Main Menu
Join Undercurrent on Facebook

The Private, Exclusive Guide for Serious Divers Since 1975 | |
For Divers since 1975
The Private, Exclusive Guide for Serious Divers Since 1975
"Best of the Web: scuba tips no other
source dares to publish" -- Forbes
X
 

Dive Review of Island Dancer in
Fiji and Tuvalu

Island Dancer: "Wonderful Dive Experiene", Oct, 2014,

by James Ferman, AZ, USA ( 1 report). Report 8003.

No photos available at this time

Ratings and Overall Comments 1 (worst) - 5 (best):

Accommodations 4 stars Food 5 stars
Service and Attitude 5 stars Environmental Sensitivity 5 stars
Dive Operation 5 stars Shore Diving N/A
Snorkeling N/A
Value for $$ 5 stars
Beginners 3 stars
Advanced 5 stars
Comments It was our pleasure to travel on the Island Dancer out of Suva, Fiji on October4th through 11th, 2014. This was our second trip in two years on this particular boat. The first time we were onboard was July, 2013 and the weather and wind precluded us from traveling around the eastern coast and thus we were unable to enjoy the best dive sites in Fiji. We decided to roll the dice and go again, this time a little later in the year. The reason? Captain Joji and Moises made the trip extremely memorable. This time we were two of five passengers onboard that week. To say we were pampered would be a tremendous understatement.
My wife and I arrived five days early and we stayed at the Wananavu Resort on the northern coast. It was our second stay there, the last being in 2003. What a beautiful resort and in the last few years Alan Carter, the owner, has upgraded and improved upon almost every aspect of the resort. There were new bures (bungalows) built Oceanside and they were tastefully decorated and spotlessly clean. The bures were cleaned daily with fresh towels and drinking water. The dining room had been updated and upgraded and we found the food to be very good. The Dive Operation has been turned over to a new American, Trevor Wise, who is doing everything in his power to make the guest's dive experience as fulfilling as possible. Trevor has a real hands-on approach and is training his staff to be as attentive and responsible as they can be. All in all, a very pleasant dive experience.
Our dive trip was arranged by Reef and Rainforest's Mike Hoppe whose years of experience transitioned into effortless transitions for us. He arranged our stay at Wananavu and all our transfers to and from airports and resorts and transfer to the Island Dancer in Suva. Mike is a true professional and we certainly will use him in the future.
We arrived at the Island Dancer close to noon on Saturday and captain Joji and his crew made us feel very welcome again. All bags were carried to our room and placed on the bed for our unpacking to begin. We stayed in the Owner's Suite and found it to be large and very accommodating. The queen bed had a very comfortable mattress on it and the bathroom was spacious. The boat, though showing some serious age, was clean and the air conditioning worked very well. There was always more than enough hot water for showers. As soon as we arrived the boat was prepared for launch and we departed the dock immediately. Because of the prevailing winds and waves, the first two hours of the initial journey was directly into a pounding surf, but after they turned northbound, we were treated to a following sea and a smooth ride.
All week long the meals were tastefully prepared and very good. The chef was kind enough to prepare an alternate main course for those of us who did not eat fish or pork. Fresh salads were always on tap and after heaping servings of the main course were served, tasty deserts were soon to follow. No complaints here!
The diving was wonderful and more than made up for the previous year where we were forced to avoid the better sites due to inclement weather. Moises gave thorough dive briefings and went above and beyond to insure the best dive possible at every site. I will never forget his hilarious marching, as if on parade, with fins off, in Nigali Pass. vcxbvfd /32wa He is a wonderful man who has worked on the Island Dancer for many years and is intimate with the best dive sites in the islands.
This is an experienced crew who have worked together for years and it shows. I would recommend this boat for everyone who wants the finest service and best diving experience. This is a smaller boat with a maximum of 10 guests and I think most people would like the attention to detail and the less than cattle boat feeling you have on the larger live-aboards.
After we departed the Dancer after our wonderful week onboard, we stayed a few days at the Sofitel Hotel on Denarau Island, an area inhabited by the nicer hotels. Most of the major hotel chains are represented and there is a nice retail shopping area in the port area. We went downtown in Nadi and shopped for wooden carvings and other typical tourist souvenirs at Jack's. They are really the best at wrapping and shipping your purchases world-wide. We have stayed at smaller hotels that are located near the airport, but have found them to be not as nice. There is certainly more to do up at Denarau Island.
Websites Island Dancer   

Reporter and Travel

Dive Experience 501-1000 dives
Where else diving Papua New Guinea, Tahiti, Cozumel, Bonaire, Bay Islands, Cayman Islands, Belize.
Closest Airport Nadi Getting There Fiji Airways

Dive Conditions

Weather sunny, cloudy Seas choppy
Water Temp 78-80°F / 26-27°C Wetsuit Thickness 5
Water Visibility 75-150 Ft/ 23-46 M

Dive Policy

Dive own profile yes
Enforced diving restrictions None- allowed to dive like responsible adults
Liveaboard? yes Nitrox Available? yes

What I Saw

Sharks Lots Mantas None
Dolphins None Whale Sharks None
Turtles > 2 Whales None
Corals 5 stars Tropical Fish 5 stars
Small Critters 5 stars Large Fish 5 stars
Large Pelagics 5 stars

Underwater Photography 1 (worst) - 5 (best):

Subject Matter 5 stars Boat Facilities 4 stars
Overall rating for UWP's N/A Shore Facilities N/A
UW Photo Comments Large camera tables and rinse tanks dedicated to cameras
Was this report helpful to you?
Leave a comment (Subscribers only -- 200 words max)
Subscribers can comment here
 

Subscribe Now
Subscribers can post comments, ask the reviewer questions, as well as getting immediate and complete access to ALL 476 dive reviews of Fiji and Tuvalu and all other dive destinations. Complete access to all issues and Chapbooks is also included.

 
Featured Links from Our Sponsors
Interested in becoming a sponsor?
Reef & Rainforest, Let our experience be your guide -- Reef and Rainforest
Reef & Rainforest
is an agency for travelers that scuba dive. Experience Astrolabe Reef, soft coral, friendly people, kava ceremonies, tropical islands. Let us plan your adventure to Fiji.

Want to assemble your own collection of Fiji and Tuvalu reports in one place?
Use the Mini Chapbook Facility to create your personalized collection.

Note: The information here was reported by the author above, but has NOT been reviewed nor edited by Undercurrent prior to posting on our website. Please report any major problems by writing to us and referencing the report number above.

Undercurrent Home


Get more dive info like these and other important scuba updates sent monthly to your email.
And a FREE Recent Issue of Undercurrent

Free Undercurrent Issue
Get a free
monthly email and
a sample issue!


Find in  

| Home | Online Members Area | My Account | Login | Join |
| Travel Index | Dive Resort & Liveaboard Reviews | Featured Reports | Recent Issues | Back Issues |
| Dive Gear Index | Health/Safety Index | Environment & Misc. Index | Seasonal Planner | Blogs | Free Articles | Book Picks | News |
| Special Offers | RSS | FAQ | About Us | Contact Us | Links |

Copyright © 1996-2024 Undercurrent (www.undercurrent.org)
3020 Bridgeway, Ste 102, Sausalito, Ca 94965
All rights reserved.

Page computed and displayed in 0.1 seconds