Mrs Juan Carlos was one of these ladies and asked if there were any problems to let her know, Lou mentioned the soft drink issue which she was surprised at as she had ordered 150 bottles for the trip - 150 bottles you are joking aren't you. That is less than 1 bottle a day for 16 people and as I said a lot headed for the kitchen. My friend doesn't drink beer and wine was a whooping $28 a bottle, I think we ran out of diet drinks on about day 2.

Oh and just an aside if you want to sleep don't use the outside berth in cabin 8, as you will be sleeping ear to ear with someone in the wheelhouse who snores like hell.

Showers - Boats really do need to clean out their tanks. For me having a shower means getting nice and clean and washing all that salt out of your hair, a shower on Deep Blue takes on a whole new meaning - the water in the obviously rusty tanks comes out orange and stains you and the towels.

So that's my trip.

Would I recommend a boat where you have to pay the tip up front - NO
Would I recommend Deep Blue if I were a vegetarian - NO

I don't think Deep Blue is marketed in Europe now, as we aren't wanted.

 

[cowjazz]

Hey Fiona,

I'm glad you got to go after all of the hassles. I'm sorry about your experience on the Deep Blue.

I agree with most of your trip report except for we had plenty of sodas and dreadful Pilsner beer on our trip. Our only issue was the ice maker produced three ice cubes a day.

I was initially creeped out by the orange shower water. My first dive at Wolf convinced me I could put up with it.

The tip issue with Europeans is a problem. I can see where it takes away from the crews incentive to exceed customer expectations. Divemaster Jeff was supposed to be getting married the week we left. That means he would have been a week into his marriage when you were on board. That could explain his glassy, lifeless eyes and mumbling.

We also visited the interpretation center, and spent most of the time drinking that dreadful Pilsner Beer back in town. I then learned that the crew's families reside there, and the government had closed the airport because there was no money to fix the holes in the runway (that's why you now fly into Baltra). That quickly put an end to the tourist dollars coming into San Cristobal. I guess this is Deep Blue's way of bringing some tourist dollars back to the island.

With that said, the boat met my expectations, but there is a caveat. The dive shop we booked our trip through has gone on three prior trips with Deep Blue, and accurately told us what to expect. I can see where a guest on Deep Blue would be disappointed if they did not have an accurate picture of what to expect. You are paying a lot of money, and it is not unreasonable to expect exceptional accommodations and service.

Enough of that, what about the diving? For me, that is reason enough to return to Galapagos if and when the current political situation with diving stabilizes. I would do another liveaboard. The dive sites we dived that are used by land based operators were okay, but nothing to justify a trip to Galapagos. Would my next trip be on Deep Blue? Maybe but I would definitely look at other boats.

Now post some pictures from your trip!

 

[Fionab]

Hi Jeff

I kind of gave up on my camera in the currents, it was far less hassle just to watch the sharks and of course keep dashing out from the balcony to see the whalesharks, so I really don't have many underwater shots but there is a whole thread on YD HERE if you want to see what the others took.

We had waited along time for a trip we had billed as a trip of a lifetime but for me it wasn't, I have no desire to go back.

 

[cowjazz]

Thanks for the link Fiona. Nice pictures. Your land tours look much better than the ones we experienced.

Looking at the posts, it looks like you guys have a fun group. I hope we run into each other underwater sometime.

 

[Fionab]

Yes some excellent photos and it will run for months yet

Maybe if there had been a few Yanks on board the service might have been better.

Take it easy and safe diving Jeff. Thanks again for the communications.

 

[girellator]

Thank Fiona for your honest post .
Now I've less regrets to have seen my July cruise cancelled on deep blue , it's such an expensive trip that everything should be perfect onboard !!!
Anyway we did not plan anymore to go to Galapagos:no , in fact 8 days cruises are too short for divers coming from europe .
Instead we'll certainly go back to Coco island , good boats and plenty of soft drinks , wine is free , and plenty of marine life , only missing the sea lions ..and not so many whale sharks of course , but we've seen plenty of them elsewhere .
So no regrets !!!

 

[ChrisM]

Wow, too bad the boat didn't live up to expectations. Think I posted it somewhere else, but I have never in a dozen or so liveaboards EVER been asked to tip up front, nor would I. And if that was asked well before the trip even started? Red flags all over the place.

I know Aggressor gets a bad rap as the 800 pound gorilla, but maybe there's a good reason for that. The Galapagos Aggressor crew and boat are the best L/A crew and boat I've been on (now Okeanos Aggressor in Cocos.... that's another story)

 

[tiggerbella]

Fionab,

Sorry that your trip on Deep Blue was less than exceptional.

We were on the boat following your trip. And I was wondering why it was like they were pushing the soda on us. ( not really but really trying to make sure that we knew that it was available) Although I have no idea about the Diet Soda.

They must have taken your advice because there were quite a few vegetable dishes. unfort. there are so many forms of vegetarians I can only surmise that they were trying to adhere more closely to the vegetarian desires that were on your boat.

