Dive experience: Open Water certification required with a minimum of 10 prior logged dives.
Cruise price per person includes: Cabin accommodation with air-conditioning, breakfast, lunch, dinner, snacks, drinking water, hot drinks, transfer to the boat from the airport, dives, nitrox fills for enriched air certified divers, 4 experienced English speaking instructors, snorkelling guide, 11.5 and 13.5 litre tanks, weights and weight belts, reef hook, SMB, park fees, sales tax.
Cruise price per person excludes (mandatory, unless customer provides own): Scuba equipment (incl. dive computer: USD 350 per week), dive insurance, Green Tax USD 12 per night, 10% service charge (i.e. crew tips: USD 150 per week), fuel surcharge (USD 150 per week). Unless otherwise stated, all the listed items need to be paid on arrival, with equipment ordered in advance (cash EUR or USD, or credit card (+3.5%)).
Optional extras: Soft drinks, alcoholic drinks, extra dives, torch, laundry service. 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: Felicity provides transfers from the airport to the boat at 1 pm on check-in day, which is usually a Saturday. Guests arriving at Male Airport will be met by a representative wearing a MY FELICITY T-shirt and holding a sign, at the Burger King area in the departure concourse.
At the end of the trip, the boat moors mid-afternoon the day before departure and stays overnight in port, with check-out at 9 am on the final morning. Guests should be at the airport 3 hours before their flight departure. The last dive of the trip takes place at around 11 am on the second-last day. Please wait at least 18 hours before flying after diving.
For more details, including airlines, see our How to Get to the Maldives section.
Non-diver rate: 10% discount.
Single supplement (if you do not want to share accommodation): This is optional - solo travellers may choose to share a cabin and pay the regular fare, or pay a supplement of 35% for a private cabin.
Dive clubs and group discounts: Ask us for details.
Whole boat charter rate (per night): Ask us for details.
At 39 metres in length, the Felicity liveaboard is one of the newest local yachts in the Maldives, and the layout reflects that. The dive tours run from the classic Explore Maldives route through to the Deep South, including Male to Gan, Gan to Koodoo and Gan to Male, giving scuba divers access to the central atolls and the wilder southern channels.
The vessel carries 26 guests across 13 cabins, with a crew of 13 looking after them, including a captain, cruise director, chef, PADI dive instructor and 3 dive tenders. The cabins are air-conditioned and en-suite, modern and boutique in style, split between lower deck state cabins and upper deck ocean view suites. A jacuzzi sits on the top deck of Felicity, and there are multiple outdoor lounges, sun beds and a bar for the hours between dives.
Diving support comes from a dedicated 60-foot dhoni with 2 Bauer high-pressure compressors, keeping tank filling and gear storage separate from the main yacht. The schedule runs 2 to 3 dives per day, and nitrox is free of charge for certified divers, usually at 32%. 4 English-speaking PADI-certified dive guides work the tours, and the Felicity crew operates to a minimum of 3 guides on the dhoni.
The galley runs a fully catered operation, with 3 chef-prepared meals daily plus snacks to keep energy levels up. Dietary preferences can be accommodated if flagged before boarding Felicity. A well-stocked bar offers beers, wines, champagne, cocktails and spirits, with water, tea and coffee complimentary. Meals are buffet-style, and the relaxed, resort-like atmosphere carries through to the dining and lounge areas.
Beyond the diving, the Felicity carries a generous spread of toys. There are kayaks and stand-up paddleboards for guest use, along with a wakeboard, water ski, knee board and 2 inflatable towables, a jetski on request, and 24 line fishing equipment. Beach BBQs on inhabited islands run weather permitting, with chairs, tables, umbrellas and a grill for the chef. Films and the sundeck fill quieter afternoons, and a Male City Tour can be arranged on request with a local guide. Starlink Wi-Fi is available free when signal allows.
The Felicity liveaboard combines a new vessel, a well-drilled dive operation and a route network that stretches from the central atolls to the Deep South. With free nitrox, 4 dive guides, a 60-foot dhoni and a fully catered galley, the essentials are covered, and the extras on board give non-divers and families plenty to do between dives. For scuba divers wanting a modern Maldives liveaboard with flexible tours and a relaxed, resort-style feel, the Felicity is a strong contender.
The Felicity liveaboard has 13 guest cabins with a modern boutique design. There are 7 state cabins on the lower deck, 6 with twin beds and 1 with a double bed and single bed. There are also 6 double bed sea-view suites - 2 on the main deck and 4 on the upper deck. All the cabins are 11+ sqm and have private bathrooms.
All the cabins have:
- Individual control air-conditioning
- Windows (upper and middle deck) or portholes (lower deck)
- Private bathroom facilities with hot water shower, toilet
- Towels, toiletries, hairdryer, bathrobe and hand basin
- Daily housekeeping
- Personal safety box
- Bedside cabinet, wardrobe and mirror
- Reading lights
- Fire alarm, life jackets and fire extinguishers
- 24-hour 220V electricity, UK 3-pin sockets
- Space for luggage
No. of bathrooms / showers - 13 / 13 - 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, South Male, North Ari, South Ari, Felidhoo atolls
Day 1
Guests board the Felicity in Male, with introductions, briefings and equipment set-up following. A check dive at Hulhumale Nerumathi or Kurumba House Reef eases everyone into the water before the week begins.
