Emperor Elite Liveaboard, Red Sea

Well-established liveaboard offering expert, action-packed itineraries in the Egyptian Red Sea

from$167 /day

per person

Overview

Over 25 years’ experience offering liveaboard cruises in the Red Sea
Get the most out of your trip with the 21+ DIVES or MAX dive itineraries
Enjoy free wifi, wine with dinner, and nitrox mixes up to 40%

Operated by the long-reigning kings of Red Sea liveaboard diving - Emperor Divers - this vessel offers convenient, action-packed voyages exploring the very best dive sites in the Egyptian Red Sea. Boasting contemporary and spacious cabins, and a handful of extra perks like free nitrox and complimentary wine, Emperor Elite is well-equipped to cater for the most discerning of divers. Throw in the action-packed itineraries and you’ve got a dream dive holiday and exceptional value for money.

Number of cabins:13
Internet:YES
Nitrox:YES
Equipment rental:YES
Guest / Guide:12:1
Group booking discounts

Choose your trip

5Sep 2024
8D / 7N
Famous Five - HRG - RMF
21+ dives
from $1,603
Overview
Length of trip 8 days / 7 nights
Number of dives 21+
Experience Advanced Open Water - Minimum 30 dives
Insurance Dive and travel insurance required
Transfer details
Departure
05 Sep 2024
06:00 PM
Hurghada
Hurghada International Airport: HRG
Return
12 Sep 2024
09:00 AM
Port Ghalib
Marsa Alam International Airport: RMF
What's included
Meals and snacks
Water, tea and coffee
Soft drinks
Beer and wine with dinner
Internet
Fuel surcharge
Tanks and weights
Night dives
Nitrox
Towels and toiletries
Taxes
Park and port fees
Transfers

What's not included
To be paid in advance or onboard
Dive and travel insurance

Optional Extras
To be booked in advance or paid onboard
Single supplement - 50%
Alcoholic drinks
Gratuities - €75 per person
Equipment rental - €206 per trip

Highlights
Tour the best of wrecks, reefs and national parks in the Red Sea
Make the most of up to 21 dives in 7 days
Dive wrecks such as the Dunraven, Rosalie Moeller, Carnatic, and more
Log dives on Shark and Yolanda reefs in Ras Mohammed National Park
Discover the wrecks of Abu Nuhas, including Giannis D and Chrisoula K
Explore the SS Thistlegorm wreck, during the day and at night
Night dives may be possible when outside of marine parks

Starting from Hurghada, we sail north towards Gubal Island and on to Abu Nuhas and its four well-known wrecks: Giannis D, Carnatic, the ‘Lentil Wreck’ and the ‘Tile Wreck’, all offering spectacular dives and plenty of fish life. Explore the Rosalie Moller (the sister ship of the slightly more famous Thistlegorm), which lies from 30 to 50 metres deep and is in excellent condition. Although the visibility is not always good, the wreck is covered in glassfish from bow to stern and hunting them are masses of lionfish. Around the wreck are the usual pelagics such as tuna, trevallies, Emperor fish and many more.

A short ride across the Straits of Gubal and you visit the most famous wreck of the Red Sea, the SS Thistlegorm! An awe-inspiring World War II British vessel with a cargo full of armaments, Bedford trucks and BSA motorbikes, which were all destined for the British troops in North Africa. She was sunk by the German Luftwaffe and now lies in 30 metres of water. Depending on divers’ experience, along with weather and current conditions, we try to offer a night dive here. Nearby is the Ras Mohamed National Park, offering a morning dive at the renowned ‘Shark and Yolanda’ reefs. Ras Mohamed National Park is the furthest Sinai destination before heading south towards the Brothers.