Just a few questions: 1. When getting ready for the trip did the members outline the type of food that they felt was acceptable as vegetarians. Not everyone knows how to cook for a vegetarian and then you have the strict vegans and the not so strict.. how would they know? Additionally they have to buy everything up front, or most things as you were at Wolf and Darwin for 5 days. No access to change the kitchen stock at that point.
2. Did everyone outline how much soda that they drink? On our cruise very few of us drank soda that much.

I am not trying to criticise your critique, but having travelled all over the world not necessarily diving, I have noticed that if you have specific needs, noone can read your mind, you have to be explicit. Especially when in countries that are not like ours, where we have the luxury to choose to be vegetarians and drink lots of soda.

As for the tipping, I can certainly understand your frustration. And I am certain that this does not apply to you when you get good service I am sure that you tip. But I was on a live aboard in the Seychelles, there were 4 Americans. Loads of Italians, and some Germans. The Americans were the only ones that tipped and the guys that worked the boat worked their behinds off. And I mean they worked hard. The chef pulled things out of his small stock that were surprising.

Anyway, given this situation, I have come to understand why mandatory tipping might have been implemented. Although probably not the best situation for you.

As for the orange water,,, it was not the best, actually it was gross. But it was more refreshing that showering in a 5 star hotel in China with clear water.

As the boat owner, though, I would work to rectify this situation.

 

[Fionab]

Hi Tiggerbella

We booked the trip 2 years before we departed, we had 4 vegetarians on board, two of those were on the original list and yes our agent was informed of their dietary requirements, none of the group were overly strict diet wise - just no meat which for those that don't know does include fish and chicken. Roberto is supposedly a chef so I should imagine he knows how to cook, admitted some people have struggled a bit on Redsea boats but I think on the whole the staff manage something.

As for soft drinks (soda) I don't think we drank that much, the weather was cold anyway but I don't think 1 a day is acceptable and being honest the 150 bottles which had been ordered were not only for guest consumption, quite a few were drunk by the kitchen staff and dive guides. So as you can see 150 bottles doesn't go very far. It isn't my job to tell a boat which has been running for about 4 years how to stock for a trip.

As for tipping I don't have a problem and when traveling we generally take the recommendation of the dive guides to what is expected - or course some people tip less, Europeans and my friend and her Ozy husband who were on Sky Dancer at the same time do not have the same tipping culture as our cousins in the US.

We shouldn't be paying crew wages that is for the boat owner to do, tips are a little extra for good service.

Some of our group at the end of the trip discussed that we would have preferred to tip individual crew members and additionally we have no idea IF the crew got the full tip we paid - for all we know they may only have received a portion of the $6300.

The mandatory tipping for Europeans came in last year because another group also received less than "exceptional" (your word) service which included running out of drinks.

I have been on many liveaboards in the Redsea, Maldives, OZ and I have never come across this sort of thing, normally there are drinks coming out of your ears.

To be honest I felt some of the crew just didn't try very hard, another instance of poor customer service was in one of the cabins. Two of the upper deck cabins are advertised as being able to accommodate either twin beds or converted to a double, so we arranged cabins for couples and singles.

One of the cabins had been requested as a double and when we boarded it was made up as singles - now this couple were on their 3rd wedding anniversary. The crew just ignored the request for a change of layout - now I have no idea what is involved, but if you advertise something, changes should be able to be made on a trip by trip basis.

 

[LouUK]

As for the tipping, I can certainly understand your frustration. And I am certain that this does not apply to you when you get good service I am sure that you tip. But I was on a live aboard in the Seychelles, there were 4 Americans. Loads of Italians, and some Germans. The Americans were the only ones that tipped and the guys that worked the boat worked their behinds off. And I mean they worked hard. The chef pulled things out of his small stock that were surprising.

Anyway, given this situation, I have come to understand why mandatory tipping might have been implemented. Although probably not the best situation for you.

Well, the Italians and Germans would already have paid the exact 10% of trip price tip up front that was added to all European's bills, so why would they tip on the boat? As the Americans had not paid a penny up front they would tip! What you saw was the outcome of the change, not the cause.

As one of the veggies on the boat I can assure you that the requirements were known, and it was as simple as not meat or fish, or products thereof. So the chicken stock used for every soup until it clicked was out, and the jelly that was about 80% of all desserts was out. We mostly got a main course, but the quality was 50% poor, so it was hit or miss. The final night when everone else got a banquet of giant prowns and roast turkey, to get one plain omlette offered to each veggie was just lazy.

That said, the deck crew were very hard-working all the same, I think it was more the management that was poor. As Fiona said, 150 bottle of soda, between 16 people plus crew, for 11 days just does not add up not matter how much soda you drink (and we weren't asking for alot, in fact Eric said that Americans drank more soda and beer in general...I think the way he put it was "American, just soda-beer-soda-beer-soda-beer").

It was a shame the guide didn't want to share our trip with us, or share his knowledge of his homeplace, but the memories of the diving at Wolf and Darwin will stay with me forever, which was the main point.

Sadly, I think that boat experience was enough to discourage me to risk the cost for another vist, but it is a big, big world and my list of places to go and see means that return visits to places aren't necessary! So, where next.....

Lou