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Dive Review of Bilikiki Cruises in
Solomon Islands

Bilikiki Cruises, Aug, 2014,

by Dana Parsells, NJ, US ( 1 report with 3 Helpful votes). Report 7752 has 3 Helpful votes.

No photos available at this time

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

Accommodations 4 stars Food 2 stars
Service and Attitude 5 stars Environmental Sensitivity 3 stars
Dive Operation 5 stars Shore Diving N/A
Snorkeling N/A
Value for $$ 1 stars
Beginners 3 stars
Advanced 3 stars
Comments First off, the duel between the Solomon's and Fiji cost us an extra $1,000 dollars which we were not notified of one week before the first flight. Reef and Rainforest knew of the problem weeks in advance but felt it would resolve itself. Our flight was direct from L.A. to Fiji where we had to spend 9 hours until the flight to Brisbane. This was an extra $380 dollars. We had to spend 2 days in Brisbane at a hotel costing $180 a night. We finally reached the Solomon's after considerable baggage charges to wait for the boat to come pick us up. Three days of diving lost and not refunded. We had been to the Solomon's in 2005 to find clear water, unbelievable fish life on the reefs. This trip was met with very dirty water, some reminded me or wreck diving in New Jersey and very little fish life over 5 inches. The reason the boat gave for the water conditions was the logging clearing large plots of land and the run off. Our return trip was back to over-night in Brisbane to go to what turned out to be a $175 roadside motel.
Over all this turned out to be the most expensive trip I have ever taken. We had insurance through CSA but they refused to pay stating that the problem with the air line was not included in their list of causes. Bilikiki did everything to make the trip possible. I felt our travel agent could have notified us in a timely fashion and made better flight arrangements. There was a daily direct flight from L.A. to Brisbane which would have saved us quite a bit of extra money.
Websites Bilikiki Cruises   

Reporter and Travel

Dive Experience Over 1000 dives
Where else diving Palau, Red Sea, Alaska, Mexico, Galapagos, Fiji, New Guinea, Indonesia, Maldives, Caribbean, Solomon's in 2005
Closest Airport Getting There

Dive Conditions

Weather rainy Seas calm
Water Temp 78-82°F / 26-28°C Wetsuit Thickness
Water Visibility 10-50 Ft/ 3-15 M

Dive Policy

Dive own profile yes
Enforced diving restrictions [Unspecified]
Liveaboard? yes Nitrox Available? N/A

What I Saw

Sharks 1 or 2 Mantas None
Dolphins None Whale Sharks None
Turtles 1 or 2 Whales None
Corals 1 stars Tropical Fish 1 stars
Small Critters 3 stars Large Fish 1 stars
Large Pelagics 1 stars

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

Subject Matter 1 stars Boat Facilities 3 stars
Overall rating for UWP's 1 stars Shore Facilities N/A
UW Photo Comments The boat had a camera table but everyone put everything on it. The charging station was upstairs. The boat operators took great care with the cameras in and out and put them in the rinse tank for you.
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Report currently has 3 Helpful votes

Subscriber's Comments

By Jennifer Collister in CO, US at Oct 14, 2014 21:36 EST  
The airline canceled the flight one week before these guests were to depart. Until the airline canceled the flight the ticket was non-refundable. It was not an option to do anything sooner. I would have loved to get a refund weeks in advance and start over. As an agent, the 16 or more hours of additional work over a weekend to make all the changes was not something we were paid to do. It was our responsibility and we waived our Aussie visa fee, the only fee we charged. This is not the fault of Reef & Rainforest, the Bilikiki or the airline, it is a government dispute. There was no point in telling clients of a hypothetical problem to go over hypothetical solutions. We have rearranged many guests over the last few months and those leaving in a week with canceled flights take priority. Just as these did did when their flight was canceled. Everyone has worked very hard and put in a lot of extra hours to make as little disruption as possible for the guests. Jenny Collister (owner of Reef & Rainforest)
By Mary M. Laddis in TX, US at Dec 05, 2015 19:11 EST  
I avoid connecting through Fiji. I always choose to fly to Brisbane then on o Honiara on Solomon Air. There are economical hotels right at the airport with low cost shuttle service. I've run into miserable airport delays in Nadi just trying get to another part of Fiji.
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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.

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