Notes: Child policy: Children are permitted on Princess Haseena liveaboard expeditions but must be supervised by a parent or a designated responsible adult at all times while on board. Child (under 12 years old): 50% discount. No minimum age.
Dive experience: All divers must hold an open water diver certification or equivalent. For some dives, advanced or deep diver training is recommended. It is important to be comfortable with drift diving. The maximum depth allowed is 30 metres when diving with an equally qualified buddy.
Cruise price per person includes: Cabin accommodation with air-conditioning, breakfast, lunch, dinner, snacks, drinking water, hot drinks, round-trip transfers to the boat from local airport, dives (including 1 night dive), nitrox fills for enriched air certified divers, 5 experienced English-speaking divemasters (local and international), 13.5 litre Int. tanks (DIN adaptors available), SMB, weights and weight belt, trips to the local islands, daily guided snorkelling, sales tax.
Cruise price per person excludes (mandatory, unless customer provides own): Scuba equipment (USD 170 per week), dive computer (USD 50 per week), Green tax (USD 12 per night (cash only)), service charge (i.e. crew tips: USD 150 per week (cash only)), Hanifaru Bay park fee (when applicable: USD 30), dive insurance (can be purchased on board. Fuel surcharge (USD 9 - USD 25 per day, depending on the actual fuel price). Unless otherwise stated, all the listed items need to be paid on arrival (cash: USD or Euro, or credit card (+4%)).
Optional extras: Soft drinks, alcoholic drinks, extra dives, torch, 11 litre aluminium tank, 15 litre tank (USD 70 per week), private guide, 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: Check-in on arrival day is available from 11:30 am onwards, with no latest time specified beyond midnight. Complimentary transfers are provided from Malé (Velana) International Airport to the Princess Haseena liveaboard on the day of check-in. The vessel returns to port after the last dive of the expedition at 2-3 pm on the last full day. Disembarkation takes place on the final day, with check-out scheduled by 7:30 am for all guests. No diving is recommended in the 24 hours before your departure flight (internationally-accepted guideline is 18 hours). For more details, including airlines, see our How to Get to the Maldives section.
Non-diver rate: None. Princess Haseena offers lot of alternative activities for non-divers.
Single supplement (if you do not want to share accommodation): This is optional - there is 1 guest cabin on the main deck exclusively for single use. Alternatively, solo travellers may choose to share a cabin and pay the regular price, or pay a supplement of 60% for their own private cabin.
Dive clubs and group discounts: Third person in family cabin: adult/teenager 20% discount, child (under 12 years old) 50% discount.
Pay for 9 guests and 1 additional person can join the cruise free of charge, pay for 14 and 2 extra persons can join free of charge.
Whole boat charter rate (per night): Pay for 23 guests and 3 additional persons can join the cruise free of charge.
The Maldives remains one of the world's most reliable destinations for warm-water diving, with its kandus, thilas, and giris offering consistent encounters with reef sharks, manta rays, and a wealth of macro life. The Princess Haseena liveaboard enters this landscape with a clear identity: a 32-metre vessel that has been renovated for 2026 with sustainability at the heart of its design. Originally built in the Maldives in 2016, she was not replaced but transformed, giving an existing hull a new purpose rather than starting from scratch.
What sets the Princess Haseena apart is how that philosophy translates into the guest experience. Solar panels and a large battery storage system significantly reduce reliance on diesel generators, and when conditions allow, the generators can be switched off entirely overnight. The practical result is immediate: no generator vibrations, quieter nights, and a calmer atmosphere onboard. For scuba divers who value rest between long days in the water, this is a meaningful difference.
The diving operation reflects the same forward thinking. A new 15-metre dive dhoni is designed with 4 electric motors, battery-powered propulsion, and no traditional exposed propeller. For divers entering and exiting the water around a working dive vessel, that design choice matters. It also reflects a broader awareness of the marine environment the boat operates within. On the main vessel, 5 dive guides are on hand, nitrox is available, and the dive deck is built for practical, uncomplicated diving.
