24 replies to this topic

[WreckWench]

That has been one of the strenghs of SingleDivers.com was that if you paid for a trip you knew barring a cancellation from the operator, the trip would be a go.

This has been one of our tenants...your VACATION IS SAFE WITH US! And we have paid a high price to keep that comittment. In our 5 years averaging 15-20 trips a year we've only had 2 trips cancelled by the operator and NONE cancelled by SingleDivers.com

However I am looking at some serious losses so far on Fiji, Wakatobi and the Spree trips. That being said...I can not sustain ANY losses next year and I really need the help of our members this year to survive the aforementioned trips. Kamala

[WreckWench]

A suggestion on how to survive next year....


One of our members asked me if we could post trips for 2010 with a final cutoff date and if we make the minimum number we go as a group but if we don't we book anyone signed up as individuals so as to prevent me from eating spots? I guess other operators like myself are doing that in order to survive....

What do you all think?

The down side of that is that it's no longer an official SD trip? Would there be pricing changes and would we know that up front?

These are tough times for everyone and I wouldn't expect SD to take a bath on a trip. My main concern would be that I still get to go. I'd far prefer the option you presented to cancelling or to not having trips at all. (My 2psi)

It would be as Georoc01 said...it would be a non-guided SD.com trip. The price would not change...it would be what you paid for it originally.

This may be the ONLY way to offer trips next year...if they get the min number of peeps we need then its business as usual. If they are like Fiji, Wakatobi and the so far the Spree trips...then I would have to bail on them which would be very sad but would allow me to offer them and NOT lose my house in the process.

Not easy decisions...

[lynnlchan]

It would be as Georoc01 said...it would be a non-guided SD.com trip. The price would not change...it would be what you paid for it originally.

This may be the ONLY way to offer trips next year...if they get the min number of peeps we need then its business as usual. If they are like Fiji, Wakatobi and the so far the Spree trips...then I would have to bail on them which would be very sad but would allow me to offer them and NOT lose my house in the process.

Not easy decisions...

Let's see - if you lost your house that would make moving easier. Hmmm... somehow it still seems bad.

Sounds like a pretty good deal - we get to keep the trips, you get to keep your home. Win-win. I'd miss the SD part of the trips but would still get to see some SD folks. Traveling with SD was significantly cheaper then going with any of the LDS. Fun events were a bonus.

[Kuraman]

Kamala,
You know my situation, but if you get anywhere near the Red Sea or Maldives in the next 2 years, I'll be there with you. I understand the need to reduce the number of trips, but please keep some good places in the Caribbean.
Bonaire, Belize, Roatan etc, and not just for singles weeks. It will be easir for me to get back that way after August of this year.

[Kuraman]

I'll take 4 weeks worth of trips with you in 2010, as long as they're between March & the end of September. I like saving a buck just like everybody else, but I am willing to pay for a great dive destination I haven't been to, like the Red Sea, Fiji, the GBR, Micronesia, etc. Since airfare is going up again, 3-4 day trips do not interest me as much as 7+ day trips.

My 2psi, I have been to the GBR 3 times. The first was "my trip", as I had never been and wanted to do it when I was in this part of the world (2002). The next 2 were with different groups of friends who wanted to do it as an add-on to previously arranged trips to Australia (1 wedding, 1 F1 race). I actually tried to talk both of these groups out of their trips, but like my first time, I was unsuccessful in convincing them that it was over-hyped, over-priced average diving. They advertise unlimited diving, but onnce your out there they inform you you max bottom time for an entire day is 3hrs 45min. and if you break any of their "rules" your done for the day. Rules like not logging you pressure and time after each dive, have 50 bar when you get back to the boat (1/4 tank) and you can never exceed 25m (one group it was 30m).
I did take the opportunity putting thes trips together to hit 3 different areas of the GBR.
My first trip was out of Cairns, 7 day liveaboard and we didn't move more than a few kms the entire week, if fact we would move, and move back to the previous sites.
My second trip was out of Port Douglas, 5 days, and basically the same thing.
The last trip was only a 4 day trip 2 1/2 dive days, out of Townsville. You never get to the reef proper, just big bommies on the way out.

So all in all, for the $$$ I would really suggest Palau, Maldives, etc.

That being said, it is like Mt Rushmore, everyone wants to see it once, but a day trip when your in Aus for other things is really the way to go.

[WreckWench]

Kamala,
You know my situation, but if you get anywhere near the Red Sea or Maldives in the next 2 years, I'll be there with you. I understand the need to reduce the number of trips, but please keep some good places in the Caribbean.
Bonaire, Belize, Roatan etc, and not just for singles weeks. It will be easir for me to get back that way after August of this year.

Single's Week is a marketing term that allows the resort to help advertise it as well. It's not really for single people only...just people wanting to avoid single supplements.

We'll keep stuff in the Caribbean....we have too since its our backyard. Aug eh? That's tough but I'll see what I can do!

[Parrotman]

I would like to make a suggestion. After one of the big trips, how about a really great trip report? Last year when ya'll went to Wakatobi I looked and looked for a trip report that would really show what the place was all about. Quite honestly I sort of got the impression that the folks that went on the trip were not all that impressed because there was so little written up about it. On top of that, if you are not a paid member you can not see what ever pictures are posted. You might want to change that rule. What if a person comes upon this sight for the first time and is looking to see if they would be interested in a trip? It might help if the could see the pictures.

My big deal about comitting to a trip is that I need to know with out a doubt it is going to happen. I have to book my vacation time at work way in advance. I was planning on going to Thailand with SD this year and then that dropped off the radar. Then Fiji got moved. I had thought about Wakatobi, but like I said it seemed that no one was really impressed.

