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Best Luxury Liveaboard Maldives: Best Luxury Maldives Diving

Azalea Luxury Maldives Liveaboard for kids

When you say “The Maldives“, the name itself conjures up luxury in any case, but what if you’re looking for the best Luxury Maldives liveaboard? The good news is, there are a total of 45 liveaboards in the Maldives to choose from, but some of which are higher on the luxury rating than others.

The best luxury Maldives liveaboards should include good diving facilities, comfortable cabins with aircon and ensuites, plus good food and drink. Diving from a liveaboard is also about other luxuries like onboard entertainment and comfort, plus the addition of non-diving activities to do in-between dives.

The best way to dive the Maldives is by a scuba diving liveaboard. You can check the latest and best deals on Maldives liveaboards using the following window:

From the table of all Maldives liveaboards below, there are a few stand-out boats to choose from. To make this task a little easier for you, I have given each liveaboard a luxury rating. This is what I call the Scuba Diving Earth Lux-Rating.

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Maldives Luxury Liveaboards

The following Maldives liveaboards have a Scuba Diving Earth Lux-Rating of just under 55 and above, where the maximum score any liveaboard can score using the Scuba Diving Earth Lux-Rating is 75.

  1. Azalea LiveaboardLux-Rating 62.4 and a customer Review Rating of 9.3 from 11 verified customer reviews (Click to jump to why choose this liveaboard).
  2. Princess Sara LiveaboardLux-Rating 61.7 and no customer review ratings yet (Click to jump to why choose this liveaboard).
  3. Soleil 2 LiveaboardLux-Rating 59.3 and a customer Review Rating of 9.3 from 67 verified customer reviews (Click to jump to why choose this liveaboard).
  4. Conte Max Liveaboard: Lux-Rating 57.7 and a customer Review Rating of 7.6 from 1 verified customer review (Click to jump to why choose this liveaboard).
  5. Duke of York Liveaboard: Lux-Rating 57.4 and a customer Review Rating of 8.0 from 1 verified customer review (Click to jump to why choose this liveaboard).
  6. Scubaspa Yang: Lux-Rating 56.3 and a customer Review Rating of 9.6 from 151 verified customer reviews (Click to jump to why choose this liveaboard).
  7. Scubaspa Ying: Lux-Rating 56.3 and a customer Review Rating of 9.4 from 86 verified customer reviews (Click to jump to why choose this liveaboard).
  8. Horizon 3 Liveaboard: Lux-Rating 55.4 and a customer Review Rating of 8.4 from 21 verified customer reviews (Click to jump to why choose this liveaboard).
  9. Theia Liveaboard: Lux-Rating 54.8 and a customer Review Rating of 9.5 from 10 verified customer reviews (Click to jump to why choose this liveaboard).

For more about how the lux-ratings have been calculated, please see the following list of what’s been included in creating the lux-rate. Plus take a look at the table below which gives a further breakdown for each luxury Maldives liveaboard score too.

Table of liveaboard diving in the Maldives

If you want to look at a complete list of Maldives liveaboards, the following table shows this. This list of Maldives liveaboards is in descending customer rating order, followed by Scuba Diving Luxury Rating (SDE Lux Rating, see below), so the liveaboards with the highest customer rating and the best SDE lux rating will be at the top of the list. If you want to change the list order, use the “Sort by” dropdown below.

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Total Records Found: 53, showing 10 per page
Discover LiveaboardCustomer RatingSDE Lux Rating %Flexible BookingDive CoursesDietary RequirementsNitroxGear Rental
Review: MV Scubaspa Yang; Book: MV Scubaspa Yang 9.6 87% YES YES YES YES YES
Review: MV Emperor Explorer; Book: MV Emperor Explorer 9.6 63% YES YES YES YES YES
Review: MV Theia; Book: MV Theia 9.5 85% YES YES YES YES YES
Review: MY Princess Dhonkamana; Book: MY Princess Dhonkamana 9.5 79% YES YES YES YES YES
Review: MV Scubaspa Ying; Book: MV Scubaspa Ying 9.4 87% YES YES YES YES YES
Review: MV Sachika; Book: MV Sachika 9.4 83% YES YES YES YES YES
Review: MV Emperor Serenity; Book: MV Emperor Serenity 9.4 60% YES YES YES YES YES
Review: MV Soleil 2; Book: MV Soleil 2 9.3 96% YES YES YES YES YES
Review: MV Emperor Atoll; Book: MV Emperor Atoll 9.3 77% YES YES YES YES YES
Review: MV Azalea; Book: MV Azalea 9.3 77% NO YES YES YES YES

The Scuba Diving Earth Luxury Rating (SDE Lux Rating) is explained on each liveaboard review when you click the “Discover Liveaboard” link, and is my own Liveaboard Luxury Rating I’ve assigned to all liveaboards. Choosing between liveaboards is helped by customer scores, and if you get stuck choosing between two or three liveaboards, where each one has a high customer score out of 10, you can use the SDE Luxury Rating to help narrow down your choice.

Think about it like using Booking.com when searching for the best hotel. Booking.com also use a customer score where each customer rates hotels out of 10. This is similar to the liveaboard customer rating, which is also rated out of 10. But let’s say you only like to stay in hotels rated 8 and above on Booking.com, but you also want the hotel to have WIFI or parking, or to have a swimming pool etc. The features each hotel has is usually secondary to the score out of 10.

Liveaboard.com search Maldives-scroll

How The Maldives liveaboard luxury rating (Lux-Rating) works

To arrive at the Scuba Diving Earth Lux-Rating for the above seven Maldives liveaboards, I have reviewed all Maldives diving liveaboards that offer Maldives Diving Safaris and analysed what each liveaboard boat has to offer.

