Peter Hughes Cancels Galapagos trips after August 1st

[mjh]

So got the following email from Peter Hughes, now minus Peter Hughes. Our problem is we had booked back to back weeks and they can not accommodate us on the Aggressor boats. I would think we can get our money back from PH and turn it over to the "new" owners but that makes me a little nervous. Since some here seem very knowledgeable about this region anyone have input on the Galapagos Sky owners?? The operation??


June 30, 2010

RE: IMPORTANT NOTICE: Your Upcoming Sky Dancer Live-Aboard Vacation

As you have already been notified, Sky Dancer, as of June 13th, is no longer a member of the Dancer Fleet. At the time we received notice, we had every intention of carrying out your reservation as booked with the Ecuadorian owners. Unfortunately, they have now demanded that we turn over all deposits and payments to them immediately. This is normally completed 30 days prior to your date of departure. At the Dancer Fleet, we are very protective of your money and maintain all funds paid towards future travel in an insured US account until your cruise is about to depart.

As you have entrusted us here at the Dancer Fleet with your reservation, deposits and payments we feel it our obligation to protect your funds. We cannot send the Ecuadorian owners your money outside the schedule established while still accepting ownership and responsibility for your reservation and funds. As a result, they have decided to cancel all reservations from August 1st forward for “non-payment”.

I regret to have to inform you of this as I know the kind of planning that goes into this type of diving vacation. While this is very unfortunate, we do have some options for you.

First, we can simply refund all payments made to date with no penalty.

We can also work with you to move your reservation (and existing payments) to another Dancer Fleet yacht. Again – all change fees would be waived.

As a third alternative, we can attempt to find you space on our sister company yachts in the Galapagos Islands (Galapagos Aggressor I & II).

Again, I apologize for this unfortunate event and our team will work very hard to salvage your diving vacation. Please let us know at your earliest convenience if we should process a refund for you or assist you with alternate travel plans.

Thank You,
Best Regards,
Larry Speaker

Executive Vice President

 

[RJP]

Hmm... I haven't received any such email. My buddy and I are booked in September.

 

[Dom@DiveAdvice]

Hi guys - I have received numerous mails and comments on the situation with Sky Dancer and I would just like to put the record straight.

1. The Sky Dancer is now known as the Galapagos Sky and can be contacted directly on their website at DivEncounters

2. It is still in the same ownership under which it has been successfully operated for more than 10 years.

3. You will have the same crew and guide, the same people will meet you at the airport, and you will get the same top service.

4. The rate have not changed and in fact you will get a plus as they now include Nitrox in the rates.

5. I cannot comment on the reasons or politics of why a successful dive liveaboard chooses to part company with the agency that has represented them for many years, but I think that one has no reason to worry about payments made to the Galapagos Sky as they have a US based office and corporation, from which they promote their 4 boats in Galapagos, and are well know within the community of dive travel specialists.

6. I think that the choice you must make is if you wish to continue with the booking on the Sky Dancer, you or your agent must contact the Galapagos Sky directly and confirm with them that you wish to retain your booking. Accroding to the letter above, you then need to contact Aggressor and request a refund and make the payment directly to the Galapagos Sky.

If anyone is concerned about the process or needs other advice, then please don't hesitate to contact me - dom@diveadvice.com

A final thought - you are dealing with three top professional companies - Aggressor, Peter Hughes Diving and DivEncounters - all have done a first rate job in getting you to where you are now and I have nothing but good things to say about any of them. However from time to time, even the very best companies cannot always agree with one another and I believe that in this instance they just decided they would prefer to work separately.

Your spaces are not cancelled but you do have to contact Galapagos Sky to make sure they are safely in your names.

 

[RJP]

Your spaces are not cancelled but you do have to contact Galapagos Sky to make sure they are safely in your names.

Just received an email reply from Peter Hughes (the man, not the former company) who is the President and co-founder of DivEncounters which now operates the M/V Galapagos Sky.

Peter confirmed that they will happily work with the travel director at my LDS with whom my buddy and I originally booked the trip, ensuring that our reservation/trip goes off as originally planned.

Not bad customer service from the President of the company on a holiday weekend!

Looking forward to a great trip in September - can hardly wait.

Ray

 

[GalapagosGirl]

Hi All,

I too was a recipient of the “dancer fleet” cancellation letter from Larry Speaker, vice president of the PHD/Dancer Fleet…I found the new company “DivEncounters” on Google and submitted an inquiry via their online system to see if I could get more details on what is up.

Here below is the reply I received from their sales manager Ali.


“I apologize for and understand your confusion and I will try to, as clearly & briefly as possible, explain the situation and put your mind at rest as well as assist you in resecuring your Exceptional Underwater Adventure aboard the “Galapagos Sky”.

