FeBrina & Star Dancer

I don't actually start this trip until tonight, but I feel that the planning of this trip itself warrants a report.

I started planning this trip at the end of August. I new I wanted to go to PGN, but wasn't set on where. After scouring the various liveaboards, I found a couple of trips on Star Dancer that fit my opening for a holiday. I contacted them through Peter Hughes, and at the same time contacted Cheryll for the FeBrina (the schedule was not on the website at the time).

Both replied promptly to my initial inquires. Peter Hughes informed me that space was available on one of the trips that I was looking at, but did not mention the other one. Since I was more interested the second trip, I replied back specifically asking about that trip. I NEVER heard from them again.

Cheryll on the other hand, replied that FeBrina was not available at the time, but they also handled the Star Dancer. She informed me about two trips that were available on the Star Dancer. The one was the same trip that Peter Hughes mentioned. The other one was later in the year and thus did not fit my schedule.

Both responses listed the same price for the trip, but Cheryll mentioned that the trip had a special going at the time. So the $300 discount settled it for me, I would book through her. Since I would be in Kimbe Bay, I also decided to stay at Walindi before and after the Star Dancer trip. She also helped me arrange everything for there.

My flights and diving were all booked and paid for. I was set, or so I thought. Two days ago I received an email from Cheryll informing me that Air Niugini had to change the flights going to/from Hoskins. I thought "Oh great, just what I need two days before I leave." So I hop on the Air Niugini website to find out what the new schedule is. It doesn't look good. The website was showing that my inbound layover was now negative 25 minutes instead of the 9 hours it had been, and nothing was show for return flights from Hoskins. I also thought "Why am I hearing this form the dive operator and not the airline?" Anyway, Cheryll had asked for my Air Niugini itinerary, so I sent it off to her.

Last night she replied back with a very detailed response explaining not only why the schedule was changed, but also what Air Niugini was doing to re-schedule things. She said she was working with Air Niugini to get her customers rescheduled, not only on their internal flights, but also making sure Air Niugini in Singapore (in my case) knew that I only had a little time to make my connection. It turns out that both of my flights where changed and I should have about 30 minutes to connect.

So as it currently stands, I should not have any trouble (other then once again having to sprint through an airport) to have my holiday go off as planned. I may even get an extra dive or two out of it.

I have to say that at this point my experience in dealing with Cheryll from FeBrina/Star Dancer has been most reassuring, and that anyone planning a trip to PNG seriously consider contacting her. I believe she also handles several other PGN destinations. You can find her email on the Febrina website.

We just returned from Walindi.

You will love it, the diving rocks! Say hello to Max the owner and Keiko the dive guide if you run into them for me, Todd from Canada.

Note that the internal Air Nuigini flight is in the next terminal. You first check you bags at the counter in the international counter and then walk to the next terminal. Short walk. Clear security and are set. The only downside I saw was the custom/immigration line. Try to get to the front of the plane so you can be at the front of the line for customs. There are two lines one for people with visas and one for those who need them. Funny thing was we needed one and that line was by far the shortest. We made the tight connection but had no time to spare.

Enjoy

Todd

Thanks for the heads up on the terminal change. I already knew about the baggage checking, and Cheryll is arranging a front seat on my flight from Singapore. Plus, she is arranging to have the ground staff in Port Moresby help hustle me through immigration and customs.

I just have to try and get some Kina in Singapore.

I have been diving PNG for years and always use FeBrina/Stardancer. Alan has forgotten more about diving in PNG than most captains will ever know. Cheryll is always working hard to make sure all goes smoothly.

The winter of 2009 will see me spending a month in PNG doing exploratory diving on the south shore of New Britain island. We will be looking for the next "hot spot" of diving. A couple of years ago, I spent a month exploratory diving with Alan in the Duke of York Islands and the Gazelle Peninsula. WOW!!

It is always nice to find an operation that goes the "extra mile"....