Mv Ark Royal - Maldives liveaboard

Premier liveaboard diving is no longer using Ark Royal - please see our other boats
Ark Royal is a brand new 115-feet luxury cruiser built to traverse the crystalline waters of the Maldives. Ark Royal accommodates 18 divers in 8 Deluxe Cabins and 1 Suite. The living quarters are complemented by a restaurant able to offer you indoor dining, a fully-stocked drinks bar, a tastefully-decorated lounge, and an extensive library, including video and music collections, should you wish to recline and lose yourself in a book. All living quarters are equipped with the latest technology offering you the amenities of a TV, DVD and CD player, a private bar, an electronic safe and telephone. Remain in touch with the rest of the world with our on-board Wi-Fi system. The spacious sundeck is perfect for watching the sun go down, with drink in hand, thanks to the outdoor bar service. When the sun does go down, and the stars come out. What better than to gaze upon their beauty with our telescope on deck. We also have a steam bath and masseuse on board for some relaxing therapy from time to time. The combination of luxurious amenities and global wine list aboard Mv Ark Royal coupled with the 14 amazing crew and world renown diving is a match that's hard to beat, expect the experience of a lifetime!

The Maldives

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The Maldives, officially the Republic of Maldives, is an island country consisting of a group of atolls stretching south of India's Lakshadweep islands between Minicoy Island and the Chagos Archipelago, and about seven hundred kilometres (435 mi) south-west of Sri Lanka in the Laccadive Sea of Indian Ocean. The twenty-six atolls of Maldives encompass a territory featuring 1,192 islets, of which two hundred islands are inhabited.
The original inhabitants were Buddhist, probably since Ashoka's period,in the 3rd century BC. Islam was introduced in 1153. The Maldives then came under the influence of the Portuguese (1558) and the Dutch (1654) seaborne empires. In 1887 it became a British protectorate. In 1965, the Maldives obtained independence from Britain (originally under the name "Maldive Islands"), and in 1968 the Sultanate was replaced by a Republic.
The Maldives is the smallest Asian country in terms of both population and area; it is the smallest predominantly Muslim nation in the world. With an average ground level of 1.5 metres (4 ft 11 in) above sea level, it is also the country with the lowest highest point in the world, at 2.3 metres (7 ft 7 in).

Mv Ark Royal - Schedule

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Mv Ark Royal - Itinerary

● Ark Royal ● Maldives ● Schedule ● Itinerary ● Cabins ● Specifications ● The diving ● Prices ● More boats ● Contact ●

Ark Royal dives the best of Maldives sites, with variations given the time of the year. Our tours are mainly of 7-9 days duration visiting S Male, Felidhu, famed S and N Ari, and N Male atolls with up to 4 dives daily. For those who prefer longer charters, two consecutive tours can be combined to accommodate, and we can adjust for special date requests subject to calendar/availability.  The tours are designed for best Manta and whale shark sightings, and the famed rich fish-life, year-round. While we do not guarantee the sightings of the big pelagics, the chance of encountering them is very high indeed, with our experienced crew.
All our Tour starts at 10:00am on the start date and ends at 09:00am on the end date.
We recommend that clients arrive one day prior to departure. Pre and post tour hotel accommodation, if required, can be arranged on request in a resort / hotels in Male.
Our Airport representative at Male’ International Airport will meet and greet you upon arrival and departure. If you are booked at a Hotel in Male’, we pick you up from the hotel for the tour and return to the hotel at the end of the tour. If you are booked in a resort through us, we pick you up from Male’ International Airport for the tour and return you to the Airport at the end of the tour.
We also offer a special tour covering the southernmost atolls of Maldives , Huvadhoo and Addu. These remote atolls, little visited by tourists, offer colorful coral reefs. The channels abound with sharks. We recommend tours of minimum 10 Nights duration for these far flung atolls, and our special 11 night Norther Tour is extremely popular for repeat divers to Maldives.

Mv Ark Royal - Specifications and layout

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The ship has a sturdy mahogany wood hull, teak decks, custom built furnishings, eight spacious cabins and one deluxe king suite with adjoining spa. Each individual cabin has private bath, private climate control, and daily fresh towels in cabins. High-tech amenities include high definition wide-screen LCD monitor, DVD and CD player, mini bar, electronic safe, telephone, and Wi-Fi. Bose sound system provides surround sound in a huge comfortably appointed salon, and on the spacious exterior decks.

