All Star Liveaboards Logo

A World of Diving Adventures

Call us today! 954.734.7111 or 800.327.9600

FAQs

Travel Planning

Please email info@allstarliveaboards.com with the flight changes, your trip date and vessel name so we can update your information. 

If you prefer to speak to a representative, our U.S. Reservations Office can take your call Monday thru Friday 9:00am-5:00pm EST at (U.S. and Canada) 800.327.9600 or (Worldwide) 954.734.7111.

Departure times are as follows:  Sorong – 8:00am, Ambon – 10:00am and Labuan Bajo – 12:00noon.

Domestic flight options in Indonesia include Air Asia, Citilink, Batik & Lion Air. When booking Batik/Lion Air you have to book it through www.nusatrip.com as Batik/Lion Air do not accept non-Indonesian credit cards via their website.

We offer multiple itineraries with various lengths. Komodo, Raja Ampat and the Banda Sea are the three main areas we dive with Wakatobi and Forgotten Islands (Alor) offered between those two seasons, optimizing conditions throughout the year.

All travelers to Indonesia need a passport. It must be valid for at least 6 months from date of entry into Indonesia.

Jakarta is 12 hours ahead of New York City.
Raja Ampat is 14 hours ahead of New York City.
Komodo is 13 hours ahead of New York City.

Guests will need to vacate their suites by 10:00am but can remain onboard until 3:00pm if they have flights later in the day.   The Velocean will be in port the night before so you can get off at anytime if you have a early flight.

We recommend booking flights that arrive in the port city in ample time before departure.

If your flight arrives earlier on the day of boarding, you can board the ship upon arrival.

Boarding times are as follows:

Sorong – 8am
Ambon – 10am
Labuan Bajo is 12noon

Light clothing, bathing, suits, t-shirts and light windbreaker for cooler evenings. Walking and hiking shoes for land excursions and a sarong for women when visiting villages. Click here for a checklist.

The liveaboard business is a service industry, and although the general public is seldom aware of it, gratuities are a major part of a crewmember’s salary. Few other recreational activities rely so heavily upon the professionals in charge for your enjoyment and safety. A gratuity of 15% is customary, but many leave more when they feel the service was outstanding. If you are disappointed with the service, you should inform the captain of your feelings right away so he may rectify the situation. Credit cards are accepted on board.

Yes, there are arrival taxes but they are included in the price of your airline ticket.

If you are delayed the U.S. Reservations Office can take your calls Monday thru Friday 9:00am – 5:00pm EST at 800.327.9600 (U.S. and Canada) or 954.734.7111.

Please note: this is the main reason we highly recommend travel insurance. The vessel cannot wait unless it’s full charter and then it would be up to the group leader if they wish to wait. If you end up misconnecting with the boat, the Velocean will assist you in finding a speed boat to take you to the vessel, however the cost will be borne by the guest.

U.S. dollars (USD) and Indonesian rupiah (IDR) currencies are accepted as are Visa and MasterCard credit cards.

We recommend you travel with U.S. dollars (USD) and suggest you purchase some Indonesian Rupiah (IDR) for payment of airline luggage surcharges and any incidentals, if any.

No, prices are the same for divers and non-divers alike.

We will provide transfers between the airport or local hotels and the Velocean on day of boarding only. If you arrive a day early, you will need to take a cab to your hotel. Pick up time at your hotel will be given to you prior to travel.

For visit


A “Visa Upon Arrival” (VOA) is required. The fee for VOA is Indonesian Rupiah (IDR) 500,000*, payable in cash.  It is advisable to have the money in IDR before traveling.  If you pay in dollars, the cost is $35.00* USD  and no change is given. Foreigners can apply for VOA at the Bank Rakyat Indonesia (BRI) counter located before immigration check points in the airport’s arrival hall.

While the e-VOA website allows individuals to attempt to apply prior to arrival, the website is not consumer friendly and slow. We recommend applying upon arrival.

*Subject to change.

Yes, we have a list of hotels that are convenient to the dock in each port of boarding. Most travelers plan to arrive at least a day early to acclimate to the time change and allow for any travel delays. Click here for a list of Indonesian hotels.

By all means, yes. All Star Velocean is even equipped with Signature Single Suites. These suites are built especially for singles, so no need to share a suite if you don’t want to. We will assist in having you buddy up with someone for diving. It’s a great way to meet other likeminded adventure travelers who love to dive!

Policies

Individuals – More than 18 months from departure, a refund will be issued less a 5% service fee. Within 18 months of departure, payment is forfeited unless the trip departs full, then a full refund will be issued less a 5% service fee.

For individuals, we require a deposit of 30% per person to confirm the space paid within ten (10) days. Full payment is due 4 months prior to departure. We accept MasterCard, Visa, and Discover, personal check, money order and wire transfers.

