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Blackbeard Cruises
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Blackbeard's Cruises Compliment
This review is as much a compliment to Blackbeard's overall operation as it is to refute the other two reviews on this site. I am an avid diver who has been on four Blackbeard's operated liveaboards in the last four years in addition to a couple of liveaboards operated by other companies. Two of the trips I went on sailed from Miami, one from Freeport, and one from Nassau. The crews have always been accommodating, attentive, and fun. In regards to the owners, on my first trip, I drove to Miami and hadn't arranged for parking my vehicle for a week and the owner, Peggy, allowed me to park at their offices across the bridge at no charge and even followed me over and gave me a ride back to the boat. I met Bruce while in Freeport and talked to him for a while. He was very nice and seemed very appreciative of his customers. One of the other reviews mentioned that he/she only took one vacation a year and was upset that the divemaster didn't dive with them. If you only dive seriously once a year, you probably do need a guide in the water with you, and you also don't need to be on a Blackbeard's boat. You probably paid $649 for an all inclusive trip in 2002. With 15 -20 divers on the boat, how many babysitters can they afford to be in the water with you? As far as sailing, spearfishing, and fishing, the website and the brochure market the trips as "liveaboard scuba diving adventure travel vacations." If they didn't sail, it's because there wasn't enough wind. As a novice sailer, I can promise you good sailing weather is not good diving weather. When they put the sail up leaving Miami, it was to slow the rocking of the boat while making the crossing to Bimini, thus making your trip smoother. For spearfishing and fishing, Bahamian law does not allow you to spearfish on scuba. You can only free dive with a Hawaiian sling, not a spear gun. If all you wanted to do was hunt, you should have stayed stateside and left some of the most beautiful reefs in the world alone. In conclusion, the only thing I can warn you about a Blackbeard's cruise is something that the crew or the owners have no control over. Once and a while a guest on the boat will be akin to the one(s) who wrote the other reviews and in a restricted environment like a liveaboard, he/she can and will ruin the trip for everyone. I'm just thankful I wasn't on the same trip as the other reviewer.
4 comments
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Memphis, Tennessee
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Blackbeard Cruises
My father came back to me in a box after scuba diving with Blackbeards. His wife left him alone in the water, went back to the ship, he surfaced with his mouthpiece in hand giving a distress signal, they yelled at him to put it in, crew free dove after he went under, then they went back with equipment, they did not get to him in time, he drowned.
All equipment disposed of immediately and no formal investigation. He was a very healthy and an experienced diver. The following year was a rollercoaster of craziness for my family. I cannot describe the pain we went through and still are going through.
I will always wonder what happened. You be the judge.
I have been on two of their trips. My comments are based on a survey I took of many of the guests on the two trips I went on (many have been on other Live-a-boards).
No one would recommend Blackbeard Cruises. The safety and service was at the bottom, when compared to other operations. For example: they ran out of food, fresh water and drinks before the trip ended. They were not very friendly.
Staff were more into their own wants and needs.
I don't know if the company has changed at all, but the captains used to bounce dive at the sites, one even killing himself during the trip (sorry for all the paying customers). I new one crew member that even had intercourse with a passenger as her husband was diving down under.
Cool!
Home » Consumer Reviews » TRAVEL » The worst travel agency on the planet
CommentsThe worst travel agency on the planet
May 26, 2008ultimatefares complaint
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Ultimatefare.com is simply the worst travel agency I have ever had the unfortunate experience to have had to deal with. I have tried to book through them twice and both times I have had the worst customer services, the cancellation of bookings only to be rescheduled on more expensive and very very inconvenient flights. They never return emails or calls. If you do get someone finally on the phone they are totally incompetent. I mean taking an already long trip of normally 18 hours to over 30 hours of traveling time. I warn all who might even be considering using this company to stay far far away. They might initially seem cheaper but in the end they will make you see red. I shudder to think of when I get my credit card bill how many times I will have been charged for this journey.