Going to PNG in 3 Weeks!

[Allison Finch]

Well, I am a long time regular in PNG. I spend a month there each year. I have spent much time on Alan Raabe's boats, including the SD. I can't say enough good stuff about them! Silent, how much time have you actually spent on Alan's boats and how much is hearsay?

You will love the Kav area. Say hello to my favorite spot at Albatross Channel! Let me know what questions you may have and I will give you my humble opinion.

 

[Comfortably Numb]

Hi Allison, great to have you chime in. I have read many of your posts and I appreciate your advise. Maybe you could answer my question of the story books that I asked Caymaniac a couple posts above. Also, do you know if Alan will be captain? I thought I read a post that said he was on the Fabrina. Another question, we will be in Port Moresby for a 7 hr period on the way back. Any advise on what to do there? We have been cautioned that it may not be safe to go into the city without escort. On the way there, we will have an afternoon and overnight in Kavieng before boarding the Star Dancer. Any advise there?

We are all getting very excited and it is very difficult to concentrate on work. Looking forward to that first get wet dive.

CN

 

[silent running]

Hello CN, no offense taken at all. I just wanted to point out all the different things that go into defining comfort from my POV.-Andy

 

[silent running]

Well, I am a long time regular in PNG. I spend a month there each year. I have spent much time on Alan Raabe's boats, including the SD. I can't say enough good stuff about them! Silent, how much time have you actually spent on Alan's boats and how much is hearsay?

You will love the Kav area. Say hello to my favorite spot at Albatross Channel! Let me know what questions you may have and I will give you my humble opinion.

Hello Allison, I wasn't aware that the Star Dancer was actually owned by Alan. I thought he was running it for someone else. And I said nothing at all about Febrina, which is a much better boat than SD and I'm sure Capt. Alan would tell you the same. I have been onboard both of them and watched the SD have to stay in Kimbe due to windy conditions and 6 ft seas while the Golden Dawn took us out to the Witus with no difficulty at all. Please don't assume that if I point out something I don't like about SD that I'm attacking Capt. Alan. He is a very good Capt. and I very much enjoy his company. There is no hearsay involved, just my observations on the negatives of the SDs design. The SD has a flatter, planning type hull which is built for speed and fuel economy as most oil rig tenders are, and no stabilization, so she has limitations on operating conditions in her new life as a luxury liveaboard. Boats with deeper, more v type hulls and active stabilization like the GD, can operate comfortably in heavier seas. I don't know about anyone else, but I'm not keen on the idea of traveling half way around the world, spending a lot of money and not being able to get to some of the better dive sites because of 6 ft swells.
The GD also has a mid point entry/exit for divers so even in big swells, divers will have no trouble getting in and out of the water because the mid point is the fulcrum and is the place on the boat where ther is the least movement. Getting out of the water on a boat with rear deck entry, even in 3ft seas is very tough as the boat acts like a see saw and can move up and down and bash you about on the hinged ladder. I know 2 divers whose dive trips were ended abruptly by broken fingers after trying to get out of the water on one of those rear hinged ladders in 4 ft seas on boats similar to the SD.
As for the food, the GD has consistantly had the best food I've ever had on any liveaboard or resort. The last cook was a graduate of an Australian culinary school and the food was gourmet quality, healthy and never heavy. How many liveaboard cooks do you know who bake fresh bread and make their own ice cream? Or who serve freshly caught tuna sashimi as a snack? I have had a meal on the SD while she was in docked in Kimbe and it was typical cruise ship style buffet stuff, not bad but not anything I'd look forward to on a daily basis.-Andy

 

[silent running]

Another question, we will be in Port Moresby for a 7 hr period on the way back. Any advise on what to do there? We have been cautioned that it may not be safe to go into the city without escort. On the way there, we will have an afternoon and overnight in Kavieng before boarding the Star Dancer. Any advise there?

CN

Hello again CN, if you are looking for a good meal in Moresby, go to Asian Aromas in the mall near the better hotels. It's probably the best restaurant in the city. Very good Thai/Malaysian food. Also the botanical gardens are very nice. They have one of the best orchid collections in the world, if you like that sort of thing. Enjoy your trip-Andy

 

[Comfortably Numb]

I just wanted to point out all the different things that go into defining comfort from my POV.-Andy

Well you certainly did that.

