Captains can change sites for weather, safety or park restrictions. Published itineraries are indicative, not contractual, and changes do not normally entitle you to a refund.
Every liveaboard itinerary you see published is a plan, not a guarantee, and every operator's terms say so. Weather, sea state, current, marine-park permits, port closures and mechanical issues all give the captain the right and the duty to change the route.
In practice this usually means swapping one site for a sheltered alternative, reordering the week, or shortening a crossing. Good captains explain the reason at the briefing, and the substituted diving is often excellent — local knowledge of where the conditions are working is exactly what you are paying for. A captain who runs an exposed site in marginal conditions to keep the brochure promise is a red flag, not a good one.
What is not acceptable: material changes made for commercial convenience, such as skipping a marine park to save fees, or repeatedly diving house reefs instead of the advertised sites. If that happens, document it — dates, sites, briefings — and raise it with us. We take it up with the operator on your behalf.
Refunds for weather-driven changes are rare and are not usually payable under the operator's terms. Where a whole trip is cancelled or cut short by the operator, the terms normally provide a pro-rata refund or a credit, and we will make sure the right one is applied.