Emperor Explorer
M/V Emperor Explorer is a luxury liveaboard in the Maldives, offering spacious cabins, expert guides, and incredible diving experiences with manta rays, sharks, and vibrant coral reefs.
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Dive Overview
Boasting warm waters with rich marine life, coral reefs visited by schools of fish and playful dolphins, mantas and whale sharks, the Maldives is one of the most diverse scuba diving destinations in the world. Amazing channel dives draw animals from the deep, which will leave you spellbound. Mountainous pinnacles rise from 35m and taper to 8m, which make them ideal for those slower, more relaxing dives.
[See: Maldives Dive Travel Guide]
Accommodation Overview
At 42 meters, she easily accommodates 26 guests in 13 well-appointed en-suite cabins, all with air conditioning.
- Upper deck cabins: 2 king-size double and 2 twin
- Main deck cabins: 2 double with a single bed
- Lower deck cabins: 5 double with a single bed and 2 double
Emperor Explorer's Salon
Indoor Dining Area & Hot Tub
Food & Drinks
The meals on board are usually buffet style with a variety of local and international dishes to suit everyone. Local food is traditionally a bit spicey, fish is available on-board, mostly frozen with a few fresh catches along the way. Water, tea, and coffee are complimentary. Soft drinks, fresh juices and alcohol are chargeable.
Cabin details
Twin Lower Deck
Double Lower Deck
Suite Twin Main Deck
Twin Upper Deck
Suite Double Upper Deck
Boat features
Boat facilities
Deck plan
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Deals & Special Offers
Emperor Explorer Special: Get 10% Off
Get $500 Off On Select Trips
Valid for any departure from May 31 - December 31, 2025
Early Bird Special: Get 10% Off
Applicable on all 2026 & 2027 departures excluding Maldives -February & March 2026/2027. Can be combined with standard group free places not applicable to the below extra FOC group and charter promo.
Group Specials:
5 paid + 1 free
10 paid + 2 free
18 paid + 3 free
22 paid + 4 free
Book By: June 8, 2025
Prices are per person, based on double-occupancy. Not combinable with other promotions or specials.
Subject to availability. Valid for new bookings only.
$500 Off!
Emperor Explorer dates
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14 Aug 2025 - 24 Aug 2025
(Northern Highlights) ( Male - Male)
11 days10 nights
10/26 spots left
from $4,048
12 Oct 2025 - 19 Oct 2025
(Best of Maldives) ( Male - Male)
8 days7 nights
26/26 spots left
from $2,835
19 Oct 2025 - 26 Oct 2025
(Best of Maldives) ( Male - Male)
8 days7 nights
17/26 spots left
from $2,835
2 Nov 2025 - 9 Nov 2025
(Best of Maldives) ( Male - Male)
8 days7 nights
26/26 spots left
from $3,103
9 Nov 2025 - 16 Nov 2025
(Best of Maldives) ( Male - Male)
8 days7 nights
18/18 spots left
from $3,103
7 Dec 2025 - 14 Dec 2025
(Best of Maldives) ( Male - Male)
8 days7 nights
20/22 spots left
from $3,271
14 Dec 2025 - 21 Dec 2025
(Best of Maldives) ( Male - Male)
8 days7 nights
19/22 spots left
from $3,271
21 Dec 2025 - 28 Dec 2025
