Testimonials
Divers talk their liveaboard adventures
Please pass our thanks to all the team aboard Emperor Elite for their wonderful hospitality - what a way to welcome in the New Year - bubbling the chimes under water, plus a turtle joined in the celebrations as well. What more could you ask?
As usual we have come to expect the excellent high standards from all the Elite crew, and we were not disappointed this time. Each time we come back the service just gets better. For us, it's like coming home and being welcomed by the family. I still cannot believe how Hanni and his team prepare such lovely, delicious meals in their small galley, especially when they prepared a mouth-watering New Year meal - how do they manage to cook to perfection the large turkey in their tiny oven? However, I must say that not much was left after it was brought out.
The cabins were maintained to a high meticulous standard as always - nothing was too much trouble for them and we could not be in better care - which compares easily to a 5 star hotel in London.
The Captain was excellent in his choices of dive sites especially when the weather was not that good - however, who cares if the weather is a bit windy when you get to dive with a pod of dolphins!
We are already looking into our next time on Elite later this year - we cannot wait and it helps to chase the winter snowy blues away.
Paula Lane and Gavin Bennett, Bucks, England
Thank you to all the crew and divemaster on Emperor Asmaa. Loved it! Excellent service. Great guide and fab food. Unlike any other diving I have done before. Loved all the help with getting gear on and off and the positive attitudes. Everyone took great care of me.
Kathryn Amerell, Valdez, AK, USA
This trip on Emperor Asmaa far exceeded my expectations. The crew was very helpful, the dive guide was top notch and the food was excellent. The week went too quickly. I chose Emperor because of the speed of their response to my enquiries and booking.
Kristina Lawrence, USA
The service from the crew on Emperor Asmaa was amazing; well beyond expectations. Technology for dive briefings was great with excellent visuals. We are ready to book another week.
Scott Hocking, USA
My family and I just did a Classic Cruise on the Emperor Asmaa. I just wanted to write and say thank you so much for a wonderful trip. The trip absolutely exceeded our wildest expectations of what we all thought it was going to be. The captain, staff, and dive guide, Juan Reynaud, were some of the finest people that we met in all of Egypt. My father has been diving for 27 years and myself for 19 years and we both agreed, as well as the rest of our family, that Juan was by far the most professional, courteous, caring and just downright friendly dive guide we have ever had. The chefs were wonderful preparing us some of the most amazing food. The crew were so helpful, being there to help us with everything we could need. The captain brought us all home safely so enough said! My father had his 51st birthday while at sea and the entire crew went out of their way to make this the best birthday he has ever had without us even asking them to do anything special.
I just needed to pass his on to you to let you know how much we enjoyed this trip and what a wonderful staff you have chosen. Although we thanked them all ourselves, if you would please pass this on to Juan and the rest of the staff for I just don't think they realized how much we enjoyed ourselves. We will pass this information on to as many people as we can and hope to bring you a life time full of divers. Again thank you so much and we look forward to diving with you again soon. You can count on it!
Stephen Hocking, USA
Thank You very much for another unforgettable encounter with the Red Sea!
The Classic Cruise on board the Emperor Elite was very good - team on board very friendly, crew - very helpful, our guides - Vanessa and Rick - Thank You guys big time! Spectacular diving. I've been diving with Emperor before and another voyage proved that you keep your expertise at a top level. Next trip to Red Sea - only with Emperor.
Pavel on behalf of 'The Russian trio on board' - Pavel Smolitskiy, Sergey Smolitskiy, Roman Pyatunin, Russia
P.S. The photo report on the safari is available here.
I am very happy because my trip to Egypt Hurghada to take a liveaboard on Emperor Elite was fantastic, wonderful, very beautiful. Our Capitan and all the crew and dive guides were very friendly, very kind and helpful - extremely pleased with the trip.
Wow! I don`t believe it...I think my travel was one beautiful dream...
Now I'm going to remember all my beautiful days on the Elite in our Red Sea. I saw one of the most beautiful reefs I have ever seen. I`m sure this is the last paradise of fishes in the world, the weather was fantastic, your organization very excellent, thank thank very much...
Margherita Runcio, Majorca, Spain
The team on Emperor Elite was friendly, courteous and took good care of us. I was particularly impressed with the captain - always there to help - excellent all round. Our group had a great time with great dives. I would certainly recommend Emperor Divers/Elite and scored the holiday very highly.
