Frequently Asked Questions - Egypt
General Questions about
Emperor Divers Egypt
For your financial security, when you pay by credit card, all monies are held in a client account until your holiday takes place. Total peace of mind.
No, we do not charge any credit card fees when you make an advanced booking.
When you pre-book with us we save you 2.5% (or more) whenever you pay by credit card as we choose not to charge any fees when you pay for your holiday. The price you see is the price you pay.
Emperor Red Sea does accept payment by Visa and MasterCard on board our liveaboards and at our dive resorts. However, please note that all prices will be in Euros.
Please check with your bank for any international charges and exchange rates.
All qualified divers and anyone taking part in a PADI course are required to sign a diver medical onboard or in resort before commencing any diving activities.
In all cases, if you have, or think you have, any of the medical conditions listed you will need signed clearance from a doctor valid within 12 months of your planned liveaboard trip.
Where doctor’s clearance is needed, we ask you to arrange this before arrival where possible and to bring it with you to avoid any delays, additional costs or even missing the trip.
For students under the age of 18, all paperwork needs to be signed by a parent or guardian.
Emperor Divers will not be responsible for any financial loss incurred by issues beyond our control such as, but not limited to, weather, ‘Act of God’ or changes made by the local authorities. It is a condition of your booking with Emperor Divers that you purchase comprehensive dive and travel insurance cover specific to your booking and to bring proof of this with you to show the guides when you check in.
You are responsible to check that these include:
- Dive Injury Insurance: covering all risks, costs and expenses likely to be incurred as a result of a diving injury, including but not limited to re-compression chamber treats, air evacuation, and loss or damage to possessions. This insurance should cover all scuba diving or water sports activities that you are likely to undertake during your trip, and
- Medical Evacuation Insurance: covering all risks, costs and expenses likely to arise from a diving or non-diving injury requiring your evacuation to a place of specialist care, including but not limited to low altitude air evacuation; specialist treatment and direct; and indirect losses; and
- Comprehensive Travel Insurance: valid at the time of booking to cover any pre-departure cancellations should you have to cancel your trip for an insured reason such as illness or serious accident, any changes or cancellation to your travel plans, loss or damage to your luggage and contents.
You must be satisfied that your insurance fully covers all your personal requirements including pre-existing medical conditions, cancellation charges, medical expenses and repatriation in the event of accident or illness, diving injuries and medical evacuation.
Should diving insurance not be obtained prior to your departure, it can be arranged on arrival with Indepths Insurance (Divemaster UK). Pricing information can be found on the relevant product price list, or contact us at [email protected].
If you choose to travel without adequate insurance cover, Emperor will not be liable for any losses howsoever arising, in respect of which insurance cover would otherwise have been available.
The Red Sea offers all year-round sunshine with little or no rainfall.
From the 2nd week of November to the end of March temperatures are cooler and there can be strong winds; however, guests have commented that they prefer this time of year as the boats and the dive sites are quiet.
April to June, look out for manta and the occasional whale shark; summer has lots of shoaling fish, barracuda, trevallies, snapper, batfish. Water temperatures are lovely; however the air temperature can be very hot.
September through to the first two weeks of November the air temperature is beautiful and the waters are warm from the summer heat. Marine sightings will vary depending on which dive resort you are staying at.
There are approx. 1238 species of marine life – fish, flora, fauna which inhabit the Red Sea. The most popular are clown fish, moray, turtle, napoleon and parrot fish.
Each Dive Centre and liveaboard itinerary page gives you a sample of some of the marine life you can see from their particular area.
Water temperature ranges from 21°C in Winter to 29-30°C in the Summer. Generally, Marsa Alam area is 1 degree warmer than Hurghada area and the Deep South is 1 degree warmer than Marsa Alam area.
A Lycra 3mm wetsuit (or shortie) is fine in tropical waters and in the summer; however, some divers prefer a 5mm long if doing more than one dive a day or in the winter. It’s really how you prefer to dive but we’re happy to advise.
All tanks are fitted with 5/8’s DIN valves. We strongly advise divers with M26 regulators to note that when travelling outside Europe, tanks with M26 valves or adapters to fit M26 regulators to 5/8’s DIN tanks may not be available. These adapters cannot be purchased in countries such as Africa, Asia, etc and we have limited stocks available for rent. Please remember to either bring your own adapter with you or check with us regarding availability at the time of booking.