The following headings have been considered in the luxury ratings:

  • Liveaboard boat size to guest ratio (Max 3): This ratio is calculated using the length of the dive boat vs the maximum number of guests onboard. The higher the resulting number, the better the boat, as the length of the liveaboard is divided by the number of maximum guests. Which means if the number is higher, there should be a feeling of having more space onboard, or in other words the liveaboard should feel less crowded.
  • Liveaboard design luxury (Max 9): The luxury scoring or Lux-Rating for design includes those Maldives liveaboards with warm water showers, where the more luxury liveaboards have outside showers for rinsing off salt after each dive. The higher luxury rated liveaboards are custom built for diving, have a sun deck, a leisure deck and an observation deck, plus an indoor aircon saloon with charging stations.
  • Diver luxury (Max 15): The more luxurious Maldives liveaboards are scored higher on their luxury rating if they have a dive deck, a shaded dive area and tenders for diving. The best Maldives liveaboards offer nitrox diving, a private diving guide and dive courses, and will score higher for having these onboard luxuries. More luxury is on offer with some liveaboards, which is that they are underwater photographer friendly, with separate rinse hoses for cameras, a camera station and a camera room. The Maldives liveaboard with more diver benefits on offer will score higher, which includes those that offer DIN adapters, tech diving, sidemount diving, rebreather support and scuba gear rental.
  • Onboard entertainment (Max 3): The entertainment luxury rating score is improved if the Maldives liveaboard has a library, audio and entertainment and a bar that serves alcoholic drinks.
  • Onboard comfort (Max 5): Onboard comfort scores are luxury-rated with the inclusion of Wifi and internet connectivity, complementary toiletries, deck or beach towels and cabin towels, plus on those that have a laundry service too.
  • Non-diving activities (Max 15): The more non-diving activities on offer by the Maldives liveaboard, the higher the luxury rating will be. The luxury scoring includes if the liveaboard has any of the following activities; kayaks, snorkel equipment, land excursions, wakeboarding, water skiing, stand-up paddleboards, a naturalist guide, a hot tub or Jacuzzi, onboard massage service, a spa, yoga, a sauna, fishing, a glass bottom boat and jet skis.
  • Cabin luxury (Max 7): Cabin luxury rating takes account of those Maldives liveaboards that offer cabins with ensuite bathrooms and individually controlled aircon. The luxury-rating will be higher if the cabins also include daily housekeeping, there are non-smoking rooms on offer, seaviews are available, they have TVs and if they a balcony too.
  • Food and drink on offer (Max 18): The luxury rating of the Maldives Liveaboard will be higher when there are more food and drink options available. This includes those liveaboards that offer western and local food options, with the choice of fine cuisine, vegetarian and vegan options and that cater for all other dietary requirements. The Maldives liveaboard will rate higher on the lux-rating if the boat also offers a BBQ, outdoor dining, buffet style food, free wine with dinner, beer, wine and fine wines. The liveaboard will be lux-rated even higher if it offers welcome cocktails, all-day snacks, soft drinks, tea and coffee and drinking water.

With the above luxury ratings in mind, here’s a table of these 9 Luxury Maldives Liveaboards, but if you want to view all Red Sea liveaboards, with the top seven luxury dive boats listed at the top of the table see towards the end of the article. Each Red Sea liveaboard has a luxury rating to help you choose the best luxury dive boat:

Maldives Luxury Liveaboard - Lux Rating Dive Boats Table

Luxury Maldives Liveaboard dive boatEnquire/Find out MoreCustomer Review RatingTotal Rating (Max 75)Size To Guest Ratio (Max 3) RoundedDesign luxury (Max 9)Diver Luxury (Max 15)Onboard Entertainment (Max 3)Onboard Comfort (Max 5)Non-Diving Activities (Max 15)Cabin Luxury (Max 7)Food and Drink (Max 18)Language (Max 10)
Azalea LiveaboardEnquire9.363.42.491135145131
Princess Sara LiveaboardEnquire0.062.71.791225116151
Soleil 2 LiveaboardEnquire9.361.31.39123557172
Conte Max LiveaboardEnquire7.657.71.7913354517
Duke of York LiveaboardEnquire8.057.41.4914354516
Scubaspa YangEnquire9.656.31.38103584171
Scubaspa YingEnquire9.456.31.3810358417
Horizon 3 LiveaboardEnquire8.455.41.4912349314
Theia LiveaboardEnquire9.554.81.8712255517
Luxury Maldives liveaboard Table notes:
1. Where the Maldives liveaboard has a review rating of '0.0', this means that this dive boat has not yet been customer rated and reviewed at the time of writing. It doesn't mean you should not consider booking it for your scuba diving Maldives safari.
2. The customer review rating for the liveaboard is correct at the time this table was prepared.

Best Luxury Liveaboard Maldives in more detail

Now let’s take a closer look at each of these diving liveaboards and how each one faired in the luxury rating scores. In the following expanded detail, I list how each luxury Maldives liveaboard scored and where each one lost luxury points on the lux-ratings, which will hopefully make your choice easier.

For the liveaboards below where the luxury headings have been scored maximum ratings, these are in green below.

1. Azalea Liveaboard – Lux-Rating 62.4

Family Maldives liveaboard Azalea
Family Maldives liveaboard Azalea – image courtesy of Liveaboard.com

The Azalea liveaboard scored 62.4 on the Scuba Diving Earth Lux-Rating, which is out of a possible total of 75. This means it lost 12.6 luxury points. See below for where these lux-points were lost.

The Maldives Azalea liveaboard has a superb customer review rating of 9.3 out of 10 from 11 verified customer reviews. One such review is from an American guest who scored it a 10 out of 10 and said the following:

Most amazing dive experience of my life…I booked this trip via liveaboard.com and had only moderate expectations. This high-end Azalea liveaboard cruise has exceeded every expectation that I ever had! Everything from the operator and crew having such attention to detail made my dive vacation the best I have ever had. It was truly luxurious and everything the dive guides said we would see in the briefings, we saw, and more!!! They were so knowledgeable in taking us from site to site. The food was prepared fresh daily and was absolutely delicious. This being one of the more expensive liveaboards, it attracted a high quality group of divers which will be life-long friends to me. This experience was like no other and I will be repeating it, bringing some of my South Florida friends with me.” Recommended for: 1. Quality: The accommodations, crew, dining, and guides were over the top. 2. Attention to detail: Everything was taken care of for the passengers. 3. Relationships: The group was amazing.

