Princess Dhonkamana

The M/Y Princess Dhonkamana is 31 metres long liveaboard that operates dive safaris in the Maldives. The boat operator has been organizing cruises here for more than 30 years and has a wealth of professional experience to draw upon. They have a passion for the sea and love to share this and their vast knowledge of the local marine life with guests. Safaris focus on both diving and snorkeling, and exploring some of stunning deserted islands and beaches for which the Maldives are famous.

There are 9 cabins on board, 3 of which are on the upper deck and feature sea view windows. All the cabins have private guest bathrooms, are spacious, and are tastefully and comfortably furnished. Cabins are configured as double or twin, but 2 of the cabins can be used as 3-share on whole boat charters for dive clubs and groups (for a maximum private charter capacity of 20).

There are 3 sun decks onboard Princess Dhonkamana, with plenty of sun beds, as well as a hottub Jacuzzi. The indoor saloon has a fully-stocked bar, TV, movie library, and music system. Dining take place either in the open air at the stern of the main deck, or in the indoor dining area. The food served onboard is a fusion of Italian, continental and local South Asian cuisine. The galley chefs present a different menu every day based on seafood, pasta, pizza, rice dishes (Risotto or Asian fried rice), vegetables, tropical fruit and homemade desserts.

Diving is conducted from an accompanying dhoni - a dedicated dive boat where both your scuba equipment and the compressors are stored. This not only makes the logistics of diving with the Princess Dhonkamana very simple, it also frees up a lot of space for extra relaxation, and removes the noise of filling tanks from the mother ship. So whether you seek a standard central atolls liveaboard cruise in search of whale sharks and mantas, or a safari adventure to the Deep South to find pelagic sharks and fish, you can do it in style with the Princess Dhonkamana.

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Notes: TBC ~ To be confirmed. Central atolls cruises depart and return from Male. Deep South cruises use the port of Addu. Please see the detailed itinerary description for confirmation of ports.

Dive experience: Since Princess Dhonkamana has 3 instructor/guides onboard certified divers of any experience level are welcome to join these safaris. However, for the Deep South trips all participants must be Advanced Open Water certified.

Cruise price per person includes: Cabin accommodation with air-conditioning, breakfast, lunch, dinner, snacks, coffee, tea, drinking water, fishing, island excursions, local airport transfers, dives (as detailed in the trips above), 3 European PADI diving instructors and a snorkelling guide, 2 guided snorkelling tours per day, tanks (12 or 15 litre), weights and weight belts, introductory dive for non-divers, Green Tax, GST on cruise price.

Cruise price per person excludes (mandatory, unless customer provides own): Scuba equipment rental (per week - regs/BCD/wetsiut: US$ 181, dive computer: US$ 36, mask and fins: US$ 26 - all +GST and S/C). diving insurance, Green Tax surcharge (US$ 6 per night (paid in advance), service charge (i.e. tips US$ 93 per week), Fuvahmulah port fee (where applicable: US$ 25 per night). Unless otherwise stated, all listed items need to be paid on arrival (cash only - EUR or USD).

Optional extras: Alcoholic drinks, soft drinks, 28% nitrox fills for enriched air certified divers (US$ 72 per week), extra dives (US$ 36, max. 3 per week), torch (US$ 13 per dive), Island entry fees. All purchases will be subject to +16% GST and +10% S/C. 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 marina at Malie International Airport is the main port for Dhonkamana amd cruises operate from Saturday to Saturday. For more details, including airlines, see our How to Get to the Maldives section. A boat staff member will meet and greet you at the airport, wearing a Macana Shirt. You will then be transferred to the yacht by dhoni. Boarding is at 11 am - 1 pm; late arrivals will require a private transfer (US$ 52).
If you arrive early and do not want to wait for the transfer, you can drop your luggage at the airport and visit Male City or Hulhumale and get back to the airport around 11 am. If you stay in a hotel in the Maldives the night before the cruise, we recommend asking your hotel to drop you to the airport by 10:30 am near Burger King where one of the boat staff will meet you. Please let us know which hotel are you staying at so that we can also contact the hotel to ensure your transfer is on time.
The last dive of the trip is 7 am on the penultimate day of the trip. Please wait at least 18 hours before flying after diving. Disembarkation is at 7 am.
For cruises in the Deep South, a local port in Addu Atoll is used. Gan Airport (GAN) on Addu can be reached by domestic flight from Male (Maldivian Airlines) or by international flight from Colombo (Sri Lankan Airlines). We can provide domestic flights for US$ 186 each way, or you can book them directly online at www.maldivian.aero .

Non-diver rate: None, since there are plenty of activities for non-divers.

Single supplement (if you do not want to share accommodation): This is optional - single travellers may choose to share a cabin or pay a supplement for their own cabin. The supplement varies depending on time of year but varies between 50-60%. Please ask us for details.