Accommodation on the Princess Haseena liveaboard is spread across 12 en-suite cabins on 3 decks. The vessel's beam of 10.8 metres is unusually generous for a 32-metre hull, creating interior and exterior spaces that feel comfortable rather than compressed. Lower deck cabins offer double or twin formats, with 2 cabins capable of triple accommodation. On the main deck, a single-use cabin has been designed to accommodate guests with reduced mobility. The upper deck suites can be configured as double or twin, with the double option offering a bed larger than king size.
The operator behind the Princess Haseena brings a track record worth noting. Top Class Cruising has been running Maldivian dive cruises since 2007 and has received multiple awards, including Best Dive Safari in the Maldives in several years. The company's approach emphasises quality and safety, with a crew-to-guest ratio close to 1:1 and a stated commitment to environmental responsibility that goes beyond marketing language.
For divers considering a Maldives liveaboard, the Princess Haseena offers a combination of thoughtful design, practical diving facilities, and an operator with genuine local experience. The vessel's renovation and the new diving dhoni suggest a long-term view rather than a short-term fix. It is a boat that has been given a second life, and the result is a quieter, more considered way to dive the atolls.
Princess Haseena has 12 guest cabins in total:
- Lower Deck: 6 cabins (2 cabins offer triple accommodation (double and single bed), 2 cabins have twin beds, and 2 cabins are double / twin beds), and 1 double bed junior suite
- Main Deck: 1 guest cabin (exclusive for single use)
- Upper Deck: 4 suites (can be configured as double or twin bed)
All the cabins have:
- Individual climate control and ceiling fans
- Portholes (lower deck)
- Private bathroom with toilet and hot water shower
- Toiletries, towels, hairdryer, bathrobe
- Reading lights
- Daily housekeeping
- Personal safety box
- Wardrobe, mirror and shelves
- Bedside cabinet
- 24-hour, 220v electricity, European/US-style 2-pin plugs
- Fire detectors, fire extinguishers and life jackets
- Bedding and space for luggage
No. of bathrooms / showers - 12 / 12 - hot water
Maldives Central & Northern Atolls (11 Days / 10 Nights - 27 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: Hulhumale Wall, Lankan Paradise, Helhengeli Thila; Lhaviyani Atoll: Kuredu Express, Kuredu Caves, Kudadhoo Kandu, Fushi Faru Kandu, Ship Yard; Raa Atoll: Ifuru Thila, Kottafaru Thila, Vadu thila, Kuda Thuladhoo Thila, The Labyrinth; Baa Atoll: Hanifaru Bay, Yellow Wall, Dhonfanu Thila, Kiadufaru Thila, Daravandhoo Thila, Kunfunadhoo Thila, Mutafushi Thila; Rasdhoo Atoll, North Ari Atoll: Bathala, Moofush, Fish Head, Maaya Thila, Nassimo Thila, Banana Reef, Fish Tank, Hulhumalè Wall. Visit desert islands, sand banks, barbeque dinners, fishing trip. Afternoon tour of Male City.
Day 1
Your Central and Northern Atolls diving holiday in the Maldives starts with your arrival at Male International Airport. A dedicated member of the Princess Maani liveaboard crew will be there to welcome you and assist you with settling into your stateroom. After a welcome drink and a thorough vessel orientation, a buffet lunch will be served. If time permits, a check dive is usually conducted at a nearby reef. The evening features a relaxed dinner, offering the perfect chance to meet your dive companions before the Princess Maani weighs anchor at first light.
Core Days
This extended cruise grants scuba divers a rich cross-section of the Maldivian archipelago, stretching from the Central Atolls up to the ecologically protected areas of the north. It begins with focused exploration in North Male, tackling famous dive sites like Lankan Paradise and the Hulhumale Wall before sailing north toward the UNESCO World Biosphere Reserve of Baa Atoll. This northern territory is celebrated for its complex topography of thilas, walls, and coral-rich formations, including Dhonfanu Thila and Yellow Wall.
Baa Atoll presents unparalleled opportunities for seasonal encounters. While Hanifaru Bay is a snorkel-only zone dedicated to observing large, plankton-feeding aggregations of manta rays and whale sharks, the surrounding thilas and channels provide consistent action below the surface. It then pushes further into Raa Atoll, where dive sites like The Labyrinth and Kottafaru Thila feature exciting channel diving. These remote northern passes are often populated by reef sharks, large schools of trevally, and majestic eagle rays patrolling the currents.
