Other Raja Ampat Liveaboards

Deb Fugitt only schedules two trips a year on the MV Ondina, but other liveaboards cruise the same waters and offer more trips.

Grand Komodo Tours and Dives. Its five boats have limited passenger counts (the Nusa Tara takes six divers, the largest RajaAmpat Explorer takes 14). Undercurrent readers Chrisanda Button and Rickie Sterne (Elkins, AR) went on the Nusa Tara last October and say, “It’s a simple boat but we found it comfortable and clean.” “The crew was always friendly and there when you need them,” says Dan Purnell (Vancouver, WA) of his October trip on the RajaAmpat Explorer. “The divemasters know where and when to dive to find critters.” Food is good but simple – “don’t expect fine wine and gourmet dining,” says Purnell. Both agree the price is friendly to divers’ wallets. Rates are $240 per day for 2007 trips. Web site: www.komodoalordive.com

Odyssea Divers. The Odyssea I, a new monohull motor cruiser with eight ensuite cabins and a speed of 13 knots, started trips in April 2006. Reader Mel McCombie (New Haven, CT) went last February and says it’s still getting some kinks out. “Several divemasters were new to liveaboards and somewhat cavalier about dive safety, the dive deck is crowded and some of the food was bland. However, the cabins were the biggest and most comfortable I’ve seen, and the Odyssea I is easily the most uncrowded liveaboard I’ve ever experienced.” Trips go from December through April; rates are $1,700 for seven days and $2,950 for 11 days. Web site: www.odysseadivers.com

The Seven Seas. The upscale schooner takes 16 divers in eight ensuite staterooms. Trips are September through March and include kayaking, birdwatching, jungle hikes, and fishing. Rates are $331 per day for a week-long trip, and $310 for 8- to 14-day trips. Web site: www.thesevenseas.net

MV Pindito. The 16-passenger wooden yacht was refitted and refurbished in 2006. Nitrox fills are free. Two itineraries are offered November through April – the “Equator” visits northern islands, while “Misool” goes south. Rates are $3,520 for a 12-day trip. Web site: www.pindito.com

KLM Shakti. The least expensive of the bunch, this 12-person boat is the only one permanently based in the region, running April through December. However, it caters mostly to Europeans and we have not yet received any reader feedback about it. Rates are approximately $2,650 for a 12-day trip. Web site: www.songlinecruises.com/shakti.php

For more information about Raja Ampat liveaboards and resorts, contact any dive travel agency listed in the “Scuba Travel Agency” directory in Undercurrent's annual Chapbook.