MV Spoilsport (Mike Ball Dive Expeditions)
We have been on 4 other liveaboards before, and this was clearly the best. The service was always exceptional, from help getting in an out of the water to yummy treats and warm towels on the dive deck after each dive. My wife has problems with her knees and they were always happy to take her tank and BC from her at the ladder so that she didn't have to climb aboard with that extra weight.
The rooms are about average for an upper level liveaboard - small, but clean. The beds were comfortable enough, not great, but not a problem. The galley/lounge area was always clean and well lit. There was plenty of space to work on photos on my laptop without feeling like I am blocking someone else, as happens sometimes on other boats.
I was a little concerned about the condition of the reef, having read some other reports, but we found it to be in very good condition. All of the dive locations were very healthy. We never had silted out or algaed reefs and always had abundant life. I was a little surprised that there were very few clown fish. Although a few sites had false clownfish, only the last site on the last day had true clownfish, with the bright orange and white stripes. I spent 80 minutes at the top of this bommie photographing the only two true clownfish, just to be sure I got the iconic Great Barrier Reef shot.
All in all, I would highly recommend this trip and liveaboard to anyone who hasn't experienced this great dive location. The flight from the USA is very long, but it's worth it at least once in your life. Also, if you are going to come all that way, be sure to do the 7-day cruise, not the 4 or 3-day variants.