The Princess Maani liveaboard then directs its attention back to Lhaviyani, Rasdhoo, and North Ari. Lhaviyani Atoll includes sites such as Kuredu Express and the Ship Yard. Rasdhoo Atoll and North Ari are home to the famous pinnacles of Maaya Thila, Fish Head, and Bathala Thila. These submerged islands act as feeding and cleaning stations, offering guaranteed sightings of grey reef sharks, large Napoleon wrasse, and seasonal manta rays.
On the final full day of the cruise, the Princess Maani returns to the capital area, allowing for an optional Male city tour. Interspersed with the diving are rewarding surface intervals, including sandbank visits and an evening barbecue.
Day 11
Following your last breakfast on board the Princess Maani liveaboard, you will be transferred to Male International Airport for your departure.
Maldives Central & Northern Atolls (Express) (8 Days / 7 Nights - 18 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, very popular, wall diving, wreck diving
Dive sites and activities: Baa Atoll, Hanifaru Bay, Ari and Rasdhoo atolls. Visit desert islands, sand banks, barbecue dinners, fishing trip. Afternoon tour of Male City.
Day 1
The trip begins at Ibrahim Nasir International Airport, where a crew member greets you and escorts you to the Princess Haseena liveaboard. Once onboard, a welcome drink and vessel orientation set the tone, followed by a buffet lunch as you settle into your cabin. If arrivals allow, an afternoon check dive takes place at a sheltered site nearby, giving everyone a chance to rinse the travel off and find their buoyancy. Dinner onboard brings the group together before the vessel heads north overnight.
Core Days
This itinerary is built around one of the Maldives' most celebrated seasonal phenomena, and the route is shaped to give it the best possible chance of unfolding. The Princess Haseena sails north to Baa Atoll, home to the UNESCO Biosphere Reserve and Hanifaru Bay, where plankton-rich waters during the southwest monsoon can draw large numbers of manta rays into the lagoon. Access is strictly controlled by local rangers, snorkelling is the only activity permitted inside the bay, and entry happens only when mantas are present. It is worth keeping in mind that the lagoon visit may replace a scheduled dive. Outside the bay, Baa Atoll's walls, thilas, plateaus, and overhangs offer their own rewards, with Napoleon wrasse, turtles, and dense schools of reef fish, and mantas and whale sharks are occasionally encountered at dive sites nearby.
Rasdhoo Atoll follows, its deep channels channelling pelagic life through the atoll. Currents here shape the diving, and encounters with schooling fish and reef sharks are part of the experience. Ari Atoll comes next, with its celebrated thilas and cleaning stations where manta rays are regularly observed. Whale sharks are sometimes sighted along the western fringes, though sightings are never organised or chased. Whitetip and grey reef sharks patrol the reef edges, and schools of tuna and jacks move through the blue.
Surface intervals and evenings are given their own character on Princess Haseena. A traditional fishing trip at sunset, visits to sandbanks and desert islands, and a beach barbecue under the stars break up the diving days. Marine biology talks from the guides add context to what you have seen underwater, and happy hours on a sandbank or at anchor provide a social counterpoint to the dive deck.
The final full day includes diving before the vessel returns to the capital area, where an afternoon tour of Malé or Hulhumalé is offered, depending on weather and traffic.
Day 8
After a last breakfast onboard, you disembark and transfer to the airport.
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: Lankan Paradise, Nassimo Thila, Banana Reef, Hulhumale wall, South Male: Gurahidoo MPA, Kuda Giri, Ari: Dhangethi Channel, Fish Head, Maaya thila, Bathala Thila, Moofushi Corner, Felidhoo: Miyaru Kandu, Alimathaa, Fotteyo Kandu, and Rasdhoo atolls
Day 1
Arrival at Ibrahim Nasir International Airport marks the start of your week, where a crew member greets you and escorts you to the Princess Haseena liveaboard. Welcome drink in hand and orientation complete, you settle into your cabin before a buffet lunch. If everyone has arrived in time, the afternoon allows for a check dive at a nearby site. Dinner is served onboard, and the vessel stays at anchor overnight.