Melinda Kimlinger, USA
My family and I just did a Classic Cruise on the Emperor Asmaa. I just wanted to write and say thank you so much for a wonderful trip. The trip absolutely exceeded our wildest expectations of what we all thought it was going to be. The captain, staff, and dive guide, Juan Reynaud, were some of the finest people that we met in all of Egypt. My father has been diving for 27 years and myself for 19 years and we both agreed, as well as the rest of our family, that Juan was by far the most professional, courteous, caring and just downright friendly dive guide we have ever had. The chefs were wonderful preparing us some of the most amazing food. The crew were so helpful, being there to help us with everything we could need. The captain brought us all home safely so enough said! My father had his 51st birthday while at sea and the entire crew went out of their way to make this the best birthday he has ever had without us even asking them to do anything special. I just needed to pass his on to you to let you know how much we enjoyed this trip and what a wonderful staff you have chosen. Although we thanked them all ourselves, if you would please pass this on to Juan and the rest of the staff for I just don't think they realized how much we enjoyed ourselves. We will pass this information on to as many people as we can and hope to bring you a life time full of divers. Again thank you so much and we look forward to diving with you again soon. You can count on it!
Jim & Karen Garren, West Florida, USA July 2009
Our safari aboard Emperor Elite was definitely the highlight of our Egyptian vacation; the trip was our combined gift to each other to celebrate our 25th wedding anniversary.
I will include below a review of our experience very similar to the version I sent to www.undercurrent.org. Feel free to use the report as a testimonial if you so desire, our experience was very positive, we would gladly return aside from dreading the long flight! :-)
Jim & Karen Garren, West Florida, USA July 2009
My wife and I spent a week on the Snefro Crown on a Classic Cruise and we can only say that everything was outstanding, beyond our expectations.
The ship is really comfortable with nice cabins and living room. Food was excellent in both quality and quantity with big variety of different dishes to please everybody and the crew is very professional and always ready to attend you and make your trip a very pleasant experience.
The guides, Moritz and Marta, were extremely professional taking care not only of all related with diving but with anything we might need.
Let us make a special mention to Marta who was guiding our group (don't worry Moritz , we love you too!) She was more than helpful any time we needed advice or assistance and a very nice company.
We would like to say hello to all those who did this cruisse with us , the German group , Val & Collen, Thomas & Sue, John & Michelle and last but not least Nate. You all were really friendly and I hope you all had a nice trip back home.
Well time to say goodbye longing to hear again...BRIEFING!!!!!!
Paco and Eva Badolato, Madrid, Spain November 2009
We had two fabulous trips; week one on Fraser and week two on the Elite. The Fraser was a more intimate experience; Gabriel and Maria were absolutely terrific and made a great team. Gabriel was also an excellent critter finder which made this photographer especially happy.
Sonia on the Elite went well above and beyond the call of duty - she had a fascinating video that she showed in instalments after breakfast and her enthusiasm for diving and marine life really shone through.
We would certainly recommend an Emperor Divers' safari to our other diving friends. The whole operation starting with the bookings onward was well organized and very responsive to any questions we had.
Mike Bryant/Ray Slyper, New York, USA October 2009
Read and see more from Mike here.
Our safari aboard Emperor Elite was definitely the highlight of our Egyptian vacation; the trip was our combined gift to each other to celebrate our 25th wedding anniversary.
I will include below a review of our experience very similar to the version I sent to www.undercurrent.org. Feel free to use the report as a testimonial if you so desire, our experience was very positive, we would gladly return aside from dreading the long flight! :-)
Jim & Karen Garren, West Florida, USA July 2009
Undercurrent report:
This was only our second live aboard so our experience is limited but it was much better than the first one to the Great Barrier Reef so it receives high marks. We paid extra for the largest suite in the bow of the boat and the accommodations were excellent, we discovered however this was not the best choice for my wife who is subject to mal-de-mer.
Strong winds, rough conditions, and long travel distances made several days uncomfortable for my wife Karen, accentuated by our location in the bow of the boat, live and learn as the saying goes.
Visibility was good but not excellent, due in part to the rough seas, aside from one close encounter with a huge Manta we were somewhat disappointed by the lack of photo opportunities with the shark species encountered which are advertised as the primary attraction. While we could see and identify Gray Reef, Great Hammerhead, and Oceanic Whitetip sharks, visibility prevented good photos, other divers identified Thresher sharks as well but no one had much success photographing them, no fault of Emperor Divers of course.
