Undercover Diver

In 2007, Explorer Ventures is celebrating its 20^th year in the live aboard industry.  The Explorer Fleet covers five different dive destinations:  Australia, Bahamas, Galapagos, Saba/St. Kitts, and Turks & Caicos. 

When the live aboard topic comes up, you hear fellow divers say, “All you do on a live aboard is eat, sleep and dive.”  Until you have actually had your first live aboard experience, you truly don’t have a complete understanding the experience.  Living in Colorado, I want to take advantage of my trips to the ocean.  So, when I go on a dive trip I want to dive!  And this is what you get with a live aboard.  At the end of the week on the Turks & Caicos Explorer II, I found myself saying words I never thought I would say, “Do I have to go diving?”  And I hadn’t even done all the night dives!

As with many of our recent dive trips, we had some excitement and/or drama.  So before getting into the actual review, I must first share or pre-vacation “drama.”  After reading various online reviews, we booked a stateroom on the Caribbean Explorer I which departs from George Town.  Our trip hit a momentary roadblock before we even left!  Just eight days before we were supposed to leave, we got a call from Randy at EV.  When he began with, “I’ve got some bad news,” I was worried!  He shared with me that the Caribbean Explorer I had been in dry-dock getting some work done.  Whenever a boat is in dry-dock, they paint the hull.  When they had gone to do this, they discovered damage to the boat that was not going to be repaired in time for our trip.  I have to admit; at first I was freaking out!  I didn’t know what was going to happen to our trip.  (Due to the fact we were traveling to the Bahamas during prime hurricane season, this was the first trip that we had actually purchased trip insurance for…I was beginning to wonder if I would cashing in on the policy.)  Randy then shared with me our options:  cancel the trip and receive a full refund, rebook the trip for a completely different time, or rebook the trip on another vessel for the same week.  Changing our boat would be great, but what about our airfare that we had to the Bahamas?  Randy said that EV would cover a certain percentage of our airline changes.  Before making our final decision, we had to do some checking on flights.  We had booked through Orbitz, which I learned later can be a little tricky to deal with when you have to make adjustments to your itinerary.  After finding flights out of Denver, we opted for the rebooking option and were able to get on the Turks & Caicos Explorer II.  We were VERY impressed with Randy and the entire EV staff in Texas for allowing us to continue our scheduled vacation.  They were GREAT!! 

So back to Orbitz…I was on the phone for 4 hours trying to get things taken care of.    During this grueling process, I learned the following:

1. If you have to cancel a flight, you don’t have to pay any type of fee at the time.  You do however have to pay a fee when you “reactivate” that credit.  And you have to use that credit in a certain amount of time.  (For us it would have been less than one year.)
2. Whatever airline you originally booked with, you have to keep that same airline on your new itinerary.  You MAY NOT change airlines.
3. No matter how many times you call customer service, you won’t reach a help center in the United States.

Our original flight to the Bahamas was on Continental.  When we went to rebook, it was actually a Continental/Delta code share flight.  (This means that the plane is actually operated by Delta, but they have given seats to Continental to sell.)  On the Orbitz site I could see the flights I wanted and they were “Continental” flights…even had their logo.  Unfortunately, the Orbitz computers couldn’t see the same thing…the flights were only coming up as Delta.  Finally, a supervisor had to actually call the airlines to get the tickets.  And since Orbitz themselves couldn’t rebook me, I was refunded the $30 transfer fee!  By the end of the evening, we were officially booked on the Turks & Caicos Explorer II (a better boat than the Explorer I), had new airline tickets for Providenciales, and were only out $50 for the hotel that we had booked in George Town for our layover Friday night prior to boarding the EV boat…not too bad!  All we had to now was pack.

