BDSC
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Not surprising. They have been on a steady decline for a number of years. There have been numerous bad reviews right here on SB. They are a shell of what they once were.
Siren Fleet ; concerns and questions
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Not surprising. They have been on a steady decline for a number of years. There have been numerous bad reviews right here on SB. They are a shell of what they once were.
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I got my Undercurrent teaser today. They promise the next issue will contain an article on a liveaboard fleet no one shoud ever book with. With the scathing review of Aggressor/Dancer fleet last month, I'm not much looking forward to what they have to say. With that said, like a train wreck, it will be hard to look away.
Just to be fair... The Truk Siren AND the Odyssey (as well as other boats in the area) were blown into the reef by Typhoon Maysak. Then the Siren was finished off by bad locals who looted and destroyed the boat before burning it to the ground (water). I don't think you can blame Siren for that, bad luck yes but not negligence. All passengers were safe and not on board.
I have been on many liveaboards and have seen many things go wrong.... I think the most important factor is how a boat takes care of their guests when things do go wrong. You don't always hear about the problems boats have (fires, hitting reefs, engine failures etc.) on this forum because Scubaboard is very small in the scheme of things. I think you would be quite surprised to have all the stats. Luckily we have the ability to make our own choices in who we choose to travel with. Just don't throw out generalizations without the facts...we get enough of that on Facebook. If you choose not to use Siren because they have bad luck that is OK...go with your gut. But don't bash them without the facts.
I have been on many liveaboards and have seen many things go wrong.... I think the most important factor is how a boat takes care of their guests when things do go wrong. You don't always hear about the problems boats have (fires, hitting reefs, engine failures etc.) on this forum because Scubaboard is very small in the scheme of things. I think you would be quite surprised to have all the stats. Luckily we have the ability to make our own choices in who we choose to travel with. Just don't throw out generalizations without the facts...we get enough of that on Facebook. If you choose not to use Siren because they have bad luck that is OK...go with your gut. But don't bash them without the facts.
Hintermann
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That's right. Extending that philosophy a little, the most important factor is how the crew take care of their guests...period. It is in that department that I found the crew of Philippine Siren wanting, even though nothing actually went wrong.
I have also been on a lot of liveaboards around the world and things do go wrong at times. The Celebes Explorer on our Sipadan cruise was a rickety old tub very firmly belonging to "seen better days" category. On the last day (afternoon after the last dive), they ran out of fresh water and as my wife and I were in Cabin 1 where even the en suite worked off fresh water, we had to move to a nearby hotel. But I held no animosity towards the company or crew because the latter were superb in trying to sort out the situation to the best of their ability and trying to keep us comfortable. We just told ourselves that these things happen.
Then there was my Fiji trip on board the Island Dancer. Unseasonal weather conditions made some leading dive sites out of bounds but Captain Joji and his crew bent over backwards to make the trip as fruitful as possible under the circumstances, and succeeded. They even organised a 5am dawn dive on a site where we had missed the night dive earlier.
With the exception of the senor dive guide and the very hearty chef, I felt that the crew of Philippine Siren were impersonal and cold. I got the distinct impression that they were more geared-up for groups and semi-professionals rather than individual or couple recreational divers. That was why I made the decision not to use the company again.
Darnold9999
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Have been on a dozen or so liveaboard trips. One of them a Siren trip - Philippines Siren. I did notice some tension between the divemaster and pretty much everyone else, but it was not overt and I just put it to personality and enjoyed the trip. Would avoid this person if it was possible, but wouldn't go out of my way to make sure they were on a boat I was planning to use. I have seen similar issues on other boats and trips. However frankly that is to be expected. These are small boats and the crew live and work together for long periods of time and work extremely hard. Personalities are going to clash. Have only once had it interfere with my trip and that was on the Damai - one of the better boats out there and one of the best trips I have done to date. Cost me (and the entire boat) one dive, but did generate a good story as we did a man overboard drill and spent a couple of hours looking for a crew member that everyone thought had fallen overboard.