Core Days
This central atolls route aboard the Felicity liveaboard runs from North Male through North Ari, South Ari, Felidhoo and South Male before returning to Male. The circuit takes in the classic sites that made the Maldives' reputation, mixing manta cleaning stations and thila diving with whale shark territory, reef sharks, eagle rays and a night dive that draws mantas into the beam of a torch. Days typically run to 3 dives, with crossings between atolls built into the schedule.
North Male and North Ari open the trip. Lankan Paradise Manta Point provides the first manta cleaning station of the week, before a crossing to Rasdhoo Madivaru and Maaya Thila, one of the Maldives' best-known night dives, where grey reef sharks and schooling fish work the coral in the torchlight. Bathala Thila and Fish Head follow, the latter a channel corner known for its shark action, before the day closes with a manta night dive in Fesdhoo Lagoon.
The middle of the week works through Ari's signature thilas. Maalhos Thila and Dhega Thila offer coral-covered pinnacles with anthias, snappers and the occasional passing shark, while Moofushi Corner brings current and bigger fish into play. South Ari shifts the focus to its marine protected area, where whale sharks are the headline draw along the reef edges. Kuda Rah Thila and Broken Rock round out the diving, and a beach BBQ on an island gives the day a relaxed finish before the crossing to Felidhoo.
Felidhoo brings a run of channel dives, with Miyaru Kandu and Dhevana Kandu delivering current, grey reef sharks and schooling fish, and Dhiggiri Lagoon offering a gentler reef profile in between. The crossing to South Male follows, where Kandooma Thila and the Kudagiri Wreck close out the diving. The wreck has become a thriving artificial reef, and the thila delivers the kind of coral and fish life that makes a fitting final dive. A Male City Tour offers a change of pace before the final night on board.
Final Day
Check-out and transfer to the airport after breakfast, timed around international flight departures.
For scuba divers wanting a comprehensive introduction to the central atolls, with manta stations, whale shark territory, thila diving and a strong mix of channel action across 5 atolls, the Felicity offers a well-balanced week on a modern vessel.
Maldives Deep South & Southern Atolls
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: South Male, Felidhoo, Meemu, Thaa, Laamu, Huvadhoo, Fuvahmulah, Addu Atoll
Day 1
The divemaster meets guests at Gan airport and escorts them to the boat. Once settled, the crew provides a boat briefing, a detailed run through the trip itinerary and the dive plan, followed by a check dive. The vessel then sleeps near Gan Airport before crossing to Fuvahmulah.
Core Days
This passage with the Felicity liveaboard works from Male south through South Male to Addu, finishing in the far south. The diving is built around channels, wrecks, cleaning stations and coral gardens, with several sites exposed to current and the crossings between atolls adding their own rhythm to the week. Fuvahmulah opens the diving proper. The island's reef rises sharply from deep water, and Fuvahmulah Corner delivers the kind of steep, current-swept profile that brings big animals close. The Tiger Zoo is the headline site, with tiger sharks the main draw alongside hammerheads, threshers and silvertips. An entrance fee applies here and is chargeable. After the Fuvahmulah dives, the vessel crosses to Huvadhoo.
Huvadhoo brings a run of channel and reef work. Gemanafushi Canyon, Maarehaa Kandu and Gemanafushi Thila offer fast drifts, coral pinnacles and schooling fish, with grey reef sharks and jacks working the current. Felicity then moves to the Villingili area, where Villingili, Kooddoo Kandu and Kooddoo Spinner Point continue the pattern of channel diving with pelagic action, before a long crossing of around 7 hours to Laamu Atoll.
Laamu and Thaa follow, with Fushi Kandu and Maaibaidhoo Kandu offering more channel work before the crossing to Thaa Atoll. The day closes with a night whale shark dive, where a light rigged at the stern draws plankton and, with luck, these animals into view. Meemu comes next, with Dhiyamighili Corner before the crossing, then Kureli Manta Point, where reef mantas visit cleaning stations. Felicity rests in Meemu Atoll before crossing to Felidhoo.
Felidhoo provides the final stretch of channel diving, with Vataru Kandu and Miyaru Kandu delivering current, sharks and schooling fish. Dhigiri Nurse Shark adds a different flavour, with nurse sharks gathered in the shallows. The crossing to South Male follows, where Kandooma Thila, the Kudagiri wreck and Emboodhoo Express close out the diving, mixing coral pinnacles, an artificial reef and a drift site. The vessel then crosses to Male port for the final night.
Final Day
Disembarkation at Male Port, with transfers timed around international flights.
