An Ill-Fated Cruise

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Not long ago, I was on an Indo-Pacific liveaboard, and while I don't intend to name it, I think my trip had some lessons to be learned, not only by divers but by liveaboard operators as well.

After making it through Customs, we were told that of the 15 divers expected, only two had made it to the boat; others had been stuck at airports. Our agent confided that one of the two onboard divers was a problem and had not wanted to wait to dive. The indignation it provoked in all of us was palpable, but it would not be the last time we would be disappointed.

Much to the chagrin of the Aussie diver on board, who had arrived on time, he had been labeled a troublemaker. The grievances leveled at him by the DMs were related to his questioning what diving would be available while waiting for the 13 stranded guests. For whatever reason, his questions and manner had profoundly irked the staff, and he was told that they would deal with the issue while insisting he desist from asking further questions. He shared this with us shortly after boarding; we were initially incredulous that a seasoned crew would deal with passenger concerns in anything other than a diplomatic fashion. Surely, he was merely overstating a misunderstanding....

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