EMPEROR VOYAGER

(2 customer reviews)

30m / 99ft MAX 20 NITROX PADI WIFI

PRICE PER DAY FROM USD 318

LOWEST PRICE GUARANTEE SPECIAL OFFERS APPLY

At a glance:

Visits Maldives central atolls and Felidhoo
Price-inclusive cruises
All cabins with private bathrooms
Rebreather-friendly
Dhoni has fresh water shower, rinse tanks, camera table

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The M/V Emperor Voyager is the flagship of the renowned Emperor liveaboard fleet in the Maldives. This 30m long mono-hulled boat takes up to 20 divers on tours around some of the best dive sites of Maldives central atolls. These safaris have all-inclusive prices. You will not find 'hidden extras' such as fuel surcharges, sales/green taxes, port and park fees, boat transfers!

You can choose between relaxation spaces, both outdoors and in air-conditioned comfort. On the main deck of the liveaboard is a large open-air sofa area with bar. Emperor Voyager's ypper deck has a comfortable indoor saloon/home theatre as well as an outdoor dining area which doubles as a relaxation spot or camera charging area between meals. You can also go up to the sundeck to relax in a sun lounger or hammock. Wherever you are on the boat you can access the Wi-Fi on your device when in range, at additional cost.

Emperor Voyager's dive credentials are strong with free nitrox, rebreather friendliness, 12 and 15 litre scuba tanks, a camera station with air gun, and compulsory use of surface markers and dive computers. All the diving is done from an accompanying 20m long dhoni. This dive boat carries all the guest's scuba equipment, the compressors and tanks. There is a fresh water shower on board, rinse tanks and a camera table. The dhoni also carries the emergency breathing oxygen.

Emperor Divers have a great reputation for liveaboard diving in the Red Sea and now bring some of their trademark professionalism and hospitality to the Maldives, and this is best sampled upon the impressive MV Emperor Voyager liveaboard.

The M/V Emperor Voyager has 10 cabins: 2 Upper deck twin cabins, 1 twin bed cabin on the main deck, and 7 lower deck cabins (3 double bed and 4 twin bed). The twin bed cabins feature side-by-side single beds. All cabins have ensuite bathroom facilities.

All the cabins have:

Air-conditioning and fan
Windows on the upper and main deck. Portholes on the lower deck
Private bathroom with toilet, hot water shower, towels and hand basin
Wardrobe and mirror
Reading lights

Bedding
220V electricity supply with round 2-pin sockets (adaptors available)
Life jackets
Space for luggage

No. of bathrooms / showers - 10 / 10 - hot water

Maldives Central Atolls (8 Days / 7 Nights - 17 Dives)

Trip highlights: whale sharks, hammerhead sharks, shark action, manta rays, schooling fish & big pelagics

Diving environment: advanced divers, beginner divers, drift diving, very popular, wreck diving

Dive sites and activities: North Male, Rasdhoo, Ari atolls, Felidhoo, South Male

Day 1
The MV Emperor Voyager liveaboard awaits your arrival in Male, where the crew will warmly welcome you aboard. You will be provided with a light lunch while the tour leader provides a boat briefing. This introduction will help you familiarise yourself with the vessel’s facilities and safety protocols. The afternoon is entirely at your disposal: feel free to unpack your belongings in your cabin, or perhaps simply unwind on the sun deck and begin catching some rays.
Afterwards, it will be time for dinner. Be sure to get a decent night’s sleep, as tomorrow you will commence scuba diving at some of the Maldives' most renowned dive sites in the central atolls. The Emperor Voyager will remain docked in the harbour for this first night of the trip.

Core Days
Diving at Rasdhoo Atoll is world-renowned for its phenomenal big fish encounters and dramatic underwater topography. The main draw is the high probability of seeing large pelagic species, including grey reef sharks and whitetip sharks in abundance, especially at famous sites like Madivaru Corner. It is also one of the few places in the Maldives offering early morning dives in search of hammerhead sharks at Hammerhead Point. Additionally, a dedicated cleaning station ensures reliable sightings of manta rays during the dry season (November to April).
Ari Atoll is a premier Maldives diving destination, celebrated for reliable big fish encounters, mainly featuring dives around underwater pinnacles (thilas) and through channels (Kandus). Maamigili is the most famous site in the South Ari Atoll Marine Protected Area, renowned for year-round, reliable sightings of whale sharks along the outer reef. Maaya Thila is an iconic pinnacle, famed for shark and manta sightings. You can also expect an excellent mix of large pelagics like sharks and manta rays, alongside plentiful reef fish, moray eels, and vibrant coral.
Felidhoo Atoll is renowned for its numerous, deep, fast-flowing channels. These channels funnel nutrient-rich water, creating a magnet for large marine life and making for thrilling drift dives. Due to the strong currents, the atoll offers excellent opportunities to see mantas (especially May to July), occasional hammerhead sharks (early morning at channel entrances), and large schools of trevally, snappers, and barracuda.
South Male is famous for diving and snorkelling at sites like Kandooma Thila and Embudhoo Kandu. The area is also known for seasonal manta ray encounters.
Please note that there will be just 2 dives on the final full day of the trip, as the liveaboard will be returning to the harbour.

