OCEAN SAPPHIRE

35m / 116ft MAX 22 NITROX WIFI

PRICE PER DAY FROM USD 257

LOWEST PRICE GUARANTEE

At a glance:

Cruises Maldives central and southern atolls
All cabins with private bathroom
Jacuzzi on sundeck
Open-air bar for sunset cocktails
Large boat

Ocean Sapphire is a purpose-built scuba diving liveaboard designed with comfort and convenience in mind. Focusing on awesome diving trips around Maldives' central and southern atolls this 35m motor yacht accommodates up to 22 guests in 11 roomy ensuite cabins.

One of the main social spots on the boat is the air-conditioned restaurant and saloon on the main deck. When it is time for refreshments, you can enjoy the creations of the 2 on-board chefs and the attention of a waiter. You can relax in the soft, comfortable furnishings of the saloon, enjoying the audio-visual entertainment facilities. Alternatively, you can make a cup of tea and settle down with a good book or dive-related magazine.

There are plenty of other spaces to hang out including an outdoor chill-out area at the stern of the boat, and of course on the enormous semi-shaded sundeck.

3 or 4 diving instructors will be on board to help you enjoy the Maldives to the maximum as you dive from the large accompanying dive dhoni. This is where equipment is kept (with space for up to 30 divers) and so the noisy business of tank-filling happens well out of ear-shot. It also allows guests to make the most of the space on the mothership.

Nitrox, wi-fi internet, an open-air bar and a Jacuzzi on the sundeck are among the facilities that make the European-managed Ocean Sapphire such a gem among Maldives liveaboards.

The lower deck features 7 Standard twin or twin/double cabins with portholes. The upper deck has 4 Suites each with double beds, bath tubs and ocean view windows.

All the cabins have:

Air-conditioning
Portholes on lower deck, windows on upper deck
Private bathroom with hot water shower
Hand basin, toiletries, towels and beach towels
Bedding

Cabinet, shelves and mirror
Reading lamp
3 square-prong mains outlet 220 volts - 24 hours per day
Fire detectors
Life jackets

No. of bathrooms / showers - 12 / 12 - hot water

Maldives Central Atolls (8 Days / 7 Nights - 18 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, South Male, Ari, Felidhoo (or Rasdhoo) atolls

Day 1
Arrive at Ibrahim Nasir International Airport in Male and meet the Ocean Sapphire tour leader. A short dhoni trip from the airport and you are finally on board the liveaboard that will be your home for the next few days. A welcome drink and a detailed boat introduction will be given to you and the other guests that take part in this amazing diving cruise.
Once you have been assigned to your cabin and enjoyed a buffet style lunch, the bell rings and announces that your first dive is about to begin, usually a check dive at a nearby site. Back to the boat, a well-deserved hot shower, and more time to relax while waiting for dinner to be served. The boat departs the harbour only on the following morning.

Core Days
The cruise will have many highlights. Some strong currents around the border of the atolls, called 'kandus' in the Dhivehi language, will bring large predators like whitetip and grey reef sharks, but also schools of tuna and oceanic manta rays. A 'thila' is instead an underwater island that can vary in size: it can be so small that you can dive all around it in just one dive, or so big that several dives can be planned. They are usually home to a beautiful array of soft and hard coral formations that attract a wide variety of marine life. Pufferfish, triggerfish, moray eels, and giant Napoleon wrasse, to name just a few of the colourful fauna that the Maldives Central Atolls are famous for. Looking for a better use of your wide angle lens? Manta rays frequent the atolls in large numbers, and whale sharks are a common sight in the waters of Ari Atoll.
3 amazing dives a day - 2 morning dives and an afternoon dive. Your day starts at 6:30 am with hot drinks and biscuits while listening to the dive briefing. The dhoni then takes you to the site where you will jump in with your group. A 2nd dive follows a bigger breakfast that includes fresh fruit, cereals, yoghurt, eggs, sausage, toast, beans, and cooked vegetables. Juice, tea and coffee are available 24 hours a day. The food on board Ocean Sapphire never fails to impress its guests. Lunch and dinner are succulent fresh salads, rice and pasta, Sri Lankan curries for a taste of local cuisine, fresh fish, meat, and lots of vegetables such as broccoli, cauliflower, green beans and spinach. Desserts such as rice pudding or crème caramel are always appreciated at the end of a meal, especially when you are on a vacation.
A game of beach volleyball and a delicious barbecue on a deserted beach is also on the schedule for the week.
Please note that there is only 1 dive on the last full day of the trip, before heading to Male for a tour of the city.

Day 8
A last chance to enjoy a meal on Ocean Sapphire, as after breakfast a dhoni transfer will take you back to the airport at 7:30 am.

[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].

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Dive experience: Southern Atoll trips: Advanced Open Water Divers and 20 logged dives is recommended. All other trips require standard open water certification.

Cruise price per person includes: Cabin accommodation with air-conditioning, breakfast, lunch, dinner, snacks, drinking water, hot drinks, return transfers to the boat from Male Airport, national park fees, dives (including 1 night dive, as detailed in the trips above), experienced English-speaking divemaster(s) (maximum of 6-7 divers per guide), tanks (11 or 13 litre), weights and weight belts, trips to the local islands, scheduled fishing, Male City visit, Green Tax and 16 % GST.

Cruise price per person excludes (mandatory, unless customer provides own): Scuba equipment (USD 44 per day), dive computer (USD 15 per week), dive insurance (can be purchased on board, valid for 1 week). Unless otherwise stated, all the listed items need to be paid on arrival (cash: USD or Euro, or credit card).

Optional extras: Soft drinks, alcoholic drinks, nitrox fills for enriched air certified divers (USD 100 per week), torch (USD 14 per day), 15 litre tank (USD 99 per week), private island fees, guided snorkelling excursions (max. 50 minutes: USD 15). 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: Ocean Sapphire liveaboard tours to the Maldives atolls depart from Male for the central trips, Kadhdhoo on Laamu Atoll for the Southern Atolls trips, and from Kaadedhdhoo or Kooddoo on Huvadhu Atoll for the Deep South Atolls trips. Boarding starts at 11 am. The first and last nights of each cruise are spent in the lagoon near the harbour.
The last dive of the trip will be at around 9 am on the second last day of the trip. Check out is at 7:30 am. 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: No discount for non-divers.

Single supplement (if you do not want to share accommodation): This is optional - single travellers may choose to share a stateroom or pay a supplement of 55% of the published price.

Dive clubs and group discounts: Pay for 10 guests and 1 extra person may join the cruise free of charge in a Standard cabin.

Whole boat charter rate (per night): Pay for 20 guests and 2 extra people may join the cruise free of charge in Standard cabins.

Click to view product. Special discounted trips highlighted in yellow

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OCEAN SAPPHIRE

Maldives Central Atolls (8 Days / 7 Nights - 18 Dives)

DEPARTURE SCHEDULE & PRICES

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