CREDIT CARD PAYMENTS NOT AVAILABLE
UNTIL CANCELLED
Effective 19th May 2010, we regret to be unable to accept credit cards for the payments on board in the near future.
A lack of continuity in the service and various technical problems have led our bank to interrupt the service until
the same problems won't be solved.
We apology for the inconvenience and we hope to be able to offer
to all our guests payments by credit card soon again.
NEW BITUNG AND LEMBEH STRAIT ENTRANCE FEE
In order to minimize the negative side effects of the dive tourism on the marine life of Lembeh Strait, the Government of Bitung city issued the following regional law:
Effective 1st February 2010, every scuba diver has to have a valid permit issued by the City of Bitung, before he/she is allowed to dive in Lembeh Strait. The dive operation is primarily responsible that their guests, dive guides and boat crew follow the rules of conduct:
Valid permit of City of Bitung visible present on the boat filled with name of dive operation, name of guest, arrival and departure dates and signature of the guest.
• No touching or disturbing the marine life
• No anchoring
• No more than 4 divers per guide
• Maximum 15 divers including guides per dive site at the same time
The Bitung government established this entrance fee, and diving rules to help protect this invaluable strait and promote good diving habits.
Violation of the rules of conduct can be a risk Pidana and Perdata according to PERDA KOTA BITUNG NOMOR 10 TAHUN 2009 PASAL 39.
In relation to Bitung Regional Law Number 10, 2009 about Tourism Retribution; Divers License, Divers who stay in Bitung City pay Pin Rp.50.000,- per person (~USD 5,60 or ~EUR 4,20) for the time of their continues stay during the year 2010. If visitors leave the Lembeh Strait area the fee may be re-assessed.
Permits are available in Tourism Information Center of North Sulawesi, at the Sam Ratulangi Airport, Manado, every Monday, Wednesday and Friday at 11.00-14.00 and Tourism and Culture office of Bitung City on Monday-Friday at 08.00-15.00.
• The entrance fee can be paid on Ocean Rover.
Ocean
Rover on Global “TOP TEN” Liveaboard List
Unterwasser,
a major European dive publication, listed Ocean Rover in their
April 2006 issue’s “The 10 Best Dive Safaris
in the World”. The magazine, which focuses on exotic
dive travel and underwater photography, listed their ten favourite
liveaboards in a colourful 18-page lay-out that included vessels
such as the esteemed Bilikiki and Canada’s Nautilus Explorer.
We are proud to be recognized as a world leader in the luxury liveaboard
industry and inspired to raise our cruises to ever higher standards.
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| Global
TOP TEN list |
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| Ocean
Rover listed |
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Ocean Rover Awarded Top Honours
Ocean Rover Cruises was named “Benchmark for a World
Class Liveaboard operation” in a recent Liveaboard
Survey conducted by Australasia
ScubaDiver Magazine, the official publication of the PADI
Diving Society in the Asia-Pacific region. The results were published
in the April issue and coincided with the ADEX dive show in Bangkok.
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| Ocean
Rover awarded Top Honours |
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Besides the quality of the diving, the extensive survey looked at
many aspects of liveaboard diving such as vessel safety and seaworthiness,
the crew-guest ratio, the level of service, the food and beverages
as well as the on board accommodation.
The Liveaboard Survey was conducted by an experienced team led
by well-known underwater photographer Michael Aw, who has personally
travelled on board most of the vessels listed in the survey. A
few quotes from the publisher:
“… After nearly twenty years of live-aboard diving
I found the operational standard and quality of the Ocean Rover
in Phuket to be one that can be used as the model, a benchmark
for rating the live-aboard boat operation. While the decor of the
boat [is not opulent] the quality of the service, operational standards
and diving is certainly world class.
[On a scale of] 1 to 10, I would score Ocean Rover as an overall
9, up there with the best of the best. After more then 15 years
competing for patronage of discerning divers from the USA and Europe,
the operational standard of the Ocean Rover can be used as a template
for others to emulate if they are serious in offering a world class
live-aboard service…” Read
actual comments from Ocean Rover guests
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