(Best of Maldives) ( Male - Male)
8 days7 nights
16/22 spots left
from $3,383
18 Jan 2026 - 1 Feb 2026
(Southern Shark Adventure) ( Male - Gan)
15 days14 nights
21/26 spots left
from $5,887
22 Feb 2026 - 8 Mar 2026
(Deep South) ( Gan - Male)
15 days14 nights
11/18 spots left
from $5,887
8 Mar 2026 - 15 Mar 2026
(Best of Maldives) ( Male - Male)
8 days7 nights
5/18 spots left
from $3,444
22 Mar 2026 - 29 Mar 2026
(Sharktastic) ( Male - Male)
8 days7 nights
5/10 spots left
from $3,444
29 Mar 2026 - 5 Apr 2026
(Best of Maldives) ( Male - Male)
8 days7 nights
25/26 spots left
from $3,276
12 Apr 2026 - 19 Apr 2026
(Best of Maldives) ( Male - Male)
8 days7 nights
26/26 spots left
from $3,276
19 Apr 2026 - 26 Apr 2026
(Best of Maldives) ( Male - Male)
8 days7 nights
26/26 spots left
from $3,276
26 Apr 2026 - 3 May 2026
(Best of Maldives) ( Male - Male)
8 days7 nights
26/26 spots left
from $3,276
24 May 2026 - 31 May 2026
(Best of Maldives) ( Male - Male)
8 days7 nights
26/26 spots left
from $2,835
2 Aug 2026 - 9 Aug 2026
(Best of Maldives) ( Male - Male)
8 days7 nights
26/26 spots left
from $2,835
9 Aug 2026 - 16 Aug 2026
(Best of Maldives) ( Male - Male)
8 days7 nights
26/26 spots left
from $2,835
16 Aug 2026 - 23 Aug 2026
(Best of Maldives) ( Male - Male)
8 days7 nights
24/26 spots left
from $2,835
30 Aug 2026 - 6 Sep 2026
(Best of Maldives) ( Male - Male)
8 days7 nights
26/26 spots left
from $2,835
6 Sep 2026 - 13 Sep 2026
(Best of Maldives) ( Male - Male)
8 days7 nights
26/26 spots left
from $2,835
13 Sep 2026 - 20 Sep 2026
(Best of Maldives) ( Male - Male)
8 days7 nights
26/26 spots left
from $2,835
20 Sep 2026 - 27 Sep 2026
(Best of Maldives) ( Male - Male)
8 days7 nights
25/26 spots left
from $2,835
27 Sep 2026 - 4 Oct 2026
(Best of Maldives) ( Male - Male)
8 days7 nights
26/26 spots left
from $2,835
4 Oct 2026 - 11 Oct 2026
(Best of Maldives) ( Male - Male)
8 days7 nights
26/26 spots left
from $2,835
25 Oct 2026 - 1 Nov 2026
(Best of Maldives) ( Male - Male)
8 days7 nights
18/22 spots left
from $2,835
1 Nov 2026 - 8 Nov 2026
(Best of Maldives) ( Male - Male)
8 days7 nights
26/26 spots left
from $3,103
8 Nov 2026 - 15 Nov 2026
(Best of Maldives) ( Male - Male)
8 days7 nights
26/26 spots left
from $3,103
15 Nov 2026 - 22 Nov 2026
(Best of Maldives) ( Male - Male)
8 days7 nights
26/26 spots left
from $3,103
22 Nov 2026 - 29 Nov 2026
(Best of Maldives) ( Male - Male)
8 days7 nights
26/26 spots left
from $3,103
29 Nov 2026 - 6 Dec 2026
(Best of Maldives) ( Male - Male)
8 days7 nights
26/26 spots left
from $3,103
6 Dec 2026 - 13 Dec 2026
(Best of Maldives) ( Male - Male)
8 days7 nights
26/26 spots left
from $3,103
31 May 2026 - 7 Jun 2026
(Best of Maldives) ( Male - Male)
8 days7 nights
26/26 spots left
from $2,835
24 Aug 2025 - 31 Aug 2025
(Best of Maldives) ( Male - Male)
20% OFF$3,0038 days7 nights
19/22 spots left
from $2,402
12 Feb 2026 - 22 Feb 2026
(Southern Shark Adventure) ( Kooddoo - Gan)
11 days10 nights
4/8 spots left
from $5,429
3 Jan 2027 - 10 Jan 2027
(Best of Maldives) ( Male - Male)
8 days7 nights
26/26 spots left
from $3,276