• Year built: 2007/2008
• Boat length: 115 foot / 35 meters
• Beam: 31 foot / 9,30meters
• Draft: 2,7 meters
• Engine: 500hp, Cummins - Turbo diesel
• Speed: Cruising speed: 12 knots
• Electricity: 2 x 40 kW Onan quit generators, 230V, 24 hr electricity
• Water: two water makers each producing 12,000 litres/day, and storage 9500 liters Nautical equipment: Radio, GPS, Sonar
• Safety equipment: Oxygen, fire alarms, fire extinguisher, life preservers, life boats, eight- person Zodiac
• Crew: 12 people on main ship, two people on diving dhoni
• Decks: cabins in the lower deck, suite/spa on top deck and sun deck.
• Parlour: restaurant, bar, TV, video, DVD, Hi-Fi internet Wi-Fi, rechargeable battery station for cameras other personal gadgets
• Cabins: nine spacious double cabins (eight deluxe cabins, and one suite) can be booked as double, twin accommodations, each with private bathroom containing toilet, vanity and private climate control, LCD TV, DVD and CD player, a private mini bar, electronic safe, telephone, Wi-Fi, and daily fresh towels.
• Kitchen: dine on contemporary flavors from the Maldives, the east and the west prepared by our chefs. The finest crustaceans cooked in various aromatic styles are guaranteed to suit palates of all nationalities
• Bar: all types of beers, various wines, champagne, cocktails, spirits, mineral water and soft drinks.
• Diving dhoni: length 20 meters, width 7 meters
• Tanks: 12 L Alu/DIN/INT
• Compressor: two dive compressors
• Nitrox: NRC membrane system
• Weights: weight belts and weights available free for usage
• Rental equipment: regulator complete, BCD complete, dive lamp, dive computer, mask, snorkel, fins, wetsuit, snorkel set, weight and belt.

Mv Ark Royal - Cabins

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Mv Ark Royal has 9 cabins made up of 4 deluxe doubles and 4 deluxe twins and one kingsize suite with jacuzzi.

Mv Ark Royal - Prices

● Ark Royal ● Maldives ● Schedule ● Itinerary ● Cabins ● Specifications ● The diving ● Prices ● More boats ● Contact ●

Mv Ark Royal - Dive sites

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Some useful translarions of commonly used Maldivian terminology
Atoll: A group of islands surrounded by a common reef formation
Etherevari: Sheltered area inside an Atoll
Falhu: Lagoon encircled by a reef sometimes with one or more islands inside
Faru: Large reef partially exposed at low tide
Finolhu: Island with few or no coconut trees
Futtaru: Reef where waves break
Giri: Small patch of coral a couple of meters below the surface
Kandhu: Sea inside Atoll Kandu
Kandu Olhi: Channel
Maa Kandu: Sea outside Atoll
Thila: Coral reef a few meters below the surface


ARI ATOLL- some of the popular dive sites

KUDARAH THILA

Type of dive: Reef dive
Description: One of the best dive sites for soft coral and fish life. The marine life here is so abundant, that the divers have named it ‘fish soup’. The thila is in a circular shape and can be covered in a single dive at different depths, if the current is not very strong.

MAAYA THILA

Type of dive: Reef dive / Night dive
Description: The thila is about 80mters in diameter. The whole thila can be done at different depths in a single dive. There are many caves and overhangs around the thila. The large rocks on the north eastern side have large black coral trees growing on them. The site is famous for the sharks and a great barracuda which reside here. The site can be dived at any time of the day, each with different activity going on the reef. The best chance to get close to these creatures is at night time, when they are hunting. You will see sharks, barracudas, rays and eels trying to grab a morsel.

BATHALA MAAGA KANTHILA

Type of dive: Drift dive
Description: The northern tip of Magaa reef extends into Bathalaa Kandu, is home to a number of grey reef sharks and white-tip reef sharks. They can be seen patrolling along the reef looking for food.

MAALHOS THILA(BLUE CURVES)

Type of dive: Drift dive / Reef dive
Description: The thila is known for the abundance of soft coral growth on the thila, particularly the blue/violet colored variety that grows on the ceiling of the caves and overhangs, thus the name ‘blue caves’. In addition a large variety of fish life can be observed here.

RASDHOO MADIVARU

Type of dive: Drift dive / Channel dive
Description: The reef on the southern side of Rasdhoo drops vertically to the ocean depths. The site is home to a school of Scalloped Hammerhead sharks (sphyrna lewini). In the early hours of the morning they rise from the deep waters off the atoll into the shallower depths, accessible to divers.


SOUTH MALE ATOLL - some of the more popular dive sites

GURAIDHOO KANDU SOUTH

Type of dive: Drift dive / channel dive
Description: Since the eastern side of the channel is Open Ocean, large predatory fish can regularly be spotted here. This site is famous for sightings of sharks, schools of eagle rays and the occasional Sail fish and Hammerheads. The best condition to do the dive is when the current is flowing into the Atoll. The dive begins on the outer reef following the current into the atoll. Most of the pelagic species can be observed on the eastern side, where the reef drops off into the deep ocean. At the end of the dive in the channel, along the reef you can find overhangs with plenty of soft coral growth and small fish.

KANDOOMA THILA

Type of dive: Drift dive / reef dive
Description: Located in a channel, the reef is subject to strong currents at times. The ocean currents carry lot of nutrients to the reef, supporting an abundance of sea life.
The site is well renowned for the soft coral growth, turtles, diverse fish life and invertebrates found on the reef. At the reef slope you may find sharks and eagle rays.

EMBUDU KANDU (EXPRESS)

Type of dive: Drift dive / channel dive.
Description: Similar to Guraidhoo Kandu, but more sharks are likely to be spotted here.
The currents can be very strong at times. The stronger the current however the better chance of seeing sharks. Under the guidance of an experienced dive guide, the dive can be managed done easily.

Mv Ark Royal - Maldives liveaboard

● Ark Royal ● Maldives ● Schedule ● Itinerary ● Cabins ● Specifications ● The diving ● Prices ● More boats ● Contact ●