Crystal Blue Resort
Overall value was exceptional.
I was there for an underwater photography workshop, so spent a bit more time with the photo expert, Mike Bartik, than I otherwise would have if I were just going as a solo diver. He's a great guy and loves to share his knowledge. I learned a ton and really improved my underwater photography in just the 7 days I was there. If you ask Mike to give you constructive criticism, you get it. He doesn't tend to sugar coat things. If you're thinned skin, I could see him possibly coming across as harsh, but for someone like myself who is constantly trying to improve their photography, his criticism was invaluable.
The camera room is top notch. Everyone has their own individual cubby where you can setup your gear, leave equipment, etc and not worry about it between dives or be in anyone's way.
I've generally always had good boat crews, but this boat crew stood out. All of your gear was taken care of. You just had to get yourself to the boat for each dive. After the first day, your camera was loaded as soon as you brought it from the camera room, unloaded as soon as you landed, and your mask, fins, and BC were already setup and waiting on the boat.
Our dive guide, Jomer, was an all star dive guide. I was able to photograph a subject for 90% of every dive. If we wanted to see a particular critter (pregnant pygmy seahorse or brooding jawfish for instance), it was either the next dive or on the list for that day. As long as the divers communicated among themselves prior to the dive, we never felt rushed underwater. If I wanted to spend an entire dive with 1 subject, I could.
As for the accommodation, I rarely ever care about having a luxury room on a trip like this. I'm literally only in my room for 8 hours a day to sleep. So I just need a comfortable bed, a place to keep my things, and hot water for a shower. This didn't disappoint in that regard.
Aside from our feast on the last night which was phenomenal, I'd say the food was average. It was buffet style, so usually always had a steak, chicken, seafood, and vegetarian option. Nothing was bad, but then again, I wasn't asking the chef for their recipe either.