Day 8
Check out from the Emperor Voyager is in the morning after an early light breakfast. Guests will be returned to Male airport.

Maldives Central & Southern Atolls (8 Days / 7 Nights - 17 Dives)

Trip highlights: whale sharks, hammerhead sharks, shark action, manta rays, schooling fish & big pelagics

Diving environment: advanced divers, beginner divers, drift diving, healthy reefs, off the beaten track, very popular, wall diving, wreck diving

Dive sites and activities: South Ari, South Male, Felidhoo, Meemu atolls

Day 1
The Emperor Voyager is berthed near Male, and you will be brought aboard the liveaboard by the dhoni, which will also be used for taking divers to the dive sites throughout the safari. You can enjoy a light, sandwich-style snack for lunch, while listening to the tour leader's boat introduction to help you familiarise yourself with its features and the crew, who will do their utmost to ensure you have a wonderful time during the cruise.The afternoon is yours: you can unpack your luggage in the cabin, or simply relax on the sun deck and start working on your tan. Dinner will be announced by a bell. Get a good night's sleep, as you'll begin diving at some of the best and most well-known dive sites in the Maldives tomorrow. The first night of the cruise will be spent in the harbour.

Core Days
The powerful currents sweeping through the Indian Ocean deliver a rich variety of hungry pelagic species to the Maldives. Scuba divers can often spot these magnificent creatures from a great distance, thanks to visibility that frequently hits 40 metres. The deep channels, or kandus as the locals call them, are host to vast numbers of grey reef sharks, dogtooth tuna, and eagle rays, with surprises frequently awaiting the patient diver and the experienced guide who know just what to look for in the blue.
The channel walls of Felidhoo and Meemu atolls feature majestic yellow soft coral and countless species of reef fish. The legendary dive site here is Fotteyo Kandu, renowned globally for its dramatic topography featuring deep overhangs and swim-throughs carpeted in soft corals. This strong drift dive is a guaranteed spectacle for advanced divers, offering consistent encounters with schooling grey reef sharks, white-tips, barracuda, and large trevallies, with the rare possibility of sighting hammerheads at dawn. Equally famous is Miyaru Kandu ('Shark Channel'), where powerful incoming currents draw a high density of the same shark species, providing exhilarating drift dives along the atoll wall. For a unique, all-level experience, the Alimathaa Jetty night dive is unbeatable. This shallow, calm site attracts dozens of large, docile nurse sharks and stingrays after dark, allowing divers to observe these impressive creatures at close range.
And just when you think it can't get any better, South Ari Atoll will surprise you again with its close encounters with whale sharks and oceanic mantas.The most celebrated site is Kudarah Thila, a protected pinnacle famed for its soft coral coverage, deep overhangs, and swim-throughs. Here, divers descend rapidly to avoid the current, finding themselves instantly surrounded by dense, swirling schools of blue-striped snappers and fusiliers, with frequent visits from grey reef sharks and Napoleon wrasse. Nearby, Broken Rock offers a dramatic experience. This thila is split cleanly in two by a deep, narrow canyon, creating a unique passage where divers drift through walls dense with gorgonian fans and sponges. The currents that surge through the rift ensure a rich diversity of life, from turtles to moray eels.
For the biggest prize, the outer reef slope of Maamigili Beyru is possibly the most reliable place on Earth for year-round whale shark encounters. This marine protected area offers shallow drift dives where the primary mission is scanning the blue for the silhouette of the gentle giants.
Finally, the Machchafushi (Kudhimaa) wreck, a purposely sunk cargo vessel, provides a change of pace. Resting upright on the sandy bottom, the wreck has become a thriving artificial reef, excellent for photography and discovering macro life, including numerous frogfish and ghost pipefish, nestled among the colourful soft corals.
Please note that there will only be 2 dives on the last full day of the liveaboard trip as the Emperor Voyager heads back to harbour. In the afternoon the crew will rinse your dive gear and hang it out to dry.

Day 8
Check out is on the final day, aligned with flight times. Guests will be taken back to Male airport after an early light breakfast.

[Information is best estimate in ideal circumstances and subject to changes beyond our control. The itinerary is a guide only and may be adapted to best suit the weather, tides, currents, availability and other prevailing events. Price is for the cruise, not for an exact number of dives].