The Brother Islands are the pinnacles of two undersea mountains rising from the depths of the abyss and are located about 60 miles offshore from El Quseir. Part of the Marine Park Islands National Park, these islands offer stunning wall diving, with the walls covered in soft corals and forests of gorgonians, creating a kaleidoscope of ever-changing colours. They attract a diverse array of marine species and large pelagics. Big tuna, barracudas, jacks and snappers cruise in the blue, accompanied by occasional hammerheads, silky and oceanic white tip sharks and mantas. Even the rare thresher shark can sometimes be found there. Sightings of the grey reef shark are almost guaranteed on the North and South Plateaux of Small Brother.

For the wreck diver, the Aida II, an Egyptian supply vessel, and the Numidia, a cargo ship, lie on the walls of the Big Brother. Both are covered in a rich growth of soft and hard corals. Marine life includes a family of Napoleon wrasse and grey reef sharks.

The boat will then sail back to Marsa Alam via Safaga where you can dive at Panorama Reef or the famous wreck of Salem Express for a memorable finale.

Sample itineraries are for guidance only. Actual itineraries may differ slightly due to factors such as weather, wildlife, logistics and local regulations.

Payment & cancellation terms
Payment policy
20% deposit - required to secure reservation.
80% balance - due 60 days prior to departure.
Bookings received less than 60 days before departure require payment in full to secure reservation.
Cancellation policy
More than 60 days prior to service start date, the cancellation fee charged is equal to the amount of deposit(s) already paid.
60 days or less prior to service start date a cancellation fee of 100% is charged.
Special offers or promotions - separate payment and cancellation terms may apply.
Group bookings - separate payment and cancellation terms may apply.
Contact the ZuBlu travel team if you have any questions about payment terms and cancellation
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from $1,603 /guest
Per person, diving included
Limited availability
12Sep 2024
8D / 7N
Daedalus, Fury & Elphinstone
21+ dives
-20% discount
$1,553
from $1,243
Overview
Length of trip 8 days / 7 nights
Number of dives 21+
Experience Advanced Open Water - Minimum 30 dives
Insurance Dive and travel insurance required
Transfer details
Departure
12 Sep 2024
06:00 PM
Port Ghalib
Marsa Alam International Airport: RMF
Return
19 Sep 2024
09:00 AM
Port Ghalib
Marsa Alam International Airport: RMF
What's included
Meals and snacks
Water, tea and coffee
Soft drinks
Beer and wine with dinner
Internet
Fuel surcharge
Tanks and weights
Night dives
Nitrox
Towels and toiletries
Taxes
Park and port fees
Transfers

What's not included
To be paid in advance or onboard
Dive and travel insurance

Optional Extras
To be booked in advance or paid onboard
Single supplement - 50%
Alcoholic drinks
Gratuities - €75 per person
Equipment rental - €206 per trip

Highlights
Circular itinerary exploring many of the southern Red Sea’s top sites
Dive Daedalus Reef, the furthest offshore reef in the Egyptian Red Sea
Meet the resident dolphins of Fury Shoals’ pristine reef
Search for the oceanic whitetips and hammerheads of Elphinstone
Night dives may be possible when outside of marine parks

Day 1: Once onboard there will be a safety briefing, crew introduction, complete and check dive paperwork, cabin allocation and boat orientation. Our boats moor in the port on arrival day, departing early the next morning. The first dive is a check dive near the port.

Days 2-6: Heading first to Fury Shoals, we may dive around the Marsa Alam area or perhaps dive Sha’ab Sharm with its wall dives and white tip reef sharks. Oceanic whitetips and silky sharks can sometimes be found in the blue and turtles often visit the south side before heading further south. At Fury Shoals, we have more time to explore the vast reef system than other itineraries afford. Of course we will dive the classics such as Sha’ab Claude (a.k.a. Claudio) with its famous swim-throughs and huge porite corals, Malahi with its mazes and friendly turtles and Abu Galawa Soraya with its fantastic coral garden and a wreck of a private sailing boat smothered with glass fish. Sataya with its resident spinner dolphin population is a must for snorkelling between dives, as well as having some good underwater offerings, and on top of that we can spend time exploring less dived sites such as Sha’ab Hamam (Stairway to Heaven), Abu Galawa Kebir with the Tien Hsing wreck, Gota Sataya and if the weather is kind there are some submerged reefs that can be moored on such as Habili Sameh that will blow you away.

