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 Warm greetings to all readers of the Kararu Dive Voyages Newsletter.
In this edition we bring you an update on what's new for the 2009 season, some recent celebrities onboard the Cheng Ho, the release of Kararu's new website, featured team members and some very exciting and special trips for the new season you don't want to miss out on!
Gearing up for the 2009 season
You asked for it, you got it - after compiling all of your fantastic reports of the services of Kararu for which we thank every one of you, we have also taken into consideration the few critiques given and we are currently working on the following:
- Aqua proofing on all decks to minimize leaking during heavy rain.
- Spectacular new cabin renovations including white-washing effect on all below deck cabins.
- Main deck single cabins have all been renovated and received a beautiful new wooden deck flooring.
- Selected below deck bathrooms have been completely re-tiled.
- Additional professionally trained management in each department onboard the Cheng Ho to ensure that your experience will be the best we can possibly offer.
- Each major service department now has a dedicated supervisor and quality system in place.
- Kitchen department crew are undergoing an intensive food & beverage course. The aim is to present you with an even better and more varied food & beverage experience while onboard.
Recent celebrities on board Kararu
Over Kararu's long 9 years of service to the diving industry, our liveaboards have attracted many of the famous or rather "who's who" of the world of scuba. By bringing us everything from diving with film stars or billionaires, to specials on national television as well as some of the most beautiful publications of art work in the world today, these incredible individuals deserve a very special acknowledgment for the tremendous efforts put forth to earn their "celebrity status".
I would like to introduce you to some of these unique individuals that were on our last few trips of 2008 as well as tell you about upcoming "celebrity" trips for the 2009 season.
Burt Jones and Maurine Shimlock - Raja Ampat trip December 2008
 To kick off my celebrity list, are two very special people who have dedicated their lives to the underwater world. Their fame began, when they co-authored a very beautiful coffee table book, Secret Sea.
This masterpiece presented a stunning array of photographic images of marine life, many at the time, never published before.
Burt and Maurine have continued, over the years, to have their work featured in a variety of magazines such as GEO, BBC Wildlife, Smithsonian, Natural History, Islands, Sport Diver. "Burine" (shades of Brangelina?) began their journey with me, way back, even before Kararu Dive Voyages sprang to life, when I assisted Larry Smith on a trip led by Burt Jones to Komodo at the beginning of 2000. For those of you who have been lucky enough to dive Komodo, you may be interested to know that Burt and Maurine were the first to name and bring into the limelight, Cannibal Rock, that amazing dive site we all put on our top 10 list!
This dynamic duo continue to leave their mark on the diving industry and are currently working on a guide book to Raja Ampat in conjunction with Conservation International.
Their website can be viewed at www.secretseavisions.com and their recent trip report with Kararu from December 2008 can be viewed at secretseavisions.blogspot.com
 Bitten by Sharks - Claudia Pellarini - Raja Ampat trip December 2008
Claudia Pellarini, the beautiful owner of Bitten By Sharks www.bittenbysharks.com, sent a wonderful group to delight in the incredible diving in Raja Ampat. Although I have not had the pleasure to meet Claudia personally, her long career within the US film industry is nothing short of remarkable. You can read more about Claudia's history here
We are looking forward to welcoming her & her customers back on board in the near future!
Joining Us in 2009
Berkley White - Komodo trip- August 19 - 30, 2009
 Bond, James Bond or was that White, Berkley White? I have often thought, if the diving industry would vote on the Best Looking Dive Industry Man of the year, that surely Berkley would come out number one on the list!
Let's be honest though, it is not just his looks that captivates his audiences, it is his poised style, excellent lectures and wealth of knowledge on digital photography.