Maldives Azalea Liveaboard customer review by David L from United States – courtesy of Liveaboard.com

The Maldives Azalea Liveaboard lost luxury points for the following reasons:

  • Size to guest ratio (2.4/3): The size to guest ratio for the Azalea liveaboard is based on a 38 metre (125 feet) length, divided by a maximum of 16 guests, which equates to the 2.4 and has lost 0.6 from a possible score of three.
  • Liveaboard design luxury (9/9): Top marks and scored 9 out of 9.
  • Diver luxury (11/15): Lost four diver luxury points for no DIN adapters, no sidemount diving, no tech diver support and no rebreather support.
  • Onboard entertainment (3/3): Top marks and scored 3 out of 3.
  • Onboard comfort (5/5): Top marks and scored 5 out of 5.
  • Non-diving activities (14/15): Lost just one luxury point for not having a sauna onboard.
  • Cabin luxury (5/7): Lost two luxury points for having no TV in cabins and no cabin balcony.
  • Food and drink (13/18): Lost five luxury points for no free wine with diner, no fine cuisine, no vegan option, no wine and no fine wines selection.

The Maldives Azalea Liveaboard is a great choice of luxury liveaboard if:

  • You want a private charter luxury liveaboard.
  • Nitrox onboard.
  • Free internet.
  • You like to jump in a hot tub after scuba diving.
  • If you prefer loads of non-diving activities, which include kayaks, snorkeling, land excursions, wakeboarding, stand up paddleboards, massage, spa, yoga, fishing, water skiing, a glass bottomed boat experience and a naturalist guide.
  • If you are not a tech diver and don’t need rebreather support and are not a sidemount diver.
  • A larger and more stable dive boat at 38 metres (125 feet).

2. Princess Sara Liveaboard – Lux-Rating 61.7

Maldives Princess Sara liveaboard review large
Maldives Princess Sara liveaboard – Image courtesy of Liveaboard.com

The Princess Sara liveaboard scored 61.7 on the Scuba Diving Earth Lux-Rating, which is out of a possible total of 75. This means it lost 13.3 luxury points. See below for where these lux-points were lost.

The Maldives Princess Sara liveaboard has had no customer reviews at the time of writing this article, but that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t book it.

The Maldives Princess Sara Liveaboard lost luxury points for the following reasons:

  • Size to guest ratio (1.7/3): The size to guest ratio for the Princess Sara liveaboard is based on a 40 metre (131 feet) length, divided by a maximum of 24 guests, which equates to the 1.7 and has lost 1.3 from a possible score of three.
  • Liveaboard design luxury (9/9): Top marks and scored 9 out of 9.
  • Diver luxury (12/15): Lost three diver luxury points for no tech diver support, no camera station and no camera room onboard.
  • Onboard entertainment (2/3): Lost one luxury point for no onboard library.
  • Onboard comfort (5/5): Top marks and scored 5 out of 5.
  • Non-diving activities (11/15): Lost just four luxury points for not having wakeboarding, no hot tub, a sauna and no glass bottom boat experience.
  • Cabin luxury (6/7): Lost one luxury point for having no cabin balcony.
  • Food and drink (15/18): Lost three luxury points for no fine cuisine, no local food and no vegan option.

The Maldives Princess Sara Liveaboard is a great choice of luxury liveaboard if:

  • Nitrox onboard.
  • Free internet.
  • If you need rebreather support or you are a sidemount diver.
  • A larger and more stable dive boat at 40 metres (131 feet).

3. Soleil 2 Liveaboard – Lux-Rating 59.3

Soleil 2 Maldives liveaboard for families and kids
Soleil 2 Maldives liveaboard for families and kids – Image courtesy of Liveaboard.com

The Soleil 2 liveaboard scored 59.3 on the Scuba Diving Earth Lux-Rating, which is out of a possible total of 75. This means it lost 23.7 luxury points. See below for where these lux-points were lost.

The Maldives Conte Max liveaboard has a superb customer review rating of 9.3 out of 10 from 67 verified customer reviews. One such review is from a diver from the UK guest who scored it a 9.6 out of 10 and said the following:

Fantastic Diving, Boat & Crew. Manta Rays on many dives, including a night dive Sharks, White Tip & Grey reef shark and Nurse Sharks Sting rays, Eagle Rays. Snorkelling with Whale Shark. Soleil 2 is a large, spacious and very well equipped boat Crew & Guides were very friendly, helpful & knowledgeable Food and service was superb.” Recommended for: Large spacious Cabin, Fantastic Diving, Good Guides.

Maldives Soleil 2 Liveaboard customer review by Philip G from the United Kingdom – courtesy of Liveaboard.com

The Maldives Soleil 2 Liveaboard lost luxury points for the following reasons:

  • Size to guest ratio (1.3/3): The size to guest ratio for the Azalea liveaboard is based on a 44 metre (144 feet) length, divided by a maximum of 30 guests, which equates to the 1.3 and has lost 1.7 from a possible score of three.
  • Liveaboard design luxury (9/9): Top marks and scored 9 out of 9.
  • Diver luxury (12/15): Lost three diver luxury points for no sidemount diving, no tech diver support and no rebreather support.
  • Onboard entertainment (3/3): Top marks and scored 3 out of 3.
  • Onboard comfort (5/5): Top marks and scored 5 out of 5.
  • Non-diving activities (5/15): Lost 10 luxury points for only having kayaks, snorkel equipment, land excursions, a hot tub, and fishing onboard.
  • Cabin luxury (7/7): Top marks and scored 7 out of 7.
  • Food and drink (17/18): Almost top marks and lost just one point for no western style food.

