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#152
Blackbeard’s Cruises
Katrina - 11/13/2010 11:45 AM
Category: Travel
Replies: 5

Was asked in another forum topic to comment on my experience with Blackbeard’s Cruises so here it is!


I have dove with them twice and had a great time! The food is fantastic, the crew were fun and helpful, and the diving was pretty good too. I went with a dive buddy (both of us as singles) the first time and solo the second time. They put the male singles in the Main Salon in single births and put female singles in double births in the forward cabins on the boat. I presume this is to give the single women a little more privacy. Each trip I was one of two single women on board. The couple accommodations are just wider "racks", two couples or one single woman and one couple, stacked like bunk beds, to a cabin. The cabins have a mirror, the two racks with curtain, reading lights and a couple shelves to stow your stuff. The rest of your dry clothes live in your duffle next to you in the rack. It’s rustic, but if you can get over that, you’ll have fun. The other thing about the bunks is that they can be a little difficult to get in and out of between the boat rocking and having to climb up or down into a space about three feet high. I don’t know that I’d call it a "romantic" trip for a couple, but it’s definitely fun and tends to be a friendly and fun group of divers. Dive, sleep, eat, laugh. I would go again to check out some of the other areas in the islands. We mostly dove around Bimini both times I was there.



Happy to answer questions.



Katrina
#152
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Katrina - 11/13/2010 12:02 PM
Pluses and minuses...


You need to be reasonably athletic to not be tired all the time from just keeping yourself upright and moving in the direction you intended to go on the boat. If you’re not in good upper body shape, you will by by the end of the week.



There is a fresh water shower, but it is limited to 30 seconds a day per person. The shower has both heated salt water and fresh water. You soap up with the salt water and then do your final rinse with the fresh water. Keep mouth closed.



Crew are very good about helping you on and off the boat, changing out tanks on your BC (you hook up your own regulator). You get into your wetsuit, shuffle up to the exit then a crew member brings your BC over and helps you on with it. Very cushy.



My experiences have been pretty much February, but the boat was rocking a lot. I am not prone to sea sickness, but people who are might be miserable without proper medication.



Food and Drink were both two thumbs up.



Racks were comfortable for me once I was snuggled in. It’s a thick vinyl covered foam pad with sheets and a blanket and pillow. There is air conditioning in the cabins and main salon.



We got to leave the boat once in a while when we were anchored. They have a beach fire party with the other two boats one night, but otherwise usually the three boats are on separate itineraries.



Divers can enjoy 3-5 dives a day, including a night dive, most days.



I was told by the captain of my last cruise that I should come back May-August as that’s the time of the nicest weather and perhaps biggest choice of dive sites.



And the rum punch is pretty good, but I don’t really see the point of doing a lot of drinking while I’m trying to enjoy the diving.



That’s all I can think of off the top of my head.



Katrina
#732
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allstarwa - 11/13/2010 7:05 PM


I went in September of 2010 by myself. If you can request a double bunk, they will honor it if they have space. I went by myself had a great time. The food was good and we had a great crew. It’s camping at sea but when you make friends with people, who doesn’t enjoy camping. Be prepared for lots of diving. I don’t know the last time I had such a great vacation. No cell phones, no e-mail. I can tell you more, but I’ll do it again next year with my wife. We’re going to make sure that we get two bunks. I don’t think you get a price break sleeping together and if you do the space would be good anyway. I went in between the hurricanes so it was a little rough but not bad.


I’d recommend it to all my friends.
#1150
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Happy - 11/15/2010 9:40 AM
My husband and I are looking to go on a Blackbeard live aboard, where did you go and is there anything you brought with you that you didn’t need, or what would you definataly bring with you next time? Is there anything else you can think of that would make the trip that much better? Thanks!!
#152
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Katrina - 11/15/2010 10:18 AM
Bring two bathing suits. Nice to get into a dry one each morning. Unless you have lots of energy for changing, you will be in a bathing suit all day. Bring fins with boots. I tried using full foot fins on my last trip and injured my foot badly getting out of the water ON THE FIRST DIVE. That was the only bit that sucked. Dramamine and just use it the first day. Really. You’ll be happier. Two pairs of shoes, one of them Teva like. If you walk around in one, often damp, pair of tevas all week, you will have hot spots on your feet. If you walk around all week in your dive boots, you will be writing poetry about the sinister smells of warmly rotting sea monkeys... Bring Sudafed. Long t-shirt for jammies. 


No Bring: hair spray, more than two pairs of underwear (bathing suit all day) Unless you really need to struggle into them after that last shower for the last hour before you collapse happily into bed (no really, have you tried putting underwear on to your slightly damp body? I gave up on it after about 12 hours on the first trip), socks, food (unless you have special requirements the boat can’t handle), anything delicate that will be broken by being tossed around or anything you would miss if it got thrown from the boat (think heavy or connectible), jewelry, leave the cologne/perfume at home.
#732
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allstarwa - 11/15/2010 7:19 PM


Depending upon the time of year, I didn’t wear shoes all week. I brought microfiber camping towels. Definetly a plus because they dry in about 5 minutes in the breeze and when the squals blew in they were dry quicker than anyone else. Don’t forget lots of sunscreen. I dove in a 3/2 full wetsuit all week. I don’t get cold, but diving every day I needed it. I also brought a dive skin and rotated on some dives to not get into the cold wetsuit. I brought way to many clothes... keep in mind it’s camping, so other people pretty much smell the same. When I went I asked people and there is a pretty good list of all the input on the face book blackbeards site people gave me http://www.facebook.com/#!/group.php?gid=5798777101 starting date wise in July of 2010, so check it out. I did bring a boat cushion.... big plus because the seats are hard. I also brought a water bottle so I could use it for... well anything other than coffee. The cups are small. With the hooks, depending upon how you pack, bring something to hang your stuff in.... a good laundry bag works.


If I think of anything else, I’ll post.