Meals onboard the Emperor Voyager are served buffet style in the al fresco dining area, situated on the top deck of the liveaboard, offering a fantastic spot to take in the stunning panorama of the Maldives atolls. The kitchen ensures there's an excellent variety of international and local fare. Meats such as beef, chicken, and fish are all prominent features. The menu also includes a good selection of fresh vegetables, alongside proper homemade desserts. You should try some delicious regional specialities, like Sri Lankan curries.

Your eating schedule is determined by the daily diving programme, specifically the number of dives and the travel time required to reach different sites. Dinner is typically at 7 pm most evenings, although on days featuring 4 dives, the boat pushes it back slightly - it's generally around 8 pm, following the last dive.

Snacks, bread/toast, fresh fruit, drinking water, and tea & coffee are available free of charge.
Soft drinks, beer, wine and spirits are available for purchase.
Chocolate bars and other snacks can also be bought on the boat.
All special diets can be catered for with prior notice.
A special candlelit barbecue on a local island is a feature of every cruise, subject to conditions.

"Excellent condition of equipment. Helpful, friendly, knowledgeable, patient staff. Clean/ functional facilities. A really good schedule planned and ran smoothly. Such a variety of marine life seen and conditions experienced (strong currents, drift dives etc) " - Eleisha Collins, Australia, 5 January 2019 ...

"Staff and guides were perfect and very social and helpful, made us feel among family the boat was excellent with all the required facilities and comfortable rooms the rented equipment were in top shape and worked nicely." - Yousuf Abusamra, Egypt, 7 December 2016 ...

DEPARTURE SCHEDULE & PRICES

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Dive experience: Recommendation: Maldives Central Atolls, Maldives Central and Northern Atolls trips: participants should be Advanced Open Water Diver qualified. Maldives Central & Southern Atoll trips: divers should be Advanced Open Water Diver and have 30 logged dives. Maldives Southern Atolls: Advanced Open Water Diver and 100 logged dives. Divers with less experience will be able to join the liveaboard trips but may have to sit out some dives if dive certifications and or experience are not sufficient for the planned dives.

Cruise price per person includes: Cabin accommodation with air-conditioning, breakfast, lunch, dinner (1 BBQ on deserted island weather permitting), snacks, drinking water, hot drinks, glass of wine with dinner, transfers to the boat from the airport, Green tax, dives, experienced English speaking divemasters (7 divers per guide), tanks, weights and weight belts, nitrox fills for enriched air certified divers, sales tax on cruise price.

Cruise price per person excludes (mandatory, unless customer provides own): Scuba equipment (full set including surface marker device and dive computer USD 336 per week, must be pre-booked), dive insurance, GST on all items and services purchased on board. Unless otherwise stated, all the listed items need to be paid on arrival, with equipment ordered in advance (cash or credit card).

Optional extras: Soft drinks, alcoholic drinks, 15 litre tank (USD 101 per week), torch (USD 101 per week). Unless otherwise stated, all the listed items need to be paid on arrival. Note: prices of items purchased onboard are subject to change.

How to get there: The M/V Emperor Voyager liveaboard normally departs from Male. The first and last nights of the cruise are spent in the harbour. Your flight can arrive in Male at any time on the first day. There are 3 complimentary transfer timings from the airport to the boat on embarkation day: 12 noon and 4 pm. All transfers are arranged by a representative wearing an Emperor Maldives T-shirt and holding an Emperor Maldives sign. The meeting point at Male (Velana) International Airport is beside the Help Desk, or outside of the arrivals hall at Addu City (Gan) International Airport. Guests taking the 12 noon transfer from the airport to the liveaboard have to accept that the boat will not be fully cleaned or ready until 1 pm. Any other transfers required on embarkation day other than the 2 stated above can be arranged at a charge of USD 15 per way. Group or full charter bookings with a minimum of 8 guests arriving on the same flight will not be charged if an alternative transfer is required on embarking day (after 12 noon).
The last dive of the trip will be at around 1 pm on the second last day of the trip. You can disembark at 8 am on the final day. Please wait at least 18 hours before flying after diving.
For more details, including airlines, see our How to get to the Maldives section.

Non-diver rate: Non-divers receive a free snorkeling kit and a USD 50 voucher to spend on board.

Single supplement (if you do not want to share accommodation): This is optional - single travellers may choose to share a cabin and pay the regular fare, or pay a supplement of 50% of the published price for the sole occupancy of a cabin.

Dive clubs and group discounts: Pay for 9 guests and 1 extra person can join the cruise in a Standard cabin free of charge (total 10+ guests).

Whole boat charter rate (per night): Pay for 18 guests and 2 additional persons can join the cruise free of charge.

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Adora

From USD 257 per day

Customer rating: Excellent!

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EMPEROR VOYAGER

Maldives Central Atolls (8 Days / 7 Nights - 17 Dives)

Maldives Central & Southern Atolls (8 Days / 7 Nights - 17 Dives)

DEPARTURE SCHEDULE & PRICES

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