CN

 

[silent running]

Hello CN, it seems as though it may have been you who was offended by me and not the other way around. Sorry, it was certainly not my intention. I'm sure you will have a great trip no matter what boat you are on because the diving is that good. I've been to Komodo and the Philippines, but none of these trips were as good as any of the diving I've done in PNG. The weather should be good there this time of year and you will be in much better hands on SD with Capt. Alan or one of his people at the helm than if you had gone on SD in the past, before he got involved.
There are more owner/operator liveabaords in PNG than anywhere else I can think of and they are not often represented by travel agents for the simple reason that they don't like to pay the commission to travel agents, who often have their own reasons for promoting one boat over another and who often try to give the impresion that the bigger franchise boats are more comfortable, without really knowing what they are talking about. I have been on several franchise boats and never had as good of an experience as I did on owner/operator boats, so I feel obligated to stick up for them because nobody else usually will. All of the operators I mentioned earlier in this thread, including Capt. Alan, get most of their business from repeat comstomers. They will do more to keep their customers happy than a bunch of employees who are just passing through who may or may not care if the operation stays in business. Owner/ops usually spend most of their time on the boats and have to make sure everthing is tip top or they will certainly hear about it. They don't have the luxury of blaming something that goes wrong on HQ.
And don't worry too much about going oput in Moresby in the daylight or early evening hrs. You'll have to go by taxi anywhere you go so you'll be plenty safe. Happy trails-Andy

 

[Comfortably Numb]

Yes I am a little offended. I started this thread to get positive reaction to my trip in general and not get lectured about the negative attributes of the one boat over the other. I certainly regret using the word "comfortable" in one of my replies as this seemed to spark something deep inside of you to inform us of all the negatives involved in everything associated with the Star Dancer. According to you I could expect to 1) Be fed mediocre food prepared by inexperinced cooks, 2) Only dive the good dive sites if the water is flat calm, 3) Break a few fingers if there are any waves at all 4) Receive bad service from the crew because they probably don't care 5) Go knowing that my tour operator screwed me and knows nothing about what they are selling. Well Andy I hope your intentions weren't to deliberatly spoil our trip, or, that you don't have a hidden agenda here against the SD. All this information you have provided could have been placed in a different thread, possibly one that is seeking opinions of the experienced regulars here - BEFORE - a decision is made. Your zeal in "sticking up" for the owner/operators is commendable but, if not carefully filtered, could alienate some of those you are trying to help.

CN

 

[Allison Finch]

Hello Allison, I wasn't aware that the Star Dancer was actually owned by Alan. I thought he was running it for someone else.



Alan has owned this boat for a while.


QUOTE: And I said nothing at all about Febrina, which is a much better boat than SD and I'm sure Capt. Alan would tell you the same.


Actually, Alan is thinking of selling FeBrina and concentrating fully on SD.


Please don't assume that if I point out something I don't like about SD that I'm attacking Capt. Alan. He is a very good Capt. and I very much enjoy his company.


I agree TOTALLY!!


QUOTE: There is no hearsay involved, just my observations on the negatives of the SDs design. The SD has a flatter, planning type hull which is built for speed and fuel economy as most oil rig tenders are, and no stabilization, so she has limitations on operating conditions in her new life as a luxury liveaboard.


FeBrina has a pretty "flat" hull too. I've been on the SD and haven't felt it to be too "rolling".



QUOTE: The GD also has a mid point entry/exit for divers so even in big swells, divers will have no trouble getting in and out of the water because the mid point is the fulcrum and is the place on the boat where ther is the least movement.


Well. if the waves are a-beam, you will be under water at one point and hanging many feet above water at another. If there is any wind/current (ever so common in PNG), you don't really know how the waves will hit you.



QUOTE: Getting out of the water on a boat with rear deck entry, even in 3ft seas is very tough as the boat acts like a see saw and can move up and down and bash you about on the hinged ladder.


The SD has a built in platform. It acts to dampen movement at bit when it hits the wave.


QUOTE:I know 2 divers whose dive trips were ended abruptly by broken fingers after trying to get out of the water on one of those rear hinged ladders in 4 ft seas on boats similar to the SD.



Again, the deck is built-in. The FeBrina has a hinged deck, but I can't remember If any of the SD's is hinged. It was never a problem while I was there.


I will say nothing about GD, as the only contact I have had with them is while at anchor in Walindi. They seemed nice.

 

[acj]

Hi CN - I will be on the Star Dancer on the trip going out the 19th, you must be on the one previous. I read the thread and nothing anyone says will spoil my trip. I did a lot of research and read a lot of reviews before deciding on the Star Dancer and I am sure that there are some negative things that can be said about EVRY liveaboard and I am sure I will discover some myself while on the trip. But I am very confident about my decision to go on the Star Dancer. I cant wait to get there and dive on some of the best dive spots in the world, and I will have a great time no matter what as will you. It is going to be the trip of a lifetime for me!!

When we get back to Cairns we will also be doing a two night/three day on Pro Dive. Since we are traveling that far we thought we might as well dive the Great Barrier Reef.

Anyone else going to be on the Star Dancer on the same trip?