A re-book credit is offered based on the number of dives missed. There are no refunds. For this reason, we recommend Trip Insurance. See FAQ – Do I need Trip Insurance?

No, prices are the same for divers and non-divers alike.

The fees include port tax and dive permits for any of the marine parks. These fees may be prepaid or are payable on board when you check out. On board payments can be made by credit card or cash in USD$ (dollar) or IDR (rupiah).

Minimum age is three (3) years old. If the parents dive, we can provide nanny service for $250.00 USD* per day.

*Subject to change.

Diving

Night dives will be offered as often as possible. We travel during the evenings and there is no night dive on the first or last day.

It is recommended that all passengers purchase travel protection to help protect you and your trip investment. It is also recommended that all divers have diving accident insurance. For more information and to purchase dive and travel insurance, visit the providers below:

Diveassure: For annual combination trip and dive accident insurance. It covers cancellation due to Covid.

Travelex: Travel protection for a single trip. You may choose the TRAVEL SELECT policy and select the optional ADVENTURE SPORTS COVERAGE upgrade which waives the policy exclusions for extreme sports such as scuba diving. Purchase of Travelex insurance must be more than 21 days from date of travel.

The sharks of Indonesia are exotic! Look for the wobbegong sharks in Raja Ampat and whale sharks, hammerheads and whitetips as well.

The tanks are equipped with yoke valves and we have DIN available.

We dive with 80 CF (12L) tanks. 100 CF (15L) tanks are available. For more information on rental equipment and pricing, click here.

PADI Open Water certification or equivalent, but we highly recommend having at least an Advanced Open Water certification as some of the beautiful dive sites are deeper than 60 feet (18m). Of course, guests can take the course on board too.

As unglamorous as it sounds it’s really fun for divers that enjoy finding the little things. Muck diving is usually done at the bottom of the ocean with a sand or sediment base where all of the small macro animals live and hide. This is heaven for macro photographers. Look for small shrimp, nudibranchs, juvenile crabs, frog fish and small octopi and many other camouflaged critters. It’s really important to keep fin action to a minimum as to not stir up the bottom.

#footable_104643 { font-family: inherit; font-size: 14px; } #footable_104643.ninja_stacked_table > tbody, #footable_104643.ninja_stacked_table { background: transparent !important; }

Yes, 32% nitrox is available and complimentary for all guests that are nitrox certified.

Get nitrox certified while on board! After completing the course, students receive FREE nitrox for the entire trip! For course details, click here. A Medical Form is required.

Every guest will be provided a complimentary Nautilus ENOS GPS diver rescue locator to use while diving. A surface marker buoy (smb) is highly recommended.

All dives are guided by our expert staff. All Star Velocean has 5 dive guides onboard, two of which are certified instructors.

Divers will normally have the opportunity to log 3 dives plus one evening or night dive per day.

In total we have 24 crew members with 1 experienced dive guides and instructors, 1 cruise director and one assistant cruise director.

Yes, on the main deck in the expansive lounge area, there are private work stations with unrivaled views where photographers can work on their cameras. We suggest you bring your own computer if you require one.

Yes, you can, we will provide a guide for you to snorkel.

Yes, a private dive guide can be arranged with six (6) weeks advance notice (prior the trip start) at $200.00* USD per diving day.

*Subject to change.

Yes, with prior arrangements, you can rent dive gear. For rental rates, click here. Please request these items on your Trip Application. Payment is made while on board. All rentals must be arranged prior to departure.

Yes, but guests are required to bring their own cylinder. Pre-packed Softnolime 797 is available for $100.00* USD per pack.

*Subject to change.

By all means, yes. All Star Velocean is even equipped with Signature Single Suites. These suites are built especially for singles, so no need to share a suite if you don’t want to. We will assist in having you buddy up with someone for diving. It’s a great way to meet other likeminded adventure travelers who love to dive!

The tenders are rigid and made of aluminum.

On Board

Smoking is only permitted on the top deck and outdoor salon where receptacles for butt disposal are located. Please do not throw them overboard into the ocean.

Motion sickness medication should be brought along in the event that we encounter rough seas. We want you to be comfortable. The boat will spend the night in calm anchorages and normally scuba diving will be done on the lee side of the islands. The best thing about a liveaboard diving vacation is that we can flex our schedule to go where the weather and conditions are best!

Yes, at least two shore excursions will be offered. If requested more can be accommodated but dives may be sacrificed due to timing.

English and Bahasa, an Indonesian language, are spoken. With a full boat charter, we will try to provide a dive guide that is able to speak your language. Advance notice required.