• By way of this e-mail please consider that your reservation aboard the beautiful “Galapagos Sky” (formerly known as the “Sky Dancer,” and now no longer affiliated w/ Peter Hughes Diving, Inc or the Dancer Fleet) is secure as booked!
• We, DivEncounters, recommends that you contact Larry Speaker, Executive Vice President, of Peter Hughes Diving, Inc. (PHD) and request your deposit/payments to be returned to you and then you can redeposit and/or make those payments directly to DivEncounters, Inc – please contact me, DivEncounters for payment instructions and logistical assistance.
• In reference to any reservation you may have made through PHD, it always was the intention of DivEncounters, Inc. to honor such reservations and every effort was made to do so. Regrettably, however, such reservations were unilaterally cancelled by PHD and the Dancer Fleet.
• There are no new owners of Galapagos Sky which may be implied in the letter you received from the Dancer Fleet and refer to in your inquiry. The owners of the beautiful “Galapagos Sky” (formerly known as “Sky Dancer&#8221 are the same reputable Ecuadorian business men that built, launched and have operated the “Galapagos Sky” (formerly known as “Sky Dancer&#8221 w/ PHD since the vessel was launched in January 2000 and from which date, Peter Hughes had been successfully doing business with.
• Peter Hughes the individual is no longer affiliated w/ Peter Hughes Diving, Inc./Dancer Fleet, which became effective as of May 13, 2010.
• Peter Hughes (the man not company) is now the President of DivEncounters, Inc. – a new company. DivEncounters, Inc. has the exclusive worldwide marketing, sales & management agreement for the beautiful “Galapagos Sky” (formerly known as “Sky Dancer&#8221 and we are working very closely, hand in hand, w/ the Ecuadorian owners of the vessel as we continue to provide the very high standards of excellence, safety, security & service that Peter Hughes (the Man) had built his reputation on over the past 25 years in the live-aboard dive boat business and that others strive to follow.
• All of us at DivEncounters, Inc./”Galapagos Sky” greatly appreciate your support and we look forward to welcoming you aboard for a week of "Exceptional Underwater Adventures”.
• Please feel free to call on us at any time for whatever assistance we may provide to you.

I hope I have managed to put your mind at ease so that you can move forward with continued enthusiasm for your holiday aboard the Galapagos Sky.

Please note that DivEncounters will be observing the July 4th – Independence Day – so our office will closed until Tuesday, July 06, 2010.

Kindest Regards,

Allison "Ali" Seymour
Sales Manager

DivEncounters- Exceptional Underwater Adventures
5805 Blue Lagoon Dr. Suite 160 Miami, Florida 33126
Tel: (305) 262-DIVE (3483) Fax: (305) 262-9609
Toll Free: 1-877-323-DIVE (3483)
Email: Ali@divencounters.com

 

[mjh]

Thanks for all the info. We have sent an email to Galapagos Sky and hope to hear back from them after the holiday. I am guessing that PH/Aggressor is not turning over the deposits or who is booked on sailings. Galapagos Sky IMHO needs to go on the offensive telling clients they need to contact them to re-confirm bookings. Understand PH not wanting to turn over deposits and trying to save business for their group but given how far out you have to book these trips they should turn over names and contacts for people holding reservations after Aug 1st. Just my 2 cents worth.

 

[RJP]

Galapagos Sky IMHO needs to go on the offensive telling clients they need to contact them to re-confirm bookings.

I would guess, however, that Galapagos Sky doesn't know who the clients are.

If PH/Aggressor was the booking agent they would have no reason to provide the boat with the names of the passengers until right before sailing... even in the ordinary course of events.

 

[bsppc]

I am booked on the Galapagos Sky for the August 1st departure and I too am concerned about the status of my booking. I will contact PHD and Ecoventura this coming week to get it all sorted out.

 

[mjh]

Emailed divencoutners and got an email back from Ali. In short our spot is reserved what they want is a copy of your original invoice from PHD to confirm your dates and what cabin you were assigned.

Allison "Ali" Seymour

Sales Manager



DivEncounters- Exceptional Underwater Adventures

5805 Blue Lagoon Dr. Suite 160 Miami, Florida 33126

Tel: (305) 262-DIVE (3483) Fax: (305) 262-9609

Toll Free: 1-877-323-DIVE (3483)

Email: Ali@divencounters.com

Website: DivEncounters

 

[Scared Silly]

I read about this turn of events else where. PHD/Aggressor is a booking agent that has ships under their exclusive contract (XXX Dancer or YYY Aggressor). They do not own the ships. As a policy they do no turn over your monies under 30 days before your trip (a good practice case the ship goes belly up). DivEncounters is also a booking agency with one ship Galapagos Sky. The Galapagos Sky was formerly part of the PHD/Aggressor fleet.

The "problem" DivEncounters requested all deposits from PHD/Aggressor otherwise the reservations would be canceled. This request goes against PHD/Aggressor company policy and have notified customers as to the "problem".

The bottomline IMHO is that DivEncounters as a new company wants the deposits so to have working capital to work with the new ship.