21 Feb 2027 - 28 Feb 2027
(Best of Maldives) ( Male - Male)
8 days7 nights
26/26 spots left
from $3,276
28 Feb 2027 - 7 Mar 2027
(Best of Maldives) ( Male - Male)
8 days7 nights
26/26 spots left
from $3,276
7 Mar 2027 - 14 Mar 2027
(Best of Maldives) ( Male - Male)
8 days7 nights
26/26 spots left
from $3,276
14 Mar 2027 - 21 Mar 2027
(Best of Maldives) ( Male - Male)
8 days7 nights
26/26 spots left
from $3,276
21 Mar 2027 - 28 Mar 2027
(Sharktastic) ( Male - Male)
8 days7 nights
26/26 spots left
from $3,276
18 Apr 2027 - 25 Apr 2027
(Best of Maldives) ( Male - Male)
8 days7 nights
26/26 spots left
from $3,276
25 Apr 2027 - 2 May 2027
(Best of Maldives) ( Male - Male)
8 days7 nights
26/26 spots left
from $3,276
2 May 2027 - 9 May 2027
(Best of Maldives) ( Male - Male)
8 days7 nights
26/26 spots left
from $2,835
9 May 2027 - 16 May 2027
(Best of Maldives) ( Male - Male)
8 days7 nights
26/26 spots left
from $2,835
16 May 2027 - 23 May 2027
(Best of Maldives) ( Male - Male)
8 days7 nights
26/26 spots left
from $2,835
10 Jan 2027 - 24 Jan 2027
(Southern Shark Adventure) ( Male - Gan)
15 days14 nights
26/26 spots left
from $5,887
24 Jan 2027 - 31 Jan 2027
(Deep South) ( Gan - Kooddoo)
8 days7 nights
26/26 spots left
from $3,433
31 Jan 2027 - 7 Feb 2027
(Deep South) ( Kooddoo - Gan)
8 days7 nights
26/26 spots left
from $3,433
1 Aug 2027 - 8 Aug 2027
(Best of Maldives) ( Male - Male)
8 days7 nights
26/26 spots left
from $2,835
7 Sep 2025 - 14 Sep 2025
(Best of Maldives) ( Male - Male)
8 days7 nights
10/12 spots left
from $3,204
8 Aug 2027 - 15 Aug 2027
(Best of Maldives) ( Male - Male)
8 days7 nights
26/26 spots left
from $2,835
15 Aug 2027 - 22 Aug 2027
(Best of Maldives) ( Male - Male)
8 days7 nights
26/26 spots left
from $2,835
22 Aug 2027 - 29 Aug 2027
(Best of Maldives) ( Male - Male)
8 days7 nights
26/26 spots left
from $2,835
29 Aug 2027 - 5 Sep 2027
(Best of Maldives) ( Male - Male)
8 days7 nights
26/26 spots left
from $2,835
19 Sep 2027 - 26 Sep 2027
(Best of Maldives) ( Male - Male)
8 days7 nights
26/26 spots left
from $2,835
17 Oct 2027 - 24 Oct 2027
(Best of Maldives) ( Male - Male)
8 days7 nights
26/26 spots left
from $2,835
26 Oct 2025 - 2 Nov 2025
(Best of Maldives) ( Male - Male)
8 days7 nights
8/22 spots left
from $3,003
3 Aug 2025 - 13 Aug 2025
(Northern Highlights) ( Male - Male)
11 days10 nights
5/18 spots left
from $4,288
28 Mar 2027 - 4 Apr 2027
(Best of Maldives) ( Male - Male)
8 days7 nights
26/26 spots left
from $3,276
24 Oct 2027 - 31 Oct 2027
(Best of Maldives) ( Male - Male)
8 days7 nights
26/26 spots left
from $2,835
31 Oct 2027 - 7 Nov 2027
(Best of Maldives) ( Male - Male)
8 days7 nights
26/26 spots left
from $3,103
3 Oct 2027 - 10 Oct 2027
(Best of Maldives) ( Male - Male)
8 days7 nights
26/26 spots left
from $2,835
10 Oct 2027 - 17 Oct 2027
(Best of Maldives) ( Male - Male)
8 days7 nights
26/26 spots left
from $2,835
21 Sep 2025 - 28 Sep 2025
(Best of Maldives) ( Male - Male)
8 days7 nights
13/22 spots left
from $2,835
7 Feb 2027 - 21 Feb 2027
(Southern Shark Adventure) ( Gan - Male)
15 days14 nights
24/26 spots left
from $5,887
