Built in 2010, the Duke of York is a 36 metre long liveaboard operating diving cruises throughout the Maldives archipelago. The yacht is European-managed by one of the most experienced operators in the country.
All Duke of York liveaboard routes are finalised according to the weather, the season, currents, and the prevailing ocean visibility, to maximise the chances of great underwater encounters at all the chosen dive sites. Dives are conducted from an accompanying 18m traditional Maldivian boat called a dhoni. The liveaboard is equipped with 3 compressors and a generator, a guest bathroom, emergency oxygen and safety equipment (radio, life jackets, fire extinguishers etc). As well as being the dedicated dive boat, the dhoni allows more space on the Duke of York for guest use. The boat is rebreather-friendly, and nitrox is free of charge for EANx-certified divers! Non-divers will have the opportunity of a free try dive during the safari! For additional guest safety, Nautilus Lifelines are available, as well as a defibrillator for emergencies.
The Duke of York liveaboard can accommodate up to 25 guests in 11 cabins, but normally there are no more than 20. Cabins feature stand-alone beds (no bunk beds), and each has its own private bathroom. One of the best features of Duke of York is that it has a single cabin - a rare find on Maldives liveaboard cruises!
There is an al-fresco, and an indoor dining area (used when it rains). Meals are served buffet style and the menu includes Italian, international and Maldivian cuisines, often using freshly caught fish, although the chefs are always willing to cook up something to satisfy any guest need. Once a week during an evening there is an island beach dinner. The indoor saloon also has a bar offering a wide choice of soft drinks and spirits, and a TV/DVD area furnished with comfortable sofas.
Duke of York has a spa room on the upper deck. The spa specialises in Ayurveda treatments, an ancient therapy that dates back over 6,000 years. Fresh oil and herb preparations are used to purify the body and relax the mind. A masseur is always at hand to meet your needs.
There are open-air social areas on 3 of the decks, furnished with sun loungers, bean bags, and deck chairs. The decks allow guests to enjoy the awesome scenery of the Maldives, both when sailing and while relaxing when the Duke of York liveaboard is moored during surface intervals and at night.
There are 11 cabins onboard the Duke of York. 3 on the upper deck - 2 with twin beds and 1 with double/twin bed. 8 on the lower deck - 3 are twin bed, 4 can be used as double, twin or triple share, and 1 cabin can be used for single occupancy. All cabins have private bathrooms.
All the cabins have:
- Individual control air-conditioning
- Private bathroom with hot water shower
- Hand basin, toiletries, towels and bathrobes
- Portholes (lower deck), windows (main and upper deck)
- Reading lights
- Cabinet and mirror
- Bedding
- Fire extinguishers and life jackets
- Luggage space
- UK-style mains outlet 220 volts - 24 hours per day
- Adapters available
No. of bathrooms / showers - 11 / 11 - hot water
Maldives Central & Northern Atolls (Express) (8 Days / 7 Nights - 17 Dives)
Trip highlights: whale 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: North Male, Gaafaru, Baa: Hanifaru Bay; Goidhoo, Rasdhoo, North Ari Atoll: Fesdhu Lagoon
Day 1
A short transfer from Malé International Airport brings you to the Duke of York, where the crew will show you to your cabin and conduct the essential welcome briefing. The vessel departs early afternoon, and the first order of business is a check dive at a nearby North Male site to shake off the travel fatigue, often at the famous Lankan Manta Point, a cleaning station known for close encounters with mantas. Lunch and dinner are served as you settle in, and by nightfall, the rhythm of the week ahead becomes clear.
Core Days
The Duke of York liveaboard moves north through a series of atolls: North Male, Gaafaru, Rasdhoo, Goidhoo, and North Ari, each delivering a different flavour of Maldivian diving. Expect exhilarating drift dives along channel walls where grey reef sharks, eagle rays, and tuna patrol the current. At Rasdhoo Madivaru, a spectacular spur of reef juts into the channel, attracting a rich mix of pelagics. Early risers may also be rewarded with schooling hammerhead sharks rising from the deep along the outer reef, a memorable start to any day. North Ari offers the chance to dive at night in Fesdhu Lagoon, one of the few places in the world where mantas gather to feed after dark, drawn by the plankton-rich water.