Operation Name: Explorer Ventures
Address:  All Vessels (USA Reservations Office)
PO Box 488 - Mabank, TX 75147-0488 USA
Phone: 1.800.322.3577
Email info@explorerventures.com
Website: http://explorerventures.com/

Vessel: Turks & Caicos Explorer II
Base Cost: $1695 for room
Main Deck Stateroom #5 - queen bed, desk/ chair, dresser, hanging closet, large window, private ensuite bathroom and shower.
Included:

• 7 nights/8 days aboard the vessel
• 3 meals daily
• Between-dive snacks
• Towels, linens etc.
• Up to 5 dives daily (weather and itinerary permitting)
• Use of tanks, weights and weight belts
• All air fills (excluding nitrox)
• All alcoholic and non-alcoholic beverages
• Port and Immigration Fees

Additional Costs:

• $55 - Port Tax (pp)
• $85 - Fuel Charge (pp)
• $80 - Nitrox for the week (pp & approx)

Available transportation/price to the vessel:
We were met by a boat crew member at the airport.  In Providenciales, EV has a taxi service that they work with.  We had to meet the boat at the commercial marina.  The per person fares are based on distance.  We did share the cab with others who were going to other resorts and our fare was $15 pp.  I would have to say that this company is not great on their pick-up times.  Be sure to allow for extra!!

Overall rating of Experience: 9/10

Staff: 10/10
Were they organized? Yes!  For only have a couple of the regular staff on board, this crew was amazing. 
Did they have a method for accounting for your presence on the boat?  Yes – They were always aware of what divers were diving or staying on the boat prior to entering the water.  When you came back up they recorded your time out.  You also had to give them your max. depth and remaining PSI.  All of this information was recorded on a form for each dive.
Were they knowledgeable about the area? Yes – Good dive briefings of each site.
Did they point out underwater life? Sometimes – This was something that I found to be frustrating.  I felt that they served more as “navigators” than guides.  They did a great job of making sure you got back to the boat if you were diving with them, but I didn’t feel like they pointed out the critters like land-based ops.  (Since this was my first live aboard, this may be a typical practice.)  When we surfaced, they were able to help you identify critters through descriptions and/or photos.
Were they Friendly/Personable?  Yes
Were they interested in helping you have a good time? Yes!  They worked their butts off for us!  Anything we needed, they would take care of. 
Did you feel safe? Yes
Comments on staff:  The crew was amazing!  I don’t think I’ve seen such a group of hard workers on any other dive trip.  When the boat moved to French Cay, I began to feel sick and I wasn’t able to eat dinner.  JF recommended some ginger tea and the crew saved my plate for me…they also warmed it up for me later in the evening.

While we were eating breakfast each morning, the crew would empty our room trash and make our bed.  Each evening we would also find a “sweet treat” on our bed.

On the last night dive, the entire group came up away from the boat.  While waiting for the zodiac to pick us up, I was stung on the mouth by a jellyfish.  Getting in the zodiac, JF made sure I was breathing okay.  Back on the boat, they took great care of me…vinegar for the sting and an anti-inflammatory for the swelling. 

Boat (Diving):  9/10
What is the capacity of the boat?  20 divers and we were at full capacity.
How many dive masters per diver?  The majority of people chose to dive on their own.  There was always at least one dive master in the water, sometimes two.
Was there first aid on board? Oxygen?  Yes
Did you feel cramped or was it roomy?  I felt the dive deck as a whole had a good amount of room.  I did feel a little cramped when you were trying to gear-up while sitting down.  The space between tanks/BC set-ups was small.
Was the boat in good condition?  Yes
Did you have adequate room for your gear?  Yes.  Each station had a large storage area under the bench.  You were also provided with a shoebox-sized Tupperware container for “dry” storage.  All of the wetsuits were hung in the middle of the boat, above the compressor vent, so they dried relatively quickly.
Were there special areas for camera equipment?  Yes.  The camera tank was large…and on our boat everyone had a camera so this was good.  The camera table was also large.  We did find that you needed to keep an eye on the sun during the afternoon.  Depending on the angle of the boat, the camera table was sometimes exposed to full sunlight.  Most people just covered their camera with a towel.
Fresh water rinse for divers to shower? Yes.  The boat had two showers at the back, with a low table in between them.  (It seemed that one shower head was in need of replacement.)  You could easily rinse yourself and your gear before heading up the stairs to take it off.  They had large bottles of shampoo & conditioner for everyone to use.
Other comments about the boat:  After gearing up you did have to walk down about seven stairs to reach the water.  This wasn’t ever a problem.