Dive clubs and group discounts: Rates for a third person sharing a cabin available for adults and children.
Pay for 8 guests and 1 additional person can join the cruise free of charge.

Whole boat charter rate (per night): Pay for 17 guests and 3 additional persons can join the cruise free of charge (total 20 guests).

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, cage diving, caverns, drift diving, healthy reefs, off the beaten track, very popular, wall diving, wreck diving

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

Day 1
A representative of the Princess Dhonkamana will meet you at 11 am at Male International Airport and take you to the dhoni that will take you on board this super 31m motor yacht. Lunch and dinner will be served during the day. You will be able to get to know the crew and the boat better during the introductory briefing that the tour leader will give once all the guests are on board. You are about to have a great week of diving, fun, and adventure!

Days 2-7
The ‘Classic’ route includes a beautiful mix of Maldives highlights - sharks, rays, Napoleon wrasse, mantas, corals, whale sharks, deserted islands, sand banks, fishermen islands, a Male visit … you will love it. South Male features large schools of fish, big pelagics, plenty of soft corals and caves, as well as one very good wreck. Miyaru Faru is aptly named since ‘miyaru’ means shark in Dhivehi and not surprisingly this is where you can encounter the ‘big boys’. An overhang protects you from the current and provides an excellent viewing spot for the impressive parade of pelagics and patrolling grey reef sharks, or even the occasional hammerhead. The channel at Felidhoo Atoll is also a great place to find reef sharks and has a spectacular wall showcasing caverns, swim-throughs and overhangs festooned with colourful soft corals and bushes of black corals. There is also a spectacular night dive with dozens of huge nurse sharks, sting rays and giant trevallies. Ari Atoll is famous for its mighty whale sharks which can be regularly seen in its marine protected areas. Hammerhead sharks, manta rays and other pelagic fish are also commonly encountered here. Highlights here include tuna, jacks, reef sharks, mantas and eagle rays.
A day on board the yacht runs like this - wake up at 6.30 am, tea, coffee, light breakfast, and the first dive at 7 am. Return to the boat at 8.30 am for a full breakfast. After breakfast there is some time to relax or snorkeling, and a beach or shore excursion, and then around 11 am the second dive takes place. Lunch or an island picnic is served at 1 pm, followed by a third dive at 3:30 pm. Tea time with home-made biscuits and cakes is at 5:30 pm. You can partake in sunset fishing around 6:30 pm, and happy hour starts at 7:30 pm. Dinner is served at 8:30 pm. There is one night dive per cruise.
Meals are served at the table in the upper deck open air if weather permits, otherwise in the air-con dining room. The 2 chefs will prepare unique Italian style dishes mixed with local spices and fresh fish. Fresh bread is baked daily, and homemade cakes and biscuits are available at tea time. Breakfast is European and continental with a choice of eggs or cheese, fresh fruits fresh bread and cakes, jam, butter, juice, tea, coffee. Lunch and dinner are often an Italian style pasta, a rice dish, fish, chicken or meat, fresh salad and cooked vegetables, bread, tropical fruit, and freshly prepared dessert such as cheesecake or fruit tart. Drinking water, tea and coffee are available all day long.

Day 8
Wake up to the smell of the last cooked breakfast of the tour in the morning. Say your farewells and take your last group pictures before heading to Male airport at 7 am.

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Maldives Central Atolls (9 Days / 8 Nights - 20 Dives)

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

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

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

Day 1
A representative of the Princess Dhonkamana will meet you at Male International Airport and take you to the dhoni that will take you on board this super 31m motor yacht. Lunch and dinner will be served during the day. You will be able to get to know the crew and the boat better during the introductory briefing that the tour leader will give once all the guests are on board. You are about to have a great week of diving, fun, and adventure!