For divers wanting a genuine north-to-south passage through the Maldives, with tiger sharks at Fuvahmulah, whale sharks at night, manta cleaning stations and channel diving across 8 atolls, the Felicity offers a route that covers an extraordinary spread of ground in a single week or more.
Maldives Deep South Atolls (8 Days / 7 Nights - 20 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: Huvadhoo, Fuvahmulah, Addu Atoll
Day 1
The dive manager meets guests at Huvadhoo or Gan airport and escorts them to the boat. Once everyone is settled, the crew provides a detailed briefing on the trip itinerary and dive plan, followed by a check dive to get gear and weighting dialled in before the week begins.
Core Days
This Deep South route aboard the Felicity liveaboard runs through Huvadhoo, Fuvahmulah and Addu, finishing at Gan. The southern atolls sit in the Equatorial zone, well away from the central routes, and the diving reflects that: strong channels, big pelagic action, tiger sharks at Fuvahmulah and the chance of whale sharks around the boat at night. Days typically run to 3 dives, with the schedule shaped by currents and inter-atoll crossings.
The diving opens around Kooddoo, with sites such as Villingili, Kooddoo Kandu and Kooddoo Spinner Point setting the tone. These are channel dives with current, schooling fish and the kind of pace that rewards a reef hook and good buoyancy. In the evening, a light is rigged at the stern to draw plankton, and with it the chance of whale sharks cruising past in the dark, one of the signatures of this route.
The middle of the week works through a run of kandus, including Kerendhoo, Nilandhoo, Kondey and the Gemanafushi sites. Each has its own character, from fast drift lines where grey reef sharks and jacks hunt the flow, to thilas and coral gardens offering a gentler profile with reef fish, turtles and macro life. Kondey Coral Gardens provides a calm counterpoint to the channel work, and a BBQ dinner on the island adds a change of scene partway through the trip.
Fuvahmulah is the centrepiece of the southern section, and Felicity makes the crossing overnight to arrive fresh for it. The island's reef rises steeply from deep water, and the diving is unlike anywhere else in the Maldives. Fuvahmulah Corner and the Tiger Zoo are the headline sites, with tiger sharks the main draw, alongside hammerheads, threshers, silvertips and grey reef sharks. An entrance fee applies at Tiger Zoo and is chargeable. After the Fuvahmulah dives, the vessel crosses to Gan for the final stretch.
The last day of diving runs around Addu at Maakandu and Manta Point, with cleaning stations where reef mantas come in to be attended by cleaner wrasse. It is a relaxed way to close out the week, with Felicity then mooring near Gan Airport overnight.
Day 8
Departure from Gan airport after breakfast.
For divers wanting the Maldives at its most remote, with tiger sharks, whale sharks under the stern light and channel diving well off the usual track, the Felicity offers a Deep South route that reaches the country's southernmost atolls in a single week.
[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].
A day on the Felicity liveaboard starts early and runs to a comfortable rhythm. The wake-up call comes at 6 am, with a light breakfast of coffee, tea, toast, peanut butter, Nutella and fresh local bananas laid out to see you through the first briefing. The opening dive follows at 6:30 am. A full buffet breakfast is served between 8:30 and 9 am, the second dive runs from 10:30 to 11 am, and lunch is at 1 pm. The third dive occupies the afternoon slot of 3 to 3:30 pm, afternoon tea and snacks arrive at 5 pm, and dinner is served buffet style at 7:30 pm. The schedule bends around weather, cruising time and tank refilling rather than sticking rigidly to the clock.
Meals are served buffet-style in Felicity's indoor restaurant, with the format built around buffets and a rotating menu. The sample menus cover soups, salads, mains, sides and fruit. Soups might include tomato, miso or a hearty beef broth, while salads range from a simple garden mix to coleslaw or chef salad. Mains are generous and varied, with dishes such as grilled fish with hot butter sauce, chicken Stroganoff, tandoori chicken, beef lasagna and seafood chow mein appearing across the menus. Sides and vegetable dishes round things out, and fresh tropical fruit closes most meals.
Snacks are complimentary and appear through the day, with crackers, chef-made cakes and bananas among the offerings. Water, tea and coffee are included. The bar is well stocked and charges locally, with espresso and cappuccino, fresh juices and milkshakes, soft drinks, beer, wine by the glass and a spread of spirits including vodka, whiskey, gin, rum, cognac and tequila. Dietary preferences and allergy requirements should be flagged before boarding so the galley can plan accordingly.
Beyond the table, the Felicity carries plenty to fill the gaps between dives. Beach BBQs on inhabited islands run weather permitting, with chairs, tables, umbrellas, a grill for the chef, portable speakers and a generator all on board for the occasion. Films and the sundeck cover quieter afternoons, and a Male City Tour can be arranged on request with a local guide.
The overall shape of the day is predictable in the best sense: eat, dive, rest, repeat, with the buffet running as the social anchor of the trip. For scuba divers wanting a Maldives liveaboard with a full daily schedule, varied menus and a bar worth lingering at, the Felicity delivers a comfortable and well-paced routine.
