MV Emperor Serenity is a 40m wooden hulled motor yacht, built in 2016 and operating high quality liveaboard diving cruises around the Maldives. Up to 26 divers can be comfortably accommodated on board.
There is a range of en-suite cabins on the lower, middle and upper decks, each having a TV and DVD player, with the higher priced cabins enjoying sea views. You can choose to relax either in the air-conditioned saloon, dining/bar area, or on the large sun deck which features sun beds and bean bags. The saloon has comfy sofas to use the an entertainment system of TV and DVD. There is also a range of books and games to keep you entertained between dives. The upper deck also has a super spa where guests are pampered with a range of massage therapies.
Diving is conducted from a large 24m dhoni tender that is equipped with towels, toilet, oxygen kits, compressors and tanks. This means no noisy tank filling on board the Serenity. Nitrox is provided free of charge. Underwater photographers can make use of the charging stations, air gun, rinse tanks and camera table. While there are many liveaboards operating dive cruises in the Maldives, few promise such a smooth experience as the Emperor Serenity.
There are 'no hidden extras' with Emperor Serenity liveaboard trips. They have a policy of transparent pricing which includes, along with the free nitrox, extras such as fuel surcharges, green tax, marine park/environment fees, GST, boat transfers.
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
Right after boarding Emperor Serenity in Male, you can enjoy a light, sandwich-style snack for lunch, while listening to the tour leader's introduction to the boat. They'll help you get familiar with its features and the crew, who will do their best to ensure you have a wonderful time on this liveaboard cruise. The afternoon is yours: you can unpack your luggage in your cabin, or simply relax on the sun deck and start working on your tan. A bell will announce dinner. Get a good night's sleep, as tomorrow you'll begin diving in some of the most famous and well-known dive sites in the Maldives. The first night of the cruise is spent in the harbour.
Core Days
This diving trip follows a simple plan (2 morning dives and 1 afternoon or a 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 to Rasdhoo, North Ari and South Ari atolls. Felidhoo and South Male atolls will be visited towards the end of the week. Expect a good mix of large marine life such as sharks and mantas, as well as plenty of reef fish, morays and colourful corals.
Diving in North Male Atoll offers a diverse range of experiences, including reefs, current-swept channels, caves, and drop-offs. The marine life is abundant, with a good mix of both large pelagic species and colourful reef fish.
Rasdhoo atoll is a particularly famous spot for divers seeking encounters with sharks. The highlight for many is the chance of a dawn dive at Hammerhead Point, where divers drop into the blue in the early morning in the hopes of seeing schooling hammerhead sharks. While these sightings are never guaranteed, the thrill of the chase is part of the experience.
A few highlights you don't want to miss at Ari atoll: a dive at Maaya Thila which is home to several sharks and manta rays, and snorkelling with whale sharks!
Felidhoo Atoll, also known as Vaavu, is a secluded and less-developed gem of the Maldives, particularly celebrated for its dramatic channel dives and abundant shark populations. Located to the east of the main tourist atolls, it offers a more intimate and adventurous diving experience. The atoll is famous for a night dive with nurse sharks, and its 'kandus', or channels, which serve as highways for marine life travelling between the open ocean and the calm of the atoll's interior. These channels are subject to strong currents, making them an exhilarating and rewarding experience for divers seeking thrilling encounters with large pelagics.
On the final full day of the liveaboard trip, there will be only 2 dives as the Emperor Serenity makes its way back to the harbour. In the afternoon, the crew will rinse and hang your dive gear to dry.
Day 8
Check out in Male in the morning, depending on flight times. Guests will be taken back to the airport after an early light breakfast.
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: Laamu Atoll, Huvadhoo Atoll, Fuvahmulah Island, Addu Atoll, HMS British Loyalty
Day 1
Your cruise on the Emperor Serenity liveaboard begins at Gan in Laamu Atoll. After a light lunch and a brief introduction to the boat and crew, you're free to relax or unpack in your cabin. A bell will announce dinner, and you'll spend your first night moored in the harbour, ready to start diving in the Maldives' best sites tomorrow.
Core Days
With a simple plan of 2 morning dives and 1 afternoon or night dive, you can experience the deep south of the Maldives. This week-long adventure takes you away from the crowds in search of large marine life. Fuvahmulah is known for tiger, silvertip, oceanic manta, and thresher sharks. The deep lagoon at Huvadhoo offers strong currents, ideal for spotting even more sharks, including abundant grey reef and oceanic blacktips. Look out for whale sharks at night and fast-paced channel dives. From time to time, you might even spot silky, great hammerhead, mola-mola, and bull sharks.