Either securely on the boat or in a secure equipment room.
Sorry, this service is currently not available in the Red Sea.
PADI recommend 12 hours before flying after 1 dive, 18 hours if you have done multiple dives over multiple days. Here at Emperor Divers, we require you to have 24 hours clear before flying.
As qualified divers you are expected to be able to dive to a standard as per the certification and experience requirements outlined. You are responsible for your own and your buddy’s safety during the dive and to plan your dive and dive your plan by using a personal dive computer. You must begin, execute and end the dive with your dive buddy.
Should you be a single diver, a buddy will be allocated in resort or onboard.
If you are a PADI or SSI diver, we may be able to check their computer database online, but please make every effort to get a replacement before you travel.
Yes, providing you prove you’re a diver. We may require you to do a check dive or scuba review before your arrival or on your first day depending on your level, how many dives you think you have and when your last dive was.
Depends what level you are, how many dives you’ve got and when you last dived.
For safety reasons, Emperor advises divers to follow their agency recommendation, many agencies recommend a Scuba Review if it has been longer than six months since your last dive.
You can do a Scuba Review at any Emperor Divers’ resort, this is a one-day refresher with a bit of pool, bit of theory and a dive from the beach. You should book this in advance of your arrival.
If you are looking to join a liveaboard you will need to arrange this beforehand or at home before joining your liveaboard in the Red Sea.
All our guests, regardless of their qualification or experience, will participate in a check dive on their first dive at a local/sheltered dive site and our experienced guides will give advice and feedback to ensure you get the very best experience from your trip.
Our guides will guide to 30m on recreational dives or to the limit of your diving qualification. If you have a deep spec to say 40m, you have a buddy of equal level and can show your insurance allows you to dive to this depth, then CDWS allows diving to 40m. Technical diving has different rules. Please email [email protected] for more details.
Your maximum diving depth will be dependent on your level of training and experience. It is your responsibility to check what depths your insurance policy covers you for before your arrival.
Generally, 60 minutes.
Emperor is extremely environmentally aware and asks that you refrain from taking knives or gloves when you dive.
Do not touch, ride, feed, catch or harass anything you find underwater.
Do not come back on the boat with less than 30 bar in your tank, do not ascend or descend very close to the reef or ascend or descend down the mooring line.
No solo diving, no decompression diving, use good buoyancy control when using cameras. And that means we all have a great dive.
Questions about
Emperor Egypt Liveaboards
Check in is from 18:00.
Please contact us to discuss options if your flight is either very early or later than the advised Emperor transfer times.
Check out is at 09:00 and guests will depart around 09:30.
Please let us know at the time of booking if you are continuing your holiday in the Red Sea at a resort or hotel. Day use rooms are available upon request and we strongly recommend that this is arranged with reservations at the time of booking.
All our transfers to/from our liveaboards on the check-in day will be met at either Hurghada or Marsa Alam International Airport by a representative wearing an Emperor Red Sea T-shirt and holding an Emperor Red Sea sign. The meeting point is outside the arrivals building.
A contact number for Emperor’s Airport Representative can be found on your ‘Read Before You Leave‘ document.
Emperor offers a courtesy ‘shared’ transfer on the day of arrival and the day of departure to/from port or to a local hotel at set timings, they are not private per booking. Transfers can be arranged to suit your flight arrival and departures at an additional cost and must be advised at the time of booking.
Once you have your flight details, please contact us to discuss options available.
If you do not wish to wait for one of the complimentary transfers and have not arranged a private transfer with us there are taxis available at the airport. However, they do tend to be more expensive at the airport and prices can vary. Please do contact us as pre-booking a private transfer with us is generally better value and offers local support. Please note that embarkation may not be possible before 18:00.
If you are holidaying in Marsa Alam, Hurghada or El Gouna prior to joining your liveaboard, please do let us know at the time of booking. Transfers from your hotel to your liveaboard are included on the day of embarkation, subject to the location of your hotel. The same applies if you are staying in a hotel after your liveaboard and transfers on the day of disembarking.
Please check each itinerary as they do differ depending on how much travelling is involved between diving areas. Generally, there are between 3-4 dives per day however, there will be no diving on your first day and last day onboard. You must ensure that you leave a minimum of 24 hours between your last dive and your flight departure (or going to altitude).
Please see our Egypt Diving Guidelines.
