Boat and especially the crew amply fulfill luxury/boutique/exceptional personal service mission – jobs well done!! What an exceptional week of diving!! Several extended close encounters with giant and reef mantas topped off with an unexpected whale shark! Wow! Exceptional personal service throughout the trip, this boat and especially the crew really delivered on their goal to make our second trip as special as the first! Diving: fantastic consideration of conditions regarding selection of best daily site choices = deep knowledge and experience. Crew: extremely well trained crew, working tirelessly to make trip exceptional and flawless despite usual challenges.
Archives: Testimonials
Cindy
We returned to the Arenui with our friends after having a fabulous time in Komodo four years ago. The Arenui experience is unlike any other liveaboard and it is truly exceptional. Having Dr Andera Marshall on this trip was just the “icing on the cake”. She gave a great talk about the mantas, and her enthusiasm for them is truly contagious. Everyone onboard enjoyed seeing the mantas and trying to get ID shots for the MMF. The whale shark sighting put the trip over the top! Crew: once again Jerry, Debbie and all the crew were superb. Food: food was very good.
Kathy & Sheldon
You continue to provide premiere service and attention. The entire experience from beginning to end is superior to other cruises we have taken. Keep up the good work and hope to see you all again soon. Thanks for sharing. Diving: we were always well advised of dive site and conditions. Dive master Joni was especially attentive to our group’s levels and needs. Crew: top notch Cruise Directors – you could not ask for better – Deb & Jerry are an awesome team. As noted dive master especially attentive on dive and after – all dive masters pitched in. Anto is a treasure, he makes every individual feel special. All the service from therapists and their many duties was the best – they were always available and helping.
Clara
Wonderful trip! The “small details” have all been anticipated and attended to on this boat, as well as the obvious big stuff! Superb organization and response to needs. Boat: I love the wood (all re-used/re-claimed) and the art work throughout the boat. Cabins very comfortable. We were in Ganesh and had storage space beyond our needs!! Pillows were great – 1 soft and 1 firm for each bed – what a lovely plan!! Sky lounge was lovely with canopy. Diving: wonderfully planned locations/great manta sitings (the goal of this trip). Itinerary was flexible to keep up to best manta ray opportunities. Crew: All staff/crew were helpful and friendly. The Steward and Wayan and Wenton were quickly aware of preferences and needs, very helpful. Even could tell when someone needed extra help. The leadership of the Cruise Directors was amazing (Debbie & Jerry). It feels like everything has been thought through, extremely well-run boat, limits were clear and presented in a fun way to boot. There was no question about safety preparation and we all knew about evacuation plans immediately. Jose – with his knowledge of fish/creature identification always expanded our dive experiences by siting with small groups to identify and talk about fish and their behaviors. Good library available. Food: I always had gluten free choices – thank you!! Food quality was large, but ½ portions were available. And we were all amazed at how hungry we were for each of the 5 eating times!
John
Wonderful Cruise Directors – Debbie & Jerry.
Andy
Debbie and Jerry were lovely people, filled with enthusiasm and clearly in love with their jobs. The boat was run efficiently and we felt like royalty for the entire 11 days. Boat: loved Shinta cabin. Spacious, tons of storage. Beautiful windows and lovely decorations. Great value relative to price of other cabins on boat. Upon our return, we’d only stay in Shinta or Rama. Diving: diving was spectacular! Crew: Phari was a wonderful dive guide and I appreciated being with him. Not only did he perform the traditional dive master role, but he also took extra effort to instruct me on improving my buoyancy and general diving. Debbie and Jerry were the best! Food: food was great, although there was certainly a lot of it.
Mira
Please see comment regarding Debbie and Jerry on Andy’s feedback. In short, without them I would not have had the best holiday ever! Snorkeling: as I am not a diver I expected to be reading for 11 days with occasional dips in the ocean while my husband dove. With Jerry and Debbie’s enthusiastic support, I wound up snorkeling and spending more time in the ocean than I ever have in my life (giving that context, I grew up in Miami and now spend summers on the beach). The fish were simply spectacular and Jerry always made sure I had a perfect spot to safely hang out with them. I may never dive but snorkeling again with Debbie, Jerry and the Arenui is definitely on my bucket list. Loved learning about mantas! Who knew? Thanks to Andrea from us both!! Little note on Jose – he was great taking the time to point out fish from the reef book. Loves his work! Talk was wonderful and informative. Crew: A special shout-out for Agun, the snorkeling expert, who gave me a few special tours by jumping in the water, grabbing my hand and escorting me to places to which I would have not have ventured on my own. It was as if he was showing me the hidden neighborhoods of his hometown. Turtles…sharks…every fish imaginable , large and small. Thanks Agun!
Leslie
We had a wonderful time. From the moment we came onboard, the crew could not do enough for us. Anto and the kitchen staff were incredible, and Debbie and Jerry and all the crew were truly outstanding. Thank you for a trip that we will never forget. Boat: we loved Rama and would stay in that cabin again. We also thoroughly enjoyed our time in the restaurant and on all parts of the sky deck. We especially loved dozing on the lounge chairs after dinner. Diving: amazing! Mantas, sea horses, whale shark, schools of fish, gorgeous coral. Need I say more. Crew: between Anto, Debbie and Jerry, every single one of our needs was met. We were treated incredibly well, as well as all the guests, and had a dive trip we will never forget. Food: as vegetarians we had an incredible list of options and the chefs always made us delicious food. The food was abundant and amazing. The beverages were also great.
Namdar
The ultimate liveaboard and dive experience. Worth every dollar. The dive locations rich with abundant sea life and varied even with dive multiple times at the same site. Boat: The cabin attendants do a great job. Really nice eating upstairs. The cabin decorations and layout is excellent. Diving: Lisa is really good at finding and showing the different sea life at each dive site. Tender crew are excellent at safety and do an amazing job with everyone’s dive gear! Crew: Lisa and G set highest standards for themselves and the crew. I enjoyed my massage. Food: Anto and crew are the best. Very attentive and accommodating. Excellent services!
Anon.
When I was asked to go on this trip, I hesitated due to cost… But I am glad I came… And would come again! Boat: outstanding! Diving: beyond description – our first week was incredible!! Crew: everyone was great. The spirit and attitude of the crew was incredible – this comes from the top – Lisa and G make this boat and trip over the top special! Food: food was good but way too much. Loved the fresh fruits and veggies!!