The Maldives Soleil 2 Liveaboard is a great choice of luxury liveaboard if:

  • Nitrox onboard.
  • Free internet.
  • You like to jump in a hot tub after scuba diving.
  • Need a family friendly liveaboard.
  • If you are not a tech diver and don’t need rebreather support and are not a sidemount diver.
  • A larger and more stable dive boat at 44 metres (144 feet).
  • You want crew to be able to speak Italian and Japanese in addition to English.

4. Conte Max Liveaboard – Lux-Rating 57.7

Conte Max Liveaboard liveaboard review large
Conte Max Liveaboard liveaboard – Image courtesy of Liveaboard.com

The Conte Max liveaboard scored 57.7 on the Scuba Diving Earth Lux-Rating, which is out of a possible total of 75. This means it lost 17.3 luxury points. See below for where these lux-points were lost.

The Maldives Conte Max liveaboard has a good customer review rating of 7.6 out of 10 from 1 verified customer review. One such review is from a Swiss diver who does say in French: American guest who scored it a 10 out of 10 and said the following:

Magnifiques plongées. Plongée nocturne avec raies Manta.” Recommended for: Ce que l on a vu, requins, raies Manta, etc. which translates to in English:

Magnificent dives. Night dive with manta rays.” Recommended for : What we saw, sharks, manta rays, etc.

Maldives Conte Max Liveaboard customer review by Roberto B from the Switzerland – courtesy of Liveaboard.com

The Maldives Conte Max Liveaboard lost luxury points for the following reasons:

  • Size to guest ratio (1.7/3): The size to guest ratio for the Conte Max liveaboard is based on a 33 metre (108 feet) length, divided by a maximum of 20 guests, which equates to the 1.7 and has lost 1.3 from a possible score of three.
  • Liveaboard design luxury (9/9): Top marks and scored 9 out of 9.
  • Diver luxury (13/15): Lost two diver luxury points for no diving courses and no camera room.
  • Onboard entertainment (3/3): Top marks and scored 3 out of 3.
  • Onboard comfort (5/5): Top marks and scored 5 out of 5.
  • Non-diving activities (4/15): Lost 11 luxury points for only having kayaks, snorkeling, land excursions and fishing onboard out of the full list of non-diving activities.
  • Cabin luxury (5/7): Lost two luxury points for having no TV in cabins and no cabin balcony.
  • Food and drink (17/18): Lost just one luxury point for no free wine with diner.

The Maldives Conte Max Liveaboard is a great choice of luxury liveaboard if:

  • You want a private charter luxury liveaboard.
  • Free nitrox onboard.
  • Paid internet.
  • There are kayaks onboard and land excursions available.
  • Support if you are not a tech diver.
  • Support if you dive with a rebreather.
  • Sidemount diving.
  • Nitrox onboard.
  • Free internet.
  • You like to jump in a hot tub after scuba diving.
  • Need a family friendly liveaboard.
  • If you are not a tech diver and don’t need rebreather support and are not a sidemount diver.
  • A larger and more stable dive boat at 44 metres (144 feet).
  • You want crew to be able to speak French, Italian and Spanish in addition to English.

5. Duke of York Liveaboard – Lux-Rating 57.4

Duke of York Liveaboard with family cabins
Duke of York Liveaboard with family cabins – image courtesy of Liveaboard.com

The Duke of York liveaboard scored 57.4 on the Scuba Diving Earth Lux-Rating, which is out of a possible total of 75. This means it lost 17.6 luxury points. See below for where these lux-points were lost.

The Maldives Duke of York liveaboard has a very good customer review rating of 8.0 out of 10 from 1 verified customer review by a scuba diver from France who said the following:

Comfortable boat and awesome food. Very good diving around Fuvamullah and Addu atolls in channels. The food on board is mainly European style and is very very good. Cabins are very comfortable. Local dive guides were great. The Italian dive leader is very friendly and professional.” Recommended for: Italian food, very comfortable cabins, friendly dive leader.

Maldives Duke of York Liveaboard customer review by Anne M from France – courtesy of Liveaboard.com

Liveaboard Duke of York lost luxury points for the following reasons:

  • Size to guest ratio (1.4/3): The size to guest ratio for the Duke of York liveaboard is based on a 36 metre (118 feet) length, divided by a maximum of 25 guests, which equates to the 1.4 and has lost 1.7 from a possible score of three.
  • Liveaboard design luxury (9/9): Top marks and scored 9 out of 9.
  • Diver luxury (14/15): Lost one diver luxury point for no camera room.
  • Onboard entertainment (3/3): Top marks and scored 3 out of 3.
  • Onboard comfort (5/5): Top marks and scored 5 out of 5.
  • Non-diving activities (4/15): Lost 11 luxury points for only having kayaks, snorkeling, land excursions and massage onboard out of the full list of non-diving activities.
  • Cabin luxury (5/7): Lost two luxury points for having no TV in cabins and no cabin balcony.
  • Food and drink (16/18): Lost two luxury points for no free wine with diner, no fine cuisine, no vegan option, no wine and no fine wines selection.

The Maldives Duke of York Liveaboard is a great choice of luxury liveaboard if:

  • You want a private charter luxury liveaboard.
  • Free nitrox onboard.
  • Paid internet.
  • There are kayaks onboard and land excursions available.
  • Support if you are not a tech diver.
  • Support if you dive with a rebreather.
  • Sidemount diving.

6. Scubaspa Yang Liveaboard – Lux-Rating 56.3

Scubaspa Yang, Maldives - 9.6 out of 10, 5 stars and Exceptional - short Maldives liveaboard trips
Scubaspa Yang, Maldives – Image courtesy of Liveaboard.com

Although the Scubaspa Yang liveaboard scored 56.3 on the Scuba Diving Earth Lux-Rating, when you look at the luxury onboard this larger Maldives liveaboard, you will understand why I’ve included in the list of Maldives luxury liveaboards. The 56.3 is out of a possible total of 75 and means it lost 18.7 luxury points. See below for where these lux-points were lost.

