Rules and operating procedures vary from boat to boat. It is important to know which ones are applicable to our boat.
To make sure that there won’t be any negative surprises during your snorkeling liveaboard, we have also added following information on rules, conduct and your life on board the MV Reggae Queen.
In any case, you should bring swimming clothes, towels, sunscreen lotion, sunglasses and a hat protecting against the sun, money, clothes to change and a light jacket/pullover (also the tropics can be chilly sometimes late at night).
Of course you should bring along personal items, which you might need, too.
Also make sure that you don’t forget your camera along with extra batteries and a large storage for pictures.
If needed, pills against sea sickness are available on board.
As mentioned before, the sun out on the sea is even more intense than on land, so it is important not to expose yourself to the sun for too long. As you will dehydrate easily when snorkeling and you also lose sweat when sunbathing, it is important to drink a lot.
Drink mainly water and avoid coffee and alcohol (both dehydrate the body further and tiredness and headaches can result from this)!
Also be careful with the air conditioning – if it’s too cold, you can easily get a cold and then you won’t be able to go snorkeling any more. It is thus better to avoid the A/C completely and to simply use the fan and leave the window open while you are sleeping.
Please also avoid being exposed to wind and dry your ears carefully after snorkeling to avoid infections of the ears.
Social, helpful and considerate – we are literally sitting all in the same boat and community is what matters. No matter if it’s about laying the table, snorkeling or playing cards – you have more fun being part of the group.
Our crew will try their best to make your stay with us an unforgettable experience. We want our guests to “feel as if they were at home” and we hope that you also act as if you were at your own home. Please be careful with the equipment of the cabins, toilets, snorkeling equipment, etc. and when going snorkeling please make sure that nothing is damaged – we are taking you to some of the most beautiful snorkeling and diving locations of this planet and they are protected in the framework of national parks. We must therefore try to preserve them as they are. So don’t damage or touch anything and don’t take away anything either!
Don’t forget that we are in a tropic sea, so there are several poisonous animals. Our guide will mention them in his briefing. In this area there are no aggressive animals – just a few curious ones. If we behave cautious and as if we were guests, there is nothing to fear and the snorkeling outings will become unforgettable memories.
At evening time, you get on the boat and there’ll be a first common dinner, which is followed by an introduction to the boat and a social evening. At night time we take you out to the islands and you will start from there on the next morning after breakfast (around 07:30 h).
Stops for snorkeling will alternate with visits to islands and then there will be a rich lunch for everyone. You can now relax before we will reach the next island or the next stop for snorkeling. After dinner, we will party, sit together and talk about what we’ve seen during the day.
The following days are similar and we will go to different islands. On the last day, we will reach the harbour at around 16:00 h. This is the approximate routine, as it happens normally.
However, exact times and events can vary and we would thus like to ask you to consider them as rough indications only – after all, each snorkeling trip is different. Your guide will inform you every morning about the approximate plan for the day – please listen to him carefully.
Due to insurance restrictions Andaman Snorkel Discovery can not accept bookings for children under the age of 7.
There is a general ban on smoking in the cabins of the boat. In the other areas, please use the ashtrays provided and do not throw cigarettes into the sea. They cannot be decomposed and will remain inside the reefs for several years. There have also been cases, in which dinghies have been drowned because they were damaged by cigarettes thrown over board.
Our boat complies with international safety standards and is equipped with life vests, first-aid equipment, an oxygen-unit, life-belts, radio equipment, GPS and a sonar system. Our guide will inform you during the introduction on where the equipment is situated and on how to use it.
Our boat has a very experienced captain, who knows all of the snorkeling areas in the area very well. There is also an engineer, a skipper, a chef (the most important woman on board;-)), an assistant in the kitchen and our multilingual tour guide, who is in charge for what is going on on board and guarantees a safe and successful snorkeling experience.
All of them will cooperate to guarantee you an unforgettable experience! There is a detailed briefing before every trip, so listen to it carefully!
We will supply you with a set of snorkeling equipment (mask, snorkel, flippers). We ask you to treat them carefully and well. If they are damaged, we must charge you for them.
Please use water reasonably, because the boat only has a water tank and the resources are thus limited.
Please do not throw toilet paper, tampons or other articles used for hygiene into the toilet under any circumstances.
Use the trays instead, because otherwise the pipes of the toilets will be blocked. It is not normally possible to repair them during the cruise and if it is, it will be associated with a lot of inconvenience due to dirt and smell on board.
It is not allowed to wear shoes on board.
Each cabin has windows, which you can open. We recommend you to open them as often as possible to let fresh air into the cabin. There is an A/C, but it doesn’t exchange any air! Please make sure that windows are shut when it’s raining, though.
During our snorkeling cruise, you will constantly be offered free tea, coffee and water as well as chilled soft drinks. Beer and alcohol can be purchased. Please note that it is completely forbidden to go snorkeling when you have been drinking alcohol.
Please do not take beddings, blankets, pillows and mattresses from the cabins to the deck. If you want to sleep there, please use the mattresses from the sun deck to sleep on.
There is first-aid equipment on the board, which also includes some important medication. Please ask the tour guide or the crew for assistance, if you are injured.
Power supply on the boat is guaranteed by batteries (24V) and generators (220V). It is possible to charge batteries and to use electronic equipment when the generators are running.
The crew on boards speaks Thai and a bit of English. Our guide normally speaks German or English.
Unlike in some other countries, a tip is expected in Thailand. To avoid unnecessary discussions on how much is appropriate, we recommend an amount of 500 Baht / person / tour. You can obviously give more, if you would like to.
The Thai government charges an amount of 500 Baht / guest when entering the Similan National Park and the Surin National Park for their protection. These amounts are not included in the charges for the tour and to be paid cash in Thai Baht onbard.
If you have questions or problems, our guide can assist you. He will certainly have a lot of good ideas about where to go, if you want to go somewhere off the beaten track.
We hope that you will enjoy your stay on board!