Dive liveaboard cruising is an appealing alternative to conventional land based dive vacations and larger cruise ships. We offer a richer travel experience – one that goes beyond the typical tourist sites. Aboard All Star Velocean you’ll get to experience a week of luxury, delicious meals and great diving along with optional included shore excursions and eco-adventures. With its size, diversity and expanse, this is the absolute best way to dive Indonesia!

If someone needs to get in contact with you because of a true emergency, they may contact our U.S. Reservations Office and we will relay the message. Keep in mind that the boat will be in remote areas and any interruption will cause missed diving so be sure this is a true emergency. The captain has a SAT phone that is enabled each day for an hour to receive important messages.

Please let us know your request at least 2 weeks prior the trip through your online Trip Application. We will do our best to accommodate your dietary preferences. Vegetarian, vegan and gluten free are pretty easy to work with as well as allergies so let us know upon booking if you require special meals. Please remember that you are participating in an adventure travel vacation that is occurring in a remote part of the world. Many of the modern conveniences, brands and pre-packaged goods we use at home are not available in remote destinations. As such, many special requests that are very specific may be difficult to accommodate.

Finally, if you are celebrating a birthday, anniversary, or other special life event, please let us know. Our crew stands ready to assist you in making your special day something to remember.

U.S. dollars (USD) and Indonesian rupiah (IDR) currencies are accepted as are Visa and MasterCard credit cards.

We recommend you travel with U.S. dollars (USD) and suggest you purchase some Indonesian Rupiah (IDR) for payment of airline luggage surcharges and any incidentals, if any.

On Velocean, five meals are served daily either as a buffet or an ˆ la carte meal.

Pre-breakfast is presented for the early morning person with breads, pastries and cereals. Breakfast, lunch, afternoon snacks and dinner will follow. Local fruits and/or desserts are also served with every meal.

All Star Velocean has a 30 ton tank and two water makers which are able to provide 20 tons of fresh water daily.

Yes, we have two – 55 inch TVs on board in the continental dining room and the lounge with a USB full of movies. The Platinum Oceanfront Suites each have a television in the suite. Play Station 4 is also available on board.

Yes, we do have a satellite phone on board and guests can use it at a cost of $2.00* USD per minute.

*Subject to change.

We provide a storage area for your dive gear on the dive deck and your luggage can be stored in your cabin.

We recommend that guests that wish to photo edit onboard bring their own computer as software differs for each camera.

Shampoo and body wash are provided in the well-appointed bathrooms.

Yes, we do provide reef safe sunscreen but because of each person’s individual SPF needs or allergies, we recommend you do bring your own. Please make sure it is reef safe and ocean friendly.

Complimentary laundry service is available once on a trip of less than 10 days and twice for trips longer than 10 days. Additional laundry service can be purchased while on board.

A maximum of 18 guests are accommodated in 10 suites with 24 professional crew to ensure the service level and comfort of our VIP guests.

In total we have 24 crew members with 1 experienced dive guides and instructors, 1 cruise director and one assistant cruise director.

Electricity on All Star Velocean is 220v with all international sockets. Furthermore, each suite is equipped with USB and USB-C sockets as well, for charging. Even better, if your cell phone is capable of wireless charging, there is also a 7.5w wireless charging station in each suite.

The Velocean liveaboard is a 170 ft. (52m) all aluminum infrastructure with twin engines. With a cruising speed of 20 knots, she is twice as fast as other liveaboards and is the fastest in Indonesia. This means we are able to reach the dive sites faster, cover more area and give you more time to relax.

Yes, on the main deck in the expansive lounge area, there are private work stations with unrivaled views where photographers can work on their cameras. We suggest you bring your own computer if you require one.

We highly recommend proper footwear for these eco adventures. Flip flops are not always suitable. We suggest water shoes or TEVA type sandals. Sneakers are fine but they will get wet!

Yes, there is a Bose sound system in the lounge and outdoor sections. Moreover, in each guest room is equipped with Bose sound dock. The Platinum Oceanfront Suites will be equipped with full Bose sound system.

Yes, you can, we will provide a guide for you to snorkel.

Yes. Plush towels are provided in your suite and changed every day. Towels for outdoor use are also provided after every dive.

Yes, we do have paddle boards (SUPs) for guest use.

All suites are air conditioned with personal climate control. Each suite has large windows with oceanviews and are located on the main and upper decks.

Non-alcoholic beverages of water, tea, soft drinks and coffee are included. We provide a high quality coffee machine with roasted local coffee beans for lattes cappuccino, Americanos and standard coffee at no additional cost. You can enjoy your coffee moments all day long. Beer and liquor is available for purchase onboard.

Miscellaneous

We provide a storage area for your dive gear on the dive deck and your luggage can be stored in your cabin.

X
Your subscription could not be saved. Please try again.
Thanks for subscribing to receive news and updates from All Star Liveaboards

Receive News & Updates from All Star Liveaboards