The Maldives Scubaspa Yang liveaboard has an exceptional customer review rating of 9.6 out of 10 from a massive 151 verified customer reviews. One such review is from a British guest who scored it a 10 out of 10 and said the following:

Absolutely Incredible. Due to bad weather, the diving wasn’t out of this world until the third day, however, because the crew, boat and guests were so amazing, it wasn’t a problem. Once the weather had picked up, the diving became incredible! Mantas, Nurse Sharks and People!Recommended for: Food, Crew and Mantas.

Maldives Scubaspa Yang Liveaboard customer review by Fraser O from the UK – courtesy of Liveaboard.com

The Maldives Scubaspa Yang Liveaboard lost luxury points for the following reasons:

  • Size to guest ratio (1.3/3): The size to guest ratio for the Scubaspa Yang liveaboard is based on a 50 metre (164 feet) length, divided by a maximum of 40 guests, which equates to the 1.3 and has lost 1.7 from a possible score of three.
  • Liveaboard design luxury (8/9): Lost one luxury point for not having outside showers.
  • Diver luxury (9/15): Lost five diver luxury points as the Scubaspa Yang doesn’t have a camera station and a camera room and has no sidemount diving support, no tech diver support and no rebreather support.
  • Onboard entertainment (3/3): I’ve scored the Scubaspa Yang full marks for onboard entertainment, as although it doesn’t have a library, this is more than made up with an onboard open air cinema and an onboard gym.
  • Onboard comfort (5/5): Top marks and scored 5 out of 5.
  • Non-diving activities (8/15): Lost just seven luxury points, as it doesn’t have all possible non-diver luxuries, but does have kayaks, snorkeling, land excursions, stand-up paddleboards, a hot tub, massage, spa and yoga onboard not to mention the gym and cinema.
  • Cabin luxury (4/7): Lost two luxury points for having no daily housekeeping, no TV in cabins and no cabin balcony.
  • Food and drink (17/18): Lost one luxury point for no free wine with diner, but this is made up by the luxury dining experience with great onboard chefs and fine cuisine.

The Maldives Scubaspa Yang Liveaboard is a great choice of luxury liveaboard if:

  • Nitrox onboard.
  • Free internet.
  • You like to jump in a hot tub after scuba diving.
  • If you prefer loads of non-diving activities, which include kayaks, snorkeling, land excursions, stand up paddleboards, massage, spa and yoga.
  • If you are not a tech diver, you don’t need rebreather support and are not a sidemount diver.
  • A very large and more stable dive boat at 50 metres (164 feet).
  • You like the idea of an onboard open-air cinema.
  • You like the idea of having three onboard chefs cooking top food.
  • Having an onboard gym.
  • Having a luxury onboard spa and massage facilities.

7. Scubaspa Ying Liveaboard – Lux-Rating 56.3

Scubaspa Ying, Maldives - 9.4 out of 10, 4.5 stars and rated Superb - liveaboard Maldives 5 days
Scubaspa Ying, Maldives – Image courtesy of Liveaboard.com

Although the Scubaspa Yang liveaboard scored 56.3 on the Scuba Diving Earth Lux-Rating, when you look at the luxury onboard this larger Maldives liveaboard, you will understand why I’ve included in the list of Maldives luxury liveaboards. The 56.3 is out of a possible total of 75 and means it lost 18.7 luxury points. See below for where these lux-points were lost.

The Maldives Scubaspa Ying liveaboard has a superb customer review rating of 9.4 out of 10 from a 86 verified customer reviews. One such review is from a British guest who scored it a 10 out of 10 and said the following:

Look no further book this one. The boat is very luxurious just what you require after three spectacular dives a day. The food is plentiful, varied and delicious. The accommodation is very comfortable and spotless. The diving guides are very calm, knowledgeable and helpful. The dive sites are varied with lots of sea life great for spotting sharks.The added bonus is the spa and yoga. The attention to detail from staff and facilities on this liverboard is remarkable. Thanks Scubaspa for a wonderful experience!” Recommended for: Crew, attention to detail, food, diving and boat.

Maldives Scubaspa Ying Liveaboard customer review by Anna D from the UK – courtesy of Liveaboard.com

The Maldives Scubaspa Ying Liveaboard lost luxury points for the following reasons:

  • Size to guest ratio (1.3/3): The size to guest ratio for the Scubaspa Ying liveaboard is based on a 50 metre (164 feet) length, divided by a maximum of 40 guests, which equates to the 1.3 and has lost 1.7 from a possible score of three.
  • Liveaboard design luxury (8/9): Lost one luxury point for not having outside showers.
  • Diver luxury (10/15): Lost five diver luxury points as the Scubaspa Ying doesn’t have a camera station and a camera room and has no sidemount diving support, no tech diver support and no rebreather support.
  • Onboard entertainment (3/3): I’ve scored the Scubaspa Ying full marks for onboard entertainment, as although it doesn’t have a library, this is more than made up with an onboard open air cinema and an onboard gym.
  • Onboard comfort (5/5): Top marks and scored 5 out of 5.
  • Non-diving activities (8/15): Lost just seven luxury points, as it doesn’t have all possible non-diver luxuries, but does have kayaks, snorkeling, land excursions, stand-up paddleboards, a hot tub, massage, spa and yoga onboard not to mention the gym and cinema.
  • Cabin luxury (4/7): Lost two luxury points for having no daily housekeeping, no TV in cabins and no cabin balcony.
  • Food and drink (17/18): Lost one luxury point for no free wine with diner, but this is made up by the luxury dining experience with great onboard chefs and fine cuisine.