Next comes his entrepreneurialism which started 12 years ago, when White founded Backscatter, a store located in Monterey California dedicated to housings and other equipment for underwater photographers. His website can be viewed at www.backscatter.com
Kararu's relationship with this truly awesome individual goes back many years to our first ever underwater digital photography cruise in 2002. In 2009, from August 19 - 30, Berkley will lead his 20th trip to Indonesia with Kararu where he will share his in-field photographic techniques and digital methods while diving one of his favorite places in Indonesia - Komodo! We will also introduce a new element to his trip, Underwater Scooters!The Dive-X Scooter allow you to travel up to three times the distance you would kicking while using less air as well! You can use these scooters to mount your camera or video to allow you to keep pace with large animals. All of this and more so sign up fast, spaces are limited.
Todd Essick - September 23 - October 4 & October 5 - 16, 2009
 What I like most about liveaboards is the amount of wonderfully spirited individuals they bring in my direction. Todd Essick is no exception. He is a lively, charming and incredibly entertaining person who is pure pleasure to be around.
Apart from his long history in journalism, what makes Todd's fame in the diving industry special, is his stunning collection of images beautifully captured in his book, Beginnings, Goddesses, Sirens and Mermaid.
Todd's goal with this book was to reunite our past, present and future by capturing on film, the splendor of the female form with the beauty of the sea.
 Furthermore, his desire to awaken the sense of union and belonging we all have with the world below (where we first came from) and the world above (where we live now).
This extremely original work can be viewed at his website www.toddessick.com
If you like what you see, then come and join Todd on one of (or both of!) two incredible trips in Komodo. Guests will have the opportunity to either be photographed by the master himself or learn just how those amazing images can be captured. The dates for these great trips are from September 23 - October 4 and October 5 - 16.
To Todd, from all of us women (& a hum, men alike), we thank you for having the ability to capture us in our purest, most feminine form.
Cathy Church - September/October 2010
 When I first sat down with Cathy at DEMA in 2006, I must admit I felt a little nervous in this great woman's presence. After all, she is recognized as one of the world's foremost teachers and authors on underwater photography, not to mention she has been developing her many styles of photography since 1967!
That is exactly one year before I was born! To my delight, this great legend, who was inducted into the woman divers hall of fame in 2000, put me at ease immediately with her great attitude, positive outlook and entertaining story telling.
Cathy has pioneered a wide range of photography techniques in the form of documentaries, editorials as well as art galleries.
Cathy married Herb Rafael in Grand Cayman in 2001. Together, they teach underwater photography and operate Cathy Church's Underwater Photo Centre and Gallery at Sunset House Hotel. Herb's photos have appeared in Skin Diver Magazine, the cover of Scuba Times, and several other publications as well as advertising campaigns for the U.S. Virgin Islands.
Herb handles the marketing and sales, while Cathy concentrates on the photography, teaching and technical side of the photo centre. They both are dedicated to making sure that each customer is best served in whatever way they can. To read more about Cathy and Herb, please check out www.cathychurch.com/cathy.html
Cathy loved her 2008 trip with Kararu so much that she will be back for two more in 2010! The first trip through the Banda Sea will leave on September 18 until October 1, 2010. The second trip through Raja Ampat will be from October 2-14, 2010. Please check out her website at www.cathychurch.com as well as her most flattering comments on our liveaboard at www.kararu.com/testimonials/
For next month's newsletter, I will feature more celebrities profiles as well as their upcoming trips with us. In closing, I wish to thank all of the above individuals for their continued support of Kararu Dive Voyages.
Yours in diving,
Lisa Crosby
Kararu Dive Voyages
New website
Kararu is pleased to announce that our new website will soon be ready for launch. We aim to provide you with an even better on-line experience, and have added several new and very interesting features. Some of these features includes:
- A modern (Web 2.0) interface and a simplified navigation system
- A new on-line booking wizard with real-time cabin availability and pricing
- Stunning videos and photography (not really new but the galleries have been updated)
A separate newsletter will be sent out with the official release date soon.
Featured Crew Members
 Featured this month are Kristine & Pete, Kararu's main cruise Directors onboard the Cheng Ho.
Kristine came from California where she worked in the travel industry for 15 years. In 1995 on a trip to St. Lucia she did her first discovery dive and was hooked. In love with the tropics and diving she moved to St. Croix U.S.V.I. in 2002 and opened a bar & grill. But she still always found time to travel the caribbean, dive, sail and get her dive masters license.
