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We love to introduce you to the world of live-aboards and connect
you with one of the beautiful vessels sailing the waters of South
East Asia. Although joining a live-aboard cruise is for sure an
exciting and adventurous experience, it can be disappointing if you
are not aware of the pro’s and cons. For you to make a
well-considered decision, we give a brief impression and explanation
of the live-aboard experience.
Live-aboard cruises bring you to undiscovered, remote and
untouched places
Most boats offer comfortable cabins
Live-aboards bring you near the most
beautiful dive spots
Some cruises include visits to
cultural and scenic places. Above: the wonderful view from the
volcano of Banda
Tenders are used to bring you to diving and snorkeling spots, or
for
visiting islands. |
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The live-aboard principle
A live-aboard is exactly what it says: you live on board of a vessel
for a period of time. You eat, sleep, shower and relax on board,
alternated by swims, dives or island visits. The moment you join a
live-aboard, you check in a floating and movable resort with no
options to check out until the end of the trip. This is the
beautiful paradox of live-aboard cruises; you like to go to undiscovered, remote and untouched
places, but once there, you experience
indeed that there is nothing or nobody to run to. Therefore it is not only
wise to reflect on destinations and schedules with care, but take
your time as well to compare facilities, comfort and services,
taking budget into account.
The boats
Boats come in several materials, sizes and shapes. There are many
variations of live-aboard vessels; between 15 and 50 meter length,
made of steel, fiber or wood, 1, 2, 3 or 4 decks, sail and/or motor,
basic, medium or high class. All these elements, as well as
capacity, facilities and service level, are to be considered before
you make your choice. Under "All
Boats" / "Boat Specifications + Photos" you find
all details of each boat, accompanied by photos.
We divided the live-aboards we represent into 3 different price classes
(rates above 350.- USD; between 250.- and 350.- USD; and under 250.-
USD. per person per day).
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Cruise types |
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Basically we distinguish 5 kinds of cruises: |
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1. Dive cruise
2. Cultural cruise
3. Mixed cruise
4. Surf cruise
5.
Private cruise |
The dive cruise is the most popular cruise, it will focus on 3 to 5
dives a day, starting early in the morning until the night dive
around 7 or 8 pm. Many live-aboards concentrate on the diving business
and have facilities like rinsing tubs, camera work stations, dive
platform, tanks, gear, NITROX, experienced international guides etc.
The diving program is the pivot on which the whole cruise hinges.
However, if you join as a non diver you will not be forgotten and
offered alternative entertainment where possible.
The cultural cruise brings you a varied program of island hopping
with visits to traditional villages and houses, different cultures,
enjoy local art works, beautiful sceneries, impressive flora and
fauna, indigenous dances and rites. These day excursions will be
alternated by some swimming and snorkeling. Diving is sometimes
possible, sometimes not.
The mixed cruise will offer you a certain mixture of both diving and
culture.
The surf cruise is special for wave surfers who like to find the
places with great swell and no competitors. Those spots are often
remote and usually not interesting for divers or sometimes even
impossible to dive.
The private cruise is a customized tour, arranged according your
wishes.
Not only for vacation purposes but also suitable for scientific
research and exploration, photo/film expedition or development work.
See private charter ↓
Period and destination
You have to be aware that accessibility of most destinations are
subjected to the seasons. Wind and waves vary, depending on the
monsoons. They influence boat speed, underwater visibility and
comfort. That’s why many boats operate in different area’s round the
year. For example, in Indonesia during May until October a boat
chooses to operate Bali-Komodo, then this boat moves to Raja Ampat
(Papua)
for the months November until April. In both areas you can join
round trips. However, on the way from one area to another, you are
also able to join a certain part of the journey. Normally the length
of a pre-scheduled cruise varies between several days until a couple
of weeks.
Under "Boat Schedules" you can easily find what boats sail, and when and in which area they
sail.
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For you to pick a live-aboard cruise, you have 3 choices to make: |
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a) where do you want to go
b) when do you want to go
c) which boat you like to sail |
Public Cruiser
When you join a public cruise, you book a cabin or bed and share the
boat with unknown travelers. The schedule and itinerary are fixed.
Most vessels are spacious enough and have private cabins were you
can retreat, but you still sail the cruise together and share all
public areas, which demands some consideration with others. On the
other hand, having meals together, exchanging stories and sharing
adventure, can lead to life time friendships. Although you are
strangers, all on board have the same interest for adventure,
nature, diving and/or sailing.
Private Charter
A private charter is more flexible. You actually rent the whole boat
including crew for a certain period of time. Up front we agree upon
port of departure and return and we make an itinerary according your
wishes, considering season and budget. You travel with your family,
friends or company and in consultation with your cruise director you
might be able to alter schedule and itinerary at the spot. Depending
on the number of guests, a private charter could be cheaper per
person, in comparison with a public cruise.
The journey
The moment you arrive at the airport, staff of the cruise operator
will be waiting for you and accompany you to the boat.
Once all are aboard and the luggage is stored in the cabins, you will meet
staff and fellow travelers, get a briefing about boat regulations,
safety procedures and get a short impression of the trip to come.
Sailing out the harbor you have time to get settled and check out
the boat while enjoying your first drink at sea.
All pre-scheduled trips have fixed routes and points of anchorage.
The proportion of sailing and anchorage depend on the itinerary of
course, but most operators have balanced this nicely. If the
schedule demands a lot of sailing, this normally takes place at
night. Most vessels have an average cruising speed between 7-10
knots (1 Knot = 1 Nautical mile/ hour = 1.85 km per hour) in normal
weather and current conditions. Some steel vessels can go up to
12-14 knots.
During the day you either dive, snorkel, surf or visit islands. To
get you to these spots, the live-aboards use tenders (as well
called dinghies).
Powered by outboard engines, these tenders are fast, maneuverable
and hardly have any draught which makes islands accessible. After
the dive or land tour the dinghy will pick you up and escort you
back to the main vessel.
Meals are served directly on the plate or in buffet style. You like
to join others at a table or eat by yourself at the bowsprit is
totally up to you. They might even offer lunch or dinner at the
beach. If you require special food because of medical reasons please
check with us whether the vessel you prefer will provide this service.
At night you can sleep in your cabin or find a place on deck and
sleep under the open sky.
About the diving
Dive cruises offer 3-5 dives per day including night dives. The
last day however your flight schedule will be taken into account. All
dives are pretty much scheduled.
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