The Maldives Scubaspa Y1ng Liveaboard is a great choice of luxury liveaboard if:

  • Nitrox onboard.
  • Free internet.
  • You like to jump in a hot tub after scuba diving.
  • If you prefer loads of non-diving activities, which include kayaks, snorkeling, land excursions, stand up paddleboards, massage, spa and yoga.
  • If you are not a tech diver, you don’t need rebreather support and are not a sidemount diver.
  • A very large and more stable dive boat at 50 metres (164 feet).
  • You like the idea of an onboard open-air cinema.
  • You like the idea of having three onboard chefs cooking top food.
  • Having an onboard gym.
  • Having a luxury onboard spa and massage facilities.

8. Horizon 3 Liveaboard – Lux-Rating 55.4

Horizon 3 Liveaboard Maldives for families and children
Horizon 3 Liveaboard Maldives for families and children – image courtesy of Liveaboard.com

The Horizon 3 liveaboard scored 55.4 on the Scuba Diving Earth Lux-Rating, which is out of a possible total of 75. This means it lost 19.6 luxury points. See below for where these lux-points were lost.

The Maldives Horizon 3 liveaboard has a very good customer review rating of 8.4 out of 10 from 21 verified customer reviews. One such review is from a diver from the USA guest who scored it a 8.8 out of 10 who said the following:

Awesome. The crew was absolutely fabulous. They made the cruise and the diving a truly memorable experience.” Recommended for: Crew, crew, crew.

Maldives Horizon 3 Liveaboard customer review by John B from the United States – courtesy of Liveaboard.com

The Maldives Horizon 3 Liveaboard lost luxury points for the following reasons:

  • Size to guest ratio (1.4/3): The size to guest ratio for the Horizon 3 liveaboard is based on a 46 metre (118 feet) length, divided by a maximum of 25 guests, which equates to the 1.4 and has lost 1.6 from a possible score of three.
  • Liveaboard design luxury (9/9): Top marks and scored 9 out of 9.
  • Diver luxury (12/15): Lost three diver luxury points for no separate rinse hoses, no tech diver support and no rebreather support.
  • Onboard entertainment (3/3): Top marks and scored 3 out of 3.
  • Onboard comfort (4/5): Lost one luxury point for not having complementary toiletries.
  • Non-diving activities (9/15): Lost 10 luxury points for not having naturalist guide, no hot tub, no spa, no yoga, so sauna and no glass bottom boat experience.
  • Cabin luxury (3/7): Lost 4 luxury points for no daily house keeping, no non-smoking rooms, no TV in cabins and no cabins with balconies.
  • Food and drink (14/18): Lost four luxury points for no outside dining, no free wine with diner, no wine and no fine wines selection.

The Maldives Horizon 3 Liveaboard is a great choice of luxury liveaboard if:

  • Nitrox onboard.
  • Paid internet.
  • Need a family friendly liveaboard.
  • Great if you are not a tech diver and don’t need rebreather support, but it does have sidemount diver support.
  • Plenty of non-diving activities including kayaks, snorkeling, land excursions, wakeboarding, stand-up paddle boards, massage, fishing, water skiing and jet ski.
  • You want crew to be able to speak German in addition to English.

I would do it again – very pleased. Good overall atmosphere Good divemaster, nice people and good diving. Thank you all Thorsten & Martin.” Recommended for: Good Divemaster & Crew – Good diving & lots to see – Nice guests on board.

Maldives Horizon 3 Liveaboard customer review by Martin S from the United States scoring it a 9.2 out of 10 – courtesy of Liveaboard.com

9. Theia Liveaboard – Lux-Rating 54.8

Theia Liveaboard with family cabins
Theia Liveaboard with family cabins – Image courtesy of Liveaboard.com

The Theia liveaboard scored 54.8 on the Scuba Diving Earth Lux-Rating, which is out of a possible total of 75. This means it lost 20.2 luxury points. See below for where these lux-points were lost.

The Theia liveaboard has an exceptional customer review rating of 9.5 out of 10 from 10 verified customer reviews. One such review is from a diver from the UK guest who scored it a 9.6 out of 10 and said the following:

Great diving trip. The diving guides worked hard to fulfill our expectations. The briefings were comprehensive and dives were well organised. The diving dhoni was spacious, comfortable and well organised. All the staff of Theia was friendly and helpfull. The food was excellent and plentifull. The cabin and bathroom was clean and comfortable. This was one of the best liveboard trip I have taken part in. I loved the idea of internal rails and big pegs to dry clothes and towels.” Recommended forBrilliant diving guides. Comfortable, spacious, well organised dhoni. Food.

Maldives Theia Liveaboard customer review by Anna B from the UK – courtesy of Liveaboard.com

The Maldives Theia Liveaboard lost luxury points for the following reasons:

  • Size to guest ratio (1.8/3): The size to guest ratio for the Theia liveaboard is based on a 32 metre (105 feet) length, divided by a maximum of 18 guests, which equates to the 1.8 and has lost 1.2 from a possible score of three.
  • Liveaboard design luxury (7/9): Lost two luxury points for no outside showers and no observation deck.
  • Diver luxury (12/15): Lost three diver luxury points for no separate rinse, no camera room and no rebreather support.
  • Onboard entertainment (2/3): Lost one luxury point for not having a library.
  • Onboard comfort (5/5): Top marks and scored 5 out of 5.
  • Non-diving activities (5/15): Lost just 10 luxury points as the liveaboard only having kayaks, snorkeling, land excursions, hot tub and stand-up paddle boards out of the full list of non-diving activities.
  • Cabin luxury (5/7): Lost two luxury points for having no TV in cabins and no cabin balcony.
  • Food and drink (17/18): Lost one luxury point for no free wine with diner.

The Maldives Theia Liveaboard is a great choice of luxury liveaboard if:

  • You want a private charter luxury liveaboard.
  • Free nitrox onboard.
  • Free internet.
  • You like to jump in a hot tub after scuba diving.
  • If you okay with a few non-diver activities, which include kayaks, snorkeling, land excursions, stand up paddleboards, and a hot tub.
  • Support if you are not a tech diver.
  • Sidemount diving.
  • You want crew to be able to speak French in addition to English.

