The boat has a somewhat unique layout. Most cabins are on the same level as the dive deck. The size is good, though I personally find the bunk beds a little less comfortable.
The crew keeps the cabin and bathroom very clean.
You walk past all the cabins toward the front, where meals are served. The layout there is also different from most boats; the food is set up under a slanted window, right behind the tables, so it takes a bit of figuring out how to navigate past everything with a group.

The dive guides do their best to help you find things. As a photographer, I’d prefer things to move just a little slower—maybe I dive at my own pace too often, but I sometimes felt like I had to “hurry.” When you’re swimming behind the group, you’re naturally always just a little too late to see the next thing.

The briefings are good, though they do set high expectations because they show photos from previous trips taken by very talented photographers. When you see all the best shots from so many dives at a single site, you start to think you’ll get to see all that beauty right away yourself.

The crew works all day to ensure you have an amazing trip—you don’t even have to unpack your own gear; that’s how high the level of service is. Kudos to the crew.

In my opinion, the dive sites are slightly less beautiful than those in Raja Ampat. It felt a bit less colorful. Then again, I’m a very spoiled diver who’s seen a lot, so I’ve also seen too many places to compare it to.

Snorkeling and diving with whale sharks in Saleh Bay was amazing! Those encounters alone made the whole trip worth it for me.

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* I had a budget cabin below deck: still, it had everything I needed to relax after an eventful day of diving... plus everything was clean :-)
* Food was very varied, ranging from Western to Asian cuisine—always delicious
* Dive guides always went out of their way to provide great dives; they were very proactive in searching for and pointing out things underwater
* In terms of safety, I didn’t feel anything was lacking, even if other boats might do even more—which, in my opinion, is often unnecessary and comes at the expense of other things
* The dive sites were, without exception, fantastic and well-chosen—almost never overcrowded, despite the many boats in the region
* Overall, the crew always kept the atmosphere extremely positive—everything felt very friendly and welcoming
--> For me, one of the best liveaboards I’ve been on in the last 17 years

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Very small cabins with even smaller bathrooms.

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Very good service, especially the diving operation was excellently organized

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This was my second time on the Mermaid II. The crew is super nice and helpful. You just feel comfortable. The dives are well explained and you dive in small groups.

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The Mermaid 2 is actually rather average compared to the 1. What I noticed particularly negative: no toilet on the dive deck. That is, if you are not a suit pisser, like me, you must first completely abrödeln and scurry with wet feet in the cabin. Which is just not nice with the lying carpet. Ok, it's not slippery, but it's kind of gross. Wouldn't want to know what all lives in the carpet. Just like in the stalls. The bathroom is tiny, the shower curtain wants to copulate you all the time. There is no hot water on deck, which I don't think I've ever experienced. Then you can avoid the small bathrooms and also prevent the really not generous cabins are totally damp. And that at a really proud price. I remember that differently with the Mermaid 1. The crew is also great here, there is nothing to complain about. The diving is great, I especially liked the more flexible. If somewhere is too crowded, they just wait.
On the Mermaid 2, however, we would not actually go again.

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A very helpful team. The ship is in good condition. Good rental equipment (diving equipment) available.
I would go again on this dive boat.

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Stellungnahme von Dive and Travel
Lieber Bruno

Vielen Dank für deine positive Bewertung. Wir freuen uns, dass es dir so gut auf der Mermaid II gefallen hat.

Beste Grüsse und bis zum nächstes Mal.
Dein Team von
Dive and Travel

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