AlaskaDiver
Contributor
- Messages
- 612
- Reaction score
- 6
- # of dives
- 1000 - 2499
Caribbean Explorer I 02/10-02/17
Ending up on the CEX1 was sort of an accident for me. Originally I had planned to go to Key West and do some diving from boats. I did a bit of research and found the Explorer Ventures fleet and thought Id give them a try as they were geared toward having a small number of passengers on a decent sized boat. Liveaboards are so much fun and I get my satisfaction of diving 5 dives a day. With a free ticket from Alaska to anywhere in the Lower 48, I wanted to maximize the value for travel so I chose to fly to Miami and then another hop to Georgetown, Bahamas on American Eagle. AE was a decent flight. I heard unpleasant comments from other passengers who had flown on Bahamas Air (flight delays) and Continental (baggage delays). When I arrived at the airport in Georgetown, I took one of the many van-taxis out front to the marina where the CEX1 was docked. It was $25 for the entire van (2 passengers) and the driver helped us load bags in/out and was pleasant. We tipped him very well. I would recommend using a local driver, but not Mary. The boat actually had her as their preferred driver. On the return trip back to the airport, she charged us double the rate of the other driver ($50) and was neither pleasant nor did she assist with baggage.
The crew members greeted me upon arrival and graciously carried my bags aboard. I felt very welcome to be a part of the trip. After I unpacked and set up dive gear, I was given an entertaining but informative safety briefing. I especially liked the fact that the names of the crew and other passengers were listed on the dive brief board immediately upon arrival. This made getting to meet other passengers and the crew easy. By the end of the first full day, we all knew each others names and had begun to better acquaint ourselves with one another. Any time we were to move to another site, the captain would provide details of the travel plans at a meal. The crew came in daily into the rooms for cleaning, to change the linens and to make the beds. I loved those chocolates at turn down before bed. I had my camera on board and they handled it properly. I liked the fact that they tracked the passengers duration in the water (entry and exit times) and requested the depth and remaining psi after each dive. Overall the crew was very professional in undertaking their duties and accommodating the passengers. Of course some personalities outshone others.
The boat itself was in good condition despite it being an older vessel. The interior was in fair to good shape. The dive deck was newly painted/coated and wide enough for all to comfortably be seated. I felt very comfortable walking around barefoot. Each passenger had a plastic box for small items within a cubicle under the seats. I could easily find a hanger and to hang up my wetsuit. The dive deck had two hot showers which were a great way to shake off the chill after a long dive. The dive deck had a small but secure sized camera table. I found it odd that the water cooler container would be housed on this, but everyone was reminded about not putting liquids on it. Nothing was spectacular about the furnishings, but everything was neat and clean. TV in the salon was new and a comedy show could be found playing almost any afternoon. Music could be played on the upper deck (CDs iPODs etc). The food was the regular sort of a meal youd prepare for yourself at home but I did not expect a gourmet meal considering the price of the passage. I did like the Explorer Ventures overall set up and would travel on another one of their boats in the future.
The dives themselves were typical Bahamas dives and met my expectations. Water temp was 77-79F. I wore a 3 mil Hyperstretch suit and was getting chilly at the end of a 60 min dive. The visibility for the most part was good to excellent. Okay, the visibility was spectacular in comparison to Alaska diving. The dives were perfect for beginner and intermediate divers. I liked the exploratory dives and having the opportunity to name a site. The captain initially said no to a drift dive, but then based on the current allowed for it. That was nice. The creatures were beautiful when found, but could be easily overlooked due to the seemingly sparse terrain. During the dives we saw Reef Sharks, Parrotfish, Tangs, Barracuda, Sting Rays, Horse Eye Jacks, Grunts, Hamlets, Porgy, Porkfish, Blennies, Eels, and many more fish. The creatures like Lobsters, Nudibranchs, Conchs, Sponges, Sea Fans, and Tunicates were all very colorful. My favorite thing was having a Dolphin swim right up to a group of 3 of us! I was thrilled that my dives were not limited by time constraints.