26 Sep 2027 - 3 Oct 2027
(Best of Maldives) ( Male - Male)
8 days7 nights
26/26 spots left
from $2,835
15 Mar 2026 - 22 Mar 2026
(Best of Maldives) ( Male - Male)
8 days7 nights
5/8 spots left
from $3,276
30 Nov 2025 - 7 Dec 2025
(Best of Maldives) ( Male - Male)
8 days7 nights
24/26 spots left
from $3,103
13 Dec 2026 - 20 Dec 2026
(Best of Maldives) ( Male - Male)
8 days7 nights
26/26 spots left
from $3,103
20 Dec 2026 - 27 Dec 2026
(Best of Maldives) ( Male - Male)
8 days7 nights
26/26 spots left
from $3,215
5 Sep 2027 - 12 Sep 2027
(Best of Maldives) ( Male - Male)
8 days7 nights
26/26 spots left
from $2,835
12 Sep 2027 - 19 Sep 2027
(Best of Maldives) ( Male - Male)
8 days7 nights
26/26 spots left
from $2,835
11 Oct 2026 - 18 Oct 2026
(Best of Maldives) ( Male - Male)
8 days7 nights
26/26 spots left
from $2,835
18 Oct 2026 - 25 Oct 2026
(Best of Maldives) ( Male - Male)
8 days7 nights
26/26 spots left
from $2,835
16 Nov 2025 - 23 Nov 2025
(Best of Maldives) ( Male - Male)
8 days7 nights
21/26 spots left
from $3,103
23 Aug 2026 - 30 Aug 2026
(Best of Maldives) ( Male - Male)
8 days7 nights
26/26 spots left
from $2,835
28 Sep 2025 - 5 Oct 2025
(Best of Maldives) ( Male - Male)
8 days7 nights
6/18 spots left
from $2,835
5 Oct 2025 - 12 Oct 2025
(Best of Maldives) ( Male - Male)
20% OFF$2,8358 days7 nights
22/26 spots left
from $2,268
21 Nov 2027 - 28 Nov 2027
(Best of Maldives) ( Male - Male)
8 days7 nights
26/26 spots left
from $3,103
28 Nov 2027 - 5 Dec 2027
(Best of Maldives) ( Male - Male)
8 days7 nights
26/26 spots left
from $3,103
5 Dec 2027 - 12 Dec 2027
(Best of Maldives) ( Male - Male)
8 days7 nights
26/26 spots left
from $3,103
23 May 2027 - 30 May 2027
(Best of Maldives) ( Male - Male)
8 days7 nights
26/26 spots left
from $2,835
7 Nov 2027 - 14 Nov 2027
(Best of Maldives) ( Male - Male)
8 days7 nights
26/26 spots left
from $3,103
14 Nov 2027 - 21 Nov 2027
(Best of Maldives) ( Male - Male)
8 days7 nights
26/26 spots left
from $3,103
25 May 2025 - 1 Jun 2025
(Best of Maldives) ( Male - Male)
8 days7 nights
3/14 spots left
from $2,835
4 Apr 2027 - 11 Apr 2027
(Sharktastic) ( Male - Male)
8 days7 nights
26/26 spots left
from $3,276
11 Apr 2027 - 18 Apr 2027
(Best of Maldives) ( Male - Male)
8 days7 nights
26/26 spots left
from $3,276
10 May 2026 - 17 May 2026
(Best of Maldives) ( Male - Male)
8 days7 nights
10/18 spots left
from $2,835
17 May 2026 - 24 May 2026
(Best of Maldives) ( Male - Male)
8 days7 nights
24/26 spots left
from $2,835
12 Dec 2027 - 19 Dec 2027
(Best of Maldives) ( Male - Male)
8 days7 nights
26/26 spots left
from $3,103
Detailed information about the itinerary
BEST OF MALDIVES
This is the Best of the Maldives - and it delivers exactly that. This is where you dive the best and most famous dive sites of the Maldives in a week of wonderful liveaboard diving across Male and Ari atolls. For this itinerary, you should be comfortable with drift dives. Currents can be strong. All your diving is made from dhonis or zodiacs to give precise entry and exits points. Experienced divers can dive in a buddy pair unguided.