Choosing the right Maldives liveaboard may mean you compromise on some luxuries in order to find the right diving liveaboard, and one that visits the dives sites you want to dive in the Indian Ocean. For that reason, I have also include a table of all Maldives liveaboards, each one has their own unique Scuba Diving Earth luxury-rating below.

Use this table to compare the luxury rating against customer reviews vs what the liveaboard has to offer and what is important to you as a diver.

All Maldives Liveaboards

Maldives LiveaboardReview Rating Out of 10Lux Rate (Max 75)EnquireFlexible BookingMin Trip NightsMax Trip NightsNitroxInternetDietVeganVegetarianDive CoursesLengthMax Guests/Cabins/BathroomsEnsuitesFamily FriendlyAir Con CabinsSeaview CabinsNon-Diver FriendlyOther ActivitesSidemount DivingRebreather FriendlyTech Diver FriendlyDINScuba Gear RentalMin ExperienceMin Logged DivesHottub/JacuzziCharter
Adora Liveaboard8.748.8EnquireYes710PaidFreeYesYesNoyes38m/123f21/11/11YesYesYesYesYesYesNoNoNoYesYesAOWEnquireNoYes
Amba Liveaboard8.550.7EnquireYes725PaidPaidYesNoYesYes33m/108f20/10/10YesNoYesYesYesNoYesYesNoYesYesEnquireEnquireNoNo
Ari Queen8.533.7EnquireYes77PaidPaidYesNoYesNo33/108f20/10/10YesNoYesYesYesNoYesNoNoYesYesAOW50NoNo
Azalea Liveaboard9.362.4EnquireNo27PaidFreeYesNoYesyes38m/125f16/9/9YesYesYesYesYesYesNoNoNoNoYesOW50YesYes
Blue Force One9.349.8EnquireYes77PaidPaidYesYesYesYes42m/138f24/12/12YesYesYesYesYesYesNoNoNoYesYesAOW50YesNo
Blue Liveaboard0.051.1EnquireYes78PaidPaidYesYesYesYes41m/135f20/11/11YesNoYesYesYesNoYesNoNoYesYesAOW50NoYes
Blue Shark One8.844.9EnquireYes714NoPaidYesNoYesYes30m/99f16/9/9YesNoYesYesYesYesYesNoNoYesYesAOWEnquireNoYes
Blue Spirit Liveaboard8.544.2EnquireYes721PaidFreeYesYesYesYes26m/85f12/9/9YesNoYesNoYesNoNoNoNoYesYesEnquireEnquireNoYes
Blue Voyager8.648.5EnquireYes710PaidFreeYesNoYesYes37m/121f24/13/14YesNoYesYesYesYesYesNoNoYesYesEnquireEnquireYesYes
Carpe Diem Liveaboard, Maldives9.146.8EnquireYes710FreePaidYesNoYesYes35m/115f20/10/13YesNoYesYesYesYesNoNoNoYesYesAOWEnquireNoYes
Carpe Novo9.143.0EnquireYes711FreePaidYesNoYesYes43m/141f22/12/15YesSuitable
Dives
YesYesYesNoNoNoNoYesYesAOWEnquireNoYes
Carpe Vita9.348.0EnquireYes710FreeNoYesNoYesYes39m/127f20/10/13YesNoYesYesYesYesNoNoNoYesYesAOW0YesYes
Conte Max Liveaboard7.657.7EnquireYes77FreePaidYesYesYesNo33m/108f20/8/8YesYesYesYesYesYesYesYesYesYesYesEnquireEnquireNoYes
Dhinasha Liveaboard0.033.0EnquireNo57NoFreeYesNoNoNo28m/92f14/7/7YesNoYesNoYesYesNoNoNoYesYesOW10NoYes
Duke of York Liveaboard8.057.4EnquireYes77FreePaidYesYesYesYes36m/118f25/11/11YesYesYesYesYesYesYesYesYesYesYesOW0NoYes
Eco Blue Liveaboard9.148.5EnquireYes714PaidPaidYesNoYesYes32m/105f22/12/12YesNoYesYesYesYesYesNoNoYesYesAOWEnquireNoYes
Emperor Atoll9.348.2EnquireYes77FreePaidYesYesYesYes26m/85f12/6/6YesNoYesNoYesNoYesNoNoYesYesOW0NoYes
Emperor Explorer9.643.6EnquireYes710FreePaidYesYesYesYes33m/108f26/13/13YesNoYesYesYesYesNoNoNoYesYesOW0NoYes
Emperor Leo9.037.5EnquireYes77FreePaidYesNoNoYes35m/115f24/12/12YesNoYesYesYesYesNoYesNoYesYesEnquireEnquireYesYes
Emperor Serenity9.444.5EnquireYes714FreePaidYesNoNoYes40m/131f26/13/13YesNoYesYesYesYesNoNoNoYesYesEnquireEnquireNoNo
Emperor Virgo9.140.8EnquireYes77FreePaidYesNoYesYes32m/105f18/9/9YesNoYesYesYesNoNoYesNoYesYesOW0NoYes
Emperor Voyager9.039.0EnquireYes77FreeNoYesNoNoYes30m/98f20/10/10YesNoYesYesYesNoNoYesNoYesYesOW0NoYes
Fascination Yacht0.053.3EnquireYes410NoNoYesYesYesyes20m/66f06/3/3YesNoYesNoYesYesNoNoNoNoYesOW30NoYes
Felicity Liveaboard0.043.0EnquireYes77NoPaidYesYesYesyes28m/92f14/7/7YesNoYesYesYesYesNoNoNoYesYesOW5NoYes
Honors Legacy7.653.9EnquireYes67NoFreeYesNoYesyes34m/110f18/9/10YesYesYesYesYesYesNoNoNoYesYesAOW50YesNo
Horizon 3 Liveaboard8.455.4EnquireYes77PaidPaidYesYesYesYes36m/118f25/12/12YesYesYesYesYesYesYesNoNoYesYesAOW40NoYes
Infinity X Liveaboard0.044.3EnquireYes77NoNoYesNoYesYes49m/160f38/19/19YesNoYesYesYesYesYesNoNoYesYesOW10YesYes
Maavahi0.042.9EnquireNo77PaidPaidYesYesYesyes27m/89f14/7/8YesNoYesNonoYesNoNoNoYesYesEnquireEnquireNoYes
Maldives Aggressor II8.744.9EnquireNo710PaidPaidYesNoNoyes41m/135f22/11/12YesNoYesYesYesYesNoNoNoNoYesOW0YesYes
Moonima Liveaboard Maldives8.841.5EnquireYes714FreeFreeYesNoNoNo30m/99f20/10/10YesNoYesYesYesYesNoNoNoYesYesAOWEnquireNoYes
