Dive trip with Amelie - 3 nights

Boat

Built in the Alexandria shipyards in 1995 and presented on the current fleet page as comprehensively renovated in 2025, M/Y Amelie is designed for small Red Sea groups rather than maximum passenger volume. Her published dimensions are 23 metres long by 6 metres wide, with accommodation capped at 12. A single 585 hp Caterpillar engine is listed together with a published cruising speed of 17 knots, 4,500 litres of fuel and 5,000 litres of fresh water. A watermaker is rated at 3,000 litres per day, and one 40 hp tender supports diving away from the mother ship.

The refit information is not fully consistent across the operator's own pages: the current page says 2025, while a legacy narrative says 2019 and its technical table says 2022. For a current boat page, 2025 is the newest operator statement, but sales material should avoid describing the exact scope of work unless Amelie Safari supplies a refit list.

The interior centres on an air-conditioned saloon, buffet dining area and drinks station. Outside are an open-air lounge, al fresco dining space, BBQ area and three published sunbathing zones across the foredeck and high deck. The relatively compact hull keeps cabins, dive deck and social areas close, which suits private clubs, families and groups that prefer a boat where the crew quickly learns every guest's routine.

Diving infrastructure is concentrated aft: shaded preparation space, tank positions, rinse hoses, a separate underwater-camera rinse, charging stations and the water-access platform. The operator also advertises an observation deck, library, audio/video entertainment, warm outdoor showers, Wi-Fi and daily housekeeping. English, German and French are published crew languages.

Cabin

Amelie's booking inventory is specific: 6 guest cabins, all on the lower deck, for a maximum of 12 people. Every cabin uses two bunk-style single berths rather than a conventional double bed. The physical room category is therefore a bunk-twin cabin even when a booking screen offers labels such as “Double,” “Twin Share” or “Single”; those labels describe occupancy and price, not a queen bed.

Each cabin is published with air-conditioning, storage space, a charging area and porthole windows. Towels and soap are included in the trip information, and daily housekeeping appears among the boat features. The operator does not publish cabin measurements, mattress sizes, a safe, hair dryer or individually controlled air-conditioning, so these should not be promised.

Most importantly, the current booking descriptions state that guests use 2 shared freshwater shower/bathroom facilities. The legacy technical specification also lists two bathrooms for the entire six-cabin inventory. A sentence on the redesigned marketing page refers generically to “en-suite cabins,” but that conflicts with the live booking data and published cabin count. Until the operator confirms a post-refit plumbing change in writing, Amelie should be sold as six non-ensuite cabins sharing two bathrooms.

Twin-share inventory can be assigned by gender, and some departures label a particular cabin as a male or female share. Single use is sometimes offered at a supplement, subject to availability. Anyone requiring a lower bunk, exclusive cabin or specific sharing arrangement should obtain the cabin number and terms before paying.

Diving

Amelie is purpose-built for liveaboard diving and is especially practical for a group of twelve. Current Best of Hurghada departures advertise roughly 9 dives on a four-day mini-safari and 18–21 dives on an eight-day expedition, including suitable night dives. Counts remain indicative: weather, port clearance, diver ability, course schedules and the captain's safety decision control the final program.

The standard scheduled package lists professional guides, weights, 12-litre cylinders and complimentary Nitrox. Nitrox is for appropriately certified divers; the Enriched Air course costs extra. The boat publishes DIN/INT adaptor availability, sidemount support, rinse hoses, a shaded dive deck, camera station and a separate camera rinse. A single 40 hp tender moves divers to suitable entry points. The exact number of cylinders, oxygen percentage and availability of 15-litre tanks are not published for Amelie and must be confirmed.

Best of Hurghada is marketed to Open Water students through experienced wreck divers, but each dive is still matched to certification. Penetrating Giannis D, Carnatic, Chrisoula K or Kimon M may demand wreck training and experience, while walls or current-exposed sites require solid buoyancy and controlled ascents. PADI Open Water, Advanced, Nitrox and wreck-related training can be booked separately.

Non-divers and snorkellers are welcome. A dedicated snorkelling guide, rental snorkel equipment and land activities are optional rather than automatically included on normal cabin bookings. Dolphin House describes a wild-animal area; sightings and interaction cannot be guaranteed and guide instructions take priority.

Other Information

The operator has both legacy pages and a newer booking system, and some older fee tables remain online. The following uses the current 2026–2027 scheduled-trip pages and FAQ; the dated booking confirmation always overrides a generic fleet page.

Published as included on current scheduled trips:

• VAT on the standard package
• Airport pickup/drop-off and hotel transfers within the arrangements stated for the Hurghada trip
• Cabin accommodation and daily housekeeping
• Full-board meals, snacks, drinking water, soft drinks, tea, coffee and welcome cocktails
• Scheduled diving package: approximately 9 dives on 4D/3N or 18–21 dives on 8D/7N
• Professional dive guides, 12-litre cylinders, weights and free Nitrox for certified users
• Night dives when site, qualification and conditions permit
• Cabin towels and soap
• Wi-Fi, subject to mobile or satellite coverage offshore

Required extras on current scheduled trips:

• Port fee: €25 per person per trip on current cabin-booking pages
• National-park fee: €15 per person for each diving day
• Fuel surcharge: €10 per person per day

Legacy pages show lower fee figures, and charter pages may price fuel differently or as a whole-boat amount. The selected departure's invoice is authoritative; required fees should be reconfirmed before publication and guests should ask whether they are paid in cash onboard.

Optional or normally excluded:

• Rental regulator, BCD, wetsuit, computer, mask/fins and other personal dive equipment
• Alcoholic drinks, including advertised beer and wine
• Private dive guide, additional dives and specialised naturalist service
• PADI courses such as Open Water, Advanced, Wreck and Enriched Air Nitrox
• 15-litre cylinders where offered and any associated charge
• Guided snorkelling, snorkel rental and land excursions on standard cabin bookings
• Gratuities, travel insurance, dive-accident insurance, flights, visas and accommodation outside the cruise
• Single occupancy and cabin/category upgrades
• Personal purchases and any service not expressly written into the confirmation

Practical Information:

• Port: scheduled Best of Hurghada trips begin and end in Hurghada
• Airport: Hurghada International Airport (HRG)
• Check-in: generally from 12:00; the vessel normally sails the following morning
• Electricity: 220 V European two-pin sockets
• Tank valves: DIN/INT adaptors are advertised
• Payments: Visa, Mastercard and cash in USD, EUR, GBP or EGP are published options
• Languages: English, German and French are advertised among the crew
• Diet: local and Western buffet food, vegetarian and vegan options; religious or allergy needs should be declared in advance
• No-fly time: the operator places responsibility on guests to keep at least 24 hours after their final dive
• Insurance: comprehensive travel and dive-accident cover, including hyperbaric treatment, is strongly recommended
• Wildlife: dolphin, turtle and pelagic sightings are natural encounters and never guaranteed