Empress II or Mikumba

[Satto95]

I plan to go to Komodo in May of 2019. I can't decide between the Empress II and Mikumba Ratu Laut (when I go, they will have their new boat in the water).

Mikumba offers a longer trip but they only have air. This means more dives but possibly shorter ones...
I talked to the owner and he assured be they set it up so we will get a good surface interval where it wouldn't matter too much. We're looking at 1195USD for 7 days and 6 nights.

The Empress has nitrox but only has 5 days and 4 nights for 750USD. I'm trying to see right now if they can extend this.

Mikumba seems to have lots of really good reviews. Empress does to but not as many reviews...

Dive Safari Komodo Ambon Alor Raja Ampat on the liveaboard EMPRESS

Mikumba Diving – Explore Raja Ampat & Komodo


Empress seems to be a little nicer in terms of accommodations but I'm a young lad and I dont care so mucha bout luxury as long as the place isn't a filthy dump.

 

[dirtfarmer]

I'd go with the 7day. Komodo sites don't tend to be deep so nitrox isn't super necessary.

 

[Satto95]

I'd go with the 7day. Komodo sites don't tend to be deep so nitrox isn't super necessary.

Ahhh.

That's good news I guess. I really want to get as many dives as possible since I'm flying for 40 hours. My only concern would be 4 dives a day for 7 days.. wouldn't my bottom time be extremely low by the end?

 

[dirtfarmer]

Bottom time won't be affected by proper surface intervals. And they will be shallowing up the profile as the day goes on.

 

[Centrals]

Empress was the most well known tec LoB in SE Asia for a long time until the owner decided it was time to retire in Lombok.
I wonder if the chamber is still on board?

 

[Satto95]

Empress was the most well known tec LoB in SE Asia for a long time until the owner decided it was time to retire in Lombok.
I wonder if the chamber is still on board?

It is still onboard, not sure if they know how to use it though...

 

[Kevrumbo]

Empress was the most well known tec LoB in SE Asia for a long time until the owner decided it was time to retire in Lombok.
I wonder if the chamber is still on board?

My first South China Sea liveaboard 2006 was with Captain Skoglie on M/V Empress, diving the Battlecruiser Repulse and Battleship Prince of Wales (when they were still relatively intact and not yet ravaged by illegal salvaging). I sure hope Vidar left the new captain & crew the instructions on how to use that onboard Recompression Chamber. . .

Along with that convenient stern lift, it's a great safety feature and asset to have if its still working.

 

[Satto95]

My first South China Sea liveaboard 2006 was with Captain Skoglie on M/V Empress, diving the Battlecruiser Repulse and Battleship Prince of Wales (when they were still relatively intact and not yet ravaged by illegal salvaging). I sure hope Vidar left the new captain & crew the instructions on how to use that onboard Recompression Chamber. . .

Along with that convenient stern lift, it's a great safety feature and asset to have if its still working.

Belay my last, they do know how to operate it!

 

[Dan]

Ahhh.

That's good news I guess. I really want to get as many dives as possible since I'm flying for 40 hours. My only concern would be 4 dives a day for 7 days.. wouldn't my bottom time be extremely low by the end?

4 dives/day is pretty standard. Sometimes we do 5 times including a night dive. When I was in Palau Aggressor II, a couple months ago for 7 days / 6 nights, we did 25 dives.

December 24-31, 2017 Palau Trip Report

Dive, eat, sleep & repeat that’s what we do in liveaboard and I’ve done it 9 times. I’ll do another 3 this year (in Cocos, Maldives & Socorro)

I do carry 2 dive computers in every dive, just in case one of them caput (due to run out of battery, flooded, or whatever). Then the 2nd dive computer still have my residual nitrogen history in its algorithm for correcting my bottom time. I haven’t get any decompression sickness, yet in almost 700 dives (knock on wood).

 

[Satto95]

4 dives/day is pretty standard. Sometimes we do 5 times including a night dive. When I was in Palau Aggressor II, a couple months ago for 7 days / 6 nights, we did 25 dives.

December 24-31, 2017 Palau Trip Report

Dive, eat, sleep & repeat that’s what we do in liveaboard and I’ve done it 9 times. I’ll do another 3 this year (in Cocos, Maldives & Socorro)

I do carry 2 dive computers in every dive, just in case one of them caput (due to run out of battery, flooded, or whatever). Then the 2nd dive computer still have my residual nitrogen history in its algorithm for correcting my bottom time. I haven’t get any decompression sickness, yet in almost 700 dives (knock on wood).

I wish I could afford that many liveaboards!
I'm assuming you dive nitrox?