On the flip side we were pleasantly surprised at the huge variety of small fish, and brilliant corals. Friendly Napoleon Wrasse nearly the size of Goliath Grouper and many tropical species not seen previously took the sting out of poor photo opportunities for pelagic species.
Food was plentiful and very good quality. The entire staff was cheerful and attentive, dive guides were available for those who wanted them, but divers were permitted to dive their own profiles within the guide lines described.
Much of the diving was done by drops from Zodiac tenders, the mother ship remained fixed to mooring balls located in the calmest spot at the offshore locations. In the rough conditions during our trip boarding the Zodiacs in full dive gear was a challenge at times, the ride to the drop zone could also be very uncomfortable depending on the travel distance necessary. Depending on location and current some dives were permitted directly from the dive deck for those who disliked the Zodiac ride.
Many of our live aboard companions hailed from Europe, Americans were in the minority no doubt due to the travel required, for Europeans the Red Sea is a common dive travel destination much as the Caribbean is for North American divers.
Emperor Divers also operates the Marina Lodge Hotel in Port Ghalib, home port for several live aboard boats including Elite. We spent one night in the hotel following our Red Sea dive safari, accommodations were comfortable and good food is available in the hotel restaurant. We were a little disappointed at the lack of location specific dive souvenirs in Emperor's dive shop also on the premises. Emperor day boat trips can also be booked from this location.
We picked the summer months for our Red Sea trip since it normally offers optimum dive conditions, but Mother nature did not read the same brochure for this excursion. Something travelers to Egypt should understand is that the summer months are the off season for land based tourism, consequently Egyptian domestic airline schedules are reduced during the period, and this required us to make a long trip by car from Hurghada to Port Ghalib near Marsa Alam that would not be required in the winter months. No one goes to Egypt without a visit to the Pyramids and ancient temples and we were no exception. There is a reason non diver types consider winter to be the travel season in this part of the world, all land based activities were planned for early morning and it was still hotter than you know where!
Julie and I had a great time on the Emperor Superior. The boat, crew, other passengers, and especially the diving far exceeded our expectations. It was certainly the best part of our trip to Egypt. We would both definitely recommend Emperor to our dive friends and look forward to traveling with you again. (I believe Julie is going to send you a separate email raving about the great time she had too). Also, thanks again for taking care of us on the day our travel agent decided to strand us in Hurghada! Looking forward to seeing you again.
Elizabeth Kabat, New York, USA May 2009
I have dived with Emperor Divers before and have always been very impressed with the quality and professionalism. Elite is a step up if that is possible! More coke for the Canadians and more time in the caverns! I have had an excellent time and will be booking as soon as I get back. SUPERB!
Janet Fischer, London, England April 2009
I want to thank you for a fantastic trip. The boat is beautiful and well maintained, the cabins are comfortable. The crew is great, very helpful, courteous and professional, there to help with anything you need. The food was great and again the staff very professional. The Simply the Best itinerary was, like it says, just beautiful diving. I have some great video footage to sort through. I wish I'd had planned for a back to back liveaboard to see some of the other areas of Red Sea.
Barbara Buchanan, Scuba Planners Dive Travel, USA
www.scubaplanners.com
...how do they prepare such ample and lovely meals in a tiny galley?
All the guides were very knowledgeable and conscientious in regards to boat safety and dive sites, I have some great photos as a result from their invaluable tips. Seeing lots of turtles, the elusive cuttlefish and octopus, as well as the Hammerhead and Whale shark for good measure - what more could Santa bring you for Christmas?
We are definitely booking with Emperor for later this year - for the 5th time, the only problem is that work gets in the way of diving. Emperor is simply the best.
Please pass on our appreciation to all at Marsa Alam and Liveaboard Elite.
Paula Lane and Gavin Bennett, Farnham Royal, England December 2008
We had a great time on board Serenity last week! Nil was a superb guide with a wicked sense of humour, and the crew of the boat just could not do enough for us. The food on Serenity was delicious and varied; hardly a dish, including the salads, was produced twice during the week. We also enjoyed our unexpected complimentary bottle of wine! I couldn't find any fault with the holiday; even the day at the Coral Beach was a pleasant experience. I know that much of the credit for everything is down to you, so thank you. My only grumble is that we did not see enough sharks, especially disappointing as I heard that there were hammerheads off Tiran last week.
