Emperor Explorer

MV Emperor Explorer is a large 42m wooden hull motor yacht, newly constructed in 2019 and operating high quality liveaboard diving expeditions around the Maldives. The yacht can comfortably accommodate up to 26 divers onboard. Emperor liveaboard cruises have all-inclusive prices. You will find 'no hidden extras' such as fuel surcharges, local/green taxes, port and park fees, boat transfers.

There is a range of cabins featuring private bathrooms and TV set on the lower, middle and upper decks. The middle and upper deck cabins are higher priced and enjoy sea view windows. Relax between dives, either in the air-conditioned saloon, restaurant/bar area, or on the large sun deck which features sun beds and bean bags. The saloon has comfortable sofas where you can make use of the TV and DVD entertainment system. There is also a library of DVDs, books and games. The upper deck of the Emperor Explorer features a spa massage room where guests can be pampered with a range of massage therapies, such as foot, hot stone, deep tissue, back & shoulders.

Diving is conducted from a large 24m dhoni tender that is equipped with towels, toilet, dive deck, oxygen kits, compressors and tanks. This means that noise from tank-filling is minimised on board the mothership. Nitrox is provided free of charge. Underwater photographers can make use of the dedicated charging stations, air gun, rinse tanks and camera table. If you are a diver looking for the latest yacht to explore the Maldives, then Emperor Explorer could be your best option.

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Dive experience: Recommended: Maldives Central Atolls, Maldives Northern Atolls & North Male, and Ari Atoll trips: divers should be certified as advanced.
Maldives Southern Atolls: advanced with 100 logged dives. Far South Atolls: advanced certification with a recommended 100 logged dives.
Maldives Central & Southern Atoll trips: divers should be advanced with 30 logged dives.
Divers with less experience will be able to join expeditions expeditions but may have to miss some dives if dive certifications and/or experience is not sufficient for the scheduled 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, dives, experienced English speaking divemasters (4 guides per cruise), tanks, weights and weight belts, nitrox fills for enriched air certified divers, Green tax, GST on cruise price.

Cruise price per person excludes (mandatory, unless customer provides own): Scuba equipment (full set, including surface marker device and dive computer US$ 336 per week, must be pre-booked), dive insurance. 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 tanks (US$ 101 per week), torch (US$ 101 per week), non-scheduled airport transfers. 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 MV Emperor Explorer liveaboard expeditions normally depart from the harbour next to Male International Airport. The first and final night of the cruise are spent in the harbour so your flight can arrive in Male at any time on the first day. There are 2 scheduled transfer times from the airport to the boat on embarkation day: 12 noon and 16:00 hrs. The meeting point is beside the help desk, or outside the arrivals hall at Addu City (Gan) International Airport, where you will find a representative wearing an Emperor Maldives T-shirt and holding an Emperor Maldives sign.
For more details, including airlines, see our How to get to the Maldives section. The last dive of the trip will be at around 13:00 hrs on the penultimate day of the safari. Disembarkation from the boat is at 08:00 hrs. Please wait at least 18 hours before flying after diving.

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

Single supplement (if you do not want to share accommodation): This is optional - single travelers may choose to share a cabin or pay a supplement of 50% of the published price. If there is no other same sex guest for you to share with, you will receive a cabin to yourself with no single supplement.

Dive clubs and group discounts: Pay for 5 guests and 1 extra person can join in a Standard cabin free of charge. January-April only: pay 7 + 1 free.

Whole boat charter rate (per night): Pay for 22 guests and 4 additional persons can join the expedition in Standard cabins free of charge. January-April: 7 pay 23 + 3 free.

Maldives Central Atolls (8 Days / 7 Nights - 22 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: North Male, Rasdhoo, Ari atolls, Felidhoo, South Male

Day 1
When you arrive at Male International Airport you will met by a representative of the Emperor Explorer and taken onboard the liveaboard which is moored nearby. Enjoy a light sandwich-style snack that is provided for lunch while listening to the tour leader's boat introduction that will help familiarise you with its features and the crew who will do their best to make sure you have a wonderful time during the cruise. The afternoon is yours: you can unpack your luggage in your cabin, or simply relax om the sun deck and start working on your tan. A bell will announce dinner. Get a good night sleep as tomorrow you will start diving in some of the best and well known dive sites in the Maldives. The first night of the cruise is spent in the harbour.

Days 2-7
A simple dive plan (2 morning dives, an afternoon dive and a sunset/night dive) is all you need to discover the beauty of the central atolls. The first dives will be done in North Male, then the tour will head South: Rasdhoo, North Ari and South Ari atolls. Felidhoo and South Male atolls will be visited towards the end of the week. A good marine mix of big fish such as sharks and mantas, but also plenty of reef fish, morays and colourful corals. A few highlights you don't want to miss: a dive at Maaya Thila which is home to several sharks and manta rays, a night dive with nurse sharks, and snorkelling with whale sharks! A lot of emotions and also a lot of calories burnt.
5 meals a day, including a light, pre-dive breakfast and an afternoon snack, will help you refuel through the day. Main meals are served buffet-style in the air-conditioned saloon. The chef is inspired mainly by western cuisine but keeps the international and local dishes varied using beef, chicken, fresh fish and a lot of fresh vegetables. Don't feel guilty when asking for a second portion of his homemade desserts. You also have the chance to set foot on land during the week for a tasty barbeque night of meat and seafood on a deserted island.
Please note that there will only be 2 dives on the last full day of the trip as the boat 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 around 08:00 hrs on the last day of the cruise, depending on flight times. Guests will be taken back to Male Airport after an early light breakfast.

