Recently refitted in 2024, the 33-meter Honors Legacy liveaboard balances a modern, elegant aesthetic with the practical needs of a dedicated dive safari. Operating primarily in the central atolls of the Maldives - including North and South Malé, Ari, and Felidhoo - it also offers select cruises to the famed manta congregation points of the north, like Hanifaru Bay, or ventures further south for those after something different. The result is a contemporary home designed to put a variety of the Indian Ocean's renowned dive sites within easy reach.
Accommodation is spread across 10 guest cabins on the lower, main, and upper decks, all featuring private facilities and flat-screen entertainment. Above deck, the recently updated spaces of the Honors Legacy encourage a particular rhythm to life between dives. You might find yourself in the main saloon with a book from the library, stretched out on the sun deck loungers, or taking advantage of the upper deck’s shaded seating to watch the atoll slip by. The onboard spa adds another layer to the experience, offering a quiet space for decompression after a day of current diving.
Diving operations are conducted with the convenience of a dedicated 60-foot dhoni, a standard but well-executed feature on the MY Honors Legacy liveaboard. This support vessel tows behind the main yacht and serves as the primary dive deck. It houses the compressors, keeping the noise away from the main boat, along with individual gear storage, rinse tanks, freshwater showers, and a dedicated camera table. For those who prefer the extended bottom times possible with larger tanks, 15-litre cylinders are available with advance notice.
The atmosphere onboard the liveaboard is shaped by a crew of 13, a team large enough to attend to the details of both the diving and the hospitality. Meals are served buffet-style and draw from a mix of Italian, Thai, Maldivian, and international dishes, with a weekly barbecue on a suitable island being a regular highlight. The dining area, whether inside or al fresco on the main deck, becomes a natural gathering point to discuss the morning’s encounters over a meal.
For non-diving moments, the design of the Honors Legacy encourages a straightforward enjoyment of the environment. The small, rear main deck allows for effortless entry into the water for a snorkel, while the upper sun deck features a Jacuzzi for a more sedentary kind of soak. It’s an uncomplicated setup that allows divers and their companions to define their own pace throughout the dive cruise.
Overall, the MY Honors Legacy liveaboard offers an experienced-led dive holiday built on a foundation of recent upgrades and a stable, proven hull. With its blend of reconfigured guest spaces, a professional crew, and a support dhoni that keeps the focus on efficient diving, it stands as a practical and comfortable choice for exploring the Maldives’ underwater topography. It is especially suited for private charters. Whether your interest is in drift dives along thilas, encounters with reef sharks in the channels, or the seasonal aggregations of mantas, the Honors Legacy provides a reliable base for the week ahead.
There are 10 cabins in total: 2 Ocean View double bed suites and 8 Superior twin or double cabins. Both suites are on the upper deck, together with a small Superior seaview double cabin, while there is 1 Superior twin bed cabin on the middle deck, and 6 Superior twin or double cabins on the lower deck. All cabins have air-conditioning, private ensuite bathrooms, TVs and minibars.
The superior cabins are all 2 share and the suites have 1 double and 1 single bed plus the benefit of large windows with elevated views of the beautiful Maldivian scenery.
All the cabins have:
- Individual control air-conditioning
- Bathroom with toilet and built-in hot water shower cubicle
- Hand basin and towels (no toiletries)
- Windows or portholes
- TV and music system
- Safety box
- Reading lights
- Bedside cabinet, shelves and mirror
- Minibar
- Fire warning system
- 2 pin 220V electricity, adaptor in cabin
- Bedding and luggage space
- Life jackets
- Fire warning system in cabin, extinguishers in corridors
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: South Male: Guraidhoo Corner; Felidhoo Atoll: Dhevana Kandu, Alimatha House Reef, Miyaru Kandu; Ari Atoll: Maamigili Beyru, Bodufinolhu Thila; Kudarah Thila; Rangali Manta Point; Rahdhigga Thila, Panettone, Fish Head, Maya Thila, Hafsa Thila, Bathalamaagaa Kanthila, Rasdhoo Madivaru Corner, Hammerhead Point
Day 1
Your diving expedition through the Central Atolls begins when you arrive at Male International Airport, where you will board the 31-meter Honors Legacy motor yacht. Once settled into your cabin and acquainted with the 12-person crew, your tour leader will conduct an essential introductory briefing. You will receive dinner on board, and depending on when all guests arrive, the Honors Legacy liveaboard will either conduct a check dive and depart that evening or lift anchor early the following morning.
