That is up to you. We charge 70% of the regular double occupancy price for single occupancy bookings. If you don´t mind sharing, you pay the regular price and we might book another single traveler into the same cabin. Of course, we make sure that you share a cabin with a guest of the same gender as yourself (men share with men, women share with women).

Triple occupancy bookings are available on Stingray, but in general we advise guests against it. The cabins are comfortable and spacious for two guests, but can be a little cramped when they are occupied by three adults. Triple occupancy really only makes sense for a family with child.

For this extremely rare occurrence we provide all our guests with mobile phone numbers of their boat and its representatives in Male, that can be reached at all times. Please let your boat crew know as soon as you are encountering problems, so that they can help you as quickly as possible. In practically all cases the pickup works as planned and flight delays are made known on Male Airport.

Our team is pleased to help you choose a suitable accommodation until your cruise starts / your flight departs. Hotels of all categories are offered and booked on request. Daytime rooms are convenient if, for example, your flight departs several hours after the cruise has ended. Alternative transfers to and from the boat can be easily organized (at extra cost), for further details please contact us.

Transfers to and from the boat are included in the package price on cruise start and end days until latest noon.

Basically, all year round. Average water temperature is 29° Celsius (84,2 Fahrenheit). Every season has its advantages. While the months February, March and April are popular for their clear visibility, other months are favored because of the high amount of plankton in the water - which increases the chance of encountering sea giants like mantas and whale sharks.

Heavy monsoon rains are rather seldom; a fast change of conditions however, is typically Maldivian. A quick shower will definitely not hold you back from diving, let alone snorkeling or swimming. In particular if it happens to be followed by bright equatorial sunshine, which is usually the case.

We are glad to share our experience with our customers. We organize island holiday or flight bookings. Please contact our team for further Information.

You need at least a Padi Open Water Diver or an equivalent certificate to join one of our diving cruises. This basic certificate allows you to dive to a maximum of 18m.

In order to be well-prepared for the challenging diving conditions in the Maldives and to be able to dive below 18m (where many of the highlights are) we recommend doing the Padi Advanced Open Water or an equivalent certificate before or during your cruise.

Divers who have not dived in a while can do a Padi Scuba Review course to refresh their diving skills.

After the check dive, the dive guide will evaluate the skill levels of all divers. The diving conditions in the Maldives are challenging and if the dive guide or a guest feel that it is necessary, guided dives for individuals can be arranged for USD 10 per dive. Guided dives provide an opportunity to get used to diving in strong currents, entering and exiting the water from a dive tender (Dhoni) and doing fast descents under the supervision of an experienced dive master. We recommend guided dives to all divers with little open sea, current and liveaboard diving experience. In most cases, diver(s) only need a couple of guided dives at the beginning before diving with the group for the rest of their stay.

Please bring your logbook and certification card! We also recommend doing a medical check before your holiday and bringing the certificate with you.

One diving computer per diver is obligatory as well one safety balloon. Maximum dept is 30m (98 feet), dive time is 60 minutes maximum. Diving is performed according Maldivian Diving Regulation and Padi rules.

If you have a GSM phone, you can use it as you do normally (just keep in mind that roaming charges can be quite high). Otherwise, you can use pay phones on the islands, or, if it is very urgent, the mobile phone of the liveaboard cruise manager.

Both GSM 900 and GSM 1800 mobile phones work in the Maldives, please ask your service provider to find out about the roaming rates. North American mobile phones use GSM 1900, so you need to make sure your mobile phone is compatible with other GSM networks. The Maldivian GSM network has developed very quickly and there is good reception even in the remote areas we tour.

Our boats have 220 Volt sockets with Maldivian plugs. We have a variety of international adapters on board which our guests can borrow to recharge cameras, lamps, phones and laptops. There are sockets in every cabin and in the communal areas. Electricity is available 24h.

The water in the Maldives has an average temperature of 28°C (83 Fahrenheit), even in deeper waters. We recommend using one of the following options:

3mm full-length suit - to protect your knees and elbows

5mm full-length suit - if you get cold easily and want maximum protection

This is not necessary as all cabins are fully equipped. Towels and bed sheets are changed regularly. However, it is never a bad idea to bring your own beach towel for island visits and sunbaths.

In general, it is very easy to pack for a cruise on one of our ships. There is no formal dress code and you won't even need shoes for most of your stay.

Apart from absolute essentials such as your passport, your diving certificate, your logbook and means of payment, we recommend to take the following things with you:

Shorts

T-Shirts

Sandals

Swim wear

Sun hat

Sunglasses

High factor sun lotion

Sarongs/skirts/dresses

Books/games/music

your personnel medicine

The following things are NOT allowed to be brought into the country:

Alcoholic beverages

Pork products

Pornographic materials

Drugs

All boats are staffed with trained personnel and carry emergency medication. Oxygen on board is compulsory. All liveaboard guests are asked to follow the dive guide's instructions. Do not dive deeper than 30m (98 feet), do not make decompression dives, stay in your buddy team, maintain and check your equipment carefully. Sticking to these simple safety rules decreases the possibility of a diving accident dramatically. Should something happen after all, there is a trained diving physician available on phone at all times to give immediate professional advice. There are 3 decompression chambers on the Maldives.

Almost all boats have an on board pharmacy, which is equipped with the most common remedies. However, it is always a good idea to bring your own travel medication set.

Nothing special is requested or suggested. But in any case you should check with your doctor or public health office if your basic vaccinations are up to date or if there are any actual changes in the Maldives.

You will be surprised, how busy life on board will keep you, if you participate in the program. However, you should not expect an overflowing cultural agenda or disco nights. Of course the boat's bar and sound system are always accessible in case of sudden party hunger. But the main focus of liveaboard holidays lies on diving and enjoying the natural tropical beauty of the Maldives as comfortable and relaxed as possible.

Our cooks are great at taking care of vegetarians and people with allergies. The most important thing is that you let us know about your requirements in good time so the chef has time to plan the menu and shop accordingly.

Most of our guests are surprised how much space there is on our modern liveaboards. Our boats do not only have spacious cabins, they also offer several decks that can serve as a welcome retreat. Salon and bar offer enough space for the whole group at once and are popular venues for communal leisure activities.

There are many other activities than diving and our staff takes good care of our non-diving guests. We offer escorted snorkeling and Maldivian-style fishing. When anchoring by a local island, you can visit the village and get an insight into Maldivian culture.

Children aged 12 or above who are good swimmers are most welcome on our liveaboards. They will have a great time and enjoy a fun and safe holiday. For safety reasons we advise parents against bringing younger children.

Smoking is strictly prohibited in all rooms and bathrooms as well as anywhere near the machines, the saloon and in the kitchen. Otherwise, all communal areas are smoking zones.

Drinks, equipment and phone bill are paid for at the end of the cruise. USD is accepted everywhere and exchange rates are fair and regulated. You can pay by cash or credit card. When visiting Male, you can pay with credit card practically everywhere.

All our boats accept MASTER and VISA cards on board.

There are no universal rules for tipping on liveaboards. It is up to you whether or not you would like to express satisfaction at the end of the journey. Usually a tip box is provided or cruise director or captain are the persons who collect the tip. On our boats tips are evenly shared between the crew members (between 11 and 13 crew members). Average tip is US$50 per person per week.