Would definitely book another trip with Siren - so far nothing I have read, heard or seen leads me to believe they are lax in their safety standards or maintenance. Quite the opposite, my experience with Siren was that they were more safety conscious then most.
Would definitely book another trip with Siren - so far nothing I have read, heard or seen leads me to believe they are lax in their safety standards or maintenance. Quite the opposite, my experience with Siren was that they were more safety conscious then most.
moonypixels
Registered
Dear Captain Paul Watson...
6 Vessels in 6 years... Rammed, burnt down, run aground and sunk and the concerns aren't justified?!? What kind of Captain are you mate??? You put all of that down to bad luck? As a "Captain" you should be questioning these kind of incidents a bit more deeply than just saying it's bad luck!
---------- Post added August 19th, 2015 at 12:33 AM ----------
---------- Post added August 19th, 2015 at 12:37 AM ----------
Thanks heaps for this post. At least someone dares to speak the truth!
The answer would be a classic "PADI-Answer"... 4) None of the above! Hence the loss of so many vessels in such a short amount of time...
6 Vessels in 6 years... Rammed, burnt down, run aground and sunk and the concerns aren't justified?!? What kind of Captain are you mate??? You put all of that down to bad luck? As a "Captain" you should be questioning these kind of incidents a bit more deeply than just saying it's bad luck!
---------- Post added August 19th, 2015 at 12:33 AM ----------
Well Lorenzoid, it's pretty simple and straight forward... There are plenty of other vessels around who have been operating for a great many years but most importantly "WHO ARE STILL AFLOAT". The Siren Fleet started of as "Worldwide Dive and Sail" but has since been renamed in insider circles to "Worldwide Dive and Sink"... There are plenty of good alternatives around who will take you out there safely and who will also take you back safely!
---------- Post added August 19th, 2015 at 12:37 AM ----------
Thanks heaps for this post. At least someone dares to speak the truth!
The answer would be a classic "PADI-Answer"... 4) None of the above! Hence the loss of so many vessels in such a short amount of time...
An interesting read... I was on a cruise with the Phillipines Siren in March and thought the crew were lovely (no bickering evident to me) and had a great time. No concerns re safety. Had such a great time that I went and booked further Siren trips to Palau and Fiji. The Palau one was unable to go ahead but Worldwide dive and sail booked me onto an alternative liveaboard on the same dates so can't complain. Am very much looking forward to Fiji...
moonypixels
Registered
Here's an interesting read from Undercurrent's September issue about the multiple sinking of the Siren fleet:
Palau Siren Grounds and Floods: Undercurrent 09/2015
Palau Siren Grounds and Floods: Undercurrent 09/2015
Is it because I like to dice with death that i've taken 3 Siren Fleet trips this year alone - Raja Ampat, Komodo and Visayas? NO!
is it because I used to work for the company (cruise director / marketing manager)? NO
its because the facilites are great, the crews are lovely and i know if something bad did occur, there's an excellent team ready to do their utmost to assist me and my fellow passengers - YES!
Plus i know everyone i dived with on these trips would say exactly the same.
i feel bad they are in this position but I know they remain dedicated to their guests and just for the record - THE PALAU SIREN DID NOT SINK!
Can;t wait for my Galapagos trip next year - testing out the new Master Liveaboards Fleet!
is it because I used to work for the company (cruise director / marketing manager)? NO
its because the facilites are great, the crews are lovely and i know if something bad did occur, there's an excellent team ready to do their utmost to assist me and my fellow passengers - YES!
Plus i know everyone i dived with on these trips would say exactly the same.
i feel bad they are in this position but I know they remain dedicated to their guests and just for the record - THE PALAU SIREN DID NOT SINK!
Can;t wait for my Galapagos trip next year - testing out the new Master Liveaboards Fleet!
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