Helen and John Nightingale September 2008
An excellent liveaboard safari on Serenity. Having only started diving 18 months ago and therefore being relative novices, we were initially a little apprehensive about spending a full week on a boat. Due to a mix up with our reservation by the travel agent, we ended up firstly being upgraded to Emperor Serenity, which was fantastic, and secondly, doing a completely different route to what we had booked (Just Brothers, instead of Classic Cruise). We were a little concerned by this at first due to our level of experience but I have to say that our dive guides, Lisa and Nick, did a fantastic job of both reassuring us and guiding us around some wonderful sites. We saw plenty of grey reef sharks and a thresher shark and other members of the dive party also saw hammerheads. Lisa and Nick are a true credit to your company, and thanks to their professional, informative and friendly approach, we gained a lot of confidence in our diving and felt totally at ease in the water, even when the currents were fairly strong. It was a wonderful experience and we thoroughly enjoyed it. The crew of Serenity was very friendly and helpful, and everybody certainly enjoyed the food, which was outstanding! Overall, it was a great holiday and we are looking forward to booking another liveaboard safari soon.
Lisa Gillie, England August 2008
I was on the Elite for a tour of The Brothers, Daedalus, and Elphinstone. Not only was I impressed with the three species of sharks and the dugong I saw, but I was also awed by how well the ship was run and the unbelievable courtesy and assistance of the captain, crew and dive masters both on the ship and during dive preparation and completion. For three years I put off going to Egypt due to perceived safety issues and warnings from unknowing colleagues and friends. However, what I found in my 6.5 weeks in Egypt was it's the safest place I've ever been! The people of Egypt are gentle and peaceful and always willing to help out. As a single woman traveling alone, I was a bit nervous at first, but after 2 days, I knew this would be a safe, enjoyable trip. To anyone considering a liveaboard safari in Egypt, I say, go for it!
Polly Wolfe, Massachusetts, USA August 2008
I've just had the chance to enjoy a great experience on Emperor Serenity. I believe that the boat crew and the dive guides made everything they could possibly do to make this trip a wonderful experience. Thanks to chef Rousha and his delicious cuisine, Hany and Gabriel with their expertise in briefing and guiding us during the wonderful dives we had in The Brothers, Akhmed and Jose with their kindness and cheerfulness. Not forgetting all the guys whose names I couldn't retain but spent entire days driving us on the reefs, picking us up before currents could drift us away, helping during the donning operations and for being always smiling and helpful.
No doubts that I would recommend Emperor Divers and its crews to every friend that would love to see the Red Sea beauties. Thanks a lot and I hope to dive with you guys soon again.
Flavio Ottaviani, Milan, Italy July 2008
Serenity: Professional and friendly staff and dive guides. Pristine vessel, lovely dive sites - dive masters were awesome! Crew was helpful and friendly and saw to everyone's needs. Nick, dive guide, was professional, exceptionally competent, interesting, experienced and a pleasure to interact with both in and out of the water. Neil, dive guide, was equally so and made the dives fun, not only for me, but also my 16 year old son.
Wendy & Brandon Lally, Pennsylvania, USA June 2008
Serenity: All-round excellence of Emperor services. Food, dive boat and crew were above excellent - words are not adequate to describe the services provided by dive guides, Nick and Neil. Besides solving a vacation-ending-crisis (airline lost dive gear!) in a very short period of time they were also extremely knowledgeable, personable, patient, professional - I could go on in praise of them, but enough!
Richard Matelske, Texas, USA June 2008
Serenity: Fantastic boat, guides and crew plus great diving as well. Outstanding service, reasonable pricing for what you receive in return. A big thank you to Neil and Nick for going out of their way to help with our lost luggage. The boat was wonderful and the boat staff extremely friendly. The guides were wonderful as well - very professional and entertaining! The Americans will return!
Kelli Matelske, Texas, USA June 2008
We had a fab dive week on Serenity but came back really tired as its full on, hardcore diving. I think I need a week's holiday to recover! I have now booked to join the next probe diving trip on 5 September 2008 as I enjoyed it so much. Hopefully we will have Nil Flottman as our guide as he was absolutely excellent! He was full of knowledge, insight and advice and he really made the whole experience great.