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Maldives Deep South Atolls (8 Days / 7 Nights - 22 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: Laamu Atoll, Huvadhoo Atoll, Fuvahmulah Island, Addu Atoll, HMS British Loyalty

Day 1
When you arrive at Gan Airport at Addu Atoll you will met by a representative of the Emperor Explorer and taken onboard the liveaboard which is moored nearby. Enjoy a light sandwich-style snack that is provided for lunch while listening to the tour leader's boat introduction that will help familiarise you with its features and the crew who will do their best to make sure you have a wonderful time during the cruise. The afternoon is yours: you can unpack your luggage in your cabin, or simply relax om the sun deck and start working on your tan. A bell will announce dinner. Get a good night sleep as tomorrow you will start diving in some of the best and well known dive sites in the Maldives. The first night of the cruise is spent in the harbour.

Days 2-7
A simple dive plan (2 morning dives, an afternoon dive and a sunset/night dive) is all you need to discover the wild excitement of this adventure in to the far south of the Maldives. Spend a week away from the madding crowds on the lookout for the Indian Ocean's larger residents. In Fuvahmulah you can expect to meet tiger sharks, silvertip sharks, oceanic mantas and thresher sharks. At Huvadhoo, one of the deepest lagoons in the Maldives, the currents are ideal for even more shark sightings. Whale sharks at night, abundant grey reef sharks, oceanic blacktip sharks, fast and exciting channel dives - don't take your eyes off the blue; silky sharks, great hammerhead sharks, mola-mola and bull sharks are seen from time to time. A lot of emotion and also a lot of calories burnt.
5 meals a day, including a light, pre-dive breakfast and an afternoon snack, will help you refuel through the day. Main meals are served buffet-style in the air-conditioned saloon. The chef is inspired mainly by western cuisine but keeps the international and local dishes varied using beef, chicken, fresh fish and a lot of fresh vegetables. Don't feel guilty when asking for a second portion of his homemade desserts. You also have the chance to set foot on land during the week for a tasty barbeque night of meat and seafood on a deserted island.
Please note that there will only be 2 dives on the last full day of the trip as the boat 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 at 08:00 hrs on the last day of the cruise. Guests will be taken to Koodoo Airport on Laamu Atoll after an early light breakfast.
Note: these trips sometimes run in reverse so please check ports of departure and return.

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Maldives Central & Northern Atolls (11 Days / 10 Nights - 34 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: North Male, Lhaviyani Atoll: Fushivaru Thila, Kuredu Express, and Kuredu Caves, Baa Atoll: Hanifaru Bay and Nelivaru Thila, Dhiggu Thila, Rasdhoo Atoll, North Ari Atoll

Day 1
When you arrive at Male International Airport you will met by a representative of the Emperor Explorer and taken onboard the liveaboard which is moored nearby. Enjoy a light sandwich-style snack that is provided for lunch while listening to the tour leader's boat introduction that will help familiarise you with its features and the crew who will do their best to make sure you have a wonderful time during the cruise. The afternoon is yours: you can unpack your luggage in your cabin, or simply relax om the sun deck and start working on your tan. A bell will announce dinner. Get a good night sleep as tomorrow you will start diving in some of the best dive sites in the Maldives. The first night of the cruise is spent in the harbour.

Days 2-10
A simple dive plan (2 morning dives, an afternoon dive and a sunset/night dive) is all you need to discover the best of the central and northern atolls. Some of the best channels for diving with Maldives’ reef sharks can be found in North Male. Often the best chances for whale shark and manta encounters can be found in Ari Atoll, such as at one of the best-known dive sites, Maaya Thila. For hammerheads, it's a visit to Rasdhoo Atoll in North Ari. Although diving is not permitted in the UNESCO World Heritage site of Hanifaru Bay, you are allowed to snorkel with the gentle manta giants in the lagoon. After its feed, a manta needs to get cleaned, so will then visit cleaning stations in both North Male and Baa Atoll. The chances are high that you will see them all week long.
5 meals a day, including a light, pre-dive breakfast and an afternoon snack, will help you refuel through the day. Main meals are served buffet-style in the air-conditioned saloon. The chef is inspired mainly by western cuisine but keeps the international and local dishes varied using beef, chicken, fresh fish and a lot of fresh vegetables. Don't feel guilty when asking for a second portion of his homemade desserts. You also have the chance to set foot on land during the week for a tasty barbeque night of meat and seafood on a deserted island.
Please note that there will only be 2 dives on the last full day of the trip as the boat heads back to harbour. In the afternoon the crew will rinse your dive gear and hang it out to dry.