- Rasdhoo Atoll: Hammerhead Dive, Beautiful Reef with Pelagics
- North Ari Atoll: Grey Reef Sharks, Maaya Thila Night Dive, Multiple Manta Cleaning Stations
- South Ari Atoll: Whale Sharks, Beautiful Pinnacles
- South Male Atoll: Grey Reef Sharks, Eagle Rays, Other Pelagics, Beautiful Macro Wreck.
- Vaavu Atoll: Action packed night dive with Nurse Sharks and others.
- North Male Atoll: Beautiful Pinnacles.
Northern Hi-Lights (July - October)
10 day trips - Male to Male
This itinerary combines some of the best and most famous dives sites from our Best of Maldives and Hanifaru & North itineraries, creating a trip with highlights from what is generally referred to as the 'Northern Atolls' and it delivers exactly that.
A diverse marine mix of reef animals, stony and soft corals, abundant macro life, marine turtles, manta rays and whale sharks awaits where you can get up close at the cleaning stations without disturbing the locals.
Some of the best channels for diving with Maldives reef sharks can be found in North Male. Often the best chances for whale shark and manta encounters can be found in Ari Atoll, such as at one of the best-known dive sites, Maaya Thila. For hammerheads, it's a visit to Rasdhoo Atoll in North Ari.
Although diving is not permitted in the UNESCO World Heritage site of Hanifaru Bay, we are allowed to go in and snorkel with these gentle giants in the lagoon. After a manta has enjoyed its feed it needs to get cleaned, so we take you to known manta cleaning stations in both North Male and Baa Atoll. Hopefully, these will give you sightings all week long. Of course, sightings can't be guaranteed but diving at this time means your chances are high.
You don't need a minimum number of dives but you should be comfortable with drift dives as currents can be unpredictable and strong. If you are an Open Water Diver, some dives are below 18m therefore we recommend having advanced experience or taking your PADI Advanced Open Water course on board to maximise your enjoyment of the trip.
BEST OF MALDIVES
This is the Best of the Maldives - and it delivers exactly that. This is where you dive the best and most famous dive sites of the Maldives in a week of wonderful liveaboard diving across Male and Ari atolls. For this itinerary, you should be comfortable with drift dives. Currents can be strong. All your diving is made from dhonis or zodiacs to give precise entry and exits points. Experienced divers can dive in a buddy pair unguided.
- Rasdhoo Atoll: Hammerhead Dive, Beautiful Reef with Pelagics
- North Ari Atoll: Grey Reef Sharks, Maaya Thila Night Dive, Multiple Manta Cleaning Stations
- South Ari Atoll: Whale Sharks, Beautiful Pinnacles
- South Male Atoll: Grey Reef Sharks, Eagle Rays, Other Pelagics, Beautiful Macro Wreck.
- Vaavu Atoll: Action packed night dive with Nurse Sharks and others.
- North Male Atoll: Beautiful Pinnacles.
Deep South & Southern Sharks (February & March)
7 day trips - Laamu to Addu / Addu to Laamu
February and March are the best times to sail to the southerly Maldivian atolls and dive into the shark action in these out-of-the-way southern dive sites between Huvadhoo and Addu (Seenu) Atolls. Spend a week away from the madding crowds and dive Foammulah and Huvadhoo on the lookout for the Indian Ocean's larger residents; tiger sharks, silver tips, grey reef sharks, whale sharks and many, many more.