Steve Ivell, England June 2008
Thank you once again for your kind hospitality at Hurghada Dive Centre, hope we didn't have you running around too much. Please also pass on our thanks to the dive guides and boat crew on Infinity. We had a great time as usual and look forward to the using the boat again in the future. Maybe a Get Wrecked Week!
Debbie Woods, For Dive Odyssea, UK May 2008
www.diveodyssea.net
First of all I want to tell you what a great adventure the Egypt trip truly was. I feel very fortunate that I was able to participate with such a talented and gregarious group. Diving the Red Sea is more than a Diving Trek to experience some of the great diving in the world, but a trip to Egypt embodies a lifetime experience in ancient history.
The cordial and genuine hospitality provided by Theresa and Terry made the diving portion one of the best I have had on a liveaboard, and remember I have been diving for over 50 years so this places them on a special pinnacle.
I also think that diving the Red Sea and visiting Egypt is a mystical trip that transcends most dive trips. Yes you are going for the diving, but the cultural aspect of visiting Egypt exceeds your expectations. It was truly a life experience and I am looking forward to our return.
Dick, USA May 2008
Just wanted to thank you again for a wonderful trip diving the Red Sea, it was an AWESOME EXPERIENCE! Thanks for the opportunity to see some incredible sites and meet some fantastic people.
Peggy S. Kurpinski, Adventure Scuba, Michigan, USA May 2008
A massive thank you to everyone who made our Superior Classic Cruise so great...and such a special way of concluding our honeymoon in Egypt! Fantastic vessel, amazing crew and guides with wonderful diving thrown in for good measure! To dive the Thistlegorm (twice) and swim with dolphins in the same day...hopes and dreams made a reality! Thanks again to all.
Dan and Sam Jackson, UK March 2008
Many thanks for all your help organising and during our recent liveaboard trip on Superior. We had a wonderful time and it seems everyone is signed up for a return trip next year. As we said in the questionnaire, we cannot think of anything more that we needed to improve the trip for us. Everyone was great so I don't want to pick out individuals but just to point out that our group had a couple of dietary issues which were handled sensitively every day and this was really appreciated.
Audrey and Joe Pryme, Dive Inn Scuba February 2008
www.diveinnscuba.com
Having recently returned from taking a really excellent Classic Cruise on Superior as prize in the monthly competition earlier in the year I would like once again to express my thanks to all concerned for the extremely generous prize.
I and the friend who accompanied me as part of the prize, plus other friends who were paying guests, really enjoyed a week to remember. Although a regular on exploratory trips in "The South", this was my first trip in the north and the Classic Cruise itinerary was an excellent one to do, covering as its name implies the majority of the "Classic" dive sites. Given the uncertainty over timing of works on the Thistelgorm we were particularly pleased to find that we were able to dive it and that it was not to busy with others. Photos from the trip are on my website at www.finsnphotos.org.uk.
The boat and crew could not be faulted living up to all expectations and matching its name "Superior". Having Nitrox available free and "on tap" is excellent and we used this all week to great benefit. We were especially pleased to find that we were hosted on board for the week by Dive Guide Ahmed Fadel who we have dived with on a number of occasions in the past and is a major asset to the company.
I would certainly recommend the companies to others and am currently looking to arranging a further trip on an Emperor boat next summer.
Iain Paul, Scotland January 2008
(translated from German)
We had a very nice week on Emperor Asmaa. Karin and Juan were looking after in a perfect manner and the rest of the crew was let's saying "first class" [sorry there is not really a translation for "allererste Sahne" but it is like the finest of the fine things J]. It was the best safari we ever had and will come back to one of your boats for sure!
Peter and Sandra Praxl, Germany October 2007
I would like to say what a fantastic trip we all had on board the Majesty. The dive guides, Ahmed, Aziz and Mishka were exemplary. The dive site and safety briefings were excellent. What I was very impressed with was the respect shown to everyone on the trip as to their experience and diving abilities, being allowed to plan our own dives and dive in buddy teams following the dive site briefings. Ahmed is a consummate professional in every way and an asset to Emperor.
The liveaboard, Majesty, surpassed everyone's expectations, what a superb boat and the crew were attentive, courteous, professional and fun.
