MV Carpe Vita

Overview

M/V Carpe Vita is a luxury 38m motor safari yacht and the sister vessel of the M/V Carpe Diem. She has a total of 10 cabins divided over three decks and can cater for a maximum of 20 divers. Beautiful and spacious in design, the M/V Carpe Vita offers plenty of space to relax in its air-conditioned lounge/restaurant area with flat screen TV, DVD and MP3 player and comfortable seating area.

Outside there are additional shaded seating areas with comfortable cushions to chill out and take in the beautiful colours of the Indian Ocean. The main dining area and bar is also outside and meals are normally served in a semi buffet style prepared by the fine dining chef. From the dining area, a staircase leads up to a spacious sun deck, partially shaded and with a Jacuzzi, seating area and loungers for sunbathing.

Dives are carried out from the boat’s dhoni and the spacious dive deck has fresh water showers and toilet. Nitrox is complimentary for qualified divers (membrane filling system). Internet connection is possible on the boat at extra charge; strength of connection dependant on location.

Accommodation

M/V Carpe Vita accommodates 20 guests across three different cabin types: suite, superior and standard. All cabins have individually controlled AC, safety deposit boxes and TV screens with HD media players and their own private bathrooms.

The two spacious suites have king size beds which can be separated into two super single beds, a wide flat screen TV plus DVD/HD player, desk/chair/dresser, two hanging closets, windows throughout the side of the cabin, bathroom with dual sink, bath tub and separate shower cubicle.

The two superior cabins, located on the main deck, have king size beds which can be separated into two super single beds and desk/chair/dresser, hanging closet, large windows, ensuite bathroom and shower cubicle.

Six standard cabins are located on the cabin deck below the main deck. All cabins have one queen size bed and a super single bed, desk/chair, dresser, en-suite bathrooms with showers. All standard cabins have portholes.

Specification

Built: 2011, Length: 38 metres, Beam: 10m, Engines: Doosan Daewood Marine 800 HP, Generators: 2 x Zenith Isuzu 52KW Marine-Gen set and 1 x Zenith Isuzu 16KW Marine-Gen set, 2 x L&W 420 compressors and a Nitrox L&W, 220V electricity and 3 pin UK type plugs.

Navigation / SafetyEquipment Rental ChargesEquipment Rental Charges

GPS, echo sounder, radar, VHF radio, satellite phone, smoke detectors, fire extinguishers, life jackets, emergency alarm

Please note: Use of a dive computer is obligatory. All divers must be Advanced Open Water or higher qualified.

Group savings

Book 6 divers and 1 will have a free boat space. Please ask for details.

Click here to view Carpe Vita deck plan

Schedules & prices

Dive info

Diving in the Maldives is influenced by the seasons. The quality of individual dive sites and marine parks is determined by the ebb and flow of seasonal currents, which in turn affects both the underwater visibility and the marine life. Liveaboards follow these seasonal variations, taking divers to the best sites for the time of the year.

Regaldive operate a range of liveaboards throughout the Maldives. These include classic itineraries following established routes out of Male to new itineraries in remote atolls where the dive sites have only recently been established. Maldivian Liveaboards are supported by a ‘dive dhoni’ where all dives are conducted from. The dhoni carries all cylinders, equipment and compressors.

Classic Liveaboards out of Male

Over the past thirty years, an incredible range of world class dive sites have been charted and explored in the atolls surrounding the capital, Male. MV Emperor Voyager,  MV Emperor Atoll, MV Emperor Serenity, MV Emperor Leo, MV Emperor Virgo,  MV Keana,  MY Mariana,  MV Ari Queen, MV Carpe Diem  and  MV Carpe Vita visit many of the Maldives best known dive sites following a flexible itinerary that take account of local diving conditions. The boats will generally operate in both North and South Male atoll, Felidhe and Ari atoll and some operate a limited number of special trips further afield.

Liveaboard Itineraries Beyond Male

The last two years has seen access to some remote atolls in the Maldives improve dramatically. Regaldive feature liveaboards that cover these exciting new atolls, ranging from Haa-Alifu in the far north, to Huvadhoo in the far south. These atolls represent the new ‘frontiers’ of diving in the Maldives and lie well beyond traditional tourist maps. 