The ice maker and a small sink are outside.  This made it very easy to always have water before/after a dive.

Boat (Accommodations): 8/10
It was great setting my shoes in the basket and never touching them for a week!  I have to say that being barefoot at the first meal felt a little awkward, but it doesn’t take long to adjust!
Food: 10/10
The food was outstanding…Stan does a fantastic job!  Here’s what we ate:

Everyday
There was always fresh fruit, cookies, and peanuts available to snack on.  At breakfast you always had:  toast, cereal, & yogurt.  Soda, tea, coffee, alcohol…all you could drink.

Saturday
Snack:  Stan prepared a fruit tray for everyone to snack on as people arrived on the boat.
Dinner:  pork loin, red beans & rice, steamed veggies, salad, rolls, and lemon merengue pie

Sunday
Breakfast:  Usual choices along with eggs and ham
Snack:  warm brownies
Lunch:  soup, sandwiches, and fresh fruit
Snack:  pizza
Dinner:  steak, potato, salad, and apple pie with ice cream

Monday
Breakfast:  Usual choices along with pancakes and sausage
Snack:  warm muffins
Lunch:  beef & chicken burrito bar and ice cream sandwiches
Snack:  cheese and crackers
Dinner:  fresh grouper, chicken, salad, asparagus, and sorbet with fruit

Tuesday
Breakfast:  Usual choices along with eggs, bacon and grits
Snack:  warm blueberry muffins
Lunch:  shrimp linguine and spaghetti with sausage
Snack:  fried cheese sticks
Dinner:  BBQ Ribs and chicken, potato salad

Wednesday
Breakfast:  Usual choices along with French toast and ham
Snack:  warm chocolate chip cookies
Lunch:  cheeseburgers, macaroni & cheese bake, fruit
Snack:  biscuits and jam
Dinner:  conk chowder, roast beef, coleslaw, and cheesecake

Thursday
Breakfast:  Usual choices along with an omelet
Snack:  warm banana bread
Lunch:  lasagna, salad, and bread
Snack:  chips and salsa
Dinner:  turkey, stuffing, mashed potatoes & gravy

Friday
Breakfast:  Usual choices along with a “McStanley” sandwich
Lunch:  chicken wings, salads, potato wedges, and leftovers from the week

 (We did have a few people who were had been on the boat the previous week.  They said that they menu was the same both weeks.)

Room Overall: 7/10
Cleanliness: 9/10
Bed Quality: 8/10 – We had a “queen” bed, meaning two smaller mattress pushed together.
Linen Quality: 8/10 – They were clean and didn’t feel like sandpaper.
Bathroom Quality: 5/10 – The shower was SMALL…my husband is 6’ 4” and barely fit!  And the water pressure was terrible!  We actually did most our showering on the back of the boat.  (It was also a great place to shave my legs…hopefully JF doesn’t use that footage in any upcoming promotional videos!)  The shower did have shampoo, conditioner, and liquid soap.  The toilet worked intermittently…sometimes not working for hours at a time…not always a good thing.
Television? No – On their web site it states that the forward two staterooms on the main deck have a TV/VCR. 
Clock? No
Type of Outlets: American Standard – There were two different plugs in the room.  We did bring our own power strip and that helped.
Storage:  We had a small closet with hangers.  There were drawers under the bed and a small dresser.  We had plenty of storage for all of our clothing.  (There was also a little room under the desk.  This is where we put our cameras/housings at night.  We knew they wouldn’t go anywhere, but we just felt weird leaving them out on the camera table.)  The closet & bathroom doors also had hooks for your towels.  After unpacking, the crew stowed away our suitcases…this was great!
Comments on the room:  As I’ve already mentioned, this was our first live aboard, so I don’t have any other experience to compare it to.  I’ve heard other people say that they felt the rooms on this vessel are smaller than those on the T & C Aggressor.  Personally, I had enough room.  The majority of your time in the room is sleeping, so I don’t see the point in having a large room on a live aboard.  I would rather see the space go to the common areas.