Days 2-8
The ‘Classic’ route includes a beautiful mix of Maldives highlights - sharks, rays, Napoleon wrasse, mantas, corals, whale sharks, deserted islands, sand banks, fishermen islands, a Male visit … you will love it. South Male features large schools of fish, big pelagics, plenty of soft corals and caves, as well as one very good wreck. Miyaru Faru is aptly named since ‘miyaru’ means shark in Dhivehi and not surprisingly this is where you can encounter the ‘big boys’. An overhang protects you from the current and provides an excellent viewing spot for the impressive parade of pelagics and patrolling grey reef sharks, or even the occasional hammerhead. The channel at Felidhoo Atoll is also a great place to find reef sharks and has a spectacular wall showcasing caverns, swim-throughs and overhangs festooned with colourful soft corals and bushes of black corals. There is also a spectacular night dive with dozens of huge nurse sharks, sting rays and giant trevallies. Ari Atoll is famous for its mighty whale sharks which can be regularly seen in its marine protected areas. Hammerhead sharks, manta rays and other pelagic fish are also commonly encountered here. Highlights here include tuna, jacks, reef sharks, mantas and eagle rays.
A day on board the yacht runs like this - wake up at 6.30 am, tea, coffee, light breakfast, and the first dive at 7 am. Return to the boat at 8.30 am for a full breakfast. After breakfast there is some time to relax or snorkeling, and a beach or shore excursion, and then around 11 am the second dive takes place. Lunch or an island picnic is served at 1 pm, followed by a third dive at 3:30 pm. Tea time with home-made biscuits and cakes is at 5:30 pm. You can partake in sunset fishing around 6:30 pm, and happy hour starts at 7:30 pm. Dinner is served at 8:30 pm. There is one night dive per cruise.
Meals are served at the table in the upper deck open air if weather permits, otherwise in the air-con dining room. The 2 chefs will prepare unique Italian style dishes mixed with local spices and fresh fish. Fresh bread is baked daily, and homemade cakes and biscuits are available at tea time. Breakfast is European and continental with a choice of eggs or cheese, fresh fruits fresh bread and cakes, jam, butter, juice, tea, coffee. Lunch and dinner are often an Italian style pasta, a rice dish, fish, chicken or meat, fresh salad and cooked vegetables, bread, tropical fruit, and freshly prepared dessert such as cheesecake or fruit tart. Drinking water, tea and coffee are available all day long.

Day 9
Wake up to the smell of the last cooked breakfast of the tour in the morning. Say your farewells and take your last group pictures before heading to Male airport.

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Maldives Deep South & Southern Atolls (13 Days / 12 Nights - 32 Dives)

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

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

Dive sites and activities: South Male, Felidhoo, Meemu, Thaa, Laamu, Huvadhoo, Addu atolls, Fuvahmulah

Day 1
A representative of the Princess Dhonkamana will meet you at Male International Airport and take you to the dhoni that will take you on board this super 31m motor yacht. Lunch and dinner will be served during the day. You will be able to get to know the crew and the boat better during the introductory briefing that the tour leader will give once all the guests are on board. You are about to have a great week of diving, fun, and adventure!

Days 2-12
Cruises include 3 dives on most diving days among an impressive variety of marine life. You are about to dive the Southern and Deep South Atolls, the most untouched and uninhabited part of the Maldives – the Deep South. Known as “The Galapagos of the Maldives,” you could meet up to 10 different species of sharks here. You will explore the best channel dives in Huvadhoo, with hammerhead sharks and big schools of reef sharks. Try one of the most incredible drift dives in the archipelago at Fuvahmulah. Surrounded by depths in the middle of the Indian Ocean, this island offers unique conditions to encounter species like tiger sharks, oceanic manta rays, threshers, grey reef sharks, mola mola, silkies, and other big fish. Felidhoo Atoll will challenge you with its deep channels and strong currents that attract different types of sharks, schools of trevallies and tuna in search of small prey, and an amazing nurse shark dive. Meemu Atoll is where you will have the best chance to see whale sharks feeding on plankton, while Thaa Atoll is all about drift dives in the company of whitetip reef sharks and eagle rays. The abundance of marine life, almost untouched by humans, will leave you speechless.
A day on board the yacht runs like this - wake up at 6.30 am, tea, coffee, light breakfast, and the first dive at 7 am. Return to the boat at 8.30 am for a full breakfast. After breakfast there is some time to relax or snorkeling, and a beach or shore excursion, and then around 11 am the second dive takes place. Lunch or an island picnic is served at 1 pm, followed by a third dive at 3:30 pm. Tea time with home-made biscuits and cakes is at 5:30 pm. You can partake in sunset fishing around 6:30 pm, and happy hour starts at 7:30 pm. Dinner is served at 8:30 pm. There is one night dive per cruise.
Meals are served at the table in the upper deck open air if weather permits, otherwise in the air-con dining room. The 2 chefs will prepare unique Italian style dishes mixed with local spices and fresh fish. Fresh bread is baked daily, and homemade cakes and biscuits are available at tea time. Breakfast is European and continental with a choice of eggs or cheese, fresh fruits fresh bread and cakes, jam, butter, juice, tea, coffee. Lunch and dinner are often an Italian style pasta, a rice dish, fish, chicken or meat, fresh salad and cooked vegetables, bread, tropical fruit, and freshly prepared dessert such as cheesecake or fruit tart. Drinking water, tea and coffee are available all day long.

Day 13
Wake up to the smell of the last cooked breakfast of the tour in the morning. Say your farewells and take your last group pictures before heading back to Gan Airport and your flight back to Male.
Note: this safari sometimes runs in reverse. Please check the exact port details above.

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[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].

There are 9 spacious cabins on Princess Dhonkamana. There are 3 double bed cabins on the upper deck, and 6 cabins on the lower deck - 2 with double beds ,2 with twin beds, and 2 with double and single beds. The upper deck cabins have seaview windows. All the cabins are en-suite (have private bathrooms).

All the cabins have: No. of bathrooms / showers - 10 / 13 - hot water