Ending up on the CEX1 was sort of an accident for me. Originally I had planned to go to Key West and do some diving from boats. I did a bit of research and found the Explorer Ventures fleet and thought Id give them a try as they were geared toward having a small number of passengers on a decent sized boat. Liveaboards are so much fun and I get my satisfaction of diving 5 dives a day. With a free ticket from Alaska to anywhere in the Lower 48, I wanted to maximize the value for travel so I chose to fly to Miami and then another hop to Georgetown, Bahamas on American Eagle. AE was a decent flight. I heard unpleasant comments from other passengers who had flown on Bahamas Air (flight delays) and Continental (baggage delays). When I arrived at the airport in Georgetown, I took one of the many van-taxis out front to the marina where the CEX1 was docked. It was $25 for the entire van (2 passengers) and the driver helped us load bags in/out and was pleasant. We tipped him very well. I would recommend using a local driver, but not Mary. The boat actually had her as their preferred driver. On the return trip back to the airport, she charged us double the rate of the other driver ($50) and was neither pleasant nor did she assist with baggage.
The crew members greeted me upon arrival and graciously carried my bags aboard. I felt very welcome to be a part of the trip. After I unpacked and set up dive gear, I was given an entertaining but informative safety briefing. I especially liked the fact that the names of the crew and other passengers were listed on the dive brief board immediately upon arrival. This made getting to meet other passengers and the crew easy. By the end of the first full day, we all knew each others names and had begun to better acquaint ourselves with one another. Any time we were to move to another site, the captain would provide details of the travel plans at a meal. The crew came in daily into the rooms for cleaning, to change the linens and to make the beds. I loved those chocolates at turn down before bed. I had my camera on board and they handled it properly. I liked the fact that they tracked the passengers duration in the water (entry and exit times) and requested the depth and remaining psi after each dive. Overall the crew was very professional in undertaking their duties and accommodating the passengers. Of course some personalities outshone others.
The boat itself was in good condition despite it being an older vessel. The interior was in fair to good shape. The dive deck was newly painted/coated and wide enough for all to comfortably be seated. I felt very comfortable walking around barefoot. Each passenger had a plastic box for small items within a cubicle under the seats. I could easily find a hanger and to hang up my wetsuit. The dive deck had two hot showers which were a great way to shake off the chill after a long dive. The dive deck had a small but secure sized camera table. I found it odd that the water cooler container would be housed on this, but everyone was reminded about not putting liquids on it. Nothing was spectacular about the furnishings, but everything was neat and clean. TV in the salon was new and a comedy show could be found playing almost any afternoon. Music could be played on the upper deck (CDs iPODs etc). The food was the regular sort of a meal youd prepare for yourself at home but I did not expect a gourmet meal considering the price of the passage. I did like the Explorer Ventures overall set up and would travel on another one of their boats in the future.
The dives themselves were typical Bahamas dives and met my expectations. Water temp was 77-79F. I wore a 3 mil Hyperstretch suit and was getting chilly at the end of a 60 min dive. The visibility for the most part was good to excellent. Okay, the visibility was spectacular in comparison to Alaska diving. The dives were perfect for beginner and intermediate divers. I liked the exploratory dives and having the opportunity to name a site. The captain initially said no to a drift dive, but then based on the current allowed for it. That was nice. The creatures were beautiful when found, but could be easily overlooked due to the seemingly sparse terrain. During the dives we saw Reef Sharks, Parrotfish, Tangs, Barracuda, Sting Rays, Horse Eye Jacks, Grunts, Hamlets, Porgy, Porkfish, Blennies, Eels, and many more fish. The creatures like Lobsters, Nudibranchs, Conchs, Sponges, Sea Fans, and Tunicates were all very colorful. My favorite thing was having a Dolphin swim right up to a group of 3 of us! I was thrilled that my dives were not limited by time constraints.
