The Emperor Voyager liveaboard is 30-metre vessel combines practical comfort with the kind of diving infrastructure that makes for a hassle-free week of scuba diving in the waters of the Maldives. Based in the central atolls, it offers access to the famed channels, thilas, and kandus that define this corner of the Indian Ocean, from North Male’s iconic reefs down through the deeper waters of South Ari Atoll.
The main deck of Emperor Voyager houses an open-air lounge and bar, while the upper deck offers a more sheltered indoor saloon - a useful spot for reviewing the day’s images or simply reading in air-conditioned comfort. Meals are served al fresco on the same deck, and above, the sundeck is fitted with sun loungers and even a hammock for those aiming to nap between encounters with mantas or whale sharks. For those needing to stay connected, wi-fi data packages are available for purchase, though the real focus remains on the world passing by just below the waterline.
All diving with Emperor Voyager is conducted from a dedicated 20-metre dhoni, which tows behind the main liveaboard vessel and acts as a mobile dive base. This setup keeps the main boat free of compressor noise and wet gear. The dhoni carries the full kit of tanks (standard 11.1-litre aluminium, with 13.2-litre available on request), weights, and fills, including free nitrox for those who qualify. There are rinse tanks and a dedicated camera table with an air gun-small details that matter to underwater photographers. Safety protocols are taken seriously, with the compulsory use of dive computers and surface marker buoys, backed by comprehensive first aid and oxygen on both vessels.
With accommodation for 20 guests across 3 decks, the liveaboard offers a range of cabin configurations: from lower-deck twins with portholes to upper-deck rooms that can be set up as doubles. All cabins are en-suite with individually controlled air conditioning. A practical highlight for solo travellers is the single-share guarantee: if they cannot pair you with a roommate of the same sex, you get the cabin without a single supplement. Emperor Voyager safaris also have all-inclusive prices. You will not find 'hidden extras' such as fuel surcharges, sales/green taxes, port and park fees, boat transfers!
Emperor Divers built their name running professional operations in the Red Sea, and they have transferred that ethos to the Maldives with a focus on consistency and hospitality. With 3 dive guides on each trip, groups are kept manageable, allowing for briefings that respect both safety and the specific conditions of each site. The result is a liveaboard that feels organised without being rigid, where the focus remains firmly on the diving. For certified divers seeking a reliable, well-managed safari through the central atolls, the MV Emperor Voyager liveaboard provides a trusted and comfortable home.
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
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.
Final Day
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, turtles, 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].
Mornings start early on the Emperor Voyager liveaboard, with coffee and light bites laid out before the first dive. A full breakfast follows the return - eggs cooked to order, fresh fruit, toast, and the kind of spread that sets you up for the morning. The second dive comes mid-morning, then lunch around midday. Afternoons hold a third dive, and dinner lands at 7 pm most evenings, once the gear is rinsed and the day's diving done.
Between dives, there's time to stretch out on the sun deck, thumb through a book from the lounge library, or watch the atolls slide past from the upper deck sofas. The main lounge opens onto the dining area, and the bar sits just off it, stocked with beer, wine, and spirits available to purchase. Some evenings, the liveaboard moors near an island, and there's a chance to walk sand and feel solid ground again.
Meals are served buffet style on the top deck, under cover but open to the air. You eat looking out over the water, the atolls sliding past as you refill your plate. The kitchen turns out a mix of international dishes and local specialities. Beef, chicken, and fish appear in rotation, often grilled or curried. Vegetables come fresh, not overcooked, and the salads hold their crunch. Desserts are homemade: coconut puddings, fruit tarts, or whatever the Emperor Voyager kitchen has put together that day.
Local influences show up in the Sri Lankan curries, worth trying when they appear. The spice level sits at approachable rather than punishing, and the flavours run deep. Bread is baked fresh, toast available through the day, and fresh fruit sits out for anyone wanting something light. Snacks - chocolate bars, crisps, that sort of thing - can be bought on board, though the meal portions tend to make them unnecessary.
Special diets get accommodated with advance notice. Vegetarians eat well here; the kitchen understands the need for more than just salad. If you have allergies or restrictions, let us know before the trip, and they'll work around it.
One evening each cruise, weather permitting, the Emperor Voyager crew sets up a barbecue on a local island. The liveaboard anchors offshore, and everyone transfers to sand. Tables and torches appear, the grill fires up, and dinner becomes an event: fish grilled over charcoal, salads brought from the boat, cold drinks passed around. It's candlelit in the literal sense, with flames against the dark and the sound of water behind you. No fixed schedule for this; the guides pick the right night based on conditions and location. When it happens, it tends to be the evening people remember.
Drinking water, tea, and coffee run free throughout. Soft drinks, beer, wine, and spirits are paid for and settled at the end of the week along with any extras. The kitchen covers snacks like fresh fruit and toast, but chocolate bars and similar treats come from the onboard shop.
"
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 ...
