Coraldreamscuba 

I am one of 8 people who was swindled after booking a 10 day live-aboard scuba trip in the Maldives with Jolene Stephens (now DBA cdsdive under the pseudo-name Honus Ken). I paid her $3,514 in installments over about a year and learned during my layover for that trip, in Abu Dhabi, that she never paid a dime of the money I sent her to the live-aboard company. To rescue my trip, I had to book last minute reservations with my credit card. Stephens never refunded my money despite multiple demands. We formed a chat group in Messenger called the “Scammed Divers” and learned she did the same thing to other people who booked different scuba trips with her. I wish I could give negative stars for this unethical, criminal behavior. We all filed police reports.

The only reason I gave this company one star is because I had no option to put no star!!! I booked and paid for a 10 day live aboard. ($3220) After flying halfway around the world, I arrived in the Maldives to find that Coral Dreams had never booked/paid for our reservation on the dive boat. There were eight people involved that had spent over a day traveling from North America to the Maldives. We scrambled around and found a boat we could all get on at a good price! (had to pay for the trip again!) We were all informed there would be no refunds.!!!!!! She had scammed everyone out of all of our money we paid for the trip!!!!!!!!!!

I paid this company $554.00 more than I would have to book direct with the liveaboard and found out while I was in transit to the Maldives that this company never made payment to the liveaboard. The entire group, that paid various amounts for this trip, had none of the information required to clear customs and be allowed to enter the country. I absolutely do not recommend this company. Save yourself the headache and heartache and book with someone else. ANYONE else! I checked Trustpilot before I made my first payment and there were no reviews at that time. I really wish there had been reviews available. The company and the owner, Jolene Stephens, is refusing to refund our payments even though she never paid for any accommodations. I truly hope this review helps someone else avoid disaster.

A recent trip to the Maldives on a luxury liveaboard dive yacht for ten days with eight days of diving was switched the day before nine of us left North America. In its place was seven days on a much lesser boat with only five days of diving. Supposedly the first three days of our arrival were ongoing be at a BnB on the island of which we, once again, were not informed until the day before our flights. Neither the original company or the replacement company had received payment from this trip organizer and there was no information on this added BnB we needed to clear immigration and customs in Malé. This company is refusing to refund our money.