MY Golden Dolphin

MY Golden Dolphin is a 34m wooden hulled motor yacht purpose-built for Red Sea diving safaris. Operating chiefly out of Hurghada and Marsa Ghalib, this is a boat that can undertakes liveaboard cruises to the Sinai Peninsula and the southern Red Sea, particularly the Brothers region.

Up to 20 guests can be accommodated in 10 cabins which are either double or twin share and all enjoy air conditioning and en-suite bathroom facilities. The interior of the boat is all wooden paneled and facilities include a spacious air conditioned saloon with complete electronic entertainment systems including free Wi-Fi internet. If you prefer the open air, there is a lot of relaxation space on deck, both under shaded cover and open to the warm Egyptian sun.

There is a large and well-organised diving deck complete with showers and toilets to allow you to refresh quickly after each dive. Complimentary nitrox plus camera table and plenty of charging areas around the boat, including the deck, will keep underwater photographers happy.

Special offers: For special discounted prices, check the yellow highlighted trips in the schedule above.

Notes: Diving experience required: for North & Wrecks safaris - Open Water diver license and 20 logged dives; for St. Johns Reefs safaris - Open Water diver license and 30 logged dives; for Brothers, Daedalus Reef & Elphinstone safaris - Advanced Open Water diver license and 50 logged dives. Prices quoted for 'Egypt Red Sea - Route open' liveaboard trips are the prices for the 'North & Wrecks' route. Other higher priced itineraries available include Brothers, 'Brothers, Daedalus, & Elphinstone' ; St. John's; and Brothers, Daedalus, Zabargad, & Rocky. Please check with us. Divers must have a minimum of 30 logged dives to join these liveaboard safaris.

Cruise price per person includes: Cabin accommodation with air-conditioning, breakfast, lunch, dinner (except on day of departure and arrival), snacks, water, soft drinks and hot drinks, return transfers from Hurghada airport to boat for Hurghada departures and from Marsa Alam airport for Port Ghalib departures, dives (as detailed in the trips above), experienced English-speaking divemaster(s) (10 divers per DM), tanks, weights and weightbelts, nitrox fills for certified enriched air divers (must be ordered 1 week in advance).

Cruise price per person excludes (mandatory, unless customer provides own): Scuba equipment (US$ 164 per trip) (must be ordered one week in advance), diving computer, dive insurance, fuel surcharge US$ 61, national park and other fees:
Brothers (incl dive permission): US$ 67,
North & Wrecks (incl dive permission): US$ 22,
Marine Park (incl dive permission): US$ 103,
St Johns: US$ 22,
St Johns/DZR: US$ 103,
Port Ghalib (to or from) port fee: US$ 30,
Dive permission: US$ 22.
Unless otherwise stated, all the listed items need to be paid on arrival (cash only).

Optional extras: Alcoholic drinks, torches. Unless otherwise stated, all the listed items need to be paid on arrival.

How to get there: The M/Y Golden Dolphin departs on its Red Sea dive safaris primarily from Hurghada and Port Ghalib; return transfers are included from nearby hotels and from Hurghada and Marsa Alam Airports to the departure point. Check-in time is 18:00 hrs (boat departs next morning). Check-out is the morning of the last day at 10:00 hrs (last night may be spent on board in the harbour or at a hotel depending on the itinerary). A day room can be arranged for arrival or departure day at an additional charge.

There are direct flights from Cairo to Hurghada (1 hour) and Marsa Alam (1.5 hours) via Egypt Air. From certain destinations in the UK and Europe it is possible to fly into Hurghada and Marsa Alam direct. For more details see our travel information section for the Red Sea.

The first and last nights of the trip are spent in the harbour. Guests arrive and board on the first day. The boat leaves the harbour on the morning of the second day. Full tourist visas are available only at the airport for citizens of certain countries, unless obtained in advance. Please ensure you understand the tourist visa requirements that apply to you. The last dive of the trip will be at around 12 noon on the second last day of the trip. Please wait at least 18 hours before flying after diving.

Non-diver rate: 25% off the published price.

Single supplement (if you do not want to share accommodation): Add 25% to the published price in low season and 40% in high and peak season.

Dive clubs and group discounts: Pay for 6 guests and receive 10 % discount per person.

Whole boat charter rate (per night): US$ 2 258.

Add-on package: If you have time, we strongly recommend that you consider some of the wonderful antiquities tours in Egypt which can add a whole new dimension to your holiday.Cairo museum's royal mummies, the pyramids of Giza, the Great Sphinx, a glorious cruise down the Nile staying in a luxury cabin, The Valley of the Kings, all of these and more can be seen in packages starting at 6 nights duration. Other activities such as 4x4 safaris and camel tours are also available as are custom-made packages to suit your needs.

The Golden Dolphin has 10 cabins: 2 Double bed cabins with windows on the upper deck and 8 Twin bed cabins with portholes on the lower deck.

All the cabins have: No. of bathrooms / showers - 12 / 12 - hot water

The crew of 12 comprises: Complimentary nitrox - 27m² Dive deck with 2 hot showers and a toilet - Camera table and charging points for electrical scuba equipment - 21m² Dive platform with rinse tank - 2 x 25 HP motorised dinghies - Air-conditioned 60m² saloon and dining area with bar and TV, DVD and music players - Internet facility (free of charge) - Satellite telephone for customer use - Library with movies, magazines, novels and fish ID books - Open air shaded dining area - Sundecks with sun matresses - Water dispenser

You can enjoy your meals in the air-conditioned saloon/dining area or the open air shaded area on the upper deck, cooled by sea breezes. On board the Golden Dolphin you can expect a range of cuisine including International, BBQs, Italian food and of course, Egyptian and Gulf specialties, with 4 or 5 different dishes on offer at each sitting. There are also plenty of nibbles free of charge throughout the day, such as biscuits, candy bars and toast.

• International cuisine is served along with Italian, BBQs and local delicacies.
• Main meals are buffet style with waitress assistance and comprise pre-breakfast, breakfast, lunch, dinner and snacks.
• Snacks consist of candy bars, biscuits, toast and fruit are available all day, free of charge.
• Tea, coffee, soft drinks and drinking water are all complimentary.
• Beer and wine are available for purchase onboard.
• Vegetarian and other special dietary needs can be catered for with prior notice.
• Catering starts with dinner on the first day of the safari.

Customer reviews:

" All crew and especially divemasters Renate and Medhat were fantastic. Communication for everything including dive briefings and airport transfers was very clear. Brand new wetsuit and booties were provided for rental and other gear was all in good condition." - Meaghan Stolk, Canada, 14 May 2017 ...