Dive-eat-sleep-repeat
Life aboard a liveaboard revolves around diving and you will see that they organize everything around it. Depending on the country and location, we make 3-5 dives a day on these boats, yes you read that right. Dive, dive and more dive. The number of dives depends on local laws, regulations and customs, but it is certain that there are many. The first guide or ‘cruise director’ organizes the times when all activities take place. You have to take these times flexibly, after all, sailing can take longer, the weather can be a bit unfavorable or they want to delay…
Food and drinks
Good food is part of a great diving holiday and is a must, as you can use the energy. That is why liveaboards usually have 2-3 chefs who prepare all the food and preferably use fresh ingredients. If you now have special wishes or allergies that they have to take into account, do not feel burdened but report it. If the food is not to your liking, just say so and the chefs will make it for you. If you are vegan and would like to have special products that non-vegans generally do not consume, please report this well before…
General rules on a liveaboard
To keep the boat as pleasant as possible, clean, safe and comfortable, there are general rules that everyone must adhere to. You can think of: • Not charging in your room: One of the major dangers on board is fire and of course everyone wants to prevent that. Therefore they will ask you not to charge anything in your room. Chargers get hot and batteries can ignite spontaneously. And so they offer a public place to charge. It is smart to mark your cables and plugs so that everyone sees that they are yours. It’s also more convenient to remove…
your cabin
For most boats you have your own air conditioning and a private bathroom. You can book rooms with single, double and sometimes even bunk beds. As a rule, women are sharing with women and men with men, unless you book a man-woman combination yourself. In the cabin you have some cupboard and/or storage space, but this is limited. If you come on board for the first time, you will see that space is used extremely efficiently, which means that the space in the cabin is not what you are used to at home. Of course there are luxury variants that…
Internet & WiFi
It is almost unthinkable for us, but the internet is limited at many super beautiful diving locations. Especially when you consider that many ships sail far from land and therefore simply do not have an internet connection available. Some ships do offer Wifi, but that does not mean that you always have an internet connection and to be honest, that is so nice. Get away from the world for a while, really socialize with other divers, go on an adventure without Facebook. Still, it is useful to be able to send a message home to let those who stay at…
Health and hygiene
Traveling with a liveaboard is really fantastic. The water, the adventure, being outside, absolutely wonderful. Yet there is also a downside. During your stay on board you live with the other travelers and the crew in a very small area. You share toilets, rooms and everything you use. And every traveler passes through an airport or has someone at home who has a cold or flu. In addition, they have local bacteria that your body has to get used to and all that makes hygiene very important. At least if you want to minimize the chance of a cold or…
Drink 3L of water a day
As a diver, traveler to tropical areas and not used to such warm temperatures, you can easily dry out. And dehydration not only causes headaches, but also increases the risk of decompression sickness. And so the advice is to drink at least 3 liters of water per day and by that we mean real water. Coffee, tea, soft drinks and alcohol dehydrate you, so you continuously replenish your shortages. Do you really drink 3 liters a day but do you have a slight headache? Then it might be wise to take some rehydration salts. Ultimately, you need water and minerals…
Alcohol and diving
As cozy as a drink can be, alcohol and diving are not the best combination. It is therefore a general rule that as soon as you have a drink you will not dive for the rest of that day. If you want to enjoy a drink, just do it, but be sensible. Stop drinking alcohol 8-10 hours before the next dive and drink only in moderation.
First aid
Every liveaboard has a first aid box or box containing the necessary means. They often also have additional medication, but that depends on the country as not everything is easily available everywhere. The guides and crew are trained to provide first aid and can also administer oxygen where necessary. This also means that oxygen must be part of the required first aid equipment and that it is immediately ready for use at all times. If you use medication from the boat, remember that the guides are not doctors. They will advise you to the best of their ability, but be…
Eco-conscious travels
Unfortunately but true, we humans leave a lot of junk behind in this world and we see the consequences of that all too much. It has probably not escaped your notice that the seas and oceans are severely affected by this. So every little bit helps, no matter how small and luckily more and more liveaboards are joining in. They no longer give you water bottles, but offer a water dispenser. This means that you can either use the cups on board or bring your own water tank. The choice is entirely yours. Do you want to go the extra…
Handy to have with you
All in all, you need a lot of things to make your diving holiday enjoyable, especially if you bring your own equipment. However, there are still a few small things that can make your comfort on board a bit more pleasant. For example, consider a small bag to use on deck or in case of a land excursion. Preferably a waterproof bag so that you can safely store a camera in it. It is also useful to bring some earplugs. Sometimes you have a roommate who doesn’t sleep so quietly, or you are bothered by the noises from an engine…
Captain, crew and guides
Often there is a lot more staff around than you initially realize. Ultimately it is a boat, a hotel with a restaurant and a diving organization. And to manage all this in the right direction, quite a few staff members are needed. For example, there is the captain and sometimes there is a second. He is responsible for safety on board, sailing movements and he is in charge of all crew. Then we’ll have the necessary sailors and an enineer. They work directly with the captain, help sail and park, drop us at a dive site by zodiac, help with…
Money and the billing
At the end of your trip, often before you get back to the port, the bill is drawn up. Everything you have taken on board has yet to be paid for, although there are trips where almost everything is included in the price. Additional costs can come from drinks, a shirt you bought, excursions, using nitrox, a bigger tank, renting diving equipment, taking a course or having a private guide. Don’t be surprised and ask for the costs of these things before booking. Some tour operators offer you a discount if you book it in advance, but pay on board.…
Tipping is customary
Not all of us are used to it, but tipping is common when you take a liveaboard trip. The guides and crew are of course paid, but a significant part of their income comes from tips. We may find that strange, but practice shows that everyone takes that extra step to give you a super holiday and that should of course be appreciated. You can end up on a beautiful ship in the best diving area in the world, but it is the crew and guides who give your holiday an extra dimension. Tipping is usually organized. That is, they…