All diving is made from zodiacs to give precise entry and exit points and unpredictable and strong currents are to be expected anytime, but especially in periods of new and full moons. Therefore, you should be comfortable with drift diving.
Emperor Red Sea advises that all guests must be Open Water Diver or equivalent. On some dives the recommended depth is below 18m, therefore advanced or Deep Diver training is advised. Please check each itinerary regarding any minimum number of dives required and for further information click here .
All itineraries and dive sites are subject to various unpredictable changes including weather conditions and changes in Egyptian Government approval. Whilst Emperor Red Sea makes every effort, we cannot guarantee diving at specific sites. In adverse weather conditions the guides and captain of the boat will have the final decision about which dive sites to visit to ensure that the guests, staff and boat’s safety is not compromised in any way. If in the unfortunate event that dives are missed, or dive sites are not reached due to weather conditions or other unforeseeable changes, Emperor Red Sea will not offer a refund or compensation.
We offer the PADI Advanced Open Water on all boats plus a range of specialty courses to build on your diving experience, please ask for more details.
Courses are subject to availability and itinerary and include course materials (where required) and certification fee. If arranged on board a 14% value added tax (VAT) will be added. Prices can be found here.
For students under the age of 18, course paperwork needs to be signed by a parent or guardian.
Depends what level you are, how many dives you’ve got and when you last dived. If you are novice with not very many dives and not dived for a year, you would need to talk to your local dive school about taking part in a scuba review or PADI Reactivate programme. This should be completed prior to your arrival on board, signed by an instructor and shown to your Emperor guide before you start diving.
If you are more experienced, maybe you are PADI Advanced or Rescue (or equivalent) with 50-60 dives, you haven’t dived for maybe 18 months we may suggest a check dive, which is part of the daily diving activity but you just refresh 4 basic skills. Takes about ten minutes, that’s all.
Every diver, regardless of their qualification or experience will be required to participate in a check-dive, normally the first dive and prior to commencing normal diving activities. This dive allows you to orientate yourself in your diving environment and acquaint yourself with your equipment. In the interests of safety, Emperor Red Sea reserves the right to restrict diving activities if the instructor has any concerns regarding diver safety.
They vary from boat to boat, please see the relevant information for each boat and that will tell you the maximum number.
They vary from boat to boat, please see the relevant information for each boat and that will tell you the average number.
Mostly English, German and Spanish, however other languages are subject to availability and on request.
Please chat to us using the live chat on our website or email us at [email protected] with any dates you have in mind and we can check availability for you
Your liveaboard has ample storage space on the dive deck for your equipment and there is a spares box on board. Diving/Sun Deck towels can be found in your cabin.
We suggest that you bring the following:
Mask, snorkel, fins, boots, wetsuit, regulator, BCD, SMB (with a minimum of 5 metres of line to deploy during the safety stop) and a dive computer with spare batteries and a torch for any night dives.
The average water temperature is 29°C and we recommend a 3mm shortie or wetsuit.
Equipment is available for rent from Emperor Red Sea and we ask that you request your equipment before you arrive in resort to avoid disappointment. We need to know normal sizes, height, weight and shoe sizes to prepare the correctly sized equipment for you.
All divers are required to use a dive computer and SMB for every dive and a torch each for night dives throughout their safari experience for safety reasons. Please bring your own or ask us what is available 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.
Information regarding diving conditions, itineraries and advice regarding diver experience can be found here: Egypt Diving Guidelines.
Please chat to us using the live chat on our website or email us at [email protected] with any questions or concerns you may have and we will be happy to help and advise you.
Not all itineraries are suitable for snorkelling, but the ones that are offer access to some of the best in the world, please chat to us and we’ll be happy to advise the best and safest itineraries for you to join.
Snorkelling can be taken from the dive deck of the liveaboard only when an Instructor/Guide is on board to observe or unless the snorkeller is accompanied in the water by a certified diver. We ask all snorkellers to wear a floatation aid at all times.
Whilst every effort will be made for non-diving guests wishing to snorkel or guests wanting to try scuba diving, some itineraries or dive locations may not be permitted for safety reasons. Both snorkellers and non-divers will be required to complete a liability form at the time of check in.
Children aged 15 years or younger must be supervised by a parent or designated responsible adult at all times whilst on board an Emperor Red Sea liveaboard. Emperor Red Sea cannot provide a legal chaperone service.