For divers and snorkellers, Laamu Atoll is a paradise with an abundance of marine life. Its natural barriers of hard coral reefs and gardens are home to vibrant ecosystems. Dive sites like Fushi Kandu, a protected marine area, are known for their strong currents that attract large pelagic species such as grey reef sharks, eagle rays, and even manta rays and whale sharks. The atoll is also a great place for turtle encounters.
Diving at Fuvahmulah is a great experience, primarily because of the incredible encounters with large pelagic species. The island's unique location in the deep Indian Ocean creates a special ecosystem that attracts a wide variety of marine life. It is most famous for its year-round, guaranteed sightings of a resident tiger shark population at a specific site called 'Tiger Zoo', offering divers a safe and close encounter. Fuvahmulah is also one of the few places in the world where you can reliably see thresher sharks as they come to shallower waters to visit cleaning stations.
Diving in Addu Atoll is a major draw too as the atoll is known for its healthy reefs. Divers can explore a variety of sites, including the famous HMS British Loyalty Wreck, a sunken World War II oil tanker that is now a magnificent artificial reef teeming with marine life. The atoll is also a great place to see manta rays, turtles, and a variety of fish.
Please note that there will only be 2 dives on the last full day of the trip as the liveaboard heads back to harbour. In the afternoon the Emperor Serenity crew will rinse your dive gear and hang it out to dry.
Day 8
Check out is in the morning on the last day of the cruise. Guests will be taken to Kadhdhoo Airport on Huvadhoo Atoll after an early light breakfast.
Note: these trips sometimes run in reverse, so please check your trip details for ports of departure and return.
Maldives Deep South & Southern Atolls (15 Days / 14 Nights - 38 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: Laamu Atoll, Huvadhoo Atoll, Fuvahmulah Island, Addu Atoll, HMS British Loyalty
Day 1
Emperor Serenity is ready for you to board at Gan on Addu Atoll. After you've boarded, you can enjoy a light lunch while the tour leader gives you an introduction to the liveaboard, its features, and the crew. They'll do their best to make sure you have a wonderful time during the cruise. Dinner is served and the first night will be spent at port, so you can get a good night's sleep before you start diving some of the famous dive sites of the southern Maldives tomorrow.
Core Days
Escape the crowds and search for the Indian Ocean's larger marine life. In Fuvahmulah, you can expect to encounter tiger sharks, silvertip sharks, oceanic manta rays, and thresher sharks. At Huvadhoo, the currents are perfect for even more shark sightings. You'll find whale sharks at night, plenty of grey reef sharks and oceanic blacktip sharks, and experience fast and thrilling channel dives. Keep your eyes on the open water - silky sharks, great hammerhead sharks, mola-mola, and bull sharks are occasionally spotted.
Diving in Laamu Atoll offers a unique experience in the Maldives, as it's a less-crowded and a more pristine destination than the more popular central atolls. The atoll is known for its abundant and healthy marine ecosystems. You can expect to encounter a wide range of marine life, including manta rays, reef sharks (blacktip, whitetip, and grey), and eagle rays. Occasionally, divers might spot whale sharks and hammerhead sharks. Green and hawksbill sea turtles are also common sightings. The reefs are full of colourful fish, such as barracuda, napoleon wrasse, snappers, trevallies, and tuna. For macro enthusiasts, there are also opportunities to find smaller creatures like nudibranchs, frogfish, and shrimps.
Addu Atoll, also known as Seenu Atoll, is the southernmost atoll of the Maldives and is located just below the equator. It is particularly appealing because the corals here are known for their health and unique formations. Diving in Addu offers the chance to see a wide variety of marine life, including manta rays, reef sharks, turtles, and a number of large pelagic fish. The atoll is also internationally famous for its wreck dives, most notably the HMS British Loyalty, a World War II tanker that was torpedoed and later sunk in the lagoon.
Please note that on the final full day of the trip, there will only be 2 dives as the Emperor Serenity heads to the harbour. In the afternoon, the crew will rinse and hang your dive gear to dry.
Day 15
Check-out is on the morning of the last day of the cruise. After an early, light breakfast, guests will be transferred to Kadhdhoo Airport on Laamu Atoll.
Note: These liveaboard trips sometimes run in reverse, so please check the ports of departure and return on your specific dates.
Maldives Central & Northern Atolls (11 Days / 10 Nights - 22 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: 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
Welcome aboard the Emperor Serenity liveaboard in Male. For lunch, you'll be provided with a light, sandwich-style snack while listening to the tour leader's introduction to the boat. This will help you get familiar with its features and the crew, who will do their best to ensure you have a wonderful time on your cruise. The afternoon is yours to do as you please, until it's time for dinner. Be sure to get a good night's sleep, as you'll begin diving at some of the best sites in the Northern Atolls of the Maldives tomorrow. The first night of the cruise will be spent in the harbour.
