Without a doubt, the best way to experience the Red Sea in all of its wonder is on a liveaboard. But with so many boats and itineraries out there, how do you know what’s the best boat? That’s why we’ve put together these Red Sea liveaboard reviews.
The combination of year around warm water plus thousands of species of marine life and corals make the Red Sea a scuba diver’s dream destination. Hammerheads, thresher sharks, oceanic white tip sightings plus 19th and 20th century wrecks are some of the top highlights when diving in this region of the world.
In this guide we’ll walk you through everything you need to consider when choosing a liveaboard, and then compare some of the best ones so you can decide which cruise is right for you.
For more of our liveaboard recommendations, check out these popular articles:
Caribbean | Belize | Cuba | Turks & Caicos
North Pacific | Galapagos | Guadalupe | Socorro | Cocos
South Pacific | Australia | Palau | Fiji | French Polynesia | PNG | Solomon Islands
South East Asia | Raja Ampat | Komodo | Similan | Tubbataha | Burma
Red Sea & Middle East | Egypt | Sudan | Oman | Djibouti
Indian Ocean | Maldives | Seychelles
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- © Copyright by Phillip Guillaume, licensed under CC BY
QUICK ANSWER – BEST RED SEA LIVEABOARD TRIPS
RED SEA LIVEABOARD REVIEWS
BLUE MELODY
Photo Credit: Blue Melody Liveaboard
OPERATOR: Blue o Two
CAPACITY: 26
NITROX: Surcharge
PRICE: Starting At $912
RELATED VESSELS: Blue Horizon, Blue Fin, Red Sea Adventurer
ABOUT: The Blue Melody is a 5 star diving liveaboard vessel with large dining area, separate sky lounge with state of the art entertainment system and double and twin cabins all benefiting from ensuite facilities, air conditioning and personal entertainment systems.
EMPEROR ELITE
Photo Credit: Emperor Elite Liveaboard
OPERATOR: Emperor Divers
CAPACITY: 24
NITROX: Free
PRICE: Starting At $738
RELATED VESSELS: Emperor Superior, Emperor Asmaa
ABOUT: The Emperor Elite is a custom-designed 38 metre boat. All rooms have en-suite bathrooms, air conditioning, a flat screen TV with media player and two towels. It’s is a spacious boat with limited free WiFi, three sundecks, dive deck with platform, two air-conditioned salons and air-conditioned dining room.
BLUE PEARL
Photo Credit: Blue Pearl Liveaboard
OPERATOR: Blue Pearl
CAPACITY: 20
NITROX: Free
PRICE: Starting At $865
ABOUT: The MY Blue Pearl is 121 feet (37m) long and 26 feet (8m) wide. To ensure your dive safari holiday becomes a memorable experience, every aspect of MY Blue Pearl’s design, itinerary and menu have received detailed attention. A fantastic choice if you are looking for a comfortable and luxury diving experience.
SNEFRO PEARL
Photo Credit: Snefro Pearl Liveaboard
OPERATOR: King Snefro Fleet
CAPACITY: 12
NITROX: Free
PRICE: Starting At $886
RELATED VESSELS: Snefro Spirit, Snefro Love, King Snefro 3, King Snefro 5, King Snefro 6
ABOUT: The Snefro Pearl is a luxury liveaboard that was built to accommodate small groups. The spacious dining and saloon areas are air-conditioned and have a DVD, flat screen TV and stereo. There are also two sundeck areas, one partially shaded. Free Wifi is available on board and every cabin is air conditioned.
BLUE FIN
Photo Credit: Blue Fin Liveaboard
OPERATOR: Blue Fin Liveaboard
CAPACITY: 24
NITROX: Free
PRICE: Starting At $949
ABOUT: The MY Blue Fin is 128 feet (39m) long and 28 feet (8.5m) wide and was fully refurbished in 2015. It’s goal is to offer the best in terms of underwater experience and leisure-time activities, without compromising any of the comforts, usually found in land-based hotels. A liveaboard that provides a great value for your money.
COMPARISON TABLE – FIND THE BEST LIVEABOARD IN THE RED SEA
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4 THINGS TO CONSIDER TO FIND THE BEST LIVEABOARD BOAT IN THE RED SEA
WHEN IS THE BEST TIME OF THE YEAR TO DIVE THE RED SEA?
It’s possible to dive the Red Sea all year round with water temperatures ranging from 69-86F (21-30C). The most popular months are June to September. Having said that, you will want to plan your trip wisely if there is something you particularly want to see.
Hammerheads: July and August
Longimanus (Oceanic White Tip): October & November (At Brothers Reef)
Wrecks: All Year Around
ACCOMMODATION OPTIONS
Liveaboard boats come with a variety of accommodation options. Some have bunk beds with shared baths and others have rooms with a full sized beds and a private bathroom. To choose which option is best for you, consider your personal comfort level and your budget.
WHO OPERATES THE LIVEABOARD?
Many tour operators rent out boats to run their charters while other companies own and operate their own vessels. The latter can be a big advantage because the company has full control over the standards and the services provided.
WHAT’S YOUR BUDGET?
Liveaboards in the Red Sea range from $700 to $1400 depending on the type of boat and itinerary. There are lots of boats operating here and it’s not hard to find a deal. Saying this, I would recommend you consider the quality of service and the condition of the boat before price.
VIDEO – SCUBA DIVING IN THE RED SEA
CHOOSING YOUR ITINERARY
Some operators have over 20 cruising itineraries and knowing which one to choose can be tough. Keep in mind when choosing your itinerary that there is no night diving allowed in The Brothers, Deadalus, Rocky and Zarbagad Marine Parks. Also note that you must have at least 50 logged dives to dive these sites.
NORTHERN RED SEA
The Northern Red Sea cruises usually start from Sharm El Sheikh. This part of the sea is home to some of the best wreck dives in the world. The Thistlegorm, Carnatic, Dunraven, and Ghiannis D are some of the most popular.But the north isn’t purely about wrecks, there are also the beautiful coral gardens of Tiran and Ras Mohammed. Some itineraries combine both reef and wreck dives while others are strictly for heavy metal lovers.
DEEP SOUTH
Liveaboards in the south typically start from Hurghada and go down to Al Ikhwan. The southern region of the sea has many stunning coral reefs and it’s the place to be if you want to see the big stuff. The south is not as crowded as the north and offers sites that are well preserved. St. John’s, Elphinstone and The Brothers are some of the most popular dive sites in the Southern Red Sea.
SUDAN
It’s an excellent liveaboard location because there are more fish and less divers than in the Egyptian regions. The downsides to diving here are it’s more expensive and difficult to get to than the Egyptian liveaboards.
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