Daedalus Reef, part of the Red Sea offshore Marine Park, is a large, oval reef with a lighthouse and is the furthest offshore reef in the Egyptian Red Sea. Its deep walls and drop-offs offer some of the most spectacular diving. Daedalus has mountainous, pristine, hard coral formations. There is also a strong chance of spotting schooling hammerheads, especially from May to November, and grey reef sharks.

Of course no trip to the South would be complete without stopping at world famous Elphinstone, with its sheer walls covered in soft corals, and likely encounters with oceanic whitetip sharks. Depending on the experience of the group and the weather, you may even get the chance to dive here at the beginning and end of your trip.

Day 7: On the last diving day, 2 dives are available in the morning whilst observing the rule of no diving within 24 hours of reaching altitude. We return to port at approximately 13.00 and moor here overnight. In the evening, we will pack up diving equipment, visit the marina and settle any outstanding bills.

Day 8: Depart for the airport or hotel.

Sample itineraries are for guidance only. Actual itineraries may differ slightly due to factors such as weather, wildlife, logistics and local regulations.

Payment & cancellation terms
Payment policy
20% deposit - required to secure reservation.
80% balance - due 60 days prior to departure.
Bookings received less than 60 days before departure require payment in full to secure reservation.
Cancellation policy
More than 60 days prior to service start date, the cancellation fee charged is equal to the amount of deposit(s) already paid.
60 days or less prior to service start date a cancellation fee of 100% is charged.
Special offers or promotions - separate payment and cancellation terms may apply.
Group bookings - separate payment and cancellation terms may apply.
Contact the ZuBlu travel team if you have any questions about payment terms and cancellation
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View itinerary in new tab
from $1,243 /guest
Per person, diving included
Limited availability
19Sep 2024
8D / 7N
Southern Solitude
21+ dives
from $1,603
Overview
Length of trip 8 days / 7 nights
Number of dives 21+
Experience Advanced Open Water - Minimum 30 dives
Insurance Dive and travel insurance required
Transfer details
Departure
19 Sep 2024
06:00 PM
Port Ghalib
Marsa Alam International Airport: RMF
Return
26 Sep 2024
09:00 AM
Port Ghalib
Marsa Alam International Airport: RMF
What's included
Meals and snacks
Water, tea and coffee
Soft drinks
Beer and wine with dinner
Internet
Fuel surcharge
Tanks and weights
Night dives
Nitrox
Towels and toiletries
Taxes
Park and port fees
Transfers

What's not included
To be paid in advance or onboard
Dive and travel insurance

Optional Extras
To be booked in advance or paid onboard
Single supplement - 50%
Alcoholic drinks
Gratuities - €75 per person
Equipment rental - €206 per trip

Highlights
Circular itinerary exploring many of the southern Red Sea’s top sites
Dive Daedalus Reef, the furthest offshore reef in the Egyptian Red Sea
Meet the resident dolphins of Fury Shoals’ pristine reef
Search for the oceanic whitetips and hammerheads of Elphinstone
Night dives may be possible when outside of marine parks
Visit the rarely dived southern sites of St Johns
All dives made offshore

Once onboard there will be a safety briefing, crew introduction, complete and check dive paperwork, cabin allocation and boat orientation. Our boats moor in the port on arrival day, departing early the next morning. The first dive is a check dive near the port.

By approaching these iconic sites in the opposite direction to most standard itineraries, we hope to offer you the best opportunity to dive with the fewest number of people around you.

Southern Solitude is a dive-focused trip, heading out of Port Ghalib and immediately arriving in the Elphinstone area. This enables us to make a check dive nearby and then get straight to a site which is normally frequented on the final days of trips. With fewer boats around it should give the chance to enjoy the 300-metre-long reef’s colourful pink and red soft coral sheer walls in relative peace and quiet.