Far North Haa Alifu Atoll

Haa Alifu is the most northerly atoll in the Maldives. There is a sizeable local population in the atoll but virtually no tourism development as yet. MY Amba is the first liveaboard to the atoll offering a mix of dives on charted dive sites alongside truly original exploratory diving. Access to the atoll is via Male and involves an internal sea plane flight to Hanimadhoo airport. Main Manta season in this area is September and October for the best sightings, but nearly every week there are Mantas on some of the dive sites.

Far South Meemu Atoll

Meemu, Thaa and Laamu atolls are 3 of the 5 most southerly atolls and MY Sheena, under the expert management of Werner Lau, offers an exhilarating itinerary from the island of Filitheyo. Challenging drift dives make up the majority of the 3 daily dives available on MY Sheena; as many of these islands are yet to be fully dived and explored, some of the dives will be semi-exploratory, suiting divers looking to document some untouched sites in search for the unknown.

Liveaboard and Island Combinations Tailormade

We offer tailormade holidays to the Maldives. This means that we can organise your holiday based on your requirements. We can also offer a twin centre option of a liveaboard and island based holiday in the Maldives.

Alternatively, many guests choose to combine the incredible sights in Sri Lanka with either an island or liveaboard in the Maldives.

For Sri Lanka options, click here

Diving

Diving in the Maldives can be challenging, and as such it is recommended that divers have a minimum qualification of PADI Advanced or equivalent, with 40+ logged dives, although experienced Open Water divers are not precluded. M/Y Sheena requires a minimum of 60 logged dives but exceptions on diving experience may be made on request in certain circumstances. Due to the diving area and profile from March 2019 a Nitrox certification is mandatory to join a trip. It's possible to complete this on board (local payment) the M/Y Sheena.

Diving is encouraged to be undertaken in individual self-sufficient buddy teams and small groups, though you may of course choose to follow the guide for ease of navigation.

GROUPS

Click here for GROUP LIVEABOARD OFFERS

Flight Options

Emirates via Dubai from Heathrow, Manchester, Birmingham and Glasgow. Other regional departures may be available; supplement may apply. Regaldive's prices are currently based on Emirates. Supplements may or may not apply for other airlines dependant on seat availability.

Sri Lankan via Colombo from Heathrow, Qatar Airways via Doha from Heathrow and Manchester, Oman Air via Muscat from Heathrow, British Airways from Gatwick.

Charter Flights: Flights are direct, once a week for 7 and 14 night durations, usually flying overnight on outbound. Charter flight days may not match all the liveaboard departure days, with the exception of Carpe Diem.

Internal transfers to your liveaboard

Your boat is reached either by sea plane, speedboat transfer or internal flight from Male airport. Transfers are organised as part of your holiday package, unless requested otherwise.

Seaplane and Boat Transfers

Most liveaboards that opearate out of Male will organise a transfer using a dhoni that will pick you up from the airport and transfer you to the baot. Liveaboards operating from other areas will have a either a speedbaot transfer, seaplane or pressurised flight.

If you are transferring by seaplane you should be aware of the following:

• Seaplanes do not operate a fixed departure schedule, but are planned daily according to the islands / boats requirements. The planning is carried out locally 24 hours in advance.
• Seaplanes often pick up and drop off guests from a number of islands on a single transfer run.
• Seaplanes only operate during daylight hours, generally 9.00 a.m. to 6.00 p.m.
• You may have to wait for a short duration after arriving in Male. On departing, the islands will transfer you back to Male as late a local logistics on that day will allow.
• On departing your island resort your return seaplane transfer time will be confirmed the day before departure by your resort.
• If you have a late international flight departing home, it is highly advisable you ask Regaldive to reserve a day use package for you at the Hulhule hotel.
• Seaplanes are not pressurised flights.
• Seaplanes typically operate a strict weight policy of 20kg for hold luggage.
• Excess luggage is currently $2 per kilo to the island and $4 perkilo on the return.

