Northern Wrecks and Reefs aboard MV Emperor Superior
Join us for your next amazing diving adventure aboard MV Emperor Superior to experience the wonder of the Red Sea's northern wrecks and reefs!
A favourite red sea liveaboard with divers, Emperor Superior is a 37-metre liveaboard with lots of space to relax after a days diving. Book your trip with Dive Wimbledon today and discover what the legendary Red Sea has to offer.
We are also offering shore based holidays to Sharm El Sheikh in October 2024 and Marsa Alam in November 2024.
Our trip includes:
Liveaboard Services/Facilities: Two sundecks, dive deck with platform, two air-conditioned saloons and air-conditioned dining room.
Food, Beverage & Entertainment Facilities: Full board with afternoon snacks, unlimited water, tea, instant coffee and fizzy soft drinks. Red wine free with dinner. Premium coffee bar and alcohol available at an extra charge
Included: Shared cabin, 7 nights on board (last night either on board or in a hotel). 6 days diving (see route for number of dives), local transfers, guide, 12 litre tanks, weights, environmental tax, Marine Park fees and port departure fees. Free Nitrox on all boats, subject to availability.
Boat Spec: Emperor Superior offers 9 twin-berth (1 x Upper Deck), 2 bunk style (Lower Deck), 1 double cabin (Upper Deck) and a double cabin with single bed (Main Deck), comfortably accommodating 26 people. All cabins have air-con and ensuite bathrooms (WC/shower) and two towels per guest. The spacious dining and salon areas offer air-con, media player and TV and stereo. Free red wine is offered with dinner, limited free WiFi. There are two sundecks and a dive deck with platform. She is also equipped with NITROX, offers technical diving and carries a minimum of two dive guides.
Specification: Length 37m, Beam 8.3m, Engines 2 x 764HP Caterpillar, 2 x 80kw Generators, 2 x 450l/min Compressors, Nitrox Membrane filling station, Desalination units (11,000 lt/day)
Navigation / Safety: Seasafe system installed, GPS, Radar, VHF plotter, 2 x Dingy 25HP, Life jackets, Life rafts, Fire system, Satellite telephone, Oxygen and First Aid.
Itinerary: Reefs & Wrecks (from Hurghada) Abu Nuhas - Straits of Gubal - SS Thistlegorm - Ras Mohamed - Straits of Tiran - Ulysses and others.
Please note: As a 21+ DIVES cruise, there's a good chance to enjoy 21 or more dives on a 7-day safari if you choose to. 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 with Dive Wimbledon and receive 10% off when you book this holiday. Alternatively you can complete this course on board.
Inexperienced and beginner divers may find some dives challenging and may be asked by the Cruise Director to skip dives that are not suitable for their diving experience. All diving is made from zodiacs to give precise entry and exit points.
This itinerary presents the best of both worlds, where you visit famous wrecks in the northern Red Sea along with some stunning reef diving. The famous horseshoe shaped reef of Shaab El Erg is a perfect example of the reefs on offer on this cruise with its beautiful hard coral garden and the chance to see dolphins.
Abu Nuhas has four well-known wrecks: Giannis D, Carnatic, the Chrisoula K ('tile wreck') and the Kimon M ('lentil wreck'), all offering spectacular dives and plenty of fish life. In between wreck dives you will also visit the reefs of the Straits of Gubal, Gulf of Suez and those to the north of Hurghada. A variety of deep walls and hard coral gardens with an abundance of reef fish make them well worth a visit.
Night dives can be superb as Gubal Island offers protected anchoring for the night. A small wreck at 8-10 metres makes for a spectacular night dive with lionfish, scorpion fish and its resident giant moray eel as well as the wreck of the Ulysses.
Next onto the Kingston lying at Shag Rock, the Carina lying close to Sha'ab Ali and the Dunraven at Beacon Rock. Ras Mohamed lies on the southernmost tip of the Sinai and is one of the best kept National Parks in Egypt with waters full of nutrients, steep walls going down to a depth of 1000 metres attracting a large amount of big fish and earning itself a reputation as one of the top diving areas in the world.
Whilst here, you may have the chance to dive at Shark Reef; a sheer wall falling into the blue, as well as the wreck of the Yolanda. Jackson Reef, locally named the 'Aquarium', is Tiran's most popular dive with the 'Jackson Drift' being Sharm's' fastest and most exhilarating drift dive past a stunning wall bursting with prolific coral growth. Occasionally, in the summer months, a school of scalloped hammerheads can be seen.
Thomas Reef gives you plunging walls covered with soft coral, gorgonians and colourful fish life. The west wall is darker with overhangs and caves full of glassfish and sweepers. A night dive at Gordon Reef promises various species of coral, small nudibranchs hidden in the crevices and the soft corals and a chance to see white tip reef sharks, eagle rays, octopus and different types of eel such as moray, peppered and gold edged morays.
Finally the most famous wreck in the Red Sea, the SS Thistlegorm, at Shaab Ali and including a night dive on Thistle. The Thistlegorm was sunk in 1941 after being bombed by the German Luftwaffe while on a mission to deliver a cargo of ammunition and other war materials to the British troops in North Africa. From here the boat heads back towards Hurghada.
Cost: £1849 including flights (The price depends on current flight costs and will go up as we get closer to departure), taxes and transfers on a full board basis in a twin shared room. We have arranged this holiday through our trusted travel partner who are ATOL and CAA protected.
Additional Costs: Not included: visa, diving equipment, tanks other than 12 litres and alcohol. If you would like to rent discounted diving gear from us, drop us an email: jane@divewimbledon.com
VISA: EU nationals travelling to Hurghada can purchase a VISA from Hurghada Airport on arrival for $25. If you would prefer to arrange a VISA before arrival this can be purchased from the Egyptian Consulate in London.
Payment: If you have any questions or are interested in joining us on this fabulous holiday please contact Roger on 02085406874 or by email to roger@divewimbledon.com
A deposit of £650 is required per person, with an interim payment of £150 due 6 months before travel, with final balance due 12 weeks before travel. Payment can be made by BACS, over the phone or we you can pay the travel agents directly. The balance of the holiday can be paid by debit card or BACs.
Do not miss this incredible opportunity to experience this amazing Red Sea Liveaboard exploring the Red Sea's fabulous reefs, wrecks and marine life!