Explorer Ventures Liveaboard Diving FleetReviews of explorerventures.com

I led a group of 12 divers from Gypsy Divers, Raleigh, NC, on the Explorer Ventures' Turks and Caicos Explorer II, May 11 - 18, 2024. We were joined by five other people who had signed up for the trip individually rather than with a scuba group. We quickly became one group, enjoying the diving and comaradarie aboard this liveaboard. The crew did a great job all week: Bob, Jono, Varno, Molly, Tristan, Ernie. Molly and Tristan were fun (and funny), experienced divemasters. They brought their sense of fun with things such as Tutu Tuesday (we all dove in colorful tutus), yet were also safety oriented, watchful, and aware if someone had an issue descending, aware of our head count. They delivered excellent dive briefings, and pointed out marine life. Although sadly, I think the amount of marine life has decreased in just about every place I dive now, compared to 20 years ago, we still saw some beautiful and interesting things. The multiple photographers on our trip captured beautiful images. The food was delicious! Several of us had dietary requirements, and the chefs did a really nice job accommodating our needs/requests (TIP: make sure to let them know ahead of time when filling out your pre-trip forms). I can't say enough about the crew and what a good job they did. They were all also very friendly and fun. We all enjoyed interacting with the crew throughout the week. We had a situation where one of the crew got sick and they handled it well, quarantining him immediately, and ensuring he got the medical care he needed. FYI, no one else got sick. The rest of the crew adjusted and pitched in to cover everything. All of our passengers were understanding of the situation, and crew and passengers made it work. I really like the boat itself also. The covered top deck was such a great place to read and relax and was also the perfect spot to see the SpaceEx launches that occurred that week. For those who wanted sun, the separate sun deck was the perfect spot. The AC worked great! The salon was big and accommodated all of us for meals, snacks, and game nights. The cabins are large enough to provide excellent storage (4-drawer dresser, 2 drawers under the bottom bunk, and a closet), as well as the on-suite bathroom. All in all, we had a very fun week!

I’ve been on other Liveaboards in the past, but this has by far exceeded them. The kindness and professionalism of the entire crew was top tier. We had the best meals cooked by the chefs three times a day. Not to mention the diving and wildlife experiences we got to have. This is a trip for the books. I’ll definitely be back

Nice, comfortable boat with a very good captain and crew. Ernie, the engineer clearly new his systems and took pride in his work and kept the boat in top condition. He also pitched in as a cook, when Jono fell ill as did the other crew members. Bob the captain had a "Can Do" attitude and kept us all safe and comfortable. Highly experienced and a likable guy. The divemaster's, Tristan and Molly were both excellent and a pleasure to be with. I would recommend this boat and crew!

We chartered the Humboldt Explorer for a research trip in the Galapagos. As researchers, we are all very experienced divers, but often had unusual requests for locations to visit and schedule changes to maximize our research. The entire staff was amazing and went out of their way to accommodate us in every possible way. For being a particularly "needy" set of customers, the captains, crew, dive guides, and panga drivers were tremendous and provided top-notch service throughout our 10-day expedition. Thank you!

Everything was perfect for the trip of a lifetime. The entire crew was the best. The food, service and attention to each person can't be beat. The dive leaders did a great job during the dive briefings. You knew what to expect at each site. Emma, Matt and Charlie were the highlight of the trip. I would dive with any of them anywhere in the world. Overall, still cant say enough about the Emperor staff and facilities. I would highly recommend anyone diving the Maldives to book with this group. It will be the best diving you ever do. Thanks

The boat was very nice and the cabins were spacious and comfortable. Our dive crew, especially Emma, were fabulous and attentive. My only observation for improvement might be for a crew member to assist the diver when walking to the jump spot. As an older diver, it is harder for me to maneuver walking in full gear and fins to giant stride off the dohni. Also, a little more assistance climbing up the ladder would be helpful.

The Emporer Explorer was a great Liveaboard ship. It was extremely spacious and comfortable. The service was 5 Star as was the Dive personnel and ship crew. Even though we traveled over 21,000 miles round trip to visit the Maldives, it was very well worth it. We all would definitely recommend anyone to come and visit this wonderful place. The Underwater photography was some of the best I have ever seen. This Ship and crew deserves at least 10 STARS!!!

All was super and good organisation. Thanks for all