The cruise culminates in Baa Atoll, a UNESCO Biosphere Reserve and the crown jewel of the trip. Here, the Duke of York positions itself to make the most of the seasonal plankton blooms that attract mantas and whale sharks to Hanifaru Bay, a natural spectacle that ranks among the most extraordinary in the Maldives. While scuba diving is not permitted inside the bay itself, the schedule includes guided snorkelling sessions here, often coinciding with mass feeding events. The nearby thilas, Dharavandhoo, Milaidhoo, and Kottefaru, offer outstanding diving in their own right, with colourful soft corals, cleaning stations frequented by mantas, and walls that drop into the blue, patrolled by grey reef sharks.
Day 8
An early breakfast is followed by a final group photograph and farewells to the Duke of York crew. Disembarkation is followed by the transfer to Malé Airport.
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: Route depends on sea conditions. 3 options:
North Male, South Male, Ari, Rasdhoo, Felidhoo atolls; or
North Male, South Male, Ari, Rasdhoo, Felidhoo, Meemu atolls; or
North Male, South Male, Felidhoo, Meemu atolls.
Day 1
A short transfer from Malé International Airport takes you to the Duke of York, where the crew assigns cabins and conducts the essential welcome briefing. The vessel departs early afternoon, and the first order of business is a check dive to shake off the travel fatigue. Lunch and dinner are served as you settle in, and by nightfall, the rhythm of the week ahead becomes clear.
Core Days
A week aboard the Duke of York liveaboard offers precisely what seasoned divers seek: unfiltered access to the Maldives' most celebrated underwater terrain. This 36-metre vessel, accompanied by a dedicated dive dhoni, operates as a comfortable base for exploring the central atolls, where the diving changes character with each channel crossed and each thila descended. The coming days unfold across a network of atolls that represent the Maldives at its best: North Malé, South Malé, Ari, Rasdhoo, Felidhoo (Vaavu), Vattaru and Meemu. The precise route depends on sea conditions and seasonal currents, but the quality of diving remains consistently high.
In Ari Atoll, the famous cleaning stations at Maaya Thila and Moofushi Kandu offer encounters with manta rays gliding in for their regular upkeep . Nearby, Fish Head presents a different spectacle: a submerged pinnacle where grey reef sharks gather in numbers, patrolling the current-swept edges. The night dive at Fesdhu Lagoon is a highlight for many, with manta rays feeding on the plankton attracted by the boat's lights. It is one of only 3 places in the world where you can witness this behaviour after dark. For those seeking whale sharks, the southern tip of Ari Atoll provides year-round opportunities. The wreck of the Fesdhu, a 30-metre fishing boat resting on the sandy bottom, has become a haven for soft corals, moray eels and large groupers.
Crossing to Vaavu Atoll, the diving with the Duke of York takes on a more dramatic character. The channels at Fotteyo Kandu and Miyaru Kandu offer exhilarating drift dives, with grey reef sharks, eagle rays and schools of jacks moving through the current. The night dive at Alimatha is a spectacle of another kind: dozens of nurse sharks and stingrays gather in the shallows, drawn by the torchlight. It is controlled, safe and thoroughly memorable.
South Malé Atoll contributes Kandhooma Thila, a site ranked among the top ten in the world for shark diving. White tips, grey reef sharks and green turtles are regularly sighted here, while the wreck of the Gulhi offers a more peaceful alternative for those who prefer macro subjects. The Gulhi has become encrusted with corals and attracts scorpionfish, frogfish and the usual array of reef inhabitants. Rasdhoo Atoll, lying to the northeast, holds its own reputation. Early morning dives at Rasdhoo Madivaru occasionally yield hammerhead sharks cruising the drop-offs before dispersing.
Day 8
An early breakfast precedes a final group photograph and farewells to the Duke of York crew. Disembarkation is followed by the transfer to Malé airport, the week's memories lingering as the Maldives recedes below the wing.
Maldives Deep South Atolls (8 Days / 7 Nights - 17 Dives)
Trip highlights: whale sharks, shark action, manta rays, schooling fish & big pelagics
Diving environment: advanced divers, beginner divers, drift diving, healthy reefs, off the beaten track, wall diving
Dive sites and activities: from Huvadhoo Atoll, Fuvahmulah, Addu Atoll
Day 1
Your representative will meet you at Kaadedhdhoo Airport in Huvadhoo Atoll and escort you to the dhoni for the short transfer to the Duke of York. The 36-metre motor yacht departs by mid-afternoon, allowing time for a check dive to settle into the routine. Following an introductory briefing from the tour leader, you will join the crew for dinner, the first of many meals prepared on board.
