What to Expect From Your First Liveaboard

I still remember the first time I decided to plunge into something new and book my first liveaboard charter.  None of my dive buddies wanted to join me, so I grabbed my gear and set sail alone. There are far too many places to discover in the world to pass this up!  I must admit that the excitement of exploring a new underwater environment was paired with a little fear of what I might encounter on my first ever liveaboard . I'm sharing my experiences with you all in the hopes that it will encourage you to try a dive liveaboard yourself!

Choosing the Right Liveaboard for Me

First thing I did was start looking into companies that offered liveaboard sailings and, being a single female traveling alone decided that there were a few things that I absolutely had to have:

• Hot showers after every dive
• Private/semi-private cabin (I would be willing to share with another female)
• My meals prepared for me (I do not cook willingly even at home)
• Dive masters in the water and available for me to dive with
• English speaking crew
• Nitrox; as I was recently Nitrox certified and wanted to use it

So after checking out many different dive liveaboards with exciting destinations, I decided that the Aggressor Fleet offered all this and more. The booking procedure was easy and once handled, I was expertly guided to the Cayman Islands where I began my first of over 25 LiveAboard trips aboard these dive boats.

Travel Tip: There is no extra charge if you are willing to share a cabin with another passenger of the same gender,  but you can also get yourself a private cabin for a single supplement charge.

A Week Aboard a Resort Afloat

Every morning I woke up on top of some of the world's best diving sites where I could experience multiple dives daily.  My relaxing charter vacation included personal touches like:

• Delicious snacks between meals
• Warm freshwater showers
• Pampered service from an attentive crew
• Fun with other divers onboard and more - all for a great price

Put simply, it was a week aboard a floating resort.

What to Look For

Knowledgeable Divemasters

When researching liveaboard charters, make sure they have divemasters that will accompany you on every dive and also offer instruction and guidance as needed. My charter had Divemasters, (who are also instructors) that accompanied me on every dive and were eager to help me locate resident critters for my prize-winning photographs. Which was great because I could snap my own version of those Dive Magazine photos I'm always gawking at.

All-Inclusive Packages

Try to find a liveaboard package that includes everything for you like: diving, deluxe accommodations, chef prepared meals, snacks, soft beverages, even local beer and wine so once you are aboard you literally have nothing to worry about.

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