Carpe Vita Liveaboard

The Carpe Vita is a beautiful boat both inside & out, always clean & looking good with its lovely polished wooden floors. We had planned to go on the Carpe