Core Days
The deep south is a different Maldives: more remote, less visited, and defined by the open ocean that surrounds them. The Duke of York liveaboard is purpose-built for these waters, and the flexible itinerary reflects the freedom to follow the conditions and the animals. From Huvadhoo, the second largest atoll in the world, the diving begins in earnest. Channels such as Vilingili Kandu and Maarehaa Kandu are the main stage, where tidal currents sweep through wide passages and draw in pelagic life. Grey reef sharks patrol the channel edges, often joined by eagle rays and barracuda, while green turtles shelter on the internal reefs. The drift diving here is consistent and rewarding, each descent into the current offering a chance to settle on the step and watch the blue for passing silhouettes.
From Huvadhoo, the route may push south to Fuvahmulah, a single-island atoll that sits astride the equator. The diving here is of a different order. The site known as Tiger Zoo is a shallow plateau just outside the harbour, and it is one of the few places in the world where encounters with tiger sharks are reliable. You descend, take a position on the sand, and wait. The sharks appear from the blue, their size and presence commanding your full attention. They move with a deliberate, unhurried grace, passing close enough to see the pattern of their stripes. The Duke of York's guides manage these encounters with experience and restraint, ensuring the interaction remains safe and respectful. Beyond the tigers, Fuvahmulah also offers opportunities to encounter thresher sharks, hammerheads, and the occasional mola mola, a reminder that these waters are part of a much larger oceanic ecosystem.
The expedition often concludes in Addu Atoll, the southernmost point of the Maldives. Here, the scuba diving is shaped by the atoll's unique geography. Maa Corner is a cleaning station for manta rays, a site where these graceful animals queue patiently for the attention of cleaner wrasse. The dive is a study in patience: you settle near the coral block at 18 to 25 metres, and the mantas arrive, their movements slow and deliberate. Beyond the mantas, the British Loyalty wreck lies on its port side at 33 metres, a 134-metre length of history now colonised by soft corals, gorgonians, and resident turtles. It is a dive that combines marine life with a sense of place, a fitting end to a route that has taken you to the very edge of the archipelago.
Day 8
After an early breakfast on the final morning, the Duke of York returns to Kaadedhdhoo. The crew will handle the luggage and transfers, allowing time for farewells and final photographs before you check in for your onward flight.
[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].
On the Duke of York liveaboard, the daily rhythm is set to the pace of the ocean, designed to balance underwater adventure with comfort and a welcoming atmosphere. The schedule is built around the diving, beginning gently with coffee available from 6 am for early risers, a quiet moment to watch the day break before the first dive around 7:30 am. Back on board, a hearty buffet breakfast awaits, a chance to refuel and discuss morning encounters before a second dive around 10:30 am to explore a different site.
Lunch is served around 1 pm on the main deck, enjoyed in the open air or the air-conditioned saloon depending on the weather, followed by the afternoon dive at 3 pm. As evening arrives, there is time to unwind with a drink from the bar or watch the sunset before dinner at 7:30 pm, the main meal of the day and a social affair for sharing dive stories.
The Duke of York team takes real pride in the quality of the food, prepared fresh in the compact galley with a style that is predominantly Italian-inspired, complemented by Maldivian and international dishes. Fresh fish is the undoubted speciality, caught locally and simply grilled, baked with herbs, or prepared in a rich curry, always accompanied by a generous selection of vegetables, salads, and pastas. Between meals, the crew puts out snacks such as fresh fruit and biscuits to keep energy levels up, a thoughtful touch that makes the experience feel all the more relaxed.
Once during the week, the liveaboard crew sets up a beach barbecue on a deserted island, a wonderful evening with the grill fired over a coconut husk fire and the smell of sizzling fish and meats in the tropical air. From the early morning coffee to that final BBQ, daily life aboard the Duke of York is about creating a comfortable, sociable home-from-home, perfectly positioned to explore the underwater world of the Maldives.