Inter Atoll Flights - Haa Alifu

Transfers to Haa-Alifu in the North involve an internal pressurised flight from Male. This is arranged and costed as part of your travel package to the north of the Maldives, unless otherwise requested.

Hulhule Airport Hotel - Day use & overnights

International and internal flight schedules occasionally make fairly long connection times in Male Airport inevitable. The Hulehule Airport hotel offers inexpensive day packages to non-residents for use of their beach, pool, showers, left luggage and other facilities. Pre-booked packages are available with Regaldive, for day use with and without a room, and overnight stays (refer to separate webpage on Hulehule Airport hotel).

Passports

Passengers travelling to the Maldives must have six months valid on their passport from the date of return to the UK.

Visas

A free 30 day permit is given to British travellers on arrival in Male. Other nationalities should consult their consular website.

Vaccinations

Vaccination requirements are subject to change and should be confirmed before departure. For the most up to date advice please consult your travel clinic or local GP. Further information regarding vaccinations for travel to this country can be found at www.fitfortravel.nhs.uk. There are no compulsory vaccinations for travel to the Maldives, but we recommend protection against typhoid, tetanus, hepatitis A and polio.

Itineraries

Itineraries aboard MV Carpe Vita offer a unique dive itinerary based on the seasons, current and pelagic migration patterns. Each itinerary visits a combination of popular and new dive sites and attempts to give guests the chance to encounter everything from big pelagics like mantas, sharks and whale sharks to shrimps, colourful nudibranches, ghost pipe fishes and everything in between. 

Please note: Use of a dive computer is obligatory. All divers must be Advanced Open Water or higher qualified.

North Male – South Male – Ari – 7 nights (Jan to Dec)
North Male – South Male – South Ari – Vaavu – Meemu – 7 nights (Dec to Jan)
North Male – Ari – Baa – Raa – 10 nights (May to Oct)
North Male – South Male – Felidhu – Ari – 10 nights (Jan to Dec)
Deep South Shark Itinerary – Male to Addu or return (10 nights)
Far North Exploration Itinerary – Male to Haa Dhaalu (10 nights)

Reviews

Best Place for Big Fish I Have Been!

"My Maldives diving trip on Carpe Vita was a success, so thank you for arranging it.

The diving was mostly very good (I was expecting a high standard, being the best season in the best part of Maldives). Dozens of reef sharks, plenty of Mantas, Whale sharks, turtles (up to 20 on some dives). Highlight for me was a big Mola mola. Also the night dive with Nurse Sharks & rays. Some days the ocean current was cold and murky, and there were a few drift dives we saw very little (with perhaps unrealistic expectations of Tiger Shark and Sailfish, both of which were seen but not by me!).

Dive conditions in Maldives, as you'll know, can be challenging due to currents, and would not suit inexperienced divers. Everyone used Nitrox, and it would have posed problems if not qualified, as we were diving in groups (20 divers, 3 guides).

Interestingly the boat was staffed entirely by Maldivians (previous boats have had Western leaders and dive guides).

The cabins on Carpe Vita were more spacious and of higher standard than the other 2 boats I have been on in the Maldives (Orion & Monsoon). The food was good but perhaps a bit bland compared to other boats which were more ethnic, but not everyone wants spicy.

The Nurse shark site is Alimathaa Jetty on Vaavu Atoll. it was the only night dive we did, and was probably the best ever! The dive guides took bottles of fish blood to attract the fish (so technically they were not feeding them). We spent the dive on reef hooks, with metre wide rays, shoals of tuna & jacks, and 2-3m sharks so close as to touch our legs. Above were up to 50 nurse sharks, and I had to hit one on the nose with my torch when it got too close. A whale shark came to the boat at night.

We were on a blue water drift dive off Huvadhoo when a Mola Mola appeared from behind and swam up to us. It only stayed a minute, before going deeper and disappearing. I knew it was a once in a lifetime experience!

So I can recommend the trip, and I think the Maldives is the best place for big fish that I have been."

Patrick Frew - UK | 29 March 2016

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Guest rating: 9/10 (1 vote)

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