Children pricing policy:
- 0-2 years old – free of charge, share cabin, no separate bed provided
- 3-9 years old – 50% discount, share cabin, no separate bed provided (share cabin, separate bed provided for 8 – 9 years old only for full charters)
- 10+ years old – full rate
The meals on board are usually buffet style with a variety of local and International dishes to suit everyone. Fish is available on board, mostly frozen with a few fresh catches along the way.
For any special dietary requests, such as vegetarian or any allergies, please inform us prior to arrival.
We source items locally, therefore items such as, but not limited to, wholemeal pastas or flour, gluten free products or soya substitutes are not typically available.
All our liveaboards are equipped with Wi-Fi and internet is available when a mobile signal is present, usually only nearby or in port. This service is for limited internet browsing and to connect with communication applications. Upload/download is very limited; therefore, we ask guests to refrain from transferring large files. Signal strength can vary, which can result in intermittent and/or slow connections, depending on the local mobile provider. If you are a high-level internet user, we advise that you purchase a local data SIM at the airport upon arrival or chat to our reservations team for help and advice before you travel.
Alcohol is available to purchase on board; a local beer is around EUR 3.50 and local wines start from EUR 15. Guests are welcome to bring their own alcohol onboard.
Questions related to Emperor Dive Courses
At our dive resorts we offer the full range of courses up to professional level.
On our liveaboards, we offer a range of PADI specialty courses including the Advanced Open Water to build on your diving experience. Courses are subject to availability, diving conditions and on liveaboards they are route dependent, please ask for more details.
Any courses arranged on board or in resort will incur a 14% value added tax (VAT).
Please talk to us if you are interested in taking a course and we’ll be happy to go through all the available options with you.
We offer a full range of PADI beginner courses in all Emperor dive resorts.
Emperor’s dive resorts are PADI 5 Star Instructor Development Centres and our partnership with PADI extends beyond 25 years. We offer a full range of courses from Discover Scuba Diving to Open Water, Advanced and up to PADI Dive Master training. In some resorts, it may be possible to do a free try dive in the pool. Ask us if this is something you’re interested in.
In our dive resorts Emperor offer a “Learn to Dive Guarantee”.
Love it or your money back! When having a go at something new it’s essential that you feel confident and comfortable with the idea. The Emperor team is so certain that you’ll love learning to dive with us, and the way our instructors look after you, that we will give you your money back if you find that diving is just not for you.
See Terms & Conditions for full details on each course.
Beginner courses are not available on our Red Sea liveaboards.
10 years old to become a certified diver, but don’t worry if you’re not – our PADI Bubblemaker programme will set you on your way from ages 8 upwards (available in all Emperor dive resorts).
No but you must be able to swim 200m using any stroke and be able to tread water (or float unassisted) for 10 minutes.
Many of our PADI courses use digital study materials so that you can read through the material at home if you want. These materials are available in lots of different languages.
Our Instructors in resort and on board are able to teach in English, German and Spanish, however other languages are subject to availability and on request.
Please chat to us using the live chat on our website or email us at [email protected] with any dates you have in mind and we can check availability for you.
Questions about Diving
in an Emperor Resort
Please check in at the diving centre either the afternoon before your first day’s diving, (best time would be around 17.00), or on the morning you are due to dive around 08.00.
At the time of booking, we will always ask you when you would like to start your diving and advise the process and what you need to bring on the first day.
Bring your towel, bathing costumes, sun cream, logbook, certification card, passport plus any diving equipment if owned.
The normal diving day is 2 dives and the boats are usually tanked up for an optional 3rd dive which can be pre-paid or paid locally. You can also do night dives in most resorts.
A typical day on the boat starts at around 08:00 AM when guests are required to set up equipment and ensure everything is working before leaving the harbour. The boat leaves approx. 08:30. If it’s your first day onboard, a boat and safety briefing will be given before your first dive.
The full day will be spent out at sea, typically between 09:00 to 16:00. During the day there will be 2-3 dives along with dive briefings. Lunch is served in between dives with this extra cost payable on board or in advance.
For your first day of diving in Sharm, we will ask all divers to use our house reef in Naama Bay to do their initial dive and weight check at least. There will be NO weight checks carried out from the boat. We appreciate this is a different approach to how Emperor Divers did things historically but, as we tend to have new arrivals every day, we’ve found the quality of your boat diving has suffered recently. Going forward it brings the exciting opportunity to choose more adventurous dive sites when you are on the boat, knowing every dive can be chosen because it’s the best one to do.