I also need to know, when I book the trip that the price is not going to change. The Saba trip last year was a problem because of the added expenses and surcharges that I got hit with after I paid for the booking.

So in a nutshell for these trips to work I need

definite dates
definite prices
good feed back if it is a repeat trip.

All in all, I keep trying to go on another SD trip but nothing has worked out this year.

Jim

[uwfan]

Hey Jim,

I completely understand about wanting a trip report to see what everyone really thought of a location.

As far as the Wakatobi trip, here's some of what I read under the Last Year's Fun section of the Trips area...where the reports were placed...

Ubud and Monkey forest was interesting. I must confess that I did not do much shopping. Call me jaded. But I know lots of people got some great deals.

But Wakatobi was exceptional. My number 2 diving location now, second only to Palau. Swiss precision with all the organization, logistics etc. Elegant accommodations, beautiful island and resort surroundings. Incredibly hard-working staff.. the boat crews, dive suport team, cooks, divemasters etc. All wonderful. After check in, we were told how to analyse tanks to be ready for transport. Then we were all assigned numbered boxes in the dive gear spaces. Your divegear went in there. Every morning, the local boat crew carried that onboard and set up your gear. Then carried it off in the evening if you wanted to wash your gear. The diveboats were amazingly comfortable. Our boat fit all 19 of us easily with 2 tanks each and extras for the divemasters etc without crowding. One divemaster per 6 divers. Great clear briefs. Fun DMs. And the diving...I will post my pitiful pics after I iphoto process them. I can promise you that ScubaShafer (Bruce)'s pictures will make you want to weep with the beauty.

We saw zillions of pygmy seahorses, (allow me to exaggerate), I actually developed the capability of SEEING them!!! Nudibranchs/ nudibranchs/ nudibranchs, flatworms, pipefish, several varieties of eels (ribbon etc), sea snake/ kraits, cuttlefish (sorry Nicolle!!! hope you have already seen some), ... hold on while I turn on my laptop to look at pictures LOL. Bumphead/ humphead and several other varieties parrot fish. some of the largest and most beautiful pufferfish I have ever seen, Boxfish of varieties I had never seen, scorpion, leaf and crocodilefish, lionfish, sweetlips, batfish, anthias, clown, titan and several other varieties of triggerfish, razor/ shrimp fish, turtles, colorful sea stars. Various types of shrimp and crabs. And much much more. And the coral!!!! Pristine and beautiful. I am much more of a "creatures" photographer, but found myself frequently stopping to try to get a pic of the lovely breathtaking coral, and then getting frustrated when the color was not shown adequately in my little point and shoot. Definitely hone your buoyancy skills before taking the trip. It would be unforgivable to damage this coral, and they are quite particular about keeping you OFF!!!

Most of the dives were slow drift dives, but we did have a couple with unexpected current that either changed or was not going in our direction :-). But there were no concerns because the water surface was FLAT (hottest time on land, but best time for diving, according to the staff). The boat crew was amazing, and they saw you as soon as you popped to the surface... even without your sausage deployed. Up to 70 minute dives at all locations. (unlimited on house reef/ shore dives). Once you got back on board, the local boat crew divested you of your gear, changed your tanks, and brought you a mug of your favorite steaming hot beverage and a towel. Then we headed for the sundeck. We only made our drinks the first dive and they watched and made records and hey presto!!! Definitely be sure to give the local crew a big tip. You will need no reminder when you see how hard they work to make the trip easy and fun. And remember at least for now, they are NOT included in the DM tip envelope, but in the envelope for "locals/ everyone else".

As was suggested, you may have looked when everyone was still catching up from the long travel distance. I have some personal reasons for going to Wakatobi, and actually particularly Bali, that have nothing to do with diving...but I am sensing that as much as the first time I went snorkeling was off the shores of an island close to Puket, Thailand, and I was awed by the beauty there...from this description I will be completely awed by what I see in Wakatobi. Hope this helps.

[Kuraman]

My 2PSI
after reading most of the post in this forum, I thought I would respond with a different tack. While I didn't make the Wakatobi trip last year (between jobs), I did make the Bali portion (I lived in Singapore, and Knew the resort very well). My impressions were that most folks really wanted the 5 Star treatment. If you are really just wanting the dive experience, I will be glad to give Kamal suggestions on inexpensive dive packages I know about in SE Asia.
I spent most of my 'dive life" paying single supplements so I paid 5 star prices to dive alone. But, I did learn how to get cheap packages, particularly in Asia (the Caribbean is too prode of their average diving). For example and a truly single diver. These prices are relatively recent.
$1500 1 week Maldives on a very high class live-aboard
$800 1 week land-based Palau
$100 - $150/day (if 4 days of longer) for Safari trip in Bali
4125 -$150/day (5-7 days) Manado
Just got off a 10 day $2000 live-aboard in Raja Empat
So it is really up to you guys. I'm sure there are deal in the Caribbean. I will NOT arrange this for you, that is Kamala's livelyhood and her business, but if your willing to go 5 star on the diveing, and 2-3 star on the accomodation I can give her many suggestions on this part of the world.

All I can tell you was that 3 yrs ago when I was living in Houston, a 7 day trip to Cozumel cost me the same ALL IN as a 7 day trip to Bali or Thailand.

I will give the group any suggestions I can, and Kamala all the help to put together affordable trips in this part of the world.

Kuraman

[Parrotman]

How about an SD trip to Komodo? Fly into Bali and get on a liveaboard. I would like some options for that part of the world. Although the Truk trip is of interest. It is really really expensive for me to get there. The airfare is almost as much as the boat and staying for a week to do Palau, which is what I would want to do if I go that far would add another grand to the airfare.

I can fly into Bali for about the same amount as it costs me to go to the Carib.

Just a thought.

Jim