Advice re first liveaboard

[diving_moose]

Hi,
I am looking to do my first liveaboard next year Feb 2006 and want a bit of advice. Looking at booking with Tony Blackhurst but wondered if anybody has used him for northern trips from sharme. The task i have is to try and book myself and my mate on the liveaboard for a week and get my other half and his wife and child booked into a hotel in sharme on the same week so they can have there holiday. Has anybody got any ideas best way to do this or has anybody done this and if so who with. Tony blackhurst is just my first idea and info on helping me with this task were i am trying to keep everybody happy would ge gratefull.
Cheers Lee

[Tim Ingmire]

Try Oonasdivers as they can sort both Liveaaboard and Hotel for you.

We've used them for the last two trips in the Red Sea (on board MY Juliet) and they have been excellent!

www.oonasdivers.co.uk

[Ant P]

Tony Backhurst do hotels as well. After the liveaboard, you spend your last night in a hotel in Sharm before flying back - I stayed in the Eden Rock which was fairly pleasant.

Cheers, Ant

[Fiona]

I can also recommend Tony Backhurst, I have been on 4 trips with him and never had any problems. Making two bookings will not be a problem.

[Tank Girl]

I can also vouch for Tony B - generally very good customer service and excellent boats. Just look at Typhoon and Hurricane. Just superb. Was on Typhoon 3 weeks ago and she is beautiful.

The northern itinery is a good intro to liveaboards, generally not too exposed to rough weather (I said generally, not never!) with some pretty good diving on varied reefs and some lovely wrecks.

If you book a Get Wrecked Special on Excel or Cyclone you will also get the company of Peter Collings, wreck expert. You'll either love him or hate him, but he's certainly unique!

Your wife and family could stay either in Camel or Eden Rock, both very comfortable and really convenient to Naama Bay town centre. They'll enjoy the sun and you'll enjoy the diving - a win/win situation!

TG

[Noel Johnson]

Hi Moose, We're doing exactly the same thing.

Dawn and I will be on the Typhoon for 1 week in August whilst my Mum and Dad are at the Eden Rock for the same week as they need a holiday as well. It was really simple as well.

As for liveaboards Tony B. is definitely the way to go. This will be my 3rd trip through him and I have always been impressed. The northern wreck and reef itinierary is a good introduction as the diving is nice n' varied.

HTH

Noel.

[MisterBlue]

Oonas have always looked after me very well. I've been on Juliet, Panorama Sharm and Coral Queen, and they're all excellent. I've also done one of Tony B's boats and I've nothing bad to say about it, I just prefer a smaller boat and less divers in the water.

[Spike Jackson]

My advice is shop around. There is a wide range of prices for liveaboars. We've been on the same boat and same trip as people who had paid £100 more than us, also people who'd gotten a last minute deal and paid at least £100 quid less!

We've been on a Tony Backhurst trip and had excellent service. However they are amongst the most expensive and the boats are big with lots of divers.

[simon moore]

Dawn and I will be on the Typhoon for 1 week in August whilst my Mum and Dad are at the Eden Rock for the same week as they need a holiday as well.

As for liveaboards Tony B. is definitely the way to go. This will be my 3rd trip through him and I have always been impressed. The northern wreck and reef itinierary is a good introduction as the diving is nice n' varied.

HTH

Noel.


Hi Noel,

I'm on Typhoon at the end of November doing a TB northern wreck trip. Can you give me an idea of what we might visit (apart from the T'gorm and the RoMu) so I can read up in advance ?

I was on Hurricane last year, and a few gripes aside it was a pretty cracking boat. How does Typhoon compare ?

[Narced at sea level]

I've done 6 trips with TBST now and only ever had a problem with one - a shambolic cruise and stay trip ( half liveabord half shore-based) - TBST sorted everything out on our return and other than that one hiccup they have displayed nothing but the most professional levels of service.

However - I am boycotting them at the moment.

The Owner of the main hotel that TBST book for in Marsa Alam - the Kharamana - has recently illegally destroyed in the region of 7000 square metres of fringing reef in order to give his guests better access to the sea - concerns have been raised that this may set a precident for other Red Sea Hoteliers as even a hefty fine may not be enough to discourage themm from following suit as they can simply put prices up to cover their increased costs.
As a result I have contacted TBST and informed them that as a loyal and regular customer of thiers, I will no longer book any trips through them until they cease to use the Kharamana or any of the other hotels owned by them (i.e the Amaraya).

Now while I don't hold TBST responsible for this in any way, they are still supoorting the business of the owner and I can't be a party to that.

I'd urge you to consider this when booking.

http://www.divernet.com/news/stories/020905reef.shtml