We’ll then go to Daedalus, arriving before most others, to take in its deep walls and drop-offs which offer some of the most spectacular diving to be found, before heading down to the exceptionally remote, and usually quiet, Rocky and Zabargad Islands where even many Red Sea veterans cannot boast to have dived.

Over the next couple of days we will move up through St John’s and Fury Shoals where our guides will find the quietest spots in this vast collection of stunning reef systems, which offers some of the most picturesque and rewarding diving in the Red Sea. Fury Shoals also boasts an amazing selection of marine life including super-friendly turtles and a resident pod of spinner dolphins.

This will bring us up to day six when, while others cram into local onshore bays, we’ll do a full day and night diving program on some offshore reefs as we travel north.

On the last diving day, there is the potential to do four dives as the boat stays out all night. We return to Port Ghalib at approximately 07.30 AM with boat departure to be completed by 09.00 AM. The earliest flight you should take from RMF is 10.30 AM and from HRG 13.30 PM, to allow for a stress free departure.

Sample itineraries are for guidance only. Actual itineraries may differ slightly due to factors such as weather, wildlife, logistics and local regulations.

Payment & cancellation terms
Payment policy
20% deposit - required to secure reservation.
80% balance - due 60 days prior to departure.
Bookings received less than 60 days before departure require payment in full to secure reservation.
Cancellation policy
More than 60 days prior to service start date, the cancellation fee charged is equal to the amount of deposit(s) already paid.
60 days or less prior to service start date a cancellation fee of 100% is charged.
Special offers or promotions - separate payment and cancellation terms may apply.
Group bookings - separate payment and cancellation terms may apply.
Contact the ZuBlu travel team if you have any questions about payment terms and cancellation
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View itinerary in new tab
from $1,603 /guest
Per person, diving included
Sold out
26Sep 2024
8D / 7N
South and St Johns
21+ dives
from $1,720
Overview
Length of trip 8 days / 7 nights
Number of dives 21+
Experience Advanced Open Water - Minimum 30 dives
Insurance Dive and travel insurance required
Transfer details
Departure
26 Sep 2024
06:00 PM
Port Ghalib
Marsa Alam International Airport: RMF
Return
03 Oct 2024
09:00 AM
Port Ghalib
Marsa Alam International Airport: RMF
What's included
Meals and snacks
Water, tea and coffee
Soft drinks
Beer and wine with dinner
Internet
Fuel surcharge
Tanks and weights
Night dives
Nitrox
Towels and toiletries
Taxes
Park and port fees
Transfers

What's not included
To be paid in advance or onboard
Dive and travel insurance

Optional Extras
To be booked in advance or paid onboard
Single supplement - 50%
Alcoholic drinks
Gratuities - €75 per person
Equipment rental - €206 per trip

Highlights
Circular itinerary incorporating the best sites of the south
Dive up to 21 times in 7 days
Visit the rarely dived southern sites of St Johns
Explore the tunnels and small caves of Gota Kebir
Meet the resident dolphins of Fury Shoals’ pristine reef
Search for the oceanic whitetips of Elphinstone
The longer crossings of this itinerary will mostly be at night

Day 1: Once onboard there will be a safety briefing, crew introduction, complete and check dive paperwork, cabin allocation and boat orientation. Our boats moor in the port on arrival day, departing early the next morning. The first dive is a check dive near the port.

Days 2-6: Sailing to the southernmost reefs, you’ll depart from Port Ghalib and dive some sites to the south before sailing overnight to your southernmost point in the St. John’s area. Depending on weather, government approval and marine life sightings in recent weeks, we may sail to the southernmost islands of Rocky and Zabargad, or we’ll moor instead in the vast reef system of St John’s to begin the adventure in the South.