Core Days
This Central Atolls route aboard the Honors Legacy is structured to immerse certified divers in the Maldives' most celebrated sites. The tour focuses on the channel and pinnacle diving of South Male, Felidhoo (Vaavu), and Ari Atolls, balancing high-octane current dives with the unique wildlife behaviour found at specific cleaning stations.
The diving commences in South Male Atoll, with sites that rely on current for excitement. At Guraidhoo Corner, you will descend into a classic Maldivian kandu (channel) dive, often witnessing grey reef sharks and large pelagic fish using the current for feeding. For variety, a localised wreck dive presents a contrast, offering an excellent opportunity to focus on the area's rich macro life. Continuing into Felidhoo Atoll, the diving transitions to drift dives through famed channels such as Dhevana Kandu and the shark-magnet Miyaru Kandu. An exceptional night dive is scheduled at Alimatha House Reef, an internationally recognised spot where large numbers of nurse sharks and stingrays gather to forage in the shallows.
The Honors Legacy reserves substantial time for exploring the legendary Ari Atoll, known worldwide for its reliable encounters with the biggest marine animals. The focus begins in South Ari Atoll's Marine Protected Area, including sites like Maamigili Beyru, where the boat positions itself to maximise opportunities to snorkel or dive with majestic whale sharks. As the cruise progresses north, sites like Rangali Manta Point become the highlight, a natural cleaning station where Manta rays aggregate during seasonal flows.
Ari Atoll's profile is defined by its dramatic underwater pinnacles, or thilas. These formations, including the famous Kudarah Thila, Fish Head (Mushimasmingali Thila), and Maya Thila, serve as thriving ecosystems, populated by schools of snappers and healthy reef sharks. Further dives include the complex topographies of Bodufinolhu Thila, Rahdhigga Thila, Panettone, Hafsa Thila, Bathalamaagaa Kanthila, and Rasdhoo Madivaru Corner. The vessel often visits Rasdhoo Atoll, including Rasdhoo Madivaru Corner and the legendary Hammerhead Point, providing divers with the chance to observe schooling hammerheads ascending from the deep blue. The experienced crew and dive guides on the Honors Legacy liveaboard use their deep local knowledge to ensure you are placed for the best possible encounters.
Final Day
Savour your final Maldivian breakfast on board before collecting your gear and memories, and taking the scheduled transfer back to Male International Airport for your departure.
[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 Honors Legacy liveaboard crew view good food as fundamental to a successful trip. On the upper deck, you have the choice of an air-conditioned interior restaurant or an open-air setting. Meals are served buffet-style 3 times a day, featuring a rotation of Italian, Thai, Maldivian, and Sri Lankan dishes alongside international options. A weekly beach barbecue is a standard part of each cruise.
The kitchen typically prepares 3 main dishes per sitting. You might find a rich Thai green curry one evening, a plate of freshly caught and grilled reef fish the next, or a Sri Lankan-style beef fry with curry leaves for lunch.
Drinking water, tea, and coffee are complimentary, and there is always a supply of fruit, bread, and snacks available. The bar stocks wine, beer, and spirits for purchase.
The Honors Legacy team can accommodate vegetarian diets and other requirements with reasonable advance notice.
The day begins before sunrise. Crew serve a light breakfast of tea, coffee, and pastries around 5:30 am, allowing you to be geared up for the first dive as the light touches the water. You return to the main vessel for a more substantial breakfast after the dive, giving you time to log the dive and relax. A second dive typically follows mid-morning, with lunch served on the upper deck around midday. Afternoons are deliberately unhurried.
You might find a spot in the shade on the main deck, nap in your cabin, or join a third dive later in the afternoon. The schedule often includes a sunset cruise or a trip to a sandbank before dinner.
Evening meals are a social affair, with time to discuss the day's sightings - perhaps grey reef sharks at a channel dive or hawksbill turtles cleaning stations - before the crew brief you on the next day's plan.
