Andromeda — a steel liveaboard for Saudi Arabia’s remote Red Sea

Andromeda is for divers looking beyond the usual Red Sea circuit. Her itineraries reach Saudi waters and the deeper south, where the promise is not a resort coastline but shark dives, wall drops and coral formations away from the better-known routes. The boat was built for divers without turning the non-diving parts of the trip into an afterthought: there is a proper dive deck, camera support, air-conditioned indoor space and a large sun deck. That combination suits a mixed group, a charter or a week when some guests want to dive and others want to remain on board. The appeal is direct: choose Andromeda for access to a less familiar part of the Red Sea, with a boat arranged around repeated dives rather than a hotel simply carrying tanks.

Andromeda presents a solid, working profile rather than a yacht-like one. Her steel hull and 2022 renovation point to a boat kept in service for serious itineraries, with the interior arranged around both divers and guests who may not enter the water. The air-conditioned saloon, indoor and open-air seating, bar and sun deck give the boat separate places to retreat between dives. The layout supports groups without making the whole day happen in one room. On the dive side, the equipment is close at hand; elsewhere, the boat provides room for meals, rest and evening conversation. She is also available for groups and charters, which makes the design relevant to a private departure as well as an individual booking.

The atmosphere is shaped by a relatively small guest group and a crew working in Arabic and English. With 26 guests at maximum, the boat is large enough to offer separate spaces but not so large that the same faces disappear between dives. The air-conditioned dining room, saloon, open-air seating and sun deck let people spread out during the day, then come together around the buffet or in the lounge. A week on Andromeda is therefore less about a single shared salon than about moving between practical dive routines and quieter corners. The crew’s role is most visible in that handover: getting the dive operation ready, keeping meals moving and leaving guests free to use the boat in their own way.

Arabic and English are spoken by the crew, and the boat lists full safety equipment. The available information does not give guide numbers, group ratios, instructor qualifications, required logged dives, course offerings, oxygen arrangements, defibrillator provision or the recall system. Those details matter to divers choosing a remote Saudi itinerary and should be checked before booking rather than assumed from the general safety statement.

The dive deck is set up for repeated diving, with two 450-litre compressors and DIN and INT adapters. Nitrox is available through a 31% membrane system as a paid extra; diving with it is not included by default. The boat does not provide rental gear, so divers need to arrange their equipment before boarding. Warm-water showers are available after dives, and two tenders support the operation. Rebreather support is listed, alongside charging stations, a camera and photography station, and separate rinse tanks for underwater cameras. The deck is not aimed at technical diving, but it does cover the essentials for recreational divers carrying their own kit, including both common regulator connections and a dedicated place to handle cameras.

Between dives, the main choice is between the air-conditioned saloon and the sun deck, which has both shaded and sunny areas with chairs and cushions. The open-air saloon offers another place to sit without being fully exposed to the sun, while the indoor lounge has an LCD television, DVD and CD player and USB-connected media box. A bar and free Wi-Fi cover the less active hours. The boat also welcomes non-divers and snorkelers, so a partner who stays out of the water has somewhere to spend the day beyond the cabin. For photographers, the dedicated camera station and separate camera rinse tanks keep equipment away from the ordinary traffic of the deck.

Meals are served buffet-style in an air-conditioned dining area, with tables set for five or six guests. The kitchen covers Western and local food, and dietary restrictions can be accommodated. Hot and cold soft drinks are available, with snacks throughout the day. That format fits a liveaboard better than a formal restaurant: divers can eat without turning every meal into an event, and a shared table gives the group a natural place to compare the last dive. The food is built around the needs of a full day in the water, with enough flexibility for different appetites and diets rather than one fixed menu for everyone.

The 13 cabins are air-conditioned and have private bathrooms with a sink, shower and toilet. Twin cabins are available on the lower and main decks for friends or solo travellers sharing a room without sharing a bed. Queen-bed cabins are positioned both on the main deck toward the bow and on the lower deck, while the honeymoon suite is on the main deck and has a hot-water shower. Towels, sheets and basic toiletries are provided. The practical choice is between deck position and bed arrangement: the lower deck offers the standard twin option, while couples can choose a queen bed or the separate honeymoon suite. After a day of diving, the important point is simple—each cabin gives guests an air-conditioned, en-suite place to close the door and sleep.