The itinerary 'The Big Four' was great, I was surprised as to the variety of dive sites, there was something for everyone. The swim throughs at St John's Caves and Claudinet were amazing, the quality and quantity of corals on the sites are great.
All in all a superb experience and dive trip. As a trip organiser and leader it made my life so easy that the trip, guides, crew and liveaboard exceeded everyone's expectations.
Gary Morrison, PADI Master Instructor #633121, England October 2007
An absolutely amazing trip on Infinity, organised by Regal. The diving was awesome, the crew was attentive and the dive guides - Nick and Lisa: simply stunning in every way. I cannot sing their praises enough - they should be commended for making the trip as successful as it was. We all had the best dive trip in a long time, if not ever. The next trip in June is pretty much booked up already! Emperor shall definitely be recommended in the future and certainly used for future trips.
Alex Heyes, England September 2007
Having returned to Portugal we'd like to thank everyone at Emperor Divers for the terrific week we spent on board Infinity. The boat was really nice, the crew very good and the diving unforgettable. This was my third liveaboard in the Red Sea and for sure the best. I'm really grateful for all help received when we lost our connecting flight from Cairo to Hurghada. Without it we would have missed a week that we will never forget. Finally, I'd like to thank and highlight the excellent work done by the two dive guides Cláudio and Michelle. I've been diving extensively all over the world and they are for sure among the best dive guides I had - very professional, competent and friendly. Well done!
I look forward to diving again with you guys in a near future.
João Paulo and Inês Matos, Portugal August 2007
Hello Emperor Diver,
Infinity on a Classic North Cruise in the North of the Red Sea was great and left no wishes unfulfilled!
On arrival at the Airport (around midnight) we were met by our Guides Nick and Lisa and then we went to the boat. After a midnight snack and a short briefing we went to our cabins. One of the other guests on the boat has left her bag (passport, money, etc.) on the luggage drolly at the airport. The Team of Emperor reacted perfect and it was possible to find all the lost property!
In the morning we departed. We left the marina at 7:00 am and around 11:00 am we did our first dive - check dive - nice and easy - one of the thousands of wonderful coral reef in the Red Sea. Our trip was leading us through the North of the Red Sea.
Reefs, Wrecks, Fishes - all that in a water temperature around 26 / 27 degrees (August).
The wrecks for example the Carnatic, the Ghianis D and of course one of the highlights is the Thistlegorm. The traveling times between the divesites was very short - and just the crossing of the Straits of Gubal was a little bit rocky.
Very easy we got into the Safari Rhythm - Diving - Eating - Sleeping - Reading and Chatting. We did 3 dives on the first and 2 dives on the last day; on all the other days we had the possibility to make 4 dives: in the morning - midday - afternoon and a night dive - every day!
All the divers were perfectly organized and we had a professional briefing. Nick developed his artistic talent when he drew the Divesite Maps. The Dive deck is spacious and there was always one of the crew around to help you for kitting up with your diving equipment. Depending on the Divesite, the dives are done from the boat or from the zodiac which of course also returns to pick you up after your dive.
The rented equipment (BCD/Regulator) was in very good condition and worked without any problems. I forgot my SMB and also my torch run out of battery - but no problem - I could rent everything onboard!
Courses could be done onboard up to the wishes of the guests - Nitrox, Deep, etc. - I did a Nitrox Course with Lisa (great!) and dived from the 3rd day on Nitrox free of charge. Also the guests who did a Deep Specialty with Nick were very satisfied.
The chief did a great job - various foods and tasty, very important for me that there was a big variety of tasty salads and vegetables.
The boat is very big and spacious, the cabins are really nice and each one has a good working Air-condition unit - own bathroom and always warm water.
In the evening you can enjoy the unforgettable and wonderful sunsets on the sundeck and (if you wake up very early) also the sunrise. - The Lounge you have the possibility to look at your diving pictures on a big flatscreen TV.
All the guests were very nice and they came from Spain - Portugal - England - Australia and Germany.
Starting from making the booking where I was looked very well after and the entire Emperor Team was very fast responding and working professional! All in all a perfect Liveaboard package for Safari fans and for those who want to try it - I can just recommend Emperor - And give them 5 out of 5 stars!
Many thanks to Nick, Lisa, the crew of Infinity and the whole Emperor Team!
