Maldives Blue Force One, Maldives

The diving in the Maldives is always top notch. The Blue Force One staff was very knowledgeable and focused on safety. Half of the divers were spanish speaking so they held briefings in both Spanish and English. The briefings by Gabriel were very thorough and I enjoyed that he not only covered the dive site but some educational information on the marine life we would see. The dhoni was very spacious as well and we all had plenty of space to get ready. It is also always right by the mothership so diving off the dhoni is very convenient and comfortable. Our dive guide Yano was nice and you can tell his is knowledgeable about the waters and sites. We did not like how they only gave us 1 towel for the day though. Especially for people with long hair, having a dry towel for dives 2 or 3 was rare. Luckily it was very hot so getting dry quickly wasn't a big deal but you only had a fresh towel once a day and there really wasn't anywhere on the dhoni to hang the towel to dry during dives. The facilities were nice but it was quite hot during our trip. The salon was always pretty hot, never seemed to have the air conditioning on cool enough considering it was 37 degrees outside so we spent most of the surface time in the room. The rooms and bathrooms are very big and spacious. Not having a bunkbed and being able to shower in a full size shower was a treat. The only negatives were the air condition was very noisy and you couldn't control the temperature. It was either freezing cold or you had to turn it off. The last 2 nights, we didn't have any hot water even though the crew said the water heater was on. The food was good and plentiful, buffet style. We especially liked the omelet station where Sampa made delicious eggs and omelets to order. Overall it was a nice experience with kind and knowledgeable crew in an absolutely beautiful country. Fees and charges were something that didn't sit well with us though. There are dives where a dive hook is needed but if you use their dive hook, you end up buying it (not rent), which is not disclosed before using it. Additionally there is a $150 "service fee" that many of us interpreted as mandatory gratuity. Upon asking the crew they stated it is Maldivian tax they need to charge but it is not listed as a tax on the booking websites. It is either listed as a service fee or a gratuity however they make it clear it is not part of the tip for the crew. Quite a few of us were confused by this so for the sake of transparency, they should better clarify and advertise what exactly the $150 per person covers. Otherwise, it was overall a wonderful trip and we have a fantastic holiday.

We had a fantastic experience on board Blue Force One! The crew was amazing, the boat was very nice and the food was tasty. I would highly recommend it! Well done, David and team!