Emperor Serenity — a new, spacious Maldives liveaboard built around the diving

Emperor Serenity is for divers who want the reach of a Maldivian liveaboard without giving up space once the tanks are off. The boat is new, the finish is contemporary, and the separate dhoni keeps the wet work, compressors and dive traffic away from the living areas. That matters over a week of repeated dives: the main vessel remains a place to eat, sleep and recover rather than a second dive platform. The Best of Maldives route links North and South Malé, North and South Ari, Rasdhoo and Vaavu atolls, with the chance to trade reef sharks and channels for mantas, whale sharks and schooling fish. It suits certified divers who are comfortable with current, but it also leaves room for non-divers and snorkellers. Come aboard for the sites; stay because the boat gives the surface interval proper space.

From the dock, Serenity presents as a new, purpose-built liveaboard rather than a converted vessel carrying years of patchwork behind it. Its bright, contemporary interior is designed to spread 26 guests across three decks, with outdoor areas that give the boat a more open feel between dives. Inside, the air-conditioned lounge and dining space provide a cool retreat from the Maldivian heat; outside, the upper decks are arranged for sitting, sun and evening views. The separate dhoni is the working end of the operation, so cylinders, compressors and dive equipment do not dominate the main boat. The layout is the point: Serenity is made for a full group, yet gives that group somewhere to go.

The atmosphere is shaped less by formality than by a crew that stays close to the practical details. The dhoni crew help divers kit up, and the operation is run so that small problems are dealt with before they become part of the day. English, French and Spanish are spoken on board, which helps a mixed group settle into briefings and meals without dividing into separate corners. With up to four dive guides, the crew can keep the diving side organised while the main vessel remains calm. Evenings move from the last return and rinse to dinner, the bar and the usual retelling of the day's sharks, mantas or missed shot. The boat scores especially strongly for food, crew and diving; the reason to choose it is the combination, not a single showpiece feature.

The 8-day, 7-night Best of Maldives route runs Malé to Malé through North and South Malé, North and South Ari, Rasdhoo and Vaavu atolls. Barracuda Giri drops onto three pinnacles to meet barracudas and pelagic fish in current, to -30m. Banana Reef is a lively reef landmark with reef sharks and eagle rays. Mushimasmigili Thila reaches -30m and places grey reef sharks at the up-current pinnacle. Dhonkalo is a manta cleaning station in a sandy channel. Maamigili and Maamigili Beiyru work the protected South Ari waters for whale sharks and mantas, each to -30m. Kudarah Thila falls to -30m through clefts, overhangs and caves crowded with batfish. Guraidhoo and Myaru Kandu are current-fed shark channels; Myaru Kandu reaches -30m. Foththeyo Kandu reaches -40m, with caves covered in yellow soft corals and open-ocean pelagics. In Baa Atoll, Dhigalhi Haa reaches -30m among red algae and acropora, while Dhonfanu reaches -30m with mantas, a swim-through and a sheltered pool. Dhigu Thila, Fushifaru Thila and their -30m and -35m reefs add current, mantas and large pelagics.

Barracuda Giri →

Max. depth · 30 m

Banana Reef →

Dhonkalo →

Max. depth · 25 m

Maamigili →

Max. depth · 30 m

Maamigili Beiyru →

Max. depth · 30 m

Kudarah Thila →

Max. depth · 25 m

Foththeyo Kandu →

Max. depth · 40 m

Dhonfanu →

Max. depth · 30 m

Dhigu Thila →

Max. depth · 30 m

The route is built around large animals in moving water: grey reef sharks, Napoleon wrasse and fusiliers are recorded across nine sites, while turtles, eagle rays, barracudas, mantas and tuna recur through much of the itinerary. Reef sharks and white-tips gather where current runs into channels and around pinnacles, and mantas use cleaning stations such as Dhonkalo and Fushifaru Thila Marine Reserve. South Ari sites Maamigili and Maamigili Beiyru are chosen for encounters with whale sharks and mantas in protected water. The single-site sightings give each reef its own reason to matter: groupers and anthias at Barracuda Giri, anemones at Banana Reef, soft coral and gorgonians at Dhigalhi Haa Marine Reserve, porcupinefish and sweetlips at Maamigili, stingrays at Fushifaru Thila, and hawksbill turtles at Dhigu Thila. None is promised; the current, season and conditions decide what comes close.