Core Days
Baa Atoll is a globally significant location for marine life, with over 1,200 reef-associated marine species and 250 species of stony and soft corals. It is particularly famous for a unique phenomenon that occurs in Hanifaru Bay, a small, keyhole-shaped inlet within the atoll that has UNESCO World Heritage site status. During the southwest monsoon season, from roughly May to November, tidal currents push vast amounts of plankton into this bay. This creates a 'plankton soup' that attracts one of the world's largest congregations of manta rays and, on occasion, whale sharks. While diving is not permitted in the lagoon, you are allowed to snorkel with the manta giants. After they've fed, manta rays need to be cleaned and will visit cleaning stations in both North Male and Baa Atoll. There is a high chance you will see them all week long.
The best chances for whale shark and manta encounters are often in Ari Atoll, at well-known dive sites such as Maaya Thila. This site is a magnet for divers who want to see sharks. It's especially famous for its population of white-tip reef sharks, but you will also frequently encounter grey reef sharks. The sharks are often seen patrolling the deeper areas where the currents are strongest. The site also has a vast array of other marine life, including large schools of fish like barracuda, dog-toothed tuna, fusiliers, and blue-striped snappers. You can also expect to see reef fish such as Moorish idols, lionfish, butterflyfish, and clown triggerfish, as well as turtles, moray eels, octopus, and occasionally, stingrays and eagle rays.
For hammerheads, a visit to Rasdhoo Atoll in North Ari is highly recommended. For divers and snorkellers, North Male is exceptional. Its numerous coral reefs and channels are home to a diverse array of marine life. It is particularly famous for its channels, which attract a high concentration of reef sharks. The atoll is also a popular spot for seeing manta rays, especially at certain cleaning stations, and offers fantastic opportunities for exploring vibrant coral gardens and a variety of fish species.
Please note that on the final full day of the trip, there will only be 2 dives as the liveaboard heads back to the harbour. In the afternoon, the crew will rinse and hang your dive gear to dry.
Day 11
Check out from Emperor Serenity on the last day of the cruise; the exact time dependent on flight times. Guests will be taken back to Male Airport after an early light breakfast.
(8 Days / 7 Nights - 17 Dives)
Dive sites and activities: Baa Atoll, North Male and Lhaviyani atolls
Day 1
When you arrive at Male International Airport you will met by a representative of the Emperor Serenity 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.
Core Days
A simple dive plan (2 morning dives and one afternoon or a night dive) is all you need to discover the beauty of the Northern Atolls. 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: snorkelling at Hanifaru Bay where whale sharks and manta rays are known to congregate, a night dive with nurse sharks, and Lhaviyani Atoll's dive sites: Fushivaru Thila, Kuredu Express, and Kuredu Caves! 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 on the last day of the cruise, exact time dependent on 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].
On Emperor Serenity all meals are served in the air-conditioned dining room, beginning with dinner on the day of boarding. Dinner is served around 7 pm on days with 3 dives and around 8 pm on days with 4 dives, after the last dive of the day. The menu includes International, Italian, and local South Asian cuisines.
• Guests are provided with 3 main meals: breakfast, lunch, and dinner.
• Snacks, including complimentary bar snacks, biscuits, and fresh fruit, are also available throughout the day.
• A variety of beverages such as tea, coffee, soft drinks, and water are served all day.
Sample Menu:
• Breakfast includes a selection of cold cuts, yogurt, fresh fruit, muesli, and a variety of breads. Eggs are cooked to order, whether you prefer them poached, boiled, or fried.
• Lunch: Vegetable soup, mashed potatoes, and rice might be featured for lunch, served with proteins such as fish, meatballs, and chicken wings.
• Dinner: Onion soup, rice, pasta, vegetables, and 4 fresh salads are often included in dinner options, along with roast beef, plus a sweet dessert to finish.
If you have specific dietary needs, such as vegetarian, vegan, or halal, please let us know in advance so the kitchen can accommodate.
Vegan options might include vegan lasagna, vegan meatballs, tofu curry, vegetables, rice, pasta, and French fries.
Alcoholic beverages such as beer, bottled wine, and spirits, as well as chocolate bars and other treats, can be purchased for an extra charge.
Depending on the itinerary and weather conditions, there may be an opportunity to go ashore for a barbeque on a deserted island, featuring grilled meat and seafood.