Common Areas Overall: 7/10
Cleanliness: 10/10
Main Salon:  The salon housed a sitting area with a comfy couch.  Here you could watch one of the many DVDs or enjoy a book from the library.  In between dives you could use the fish identification books to complete your dive log.  Everyone had their own plastic cup for the week and beverages were available at all times.  You also had access to power outlets near the tables so you could work on your laptop.  With a full boat, this area did get a little crowded, and warm, during meals. 
Sun Deck:  If you were looking to lie in the warm, Caribbean sun, this was the place to be!  Even with a full boat, there was always room to layout.  There was also a small table and chairs available if you wanted to sit and visit.  This also proved to be a great location for drying gear prior to disembarking.
Fly bridge:  This was a great place to go and relax.  You could find beverages in the small fridge and sit out of the sun.  There were tables here, but during our trip no one ever ate here.

Dive Sites: 8/10
What was the condition of the reefs/coral?  Excellent.  (Our last trip was to Fiji so it was a bit of a culture shock coming back to the Caribbean.)
Was there a lot of small life (namely fish...)?  I would say that there was a good fish population.  We saw “the usual” aquatic life for the Caribbean.
What about large life? (Sharks, Rays, Turtles, etc...)  We were impressed with the number of sharks we saw…reef & nurse.  (The Gulley was our favorite dive site.)  We also saw several turtles and large green moray eels.  Elephant Ear Canyon was home to a few Eagle Rays.
How was visibility?  35-75ft.
Type of diving:  The majority of the dives were wall dives with a flat reef under the boat at about 40-60 feet.  In most locations there was no current.  Elephant Ear Canyon seemed to have the most current.
Sites we dove:
Eel Garden – Northwest Point
Amphitheater – Northwest Point
Shark Hotel – Northwest Point
Brandy Wine – West Caicos
The Gully – West Caicos  (This was my favorite site.  There were several reef sharks that hung around the entire time and came within 2-3 feet of us.  We also enjoyed watching the two southern stingrays feed on the sandy bottom.)
Rock Garden Interlude – West Caicos
Elephant Ear Canyon – West Caicos  (To see the spotted eagle rays on this dive, swim over to wall, find a spot and wait.  We saw them on our first dive.  Unfortunately, we didn’t stay to watch them circle around…several times.  We did change our approach on the second dive, but they were no longer there.)
Half-Mile Reef – French Cay
Double D – French Cay
The G-Spot – French Cay

Night diving:  We only opted for two of the night dives…the first and the last.  The crew on board kept careful watch for the sea wasps on the surface and were ready to dim the boat lights if needed.  When you come up from your night dive you are greeted with a warm towel and cup of hot cocoa.  (There is even a little Jamaican rum to spice up the cocoa.)

Additional comments not listed above:
We learned quickly about the “swinging of the boat.”  Due to the mooring line, the height of the boat, and Mother Nature, we discovered that the boat swung approximately 115 degrees.  This meant that you could lose site of it in just a matter of seconds, and it would take another 5-7 minutes to see it again.  You always had to keep the boat’s location in mind as you came up for your safety stop.  Needless to say, doing a safety stop on one of the boat’s lines was an adventure in itself.  

Final Thoughts:
What to pack:  I recommend taking multiple swim suits with you.  Some of the folks on the boat changed in and out of theirs between dives, allowing for good drying time.  I managed with three pairs of shorts – one for over the suit, one for in the evenings around the boat, and one for sleeping.  I went with 4-5 t-shirts for the daytime and used them all.  I also packed a sweatshirt and warm-up pants.  To save on room, I wore the same “airport” clothes to and from the island.  Don’t forget some cold-water detergent or some of the Tide travel pouches.  We washed a couple of shirts and swim suits in the sink.  Finally, I would recommend taking along a small, but strong, room deodorizer for the “funky boat bathroom smell.”

I will always remember my time aboard the Turks & Caicos Explorer II.  Not only was it my first live aboard, but it was also the location of my 150^th dive.  I would definitely dive with Explorer Ventures again.  Out of the other 18 people on our boat, all of them had previously dove with Explorer Ventures and some them up to five times…that says a lot about this operation.

Additional Photos: