Blackbeard liveaboard cruises: shared bunks, costs and the Bahamas week

What you are booking

Choose Blackbeard’s if a shared bunk and communal facilities are an acceptable trade for a lower Bahamas liveaboard fare. Do not book it expecting a private cabin with an ensuite. Morning Star and Sea Explorer are the programme’s two separate 65-foot sailing vessels; the operator describes them as identical, but your departure still has a named vessel.

The standard trip boards in Nassau on Saturday and ends Friday morning after six nights. Up to 19 dives is an opportunity count, dependent on weather and the programme, not a guarantee that each passenger will complete 19 dives.

Bunks, bathrooms and what to pack

The below-deck accommodation is air-conditioned and dormitory-style. The FAQ describes single bunks with privacy curtains, double bunks typically used for couples, and wider bunks in the main salon with less privacy. A double-width bunk is not a private double cabin. If sleep privacy is a deciding factor, ask for the exact berth assignment before committing.

Bathrooms and the shower are shared. The operator describes unlimited saltwater washing with a short freshwater rinse, and asks guests to bring their own towels. Bring two towels, soft-sided luggage, sleepwear and an eye mask if light bothers you. Bedding is supplied; empty luggage can stay at the dock. This is a compact working dive boat rather than hotel-style accommodation.

Saturday boarding to Friday disembarkation

Saturday: board at 12:00 at Nassau Harbour Club Marina, have lunch and attend the safety briefing. The sample departure is by 15:00; a checkout dive may be possible during longer summer days.

Sunday through Wednesday: the sample programme offers three daytime dives and a night dive each day in the Exumas and/or Eleuthera. Thursday: two daytime dives, then return to Nassau, normally between 14:00 and 17:00 depending on distance and weather. Dinner is served aboard and the final night is at the dock. Friday: leave by 09:00.

These are sample timings, not a fixed site list. The FAQ recommends being aboard by 13:00 Saturday and landing no later than noon, while the trip page says to arrive before 13:00. A Friday arrival is the more forgiving plan. For the flight home, use the actual last dive and your certifying agency’s no-fly guidance; Friday disembarkation alone does not determine a suitable flight time.

Guiding, certification and equipment

Bring your certification card. The operator accepts a range of experience levels and offers open-water checkout dives and further instruction by prior arrangement. Training is a separate booking, with a medical form required for course participants; an advertised beginner-friendly programme is not permission to join every dive.

Ordinary dives are unescorted after a detailed briefing. Staff enter the water for drift dives and the shark feed; that is different from a dedicated guide accompanying your buddy team all week. If you need ongoing supervision, arrange it in advance. Each diver needs a dive computer. For night dives the minimum is a primary dive light plus a second qualifying light source. Rental equipment must be requested ahead of time because it is not stored at the dock.

Neither Morning Star nor Sea Explorer currently offers Nitrox. Tanks, weights and weightbelts are supplied; limited larger tanks must be requested, and DIN users should request an adapter for the yoke valves.

2026 and 2027 fares with the separate fees

The dated trip page checked on 24 October 2026 lists US$1,195 per person plus US$210 fees for 2026, or US$1,405 before optional extras. For 2027 it lists US$1,245 plus US$235 fees, or US$1,480. The fee line covers VAT, Bahamas taxes and fuel surcharge and is subject to change. These are rate examples, not confirmed availability.

Included are dormitory accommodation, meals and snacks, listed drinks, up to 19 dive opportunities, tanks and weightbelts, and Wi-Fi. Excluded are flights, airport transfers, rental dive/snorkel equipment, hotels, fees, gratuity and dive/travel insurance. Set aside money for the Thursday evening ashore even though dinner is provided aboard. The operator recommends a 15% crew gratuity; it is not part of the base fare.

Deposit, cancellation and the alternative if privacy matters

For individuals, the published deposit is US$300, with the balance and port fees due four months before departure. More than four months out, the stated cancellation deduction is 5%; within four months payments are forfeited, with a refund less 5% if the trip subsequently departs full. Read the actual contract for your booking, especially group terms and storm interruption provisions.

Choose Aqua Cat instead if private-bath cabin accommodation and access to Nitrox matter more than the lower fare. Blackbeard’s remains the more economical shared-bunk programme in these published schedules, but it is only good value if its communal sleeping and largely self-guided diving fit you.