From Male we take you to Laamu (Kadhdhoo) or Addu (Gan) by domestic flight to join your liveaboard, and then it's off on our adventure. Laamu is an oval shaped southern atoll, which has some of the top dive sites in the world such as Guraidhoo and Gan. In Foammulah you can expect to meet tiger and silver tip sharks. At Huvadhoo, one of the deepest lagoons in the Maldives, the currents are ideal for even more shark sightings including, hopefully, whale sharks and silkies, hammerheads, tiger and grey sharks spotted most of the time. There are swift channel dives with several kandus; Vilingilli, Nilandhoo, Mareehaa and Kondeey. Addu Atoll hosts the WWII wreck, HMS British Loyalty, as well as popular majestic Manta Cleaning stations with more relaxing sites to either start or end the trip with too.
This itinerary suits experienced divers (100+ dives) looking for 'away from it all and different diving' with quite a focus on drift diving.
South Central Atolls (January - March)
January to March is the time to join us as this is when the current in the Kandus is largely incoming from the east. There's a good variety of diving from thrilling channel dives to more relaxed diving inside the atolls on Thilas or Giris.
The best thing? There are few other boats as we visit atolls that have very few resorts and lots of uninhabited islands so liveaboard competition is low.
Hammerheads are often found in Thaa as well as whale sharks who visit our boat at night attracted by the krill, which, in turn, are attracted by the lights. When the currents are running well, the channel dives here are outstanding. Abundant with schooling snappers, jacks, barracuda, white tips and greys, grouper, Napoleon wrasse, turtles, eagle rays and more.
You will either join your liveaboard in Male or Laamu (Kadhdhoo), and then it's off on our adventure.
This itinerary has a lot of drift diving so it's best suited to more advanced divers. With visibility being really good in the southern atolls, this is ideal for photographers and videographers looking for larger Pelagic action.
More information about this trip
Included
- 7 Nights/8 Days or 10 Nights/11 Days Aboard The Vessel
- Up To 4 or 5 Dives Daily (Weather Permitting and Depending on Season)
- 3 Meals Daily
- Except FridayтАЩs Evening Meal
- Between-Dive Snacks
- Alcohol And Non-Alcoholic Beverages
- Towels
- Use Of Tanks
- Weights
- And Weight Belts
Excluded
- Flights
- Airport Taxes
- Crew gratuities
- dive instruction
- dive gear rental (other than standard tanks
- weights and weight belts)
- Soft drinks, juices, alcoholic beverages (1 glass of wine is included at dinner)
- Spa treatments
- Wifi (US$22 per week when in service range)
- Hanifaru Bay snorkeling permit (if applicable)
- Fuel Surcharge
- if applicable (US$18 per day will be added to your package price for certain long itineraries).
- Transfers
- Nitrox
- Rental Gear & Dive Courses
- Optional Land Tours
- Travel And Dive Insurance
- Guaranteed Single Occupancy Is Billed An Additional 50% Of The Stateroom Price
Practical information
- Time Zone: UTC+5
- Local Currency: MVR (Maldivian Rufiyaa)
- Language Spoken: English
- Electricity: 220 volts AC 50Hz
- Payment Onboard: Cash (Euros, Sterling and US dollars) & credit cards (Visa and Mastercard)
Boat Specifications
- Year built: 2019
- Length: 42m
- Beam: 13.2m
- Construction Material: Wooden hull
- Cruising Speed: 10 knots
- Engine: 700 HP Doosan Daewoo
- Generators: 2 x 50 KWCummins
- Water Makers: 12 Tonnes/24h RO Plant
- Navigation and Communication: VHF radio, GPS chart plotter, Telephone, Mobile, EPIRB
- Air Systems: Two Coltri Compressors + Nitrox
- Maximum guests: 26
- Number of cabins: 13
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