Whale Shark →

Rhincodon typus

Napoleon Wrasse →

Cheilinus undulatus

Stingray →

Dasyatidae — Dasyatis, Hypanus, Pastinachus, Himantura, Taeniura

Hawksbill Turtle →

Eretmochelys imbricata

Up to four dive guides organise the water work, with the crew speaking English, French and Spanish. The guides brief the site, current and entry plan before each dive; experienced divers may dive as a buddy pair without a guide when appropriate, while others follow their guide. The Maldives maximum is 30 metres with an equally qualified buddy, always limited by certification and experience. Currents can be strong, particularly around channels and thilas, so a good level of fitness and confident current skills make the best sites more enjoyable. Every diver completes a check-dive before normal diving begins. Advanced Open Water, Adventure Dives and speciality courses can be taken on board, including nitrox, deep, drift and night options. Oxygen, comprehensive first aid and an AED are available on the dhoni.

Diving is based on the separate 19.8-metre dhoni, where the compressors, cylinders and dive team are stationed. The crew help with kitting up, and the dhoni takes divers to the site so entries and exits happen from the working boat rather than over the main vessel's side. S80 aluminium tanks are standard, with C100 aluminium tanks available on request; DIN adapters are carried. Free nitrox is produced through a membrane system, up to 32%, for certified divers. Rental equipment is available and must be arranged before arrival. Divers are expected to use a computer, SMB and reef hook on every dive, and a torch for night dives. Photographers get charging stations, an air gun, rinse tanks and a camera table. Oxygen, first-aid equipment and an AED are carried for diving support.

Between dives, Serenity gives the group several ways to get out of the heat or away from the conversation. The air-conditioned lounge has sofas, a library, television and audio-video entertainment; outside, the upper deck and terrace provide open air, shade and views across the atolls. There is a dedicated photo area for the diver who needs to charge, rinse and check a camera before the next entry. Snorkellers and non-divers are welcome, with a guide and equipment available for them. Excursions ashore and beach barbecues add a change of surface, while the watermaker produces up to 12 tonnes of fresh water per day. The boat is not asking everyone to spend every interval in the sun.

A day starts with the first briefing, then the dhoni carries the group to the opening dive while the main boat prepares breakfast. The schedule is shaped by repeated entries rather than a fixed clock: eat, kit up, dive, return, rinse and recover, then do it again. Lunch lands between dives, with a later surface interval for the lounge, terrace, camera table or a snorkel. Depending on the itinerary and conditions, the day can finish with another afternoon dive or a night dive, after which the dhoni returns to the boat and dinner closes the working part of the day. The boat may move between sites while divers are eating or resting. By the next morning, the compressors are ready before the group is.

Meals are full board, with buffet service combining Western and local cooking. The galley also produces more ambitious dishes under the boat's gastronomic-cuisine offering, with barbecue on the beach and special dinners breaking up the week. Wine is included with dinner; beer, other wine and bar drinks are available separately. The important part is timing. After a dive, food arrives as something useful rather than decorative: breakfast after the early water entry, lunch between the day's dives and dinner when the equipment is finally put away. A glass of wine with the evening meal, and on most nights a two-for-one Happy Hour before it, give the social side of the trip a clear place without turning the boat into a resort.

The cabins are air-conditioned and ensuite, with hot-water showers and standard windows. Lower Deck Twin cabins use a double-and-single-bed arrangement, while the main and upper decks add twin cabins, double cabins and suite options; the suites have more room for those who want the cabin to feel less like a place to drop a kit bag. Every cabin has its own bathroom, so returning from a current dive does not mean queuing for a shower. The new build and bright finish matter most at night, when the boat is clean, cool and quiet enough to sleep between dives. Internet is available through paid data packages, but the stronger luxury is simpler: a bed, a private shower and room to dry out.

Best of Maldives departures and returns are from Malé. Airport transfer is included, and the journey begins from the airport rather than requiring guests to arrange their own connection to another island. Arrive the night before boarding, especially when international flights are involved, so a delay does not put the liveaboard departure at risk. The route returns to Malé at the end of the 8-day, 7-night cruise.