Day 11
Check out is on the last day of the cruise, depending on flight times. Guests will be taken back to Male Airport after an early light breakfast.

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Maldives Central & Southern Atolls (8 Days / 7 Nights - 22 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: South Ari Atoll, South Male Atoll, Felidhoo Atoll, Meemu Atoll

Day 1
When you arrive at Male International Airport you will met by a representative of the Emperor Explorer and taken onboard the liveaboard which is moored nearby. Enjoy a light sandwich-style snack that is provided for lunch while listening to the tour leader's boat introduction that will help familiarise you with its features and the crew who will do their best to make sure you have a wonderful time during the cruise. The afternoon is yours: you can unpack your luggage in your cabin, or simply relax om the sun deck and start working on your tan. A bell will announce dinner. Get a good night sleep as tomorrow you will start diving in some of the best and well known dive sites in the Maldives. The first night of the cruise is spent in the harbour.

Days 2-7
The currents running through the Indian Ocean bring a variety of hungry pelagics to the Maldives nd they can be seen by scuba divers even from distance, thanks to a visibility often of 40m.The channels, called kandus by locals, host a great number of grey reef sharks, dog tooth tuna, eagle rays, and quite often surprises await in the blue for patient divers and guides that know what to look for.
The walls in Felidhoo and Meemu atolls feature majestic yellow soft coral and countless species of reef fish. Here you will have a chance of night diving with nurse sharks. 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. A great vacation!
5 meals a day, including a light, pre-dive breakfast and an afternoon snack, will help you refuel through the day. Main meals are served buffet-style in the air-conditioned saloon. The chef is inspired mainly by western cuisine but keeps the international and local dishes varied using beef, chicken, fresh fish and a lot of fresh vegetables. Don't feel guilty when asking for a second portion of his homemade desserts. You also have the chance to set foot on land during the week for a tasty barbeque night of meat and seafood on a deserted island.
Please note that there will only be 2 dives on the last full day of the trip as the boat 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 around 08:00 hrs on the last day of the cruise, depending on flight times. Guests will be taken back to Male Airport after an early light breakfast.

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Maldives Deep South & Southern Atolls (15 Days / 14 Nights - 50 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: Laamu Atoll, Huvadhoo Atoll, Fuvahmulah Island, Addu Atoll, HMS British Loyalty

Day 1
When you arrive at Gan Airport at Addu Atoll you will met by a representative of the Emperor Explorer and taken onboard the liveaboard which is moored nearby. Enjoy a light sandwich-style snack that is provided for lunch while listening to the tour leader's boat introduction that will help familiarise you with its features and the crew who will do their best to make sure you have a wonderful time during the cruise. The afternoon is yours: you can unpack your luggage in your cabin, or simply relax om the sun deck and start working on your tan. A bell will announce dinner. Get a good night sleep as tomorrow you will start diving in some of the best and well known dive sites in the Maldives. The first night of the cruise is spent in the harbour.

Days 2-14
A simple dive plan (2 morning dives, an afternoon dive and a sunset/night dive) is all you need to discover the wild excitement of this adventure in to the far south of the Maldives. Spend a week away from the madding crowds on the lookout for the Indian Ocean's larger residents. In Fuvahmulah you can expect to meet tiger sharks, silvertip sharks, oceanic mantas and thresher sharks. At Huvadhoo, one of the deepest lagoons in the Maldives, the currents are ideal for even more shark sightings. Whale sharks at night, abundant grey reef sharks, oceanic blacktip sharks, fast and exciting channel dives - don't take your eyes off the blue; silky sharks, great hammerhead sharks, mola-mola and bull sharks are seen from time to time. A lot of emotion and also a lot of calories burnt.
5 meals a day, including a light, pre-dive breakfast and an afternoon snack, will help you refuel through the day. Main meals are served buffet-style in the air-conditioned saloon. The chef is inspired mainly by western cuisine but keeps the international and local dishes varied using beef, chicken, fresh fish and a lot of fresh vegetables. Don't feel guilty when asking for a second portion of his homemade desserts. You also have the chance to set foot on land during the week for a tasty barbeque night of meat and seafood on a deserted island.
Please note that there will only be 2 dives on the last full day of the trip as the boat heads back to harbour. In the afternoon the crew will rinse your dive gear and hang it out to dry.

Day 15
Check out is at 08:00 hrs on the last day of the cruise. Guests will be taken to Kadhdhoo Airport on Laamu Atoll after an early light breakfast.
Note: these trips sometimes run in reverse so please check ports of departure and return.

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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].

The Emperor Explorer has 13 guest cabins. There are 7 Standard cabins on the lower deck – 5 with double/single beds and 2 with double beds. The main deck has 2 double/single bed suites. And there are 4 upper deck cabins - 2 with king-size double bed suites and 2 with twin bed cabins. All the cabins have en-suite bathrooms.

All the cabins have: No. of bathrooms / showers - 15 / 13