Core Days
5 atolls, one continuous loop of diving. This Princess Haseena itinerary is built around the 2 features that define Maldivian diving: the kandus, channels where incoming tides draw pelagic life in from the open ocean, and the thilas, submerged pinnacles that rise from the atoll floor and act as gathering points for reef and pelagic species alike. 3 dives a day, plus a night dive during the week, gives the week its structure.
North and South Malé open the trip. Banana Reef, Nassimo Thila, and Hulhumalé Wall offer a first taste of Maldivian reef health, with dense coral growth and a resident cast of angelfish, butterflyfish, and Napoleon wrasse. Moray eels tuck into crevices while schools of snapper hover above the coral. South Malé shifts the tone: the Guraidhoo Marine Protected Area delivers current-driven action with grey reef sharks and trevally, while the Kuda Giri wreck adds a change of scene, its structure attracting whitetip and grey reef sharks.
Rasdhoo and Ari Atoll follow. Ari is the region's best-known address for whale sharks, and the Dhangethi Channel is where sightings are most often logged, though these encounters remain a matter of chance rather than expectation. The thilas here are the real draw. Fish Head, Maaya Thila, and Bathala Thila each offer a different profile, from reef hooks and current-swept plateaus to gentle coral gardens where eagle rays and giant trevally pass by.
Felidhoo Atoll brings the week with Princess Haseena towards its close. Miyaru Kandu and Fotteyo Kandu are drift dives in the truest sense, with currents shaping the route and grey reef sharks patrolling the edges. Then comes the night dive at Alimathaa, where the vessel's lights draw nurse sharks and large stingrays into the shallows. It is a spectacle built on natural behaviour, not enticement, and a fitting note on which to finish the diving.
Final Day
A farewell dinner the night before, a final breakfast onboard, then disembarkation and transfer to the airport.
[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 Princess Haseena liveaboard begins before sunrise, with the first dive briefing typically scheduled for 6 am. Before entering the water, guests are offered dry biscuits with coffee or tea, a light start to the day that keeps things simple before the first descent. Once back on board, a full breakfast buffet is served between 8 am and 9 am. The spread includes yoghurt and cereals, waffles, pancakes or pastries, eggs cooked to order, vegetables or legumes, toasted bread with jam, peanut butter and hazelnut cream, cheese slices, fruit, and juices.
The Princess Haseena operates a full-board arrangement, and meals are served buffet-style in the indoor restaurant or in the al fresco dining areas, with guests free to choose where they eat. Lunch and dinner follow a similar structure: 2 salad options, bread, rice and pasta or pasta and noodles, 2 choices of vegetables, fish and meat, and fruit. Dinner adds a soup course. The cuisine blends Western and local dishes, and the kitchen team is accustomed to accommodating vegetarian, vegan, and dietary-restricted guests, provided advance notice is given, ideally in the arrival form at least 7 days before the cruise.
The daily rhythm on the Princess Haseena is built around 3 dives, with a fourth dive or a night dive between 5:30 pm and 6:30 pm when conditions and schedules allow. After the second dive, fresh coconut is offered on the dhoni, a small touch that has become a guest favourite. After the third dive, a sweet and a savoury snack are served on the boat. Between dives, guests can relax on the sundeck, in the air-conditioned saloon, or on the observation deck.
Drinks are straightforward. Drinking water, Nescafe, and tea are available 24 hours a day at no charge. Soft drinks, wines, beers, and spirits are available for purchase, and welcome cocktails are offered as part of the onboard experience. The outdoor bar is a natural gathering point in the evening. A barbeque dinner on the beach is included in the price when weather conditions permit, a highlight of the week for many guests.
The Princess Haseena liveaboard also builds in time for activities beyond diving. Trips to local islands, private islands, and sandbanks are included, with a small entrance fees applying in some cases. Daily snorkelling is available for non-divers. The crew organise additional activities based on group preferences: happy hours with free snacks, biology lessons, talks about the Maldives, beach clean-ups, karaoke nights, game nights, and disco nights. These are offered alongside the diving rather than in place of it, adding variety to the surface intervals and evenings onboard.