When leaving Port Ghalib the route can sometimes take in a dive at Abu Dabab on the first or last day. Often spoilt for choice, your guides will pick sites that they know to be the best for the time of year and can find excellent alternatives should the weather affect the normal route.

On the way to Fury Shoals, we’ll dive Sha’ab Sharm with its wall dives and whitetip reef sharks. At Fury Shoals, dive Sha’ab Claude with its famous swim-throughs and huge porite corals. Whitetip reef sharks and an anemone and clownfish settlement can be seen a little off the reef to the south. Abu Galawa Soraya has a fantastic coral garden and a wreck of a private sailing boat populated with glassfish.

St Johns is a vast collection of small reefs offering some of the most remote and rewarding diving in the Red Sea. This incredibly beautiful reef lies a short distance north of the Sudanese border. The reef covers a huge area and many dives would be needed to explore the numerous coral heads and islands. Habili Ali offers giant gorgonians and black corals whilst grey reef, silvertip and schools of hammerhead sharks might be found on the west side. Habili Gafaar is a mass of soft corals teaming with shoals of snappers, butterfly fish and barracudas. Mantas, grey reef and silvertip sharks can often be seen in the blue.
Gota Kebir is a massive reef, famous for its tunnels and south plateau, where jacks and barracudas can be seen and the occasional manta. The tunnels are ideal for novice cave divers.

Gota Soraya is rated as possibly one of the best wall dives in the Red Sea, with overhangs and cracks in the reef wall full of glass fish and sweepers and an abundance of corals, Grey Reef, Silvertips and Hammerhead sharks.

Day 7: On the last day as we head back to port, we will try to take in a dive or two on the world famous Elphinstone Reef if weather and diver experience permits us, or we will finish in the Abu Dabab area perhaps with another dive or two closer to Port Ghalib. We return to port at approximately 13.00 and moor here overnight. In the evening, we will pack up diving equipment, visit the marina and settle any outstanding bills.

Day 8: Depart for the airport or hotel.

Sample itineraries are for guidance only. Actual itineraries may differ slightly due to factors such as weather, wildlife, logistics and local regulations.

Payment & cancellation terms
Payment policy
20% deposit - required to secure reservation.
80% balance - due 60 days prior to departure.
Bookings received less than 60 days before departure require payment in full to secure reservation.
Cancellation policy
More than 60 days prior to service start date, the cancellation fee charged is equal to the amount of deposit(s) already paid.
60 days or less prior to service start date a cancellation fee of 100% is charged.
Special offers or promotions - separate payment and cancellation terms may apply.
Group bookings - separate payment and cancellation terms may apply.
Contact the ZuBlu travel team if you have any questions about payment terms and cancellation
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from $1,720 /guest
Per person, diving included
On request

Cabins

Twin cabin - lower deck
Twin beds
2 people
Shareable
Twin cabin, convertible - main deck
Twin or double bed
2 people
Shareable
Twin cabin - upper deck
Twin beds
2 people
Shareable
Junior suite
King size bed
2 people
Non shareable
Executive suite
King size bed
2 people
Non shareable

If you are a solo traveller, we aim to allocate shared cabins on a same-sex basis.
Non-shareable cabins can not be shared with another single traveler outside your party. A single occupancy surcharge will be applied.

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Emperor Elite Liveaboard, Red Sea

Overview

Choose your trip

Famous Five - HRG - RMF

Departure

Return

What's included

What's not included

Optional Extras

Payment & cancellation terms

Daedalus, Fury & Elphinstone

Departure

Return

What's included

What's not included

Optional Extras

Payment & cancellation terms

Southern Solitude

Departure

Return

What's included

What's not included

Optional Extras

Payment & cancellation terms

South and St Johns

Departure

Return

What's included

What's not included

Optional Extras

Payment & cancellation terms

Cabins

Twin cabin - lower deck

Twin cabin, convertible - main deck

Twin cabin - upper deck

Junior suite

Executive suite

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