Live aboard caught fire. looking for contacts in Hurghada

[Ministryofgiraffes]

guys, get yourselves to soma bay. the breakers if you can get in. all inclusive. great diving, maybe best shorereef anywhere...according to taschen anyway. i dove there for 5 days before getting on a liveaboard. it was great. fantastic food, i was doing 6 dives a day, the diveshop onsite is orca dive club run by germans. Just a great all round joint.

 

[chillyinCanada]

Lots of “conflicting” info we have been told. The multiple electrical issues, heavy smoke in multiple cabins, and dark return to port is absolute fact. We were told boat burned in marina then later was just more smoke and electrical issues. We were told us embassy laughed at us. We were told in person by owner we would be refunded but he hemmed and hawed when asked WHEN. Eventually we took a bus and arrived at Royal Brayka resort in Marsa Alam at 9pm and are diving in the morning

So glad you've all found a place and are making the best of things.

How did this come about and how's it going now that you're all settled in?

 

[Hawkeye Mark]

If you are expecting help from US Embassy don't. That's not their job. When I worked in Angola in the summer of 1975 they advised us to leave. But they didn't organize anything. And that was a shooting war. The company I worked for organized our own. its not like its a war. Its a fire. The consular personnel aren't travel agents. If this had been war or revolution then its a different matter. In this case if everyone had lost their possessions and passports they would be of help. But not to reschedule travel.

By the way my coworker was a manager in Cairo during the Egyptian revolution. His employer organized an evacuation. Not the embassy.

 

[scubafanatic]

Helps me appreciate why I steer clear of those 'bargain' liveaboards, the peace-of-mind factor is well worth the money. I go with solid boats/businesses with long established track records and consistently good (credible) reviews.

 

[Ministryofgiraffes]

Agree with the above, but to be honest MV Galaxy is not really considered to be a 'budget boat' or company. There are lots of positive reviews of it. I don't think your statement is valid in this instance.

 

[ReefHound]

If you are expecting help from US Embassy don't. That's not their job. When I worked in Angola in the summer of 1975 they advised us to leave. But they didn't organize anything. And that was a shooting war. The company I worked for organized our own. its not like its a war. Its a fire. The consular personnel aren't travel agents. If this had been war or revolution then its a different matter. In this case if everyone had lost their possessions and passports they would be of help. But not to reschedule travel.

By the way my coworker was a manager in Cairo during the Egyptian revolution. His employer organized an evacuation. Not the to embassy.

Nobody was expecting or asking the embassy to reschedule travel but maybe which Egyptian govt agency to call or file a report.

 

[ReefHound]

W

Helps me appreciate why I steer clear of those 'bargain' liveaboards, the peace-of-mind factor is well worth the money. I go with solid boats/businesses with long established track records and consistently good (credible) reviews.

e didn’t think we were going with a bargain boat

 

[KathyV]

If you are expecting help from US Embassy don't. That's not their job. When I worked in Angola in the summer of 1975 they advised us to leave. But they didn't organize anything. And that was a shooting war. The company I worked for organized our own. its not like its a war. Its a fire. The consular personnel aren't travel agents. If this had been war or revolution then its a different matter. In this case if everyone had lost their possessions and passports they would be of help. But not to reschedule travel.

By the way my coworker was a manager in Cairo during the Egyptian revolution. His employer organized an evacuation. Not the embassy.

I was not suggesting that the US embassy act as travel agents or evacuate the divers. Just that they might be able to give some general advice if they had questions, or direct them to sources where they might get their questions answered.

 

[KathyV]

Lots of “conflicting” info we have been told. The multiple electrical issues, heavy smoke in multiple cabins, and dark return to port is absolute fact. We were told boat burned in marina then later was just more smoke and electrical issues. We were told us embassy laughed at us. We were told in person by owner we would be refunded but he hemmed and hawed when asked WHEN. Eventually we took a bus and arrived at Royal Brayka resort in Marsa Alam at 9pm and are diving in the morning

How are things going for your group? Is the resort nice and did you get some good diving today?

 

[ReefHound]

How are things going for your group? Is the resort nice and did you get some good diving today?

Resort is nice. The bartender loves us. We did two shore dives at different sites and rest of week will be doing 3-tank boat dives. Plus night dive tomorrow night. I don’t think anyone is completely happy considering what we had expected but we will not be shut out and not a total loss. We are making the best of it focused on the future. Shoulda coulda woulda can wait.