Best liveaboards for a Caribbean scuba vacation

As the birthplace of recreational dive liveaboard itineraries, there are few places better suited to a diving vacation onboard a liveaboard than the Caribbean. Warm waters, tropical reefs, numerous islands await divers visiting this iconic region, along with a tempting selection of liveaboards, perfect for diving and exploration.

But which dive safari vessel should you choose for your Caribbean liveaboard diving getaway? To help you decide, we’ve selected some of the Caribbean’s top liveaboards based on first-hand experience and feedback from our guests. We’ve even highlighted the best boats in popular categories. Keep reading to find your favourite.

At a glance…

• Casual camp-like atmosphere on board
• 20-metres long, accommodates up to 18 guests
• Sailing, halyard swinging and freediving

Part of the well-known Blackbead’s Cruises fleet, All Star Morning Star is a 20-metre sloop-style liveaboard accommodating up to 18 guests on voyages in the Bahamas. Expect action-packed days filled with fun activities such as sailing, halyard swinging and freediving. And, as the day winds down, guests congregate to share stories over a glass of rum punch, before retiring to the bunk-style accommodation below deck.

With scheduled weekly voyages throughout the Exuma Cays, All Star Morning Star incorporates a variety of day-dives, night-dives, and shark feeding experiences into each itinerary. Boasting decades of local diving experience, the team behind this liveaboard are comfortable catering to both new and experienced divers as they cruise around the very best dive sites in the Bahamas.

This lively liveaboard describes its trips as ‘camping above the water’, providing an affordable, ‘no frills’ approach to accommodation alongside an energetic atmosphere and action-packed itineraries.

• At a glance…
• Recognised as one of the best crews in the world
• 31-metres long, accommodates up to 22 guests
• Nitrox available, sidemount and rebreathers accommodated

Aqua Cat is a luxurious catamaran liveaboard delivering exclusive experiences with a comfortable and casual vibe. The vessel offers up to 26 dives on each seven-night trip around the Exuma Cays, with Eleuthera also on the cards if conditions allow. But, guests of all kinds can enjoy Aqua Cat in equal measure, thanks to plenty of watersports and daily excursions to keep non-divers occupied.

Offering up to 26 dives during each week-long trip, Aqua Cat is well-suited for underwater exploration with itineraries that incorporate a variety of famous Caribbean dive sites. Convenience is the name of the game on this liveaboard, with all diving done directly from the dive deck, which features individual space for every diver, a camera table, and showers. Aqua Cat also offers nitrox and can accommodate sidemount set-ups and rebreathers.

The dedicated onboard team will do anything they can to ensure everybody is well looked after – an attitude that saw Aqua Cat’s crew voted the best in the world by Scuba Diving Magazine readers.

At a glance…

• Top-quality dive facilities and superior service
• 42-metres long, accommodates up to 20 guests
• Up to five dives a day, including optional night dives

The 42-metre Belize Aggressor IV has been operating in Belize since 2002. Offering superb week-long voyages around Turneffe Atoll and Lighthouse Reef, this impressive liveaboard delivers guests to many of the country’s underwater highlights, such as Half Moon Caye and the Great Blue Hole. Of course, each trip is underpinned by the Aggressor Fleet’s first-class service, garnering this boat a well-deserved reputation among divers visiting the bucket-list destination of Belize.

The size and design of this liveaboard’s dive deck allows for diving to be conducted directly from the yacht. Guests can enjoy up to five dives a day, with warm showers, individual lockers and nitrox fills providing extra comfort and convenience. A camera table and low pressure hoses are also on hand for dealing with delicate photography gear.

The Belize Aggressor IV has been designed and built specifically for comfort, safety, and stability, while the crew take pride in upholding the fleet’s hallmark five-star service.

At a glance…

• Decades of experience in the Cayman Islands
• 34-metres long, accommodates up to 18 guests
• Camera facilities, nitrox fills, and warmshowers on the dive deck

The Cayman Islands were one of the first dive destinations to offer recreational liveaboard diving and have become the Aggressor Fleet’s flagship destination. So who better to explore them with? Aboard the Cayman Aggressor IV, guests are blessed with first-class hotel-style hospitality and luxurious details – including an on deck hot tub and complimentary wine – as they sail between iconic sites such as Bloody Bay Wall, Eden Rock, and Stingray City.

Like other Aggressor vessels, the dive deck aboard Cayman Aggressor IV has been carefully designed to facilitate stress-free diving, with showers, camera facilities and nitrox fills readily available. Guests can expect up to 27 dives during each week-long voyage, entering the water directly from the liveaboard, with no bumpy speedboat transfers.

Having operated in the Cayman Islands since 1984, all the fleet’s unparalleled local expertise has been channelled into the Cayman Aggressor IV, guaranteeing industry-leading facilities, well-designed decks, and seamless underwater experiences.

At a glance…

• Fine dining, complimentary wine, and an on-deck hot tub
• 37-metres long, accommodates up to 18 guests
• Nitrox, camera facilities, and up to five dives a day

When it comes to liveaboard diving in the Bay Islands of Honduras, there can only ever be one choice – not least because it’s the only vessel currently operating in this exceptional dive destination. But, even if it wasn’t, the Roatan Aggressor is sure to hold its own, guaranteeing the fleet’s phenomenal standards of service along with a few extra perks to pique your interest. These little added luxuries include fine dining, complimentary wine with dinner, and an on-deck hot tub.

When it comes to the main event, this modern motor yacht’s diver-friendly design includes a shaded back deck with equipment stations, facilities for camera care, and easy entrance and exit from a stable swim-up ladder. Nitrox fills are available for suitable certified guests and a range of PADI courses can also be undertaken.

Roatan Aggressor explores the Bay Islands’ best sites in one action-packed trip, and recently certified open water divers are welcome to join the fun! Each buddy team will be given as much or little assistance as they prefer, with skilled guides offering a hand when needed and then fading into the backdrop to let you enjoy your dive.

• At a glance…
• One of the country’s longest-serving liveaboards
• 38-metres long, accommodates up to 20 guests
• Swim deck, stable ladder, safety stop lines, and nitrox fills

The Turks and Caicos Explorer II is one of the country’s longest-serving liveaboards, backed by nearly 20 years of cruising experience. This vessel’s week-long dive safaris are delivered in a relaxed and social atmosphere and aim to cater to guests of all kinds, with accommodation options suited to various budgets.

Featuring a diver-focussed design, guests will enjoy day after day of easy diving with a convenient swim deck, stable ladder, safety stop lines and optional nitrox fills. The spacious, shaded dive deck also features a convenient camera table for underwater photographers. Each eight-day itinerary aboard the Turks and Caicos Explorer II includes diving around both the Turks and Caicos islands, incorporating exhilarating shark encounters with epic reef, wall, and channel diving.

Part of the industry-leading Explorer Ventures family, this liveaboard is a safe bet for environmentally-conscious divers, thanks to the fleet’s partnership with Reef-World and its Green Fins certification.