A variety of teas, coffee, soft drinks and drinking water is available on the diving boat for a small extra cost.
Special trips run depending on the weather condition and minimum numbers. We have notice boards in the dive centre where people can sign up to each trip and specify the dates when the trips are running. Or speak to your guides and dive centre staff for more details.
Ask your guide or one of the dive centre counter staff or place your name on the relevant special trips boards.
Most local sites are suitable, depending on weather conditions.
If you are unsure, have some specific questions or would like some advice, please chat to us using the live chat on our website or email us at [email protected].
Yes. The rule with swimming and snorkelling on boats is, if the person is not a diver, they must wait until a diving staff member is back on the boat from a dive before entering the water or the snorkeller is accompanied in the water by a certified diver.
We ask all snorkellers to wear a floatation aid when in the water.
Whilst every effort will be made for non-diving guests wishing to snorkel or guests wanting to try scuba diving, some itineraries or dive locations may not be permitted for safety reasons.
On the diving boats it is 4yrs. Under 4yrs it is at the dive centre’s discretion. Children must be supervised on the boat. For example, if both parents are divers one must be present at all times, unless they bring a nanny or have a friend to supervise whilst they are diving. They cannot expect the crew of the boat or the diving staff to supervise.
It very much depends on which resort you are staying in. There’s a good chance when staying in Marsa Alam, less so in Sharm. Marsa Alam has a marine reserve set up around resident spinner dolphins.
A full range of rental equipment is available, prices can be found here.
You can pre-book your equipment in your preferred currency at any time prior to arrival in resort. If arranged locally, a service charge is included but you will be charged a 14% sales tax.
The diving centre and diving boats have ample storage space for your equipment and there is a spares box onboard. Diving equipment will be transferred back to the diving centre and washed each day.
All divers are required to use a dive computer for every dive and a torch each for night dives. We also suggest that you bring the following:
- Mask, snorkel, fins, boots, wetsuit, regulator, BCD, spare batteries for dive computer and torch.
- Shortie in the summer and most people are OK in 5mm long for the winter. Instructors are mainly in dry suits.
If you have any questions at all, please chat to us using the live chat on our website or email us at [email protected].
Most equipment like BCDs, regulators, wetsuits and weight belts can be stored on the boat for the following day’s diving. Torches, cameras and computers should be taken back to your hotel room for recharging and downloading.
Check each dive centre as these vary. Mostly English and German. Languages are subject to availability and on request.
Please chat to us using the live chat on our website or email us at [email protected] with your dates and we can check this for you.
General Egypt/Red Sea Questions
All guests must have a passport valid for at least six more months after arrival and must purchase an Egyptian entry visa.
Guests are responsible for checking with an Egyptian Embassy that, for the passport they hold, a visa can be issued on arrival in Egypt. If you have booked your flight, transfers and hotel through a travel agent or tour operator then they are responsible for arranging a visa for you.
Sharm el Sheikh additional notes: The above “Full Egypt” tourist visa is required to dive at Ras Mohamed, Thistlegorm, Dunraven or to travel anywhere outside of Sinai.
Requirements vary from country to country so do check with your GP regarding relevant requirements. Do tell your GP that you will be diving as some medication is not recommended for scuba divers.
Environmental tax, port departure and marine park fees are included in the price of your liveaboard package.
For dive resorts, please check the individual price lists to see what fees are applicable/chargeable for that region. Some of the fees can either be prepaid at the time of booking or paid in resort.
A 14% value added tax (VAT) will be applied to all payments made onboard the liveaboard or in resort.
Daylight savings (summer) time is not currently observed in Egypt; therefore Egypt Standard Time is GMT+02:00.
The currency in Egypt is the Egyptian pound (EGP). Local abbreviation LE.
All our prices are in Euros, but we also accept payments in cash; Euro, Sterling, Egyptian Pound (LE) and USD. We also accept all major credit/debit cards including Amex, Maestro, Visa, MasterCard; however, please note all payments have to be converted and charged in Egyptian Pounds.
Please check with your bank regarding any international charges and exchange rates. It’s also a good idea to inform your bank/credit card provider that you are travelling to avoid security blocking.
European 220v 2 pin, 220v international multi and 2.5A USB electrical sockets. Electrical devices are not to be left charging unattended in any areas on-board, including cabins.
