Emperor Virgo

Diving Squad Rating:

 8.6/10

8.6 / 10

Emperor Virgo is a classy, modern yacht with two international bars, yoga classes and free nitrox for certified divers!

All trips explore the central Maldives regions, which is well known for a varied underwater landscape, manta cleaning stations and lots of shark action and other big pelagic fish.

Great for: Central Region, Small Groups, Free Nitrox, Yoga

Trip Lengths: 7 Nights

Max Guest Capacity: 16

Operates: November – April

Other Reviews:

"Manta Mania Night Dive - Shark population all around the Maldives - Super friendly dive guides and crew - Lots of space on the boat compared to other regions' liveboards (Thailand, Indonesia) - Very happy to see healthy corals - Accommodated request to dive Fishhead & Maya Thila"

"Everything was top notch. I love the Maldives. We saw 6 species of sharks in one week and countless Mantas. Whale shark and hammerheads were to of my favorite along with the night dives with Mantas and Nurse Sharks. The diving guides are outstanding, thank you Andrea Reeko and Megan. Crew is great and the boat as well with great food the whole week."

"We were lucky enough to see 17 Eagle rays swimming in formation, lots of sharks, turtles and rays as well as beatiful corals and so much fish life. The night dive with the Mantas was thrilling - as was the twilight dive with the nurse sharks. We couldn't fault the crew and Dive Guides. The briefings were really good and health and safety was always a priority. It was our first liveaboard and we couldn't have asked for more. The accommodation was excellent and the fantastic cocktails an added bonus. Thanks to Thomas and all the crew for making the week so special!!"

Megan K from Singapore said:

“Great daily itinerary that was flexible and based on site conditions which allowed us to truly see the best of Maldives – from mantas to stingrays and lots of colourful marine life.

The liveaboard itself was extremely cosy and comfortable with delicious meals whipped up for us 3 times a day. The dive crew and guides were great, informative and really friendly.

We had a ton of fun with the other guests on board and it really felt like home for a week”.

Review:

Emperor Virgo explores the Maldives central region where divers will see many reef sharks and manta rays and also have a good chance of seeing whale sharks and hammerhead sharks!

Guests are only required to have their open water certification. No extra logged dives are required but guests will need to be comfortable diving in currents and may have to sit out some dives.

Almost all other Maldives liveaboards require guests to have advanced open water certification and 30+ logged dives, making Emperor Virgo the best option for divers with less experience.

For an extra fee, you can hire a private dive guide and complete diving courses.

One of the only other beginner friendly Maldives liveaboards is Emperor Serenity, which is actually a little cheaper than Emperor Virgo and also operates on more months of the year.

For extra activities there are yoga classes as well as onboard kayaks and snorkelling equipment. There is also paid internet and a camera station.

There are not one but two international bars on this yacht, which serve a verity of fine wines, beer on tap, cocktails and spirits.

The air conditioned lounge has plenty of comfortable furniture and beanbags plus a large flatscreen TV entertainment system.

Heading outside, the sundeck has lots of sun loungers from which to take in the stunning Maldives views. It’s also where the yoga classes take place!

Cabins are equipped with ensuite shower rooms, dressing tables, TV & DVD players and ac. The two upper cabins also have large windows which provide beautiful ocean views and plenty of sunlight.

For those who are certified free nitrox refills means you can enjoy more time underwater and less time surfacing.

Written by:

Alex

Scuba fanatic, travel ecstatic and loveable rogue. A rootless divemaster and perpetual adrenaline-junky, Alex holds the esteemed rank of Grand Admiral of the Diving Squad; a title he most nobly awarded to himself. A scuba-junky since 2014, he's dived much of the Philippines, Thailand, Indonesia, Maldives, Red Sea, Ireland, Costa Rica, Nicaragua and Panama. It's hard to say where he'll pop up next for he never settles; forever a leaf on the wind... or perhaps a lone bubble blasted along on the current.