Nautilus One8.945.1EnquireYes77PaidFreeYesYesNoyes30m/99f14/7/7YesYesYesNoYesYesNoNoNoYesYesEnquireEnquireNoYes
Nautilus Two9.250.8EnquireYes710PaidFreeYesNoNoYes43m/141f24/12/12YesNoYesYesYesYesNoNoNoYesYesAOW40YesYes
Ocean Divine9.152.8EnquireYes77PaidPaidYesYesYesyes34m/110f12/7/7YesNoYesNoYesYesYesNoNoYesYesEnquireEnquireNoNo
Ocean Sapphire9.254.6EnquireYes77PaidPaidYesYesYesyes35m/115f22/11/11YesYesYesYesYesYesNoNoNoYesYesAOW50YesYes
Princess Dhonkamana9.548.7EnquireYes77PaidPaidYesYesYesYes31m/102f18/9/9YesNoYesYesYesYesNoNoNoYesYesOW30NoYes
Princess Haleema9.049.6EnquireYes713PaidPaidYesYesYesYes36m/118f22/11/11YesNoYesYesYesYesNoNoNoYesYesOW30NoYes
Princess Rani9.348.6EnquireYes710PaidPaidYesYesYesYes35m/115f22/10/10YesYesYesYesYesYesNoNoNoYesYesEnquire50NoYes
Princess Sara Liveaboard0.061.7EnquireYes77PaidFreeYesNoYesyes40m/131f24/10/11YesNoYesYesYesYesYesYesNoYesYesOW5NoNo
Sachika Liveaboard9.454.5EnquireYes77PaidPaidYesYesYesYes33m/108f22/10/11YesYesYesYesYesYesNoNoNoYesYesOW5YesYes
Scubaspa Yang9.656.3EnquireYes47PaidFreeYesYesYesYes50m/164f40/19/24YesNoYesYesYesYesNoNoNoYesYesOW0YesNo
Scubaspa Ying9.456.3EnquireYes47PaidFreeYesYesYesYes50m/164f40/19/24YesNoYesYesYesYesNoNoNoYesYesOW0YesNo
Seafari Explorer8.542.5EnquireYes714FreeFreeYesNoNoNo37m/121f24/12/12YesNoYesYesYesYesNoNoNoYesYesAOW50YesYes
Seafari Explorer 20.035.2EnquireYes710FreeFreeYesNoNoYes43m/141f20/12/12YesNoYesYesYesNoNoNoNoYesYesAOW50NoYes
Soleil 29.359.3EnquireYes77PaidFreeYesYesYesYes44m/144f30/15/15YesYesYesYesYesYesNoNoNoYesYesAOW50YesNo
Theia Liveaboard9.554.8EnquireNo714FreeFreeYesYesYesYes32m/105f18/9/9YesYesYesYesYesYesYesNoYesYesYesAOW50YesYes
Maldives liveaboard Table notes:
1. Where the Maldives liveaboard has a review rating of '0.0', this means that this dive boat has not yet been customer rated and reviewed at the time of writing. It doesn't mean you should not consider booking it for your scuba diving safari to dive The Maldives.
2. Flexible booking will give you peace of mind to book with confidence should something go wrong after booking - for more about how flexible booking works, please visit this page Flexible Booking Liveaboards.
3. "Diet" - this means that The Maldives liveaboard caters for any specific dietary requirements you have whilst on-board your Maldives liveaboard dive boat, you can add this to your special requests on step 2 of the booking form. It is advised that you limit these requests to religious beliefs or food allergies.
4. The "Lux Rate" is the Scuba Diving Earth luxury Rating
for the liveaboard. To find out how this "Lux-Rate" works, take a look at this article about Red Sea luxury liveaboards. In this article the "Lux-Rating" is explained: Luxury Liveaboards - Lux Rate.
5. The Customer review ratings were correct at the time of writing, which may change when you view your chosen Maldives liveaboard.

I hope you enjoyed this page about Maldives luxury liveaboard

If you have more questions either about snorkelling or scuba diving (or specifically about Maldives luxury liveaboard), please comment below with your questions.

Please share your experiences, plus dive sites, resorts and liveaboards you recommend. Share the time of year of your trip together with what you saw, the visibility, currents and dive operator, as this will help others who read this page.

There will also be many more pages and articles about scuba and scuba diving safety tips (and on snorkelling too) for you to read and learn about this fabulous sport.

Have fun and be safe!

Best Luxury Liveaboard Maldives: Best Luxury Maldives Diving

Article written by Russell Bowyer who has been a scuba diver since diving on the Great Barrier Reef in Australia in 1989. After his first dive he trained as a BSAC diver in the UK. He attained his Diver Leader certification with BSAC. He then went on to become a scuba diving instructor, teaching others how to dive and was voted as Diving Officer and Treasurer for the Saffron Walden BSAC club too. Russell has dived all over the world, including the UK, on liveaboards in the Red Sea, the Caribbean, South Africa and the USA. Russell is experienced in all dive types, including drift diving, deep dives that involved decompression stops and recreational dives too.

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