M.V. Solomon Sea, a stellar diver-dedicated vessel

© Copyright 1996 - 2002 U.S. Dive Travel Network.

The SOLOMON ISLANDS:
M.V. SOLOMON SEA

[Call for price & schedule updates for Years 2002, 2003 & 2004.]

The Solomon Sea offers 6, 7 or 8-day cruises.

Throughout the 1990s, we've made many great random-encounter friendships overseas with other divers; & it's interesting how preference patterns evolve among certain groups of foreign nationals. If you ask a group of experienced Japanese divers which countries offer the world's best scuba diving, you're likely to hear a short list that includes: Palau, Truk, Australia & the Solomon Islands. If you ask the Aussies, they'll tell you "first off, the Great Barrier Reef, mate," then Fiji, Palau, the Solomons & Papua New Guinea. Then if you query a crowd of experienced American world adventurers, you'll likely hear this "A List": Fiji, Palau, the Red Sea, Indonesia & the Solomon Islands.

There IS a pattern here. In the hearts & minds of dedicated dive travelers around the world, the far-off & far-out vistas of the Solomon Islands, both topside & underwater, place this country well near the summit of the world's Top Seven Scuba Diving Destinations. The reasons are easy to see: the mind-expanding color, the abundance & diversity of many hundreds of coral & fish species that billow off the reefs of these pristine islands. The MV Solomon Sea, a roomy & friendly yacht, whose crew knows the choicest dive sites like their own B.C. pockets, is one of the best ways to experience the scuba diving wonders of this magnificent destination -- the Solomon Islands -- in the Melanesian sector of the Pacific.

The MV Solomon Sea has 5 private cabins, 4 of which have double bunks & one is a twin share. The entire 80-foot vessel is fully air-conditioned; & all cabins have separate temp controls. The vessel cruises at 10 knots, has 240 & 110-volt charging stations, E-6 photo processing & video system handily on board.

Since there are only 10 guests plus 5 crew members, there's an excellent staff ratio to boost your service level & make you feel right at home. Your Solomon Sea package allows you virtually unlimited tank refills, so you can dive until you evolve gills if you wish; plus you get three hearty meals a day, snacks, snorkeling sorties, intriguing village visits on the outer islands, & underwater expeditions to famous wreck sites from the epic sea & air battles of World War II. Your M.V. Solomon Sea live-aboard package also includes airport transfers in Honiara (the Solomons' main city), plus complimentary wine served with dinner, & all vessel taxes.

Getting into the heart of the Solomon Islands is an interesting challenge; & actually part of the adventure; so you need to be a go-with-the-flow sort. Most clients fly into Guadalcanal, the Solomons' main international airport, then take a cab or van about 20 minutes into Honiara. Flying to the Solomon Islands is a bit more work than trips to many South Pacific or Indo-Pacific locales; & that's a key reason why these islands remain as pure & untrampled as they are. This is nearly expedition-style diving out here; far from the maddening masses of tourists. It takes a special traveler heading for live-aboards who's willing to put up with some minor delays or layovers en route to Honiara to relish some of the most stunningly beautiful marine life anywhere in the world. The wait is well worth it! You get to dive off the M.V. Solomon Sea! And that's about as close to heaven as you can get with a reg in your teeth.

With a plethora of fine airplane & ship wrecks, all inundated in four decades of soft & hard corals, & populated with multi-hued fish that will dance around you, this Solomon Islands diving is as good as it gets, the experts agree. Even on a bad "viz" day from the M.V. Solomon Sea, you can count on 60 feet; while the average visibility hovers around 100 feet most days. It's even better in some areas. With water temperatures in the low to mid 80s nearly all year long, a 2mm wetsuit or lycra skin is all most divers need to keep them toasty underwater. (Unless you're as skinny as the USDT managers are!)

The optimum time of the year to visit the Solomon Islands is May through December, the so-called "dry season," when tropical rainfalls diminish & the southeastern tradewinds moderate the climate to a mild happy medium. If you're fed up with the "same old same-old" types of trips, & you want to stretch your wings & try something really wild & wonderful, the happy people & sparkling waters of the Solomon Islands are right here waiting for you, not much changed in the last half century. Only a precious few live-aboard divers ever are privileged to sail with the M.V. Solomon Sea. We hope you may someday get to experience this diving adventure of the first water, the Solomon Sea.

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All Solomon islands diving package prices listed here are subject to possible change in this steadily evolving travel market. Lodging, side tour & diving prices are traditionally stable, as are live-aboard package prices; however air prices can fluctuate daily. Until air tickets are issued, all airlines reserve the right to change airfares without notice -- an industry standard per FAA rules. We at U.S. Dive Travel will price-protect you to the utmost of our professional ability; & that has been our pledge for one decade now. Our Solomon islands diving vacation experts normally secure excellent wholesale discount air tickets for our clients who book early enough to secure limited seats in the best price categories. Remember please, the federal government has deregulated all U.S.-based airlines, so only they control their pricing -- not any travel professionals. Early is good when seeking the best air ticket rates for your Solomon islands diving vacation. Good live-aboards fill up 6-10 months early most years, our experience shows.

Unless specifically noted, these above Solomon islands scuba diving packages are prices for only the live-aboard portion of your dive trip, in most cases reflecting double-occupancy rooms. On Solomon islands scuba diving live-aboards, there will be no triple-occupancy staterooms offered. International air tickets & commuter "island-hopper" seats are always extra above these land costs. Nominal service fees are also extra for air tickets & the live-aboard + side tour components. The baseline tariffs for all clients start at $35 per person for the land portion + $20 pp for the air tickets. Late-booking clients for this Solomon Islands scuba diving vessel may receive slightly higher tariffs on the lodging + diving at many of our dive resorts. Solo clients on live-aboards always will pay a single supplement to secure a private stateroom -- normally 50% - 100% more -- unless you are willing to twin-share a stateroom with another diver.

The preferred payment mode for Solomon Islands scuba diving live-aboards, dive resorts, side tours & air ticket specials is by cashier's check or wire transfer in U.S. dollars. All Solomon Islands diving clients living outside the USA or Canada will need to pay for their dive vacations via direct wire transfer only. No personal checks will be accepted for the live-aboard, air ticketing or land portion of any reservation. Thank you for your gracious understanding. Our service level is the highest & our prices the lowest in this industry, & thus we need to preserve a reasonable margin. For published-fare air ticket bookings, USDT always accepts Visa & Mastercard. For ultra-discount wholesale air tickets, USDT accepts only cashier's checks or wire transfers, please.

Remember, all Solomon Islands scuba diving vacation clients will be asked by local officials overseas, upon departing the airport on your final day, to pay a nominal government departure tax, usually between USD $25 - $40 per client. USDT cannot collect this tax beforehand, so you simply pay it down there, in your host country. Be sure to stash away a little cash for this final moment at the airport, so you'll get your exit visa stamped quickly with no fuss; & away you go. Best of luck with your Solomon Islands diving plans. We hope your Solomon Islands scuba diving vacation is a safe & satisfying adventure. Blessings & best wishes with ALL your Solomon Islands scuba diving vacations. Live-aboards are the way to go, eh mate?! Right on, over & out.

Best fishes too!

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John Hessburg & Susan Hessburg, Mgrs.
U.S. Dive Travel Network.