Pete has been a diver for fifteen years and an active instructor for the last ten. He currently holds instructor ratings from PADI and SDI. He began diving while living in Chicago where he worked in the financial industry. An avid Great Lakes Wreck diver, he earned technical certifications enabling dives on some of the deeper wrecks in the area.
When Pete decided to enter the dive industry full time he moved to St. Croix in the US Virgin Islands where he lived for three years. While there he got a U.S. Coast Guard 100T Master Captain License. It was in St. Croix that he met Kristine, also an avid diver, and together they decided to move to indonesia and see first-hand the best diving in the world.
Red Hot Special Deals in 2009
There are also a few spots left on some upcoming trips to great diving destinations so if you can travel on a whim, book fast and receive attractive discounts! We have selected a few trips below where we still have limited availability.
 05-09 Ambon/Ambon - Banda Sea (March 22 - April 3, 2009)
Join us for a special Banda Sea cruise with extensive muck diving around Ambon, great walls and reefs of Banda Neira and nearby Islands, Snake island Manuk,and the stunning reefs of Nusa Laut. Cultural highlights are huge during this trip and a visit to Banda Neira with over 400 years of Dutch history.
Let's not forget, the Island of Run that was traded against Manhattan from the English to the Dutch. Great diving and history! Sign up quick.
06-09 Ambon/Sorong - Fak Fak (April 4 - 17, 2009)
Fak-Fak and Triton Bay is a very remote area located south-east of Raja Ampat and is famous for it’s record breaking bio-diversity. Because the water here is so nutrient rich, visibility averages 10-20m, however those same nutrients feed an amazing web of life. We’re talking extreme bio-mass. New species of fish and corals are being discovered all the time. Limited space available, contact us directly for great deals on this trip.
09-09 Sorong/Ambon - Raja Ampat (May 12-24, 2009)
A liveaboard cruise through a combination of some of the most remote and sought after dive destinations on the planet. The cruise itineraries include Misool and the Raja Ampat Islands plus a voyage through the fabled Banda Sea stopping at Gunung Api and Banda Neira on the way to Ambon. Limited space available, contact us directly for great deals on this trip.
Please contact us for more information about these special deals
Special Full boat charters with limited space available
08-09 Sorong/Sorong - Raja Ampat (April 30 - May 11)
A great cruise doing the very best of Raja Ampat and Misool. Limited space available - This cruise is being arranged by Okie Lukita who discovered Mentjeng Wall off Sumbawa with the late Larry Smith. For more information on this cruise please contact Okie Lukita via email
15-09 Bali/Bima - Komodo Family cruise (July 19 - 26, 2009)
 Join this great family cruise going to Komodo and Bali. This cruise is organized by Kirsten Treais. A long term supporter of Kararu Dive Voyages, Kirsten Treais at Amazing Adventures Travel has been tailor making vacations, particularly liveaboard trips for the world for the better part of 20 years!
Born in Singapore, raised in Kuwait and schooled in England, her unique and special view on the cultural differences of the world make her the perfect choice to travel with. Kirsten’s very positive outlook on life, great humor and extensive knowledge of Indonesia, will ensure that you will have 'the diving expedition of a lifetime'!!
Kirsten will lead three very special trips to Komodo with Kararu Dive Voyages this summer from June 21 - July 2, July 19 - 26 and July 26 - August 6.
There are a few spaces still available so please contact Kararu or visit Kirsten’s website www.amazingadventure.net for more details.
Next Month's Issue
We will featuring a trip report from the special Banda Sea trip in the next issue. Don't forget to check out some of the amazing guest comments on our dedicated guest comment pages
The Kararu team and management looks forward to welcoming you on board our vessels for the liveaboard scuba diving expedition of a lifetime. Please feel free to contact any of us at any time or see the 2009 and 2010 cruise schedules at our web site. www.kararu.com/schedules
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