Staff Relief Fund in PNG

The liveaboard boat was great and I believe Dan had put so much effort to make it very nice and comfortable. I especially like the lounge area. The only two things I did not like about the boat was the bathroom door being extremely heavy and it was difficult to close and open and other thing was the tiny sink was installed right below a toiletry caddy which means I can't lean down and wash my face and brush my teeth etc. because it was in the way. This could be resolved if the caddy was installed on the side. The staff were very nice and friendly. Two of the three dive masters were great and helpful underwater with my photography. They made sure that everyone was safe and often checked on us and waited for us. One of the divemasters (the younger one) wasn't so keen in keeping the divers close by, sometimes there were current and he would be miles away. He was also the least enthusiastic out of the three. Overall dive experience was calm and cruisy as we were able to jump right off the deck which saves time and energy. Unfortunately, the reef around Kimbe bay and various other places where we were suppose to go have been hit hard by bleaching events. How sad it is as I remember it was stunning just 5 years ago when I was there last. I must say the most disappointing aspect of the trip was the food. I have been on dozens of trips and the food on this boat was the worst. Firstly, meals were usually not on time. Sometimes snacks were soggy and cold and boring. The food itself was quite awful, and I hate to write these words because the cook and the ladies were so nice. It was mainly western foods made by someone who probably has never had good western food. I believe the captain of the boat could be influencing the type of food cooked on the boat. I wish they had more traditional dishes. Food was either very salty or tasteless. The soups were just god awful, no familiar flavour even though they are meant to be. Pumpkin soup did not taste like pumpkin soup, etc. On occasions there were curries, I believe Thai curry, they sure didn't taste like it? There was so much shrimp paste in the curries I could not even taste the coconut. I went with Fabrina a while back and Josie's food was incredibly amazing. I still think about her food. However, Fabrina isn't as flashy as Oceania.

This was my second trip on Febrina having participated earlier on a Vitu islands trip previously. The route we followed was the less visited South New Britain itinerary and we have not met a single diver apart from the ones on board Febrina. This I particularly liked compared to top divesites elsewhere with occasional congestion of divers on popular divesites ( I find this an increasing problem in the rest of the coral triangle). The crew is a precise and enthusiastic group of professionals led by Captain Alan who has unmatched experience in the area in picking the best divesites for the conditions you might encounter and a really entertaining companion for your dinners on board. Diving is simply top notch. This comes with guidance coming from Digger and Zebulon tirelessly pointing out critters you think reside only in guidebooks for specialized scientists. It is a rare occasion to see animals behaving around you in an undisturbed way when diving; we have witnessed a group of squids laying eggs at arms reach... well, we have been fortunate being among the 24 divers a year visiting this area. Febrina remains an unfading classic.