Susanne Zuehlke, Germany August 2007
After 40 years of diving, we finally made it to the Red Sea. Wow, now I understand what all the fuss is about. The waters around the Brothers, Elphinstone and Daedalus Reefs that we explored offered world class plus diving. Great to experience 40-meter visibility once again. Being underwater naturalists, my wife, Anna, and I were in heaven, what an extraordinary set of fishes. Seeing the area's endemic species alone was worth the visit. And what wonderful accommodations: The Emperor Elite, a member of Emperor Divers' Gold Fleet, was everything a liveaboard vessel should be - spacious, clean, well appointed and manned by an experienced crew that always had us in the water at the most advantageous times. Now that we are in the know, it certainly won't be another 40 years until we make it back. In fact, we are planning a 2008 return, this time with friends and much more time to enjoy one of the ocean's greatest wildlife shows.
Ned and Anna DeLoach, USA May 2007
Geoff Spiby, Cape Town, South Africa May 2007
 Photo: St John's Cave, M Taylor |
Marc Taylor & Christina Papaoikonomou, London, England March 2007
Just a quick line to thank all at Emperor for such an incredible week. We are Emperor regulars and do at least one Safari a year for our Club but this one topped the lot. We did wonder if you could ever better a week on the Infinity but Elite came up with the goods. The safari was a class trip and our thanks go in particular to Anneke, Nick and the rest of the crew. We could not have asked for more, so please pass on our thanks.
Mark, Aqualeisure Dive, England March 2007
Wow, what a fabulous holiday. I admit this was my first trip and I was a little concerned, seasickness, quality of accommodation and food. You surpassed my expectations a brilliant trip on Elite, good diving and great crew. Special thanks to Nick and Anneke who were excellent. What can I say? I can't wait for my next trip.
John Simick, Aqualeisure Dive, England March 2007
I had a wonderful time onboard Emperor Infinity and really enjoyed the cruise.
I would like to thank the whole Emperor Fleet team for their excellent service and support before, during and after the cruise. My special thanks go to the Infinity crew - they did a brilliant job throughout the journey. They were always friendly and made every effort so that we all felt comfortable and enjoyed our trip. Overall, it was a memorable experience. I will definitely come back, and will also be recommending the Emperor Fleet to my friends and colleagues for their holidays too.
KM, Holland February 2007
This trip can only be recommended. Great care from A-Z. We were picked up at Hurghada airport and transferred directly to the boat and the next day our trip started.During the trip, Anneke and Nick (our guides) looked after us very well, as did the crew who were supporting us during our whole stay onboard and were also very funny. An all-round, perfectly organised trip. Unforgettable are the detailed briefings where one was able to imagine the dive beforehand. Also the boat, Infinity, offers a rich measure of comfort, a very roomy dive deck where one finds sufficient space even with 20 people. In this trip, everything was simply perfect. And the most important thing - the diving: After the briefing at 7 o'clock in the morning, we were ready to enjoy our first amazing dive. Hungrily we threw ourselves on the breakfast buffet then three more dives followed, interrupted with lying around and chatting about previous dives. There was always tasty and sufficient food. Whoever was interested could do an on-board Nitrox-course for just 99 €. Sure we had to study a little, but if we needed any help, Nick (our instructor) was always supportive and ready to help. The sites were all "superlatives", for example some wrecks like the Thistlegorm, Carnatic and the Giannis D, not to forget the drift dives along the fantastic drop-offs and the prestigious coral gardens. Already at the first dive we joined a school of 12 dolphins, what more do you want?
With pain in our heart we had to end our trip, but not all was finished yet. We were invited to a barbecue where Emperor Fleet guest care manager, Wali, and dive guide, Ute, took very good care of us. With a lot of fun and laughter we spent our last evening. The three of us will carry the beautiful memories of our great liveaboard with Emperor for a long time. We are looking forward to further trips, which we will book definitely with Emperor Infinity again, as it is a great boat.
Gerald & Frank Friedrich, Albert Bayer, Germany February 2007
Emperor Infinity! What a great boat, with great guides, Nick and Anneke, and a good crew. The last night party was special and it was good to see familiar faces. It was just a shame that I wasn't able to spot the dolphins or turtles everyone else did - must have had something to do with my face being stuck in a camera all week!
I think having Nitrox, and free/part-free to customers is a great safe idea, especially on the liveaboards. I dive with Nitrox in the UK for most of the time and it has real benefits.
Tony Gilbert, Macclesfield, England January 2007