Turks & Caicos Explorer II

The Turks & Caicos Explorer II liveaboard continues the tradition of excellent service and high quality as experienced with the Explorer fleet. The 124 feet / 38 meters liveaboard was designed as a corporate charter yacht specifically for divers. This is evident in the well-appointed staterooms with private bathrooms, as well as the dive deck layout. The Explorer II's heavy keel and Naiad stabilizers will aid your cruise comfort between dive site destinations.

20 guests are comfortably accommodated in 10 staterooms (the 2 VIP staterooms and the 2 forward Main deck staterooms include TV/DVD's) and attended to by 8 crew members. Dining is an important aspect of your diving cruise. A wide variety of meats, fish and fresh vegetables, salads and pastas feature on the menu. Hearty breakfasts fuel you for the day's diving. They include eggs, bacon, pancakes, french toast, pastries and fresh fruit juice.

The Turks & Caicos Explorer liveaboard's dive deck was designed for ease and practicality, and includes everything you would expect from a liveaboard of this class. Gearing up is a pleasure on the spacious dive deck where your gear is stored in individual gear bins. The platform is easily accessed via the ramp-style stairways for your 5 scheduled daily dives. Rinse off under the warm shower before placing your personal gear in the rinse tanks and preparing your camera equipment on the dedicated camera table. Certified scuba divers have the option to dive with nitrox during a Turks and Caicos Islands diving cruise.

Various communal areas provide for some quiet solitude as well as intimate seating, should you wish to get to know your fellow cruise companions. The sun deck features comfortable sun loungers for soaking up the Caribbean sun. The saloon offers the comforts of air conditioning with multiple seating options, TV, CD / DVD, and movie library. At the end of the day, the covered open air deck is the perfect spot to take in the stunning sunsets and toast your Turks and Caicos liveaboard diving cruise over complimentary cocktails from the bar.

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Dive experience: Certified divers with an Open Water license (or equivalent) and with 30 logged dives are welcome on these Turks and Caicos liveaboard cruises.

Cruise price per person includes: Cabin accommodation with air-conditioning, breakfast, lunch, dinner, snacks, drinking water, soft drinks, hot drinks, local alcoholic drinks, dives (as detailed in the trips above), experienced English-speaking divemaster(s) (max 20 divers per DM), tanks, SMB, weights and weightbelts, all taxes.

Cruise price per person excludes (mandatory, unless customer provides own): Dinner on the final evening, scuba equipment (US$ 150 per trip), diving computer (US$ 75 per trip), port and bed tax (7 nights US$ 95), fuel surcharge (7 nights US$ 160). Unless otherwise stated, all the listed items need to be paid on arrival (cash or credit card).

Optional extras: Nitrox fills for enriched air certified divers (US$ 150 per person per trip), torch (US$ 20 per trip), dive insurance, boat transfers. Unless otherwise stated, all the listed items need to be paid on arrival. Note: prices of items purchased onboard are subject to change.

How to get there: You should aim to arrive at Providenciales on Saturday. For more details on how to get here, including airlines, visit our Turks and Caicos travel information section.
Local transfers are iprovided, You will be met at the airport by a local driver who will be aware of the liveaboard's location. If you are already staying on the island, please contact the Turks & Caicos Explorer II on Saturday morning for details on where and when to meet the vessel. Guests may board from 15:00 hrs on Saturday afternoon. The liveaboard will depart in the evening, the departure time varies and is dependent on the tide.
The last night of the trip the liveaboard will be moored at the marina. The Friday evening meal will be at a local restaurant for your account. After a continental breakfast, guests check out by 09:00 hrs on Saturday morning. The last dive of the tour will be at around 10.00 hrs on the second last day of the trip. Please wait at least 18 hours before flying after diving.

Non-diver rate: 10% off the published price

Single supplement (if you do not want to share accommodation): Single travelers may choose to share a stateroom or pay a supplement of 65% of the published price.

Dive clubs and group discounts: Normal season: Pay for 5 guests and 1 extra person can join the cruise in a Lower deck stateroom free of charge (total 6+ guests).

Whole boat charter rate (per night): Pay for 18 guests and 2 extra persons can join the cruise free of charge.

Turks & Caicos (8 Days / 7 Nights - 25 Dives)

Trip highlights: shark action, great macro life/ marine diversity

Diving environment: advanced divers, beginner divers, cage diving, caverns, drift diving, healthy reefs, off the beaten track, very popular, wall diving, wreck diving

Dive sites and activities: Shark Hotel, Black Coral Forest, The Crack, Stairway, West Caicos Channel, Driveway, Gullies, The Anchor, G Spot, Double D and Rock & Roll

Day 1
You will be met at the Providenciales International Airport by a local driver who will be aware of the boat's location, which is tide-dependent. She may be located either in Caicos Marina or anchored offshore. Boarding time is from 15:00 hrs: if you arrive on an early flight, you can stay at the airport restaurant or take a taxi to the shopping/restaurant area called Salt Mills. The marina where the liveaboard docks does not have any amenities available. Since you may be picked up by dinghy at a beach, you will be more comfortable if you wear sandals and trousers or pants that can be rolled up. Snacks and/or dinner (scheduled at 18:30 hrs) will be available if you arrive on a later flight. After dinner the captain will explain the boat amenities in detail, introduce the crew, and ask you to sign the necessary documents. Diving will start on the next day.

Days 2-7
Days aboard Turks & Caicos Explorer II generally start with a hot breakfast at 07:00 hrs, followed by 2 morning dives. Lunch is at 12:30 hrs, then 2 (sometimes 3) afternoon dives, while dinner is at 18:30 hrs and is followed by a night dive. Island shore excursions will be arranged when possible, for those interested.
Diving will be a blast for everyone, in turquoise waters containing over 1,000 square miles of living coral reef, amazing underwater visibility, great wall dives and the profusion of marine life of all sizes. Low annual rainfall and reliable ocean currents contribute to the outstanding visibility, as well as provide nutrients for the many large pelagics often seen in these waters. Caribbean reef sharks are common, as are spotted eagle rays, trevallies and large groupers. Also spotted on a frequent basis are blacktip reef sharks, tiger sharks, hammerheads, and manta rays. The walls in West Caicos are covered with huge gorgonian fans, barrel sponges, hard-coral arches and macro life. Sea turtles and rays can be spotted almost any time of year around French Cay.
Evening meals usually consist of lots of fresh vegetables, rice, pasta, chicken, beef, turkey, pork and fish. Breakfast is the usual fare of eggs, bacon, pancakes, French toast, muffins, danish and fresh fruit. Lunches vary from soup and sandwiches, burgers, pasta, assorted salads, and quiche. Homemade baked bread, cookies and brownies are offered between dives.
There will be 2 more morning dives at French Cay on the last full day of the trip, followed by a 2-hour trip back to port. Back in Providenciales at midday, the afternoon is at yout leisure; transportation will be provided for a casual dinner on shore on Friday evening. You will spend the night back on board the boat again.

Day 8
Have Saturday breakfast onboard then disembark by 09:00 hrs. There will be sufficient time to catch a flight out at any time on Saturday.

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[Information is best estimate in ideal circumstances and subject to changes beyond our control. The itinerary is a guide only and may be adapted to best suit the weather, tides, currents, availability and other prevailing events. Price is for the cruise, not for an exact number of dives].

The Turks & Caicos Explorer offers guests 10 staterooms each with a private bathroom and individually controlled air-conditioning. The VIP and Main deck staterooms feature picture windows and the Lower deck staterooms have portholes for natural lighting. The 2 VIP staterooms (sizes: 11x7 and 9x9 ft) have queen beds and are on the upper deck. There are 5 Main deck staterooms (sizes: 8.1x8 to 9x8.7 ft). 2 feature twin beds and 3 have convertible twin / queen beds. Twin upper and lower beds are in the 3 Lower deck staterooms (size: 8.1x7 ft). Adapters are not provided, guests are advised to bring their own.

All the liveaboard staterooms have: No. of bathrooms / showers - 11 / 12 - hot water