AQUA CAT

(1 customer review)

30m / 99ft MAX 30 NITROX PADI

PRICE PER DAY FROM USD 349

LOWEST PRICE GUARANTEE

At a glance:

Diving cruises in Nassau & the Exumas
All cabins have en-suite bathrooms
Free wine, local craft beer on tap
Open Water Diver courses
Kayaks, paddle boards

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The Aqua Cat liveaboard is a purpose-built 102 ft aluminum-hulled catamaran, boasting 11 spacious ensuite cabins in various configurations, to experience the sharks and reefs of Nassau and the Exuma Cays or Eleuthera on thrilling 7-night cruises. Indulge in buffet-style breakfasts, table-service dinners, and complimentary cocktails from the alfresco bar. Dive straight in from the well-equipped deck, there is even the option to get certified while onboard! Non-diving activities include island explorations with the Sea Dog speedboat, stand-up paddleboarding and kayaking.

There are 11 spacious ensuite cabins on board the liveaboard in a variety of configurations including double, triple and quad. With a beam of 35 ft there is plenty of space on board. Aqua Cat quests can hang out in the spacious, air-conditioned main saloon and dining area where you can read a book or magazine or enjoy the audio-visual entertainment including a TV and projector. Although there is no wi-fi on board, there is intermittent cell service throughout the Exumas.

Breakfast and lunch are served buffet-style here and you will sit at one of the 2 dining tables enjoying views through the liveaboard's picture windows. Dinner is table-service with several choices of entrées and wine to lubricate the social wheels. If you prefer being outside you can stretch out on sun loungers on and soak up the sun, or enjoy a complimentary tipple from the alfresco bar. Cocktails, rum drinks and local craft beer on tap are included in the Aqua Cat prices..

There is a large and well-organized dive deck with individual diver stations and underseat baskets for your smaller pieces of equipment. All diving is done direct from the catamaran so you will gear up here and stride off the dive platform into the warm, clear water. Nitrox is available, and photographers will appreciate the camera table and charging places.

Eco-adventures play a big part on Aqua Cat liveaboard cruises for non-divers (and energetic divers). Sea Dog, a 28 ft jet drive boat is used for land excursions such visiting the Exuma Land & Sea Park, beachcombing on uninhabited cays, guided walking tours to learn about local history, nature, legend and lore, relaxing on a secluded beaches,and encountering local wildlife such as sea- and shore-birds, iguanas, and even pigs! On the water, you can go kayaking along beaches and in mangrove creeks, stand up paddleboarding (SUPs), snorkeling over reefs, kneeboarding or tubing, and water jumps.

There are 11 cabins on the main deck (above the water line and with windows). There are 4 double bed cabins which can be triple (2 cabins have a queen bed and a single bed, and 2 cabins have twin beds and a pull-down single bed), 2 twin bed cabins which can be 4-share (by use of 2 extra pull-down single beds), 4 twin bed cabins that can be king-double bed, and 1 twin bunk bed cabin with skylight instead of windows. Cabins are booked on Aqua Cat as 2-share, and only used as 3- or 4-share upon request.

All the liveaboard cabins have:

Individually controlled air conditioning
Windows (one cabin has skylight only)
Private bathroom with toilet and hot water shower

Hand basin, towels, toiletries and hair dryer
Cabinet and mirror
Mains outlet 110 volts (US standard) - 24 hours per day

No. of bathrooms / showers - 11 / 11 - hot water

Nassau, Exumas, Eleuthera (8 Days / 7 Nights - 26 Dives)

Trip highlights: shark action, great macro life/ marine diversity, schooling fish & big pelagics

Diving environment: advanced divers, beginner divers, wall diving, wreck diving

Dive sites and activities: Nassau: Lost Blue Hole, Periwinkle Reef, Exuma Cays: Up Jumped The Devil, Dog Rocks, Lobster No Lobster, Barracuda Shoals, Amberjack Reef, Austin Smith Wreck, Blacktip Wall, Hammerhead Gulch, Jeep Reef, Pillar Wall, Parrotfish Reef, The Washing Machine, Danger Reef; Ray's Reef, Whale Tail; Eleuthera: Jake's Hole, Monolith, Hole In The Wall. Non-diving activities.

Day 1
Elizabeth on Bay Marina in downtown Nassau is the main departure port for the Aqua Cat, which is nearby the international airport. Boarding will take place in the evening. The tour leader will welcome you onboard, assign you a cabin and explain the liveaboard features and the plans for the coming days. Dinner will be served on day 1. The catamaran leaves port at 5 am on Sunday morning, taking you to the first dive site of your adventure.

Core Days
Prepare for up to 5 dives a day on some of the most spectacular dive sites the Bahamas has to offer. You’ll explore the breathtaking Exuma Sound, an abyss plunging over 4,000 feet to the ocean floor. The Exuma Cays boast reef dives that are thriving under the protection of the Land and Sea Park, ensuring its continued underwater beauty. There are miles of vibrant coral gardens with sponges, tropical fish, and marine life such as turtles, rays, and sharks.
Your Aqua Cat liveaboard adventure may include diving in Eleuthera (weather permitting), along with other incredible sites such as the Lost Blue Hole - a mesmerizing submerged sinkhole filled with dramatic stalactites and abundant marine life, Periwinkle Reef - a colorful, shallow reef perfect for spotting eagle rays and schools of tropical fish, and Ray’s Reef - a hotspot for southern stingrays and reef sharks.
Depths range from 20 to 120 feet, with thrilling drift dives between the cays. Don’t miss the famous Blue Hole, where Caribbean reef sharks and nurse sharks often gather. Each trip includes an exhilarating shark feed, and wreck enthusiasts can explore the Austin Smith wreck - one of the few wrecks in the Exumas.
When you’re not diving, hop aboard Sea Dog, the Aqua Cat’s 28-foot launch, to visit secluded beaches for sunbathing, kayaking, paddleboarding, snorkeling, or fishing. A highlight is feeding and photographing the famous iguanas on Allan’s Cay, along with other unforgettable non-diving excursions.

Day 8
After a continental breakfast, you will disembark for your onward transfer. You may leave your bags on the liveaboard if you have a late afternoon flight and are welcome to use the showers and restroom on the dive deck.

[Information is best estimate in ideal circumstances and subject to changes beyond our control. The itinerary is a guide only and may be adapted to best suit the weather, tides, currents, availability and other prevailing events. Price is for the cruise, not for an exact number of dives].

3 meals a day are served are served buffet style on Aqua Cat in the comfortable saloon of the liveaboard with seaviews through the picture windows.

* Breakfast at 8 am includes eggs, fruit, yogurt, bread, bacon, sausage, oatmeal, gritts, cereals, juices and other options from day to day.
* Lunch at 12 noon includes salad, soup, lunch meats, hot dogs, hamburgers, chicken, etc.
* Dinner at 6 pm includes salad, soup, vegetables and a choice of 2 main courses that might include chicken, pork chops, fish, lasagne, spaghetti, steak, lobster, and dessert.
* Snacks such as cookies, nuts, chips, popcorn, and fresh fruit are always available.

You can enjoy a complimentary tipple from the alfresco bar. A selection of beverages is always on hand from soft drinks, juices and lemonade to craft beer, wine, vodka and rum drinks.

The last night of the trip will be spent in Nassau after reaching port in the afternoon. The Captain's farewell cocktail party is at 6 pm. Dinner on the final night is an independent affair ashore, in a restaurant of your choice.

"A+ staff, great dives, always felt safe.
Dive The World prive an incredibly quick response, always able and willing to help with questions and concerns." - Donna Sherman, Canada, 24 January 2023 ...

DEPARTURE SCHEDULE & PRICES

MORE TRIP DETAILS

Notes: On Aqua Cat, divers are free to plan their own dives in buddy pairs or more. There will always be at least 1 guide in the water on each dive.

Dive experience: All Open Water-certified divers may join these Bahamas liveaboard trips. Open Water Diver students are also welcome, and introduction/try dives are available.

Cruise price per person includes: Cabin accommodation, breakfast, lunch, dinner, snacks, drinking water, soft drinks, hot drinks, alcoholic drinks, dives (as detailed in the safaris above), experienced English-speaking divemaster(s) (max 15 divers to 1 DM), tanks (including some 15 liter tanks), weights and weightbelts, shore excursions, all taxes.

Cruise price per person excludes (mandatory, unless customer provides own): Scuba equipment rental (USD 160 per week), dive computer (USD 50 per week), diving insurance, port and park fees (2025: USD 360; 2026: USD 395) to be paid in advance, restaurant meal on final evening. Unless otherwise stated, all the listed items need to be paid on arrival (cash or credit card).

Optional extras: Transfers to the boat from the airport/hotel/port (USD 18 per person per transfer), alcoholic drinks, nitrox fills for enriched air certified divers (USD 150 per person per cruise), torch. Unless otherwise stated, all the listed items need to be paid on arrival. Note: prices of items purchased onboard are subject to change.

How to get there: Hurricane Hole Marina, Marina Way, Paradise Island in Nassau is the main departure port for Aqua Cat liveaboard cruises. Occasional trips start/end at in Georgetown at the Exuma Docking Services marina. Return flights from Nassau International Airport to the USA are treated as domestic flights, which makes life easier for your onward journey as you can make "domestic" rather than "international" connections. For more details, including airlines, see our Bahamas travel information section.
You should aim to arrive in Nassau on Saturday. Boarding the Aqua Cat is at 6 pm on Saturday for an early morning departure to the site of the first dives on Sunday morning. Return to port is after lunch on Friday afternoon. Dinner will be in a restaurant on land on Friday evening. Check-out at 9 am on Saturday morning. The crew will transfer you to the airport or nearby hotels. The last dive of the trip will be at around 12 noon on the second last day of the trip. Please wait at least 18 hours before flying after diving.

Non-diver rate: There is no discount for non-divers.

Single supplement (if you do not want to share accommodation): This is optional - single travelers may choose to pay the regular fare and agree to share a cabin, or pay a supplement of 65% of the normal published price for a double bed cabin.

Dive clubs and group discounts: Pay for 8 guests and 1 additional person can join the cruise in an Oceanview cabin quad share free of charge (total 9+ guests). Pay for 24 guests and 3 additional people can join free of charge (total 27+ guests).

Whole boat charter rate (per night): Pay for 27 guests and 3 additional people can join the cruise in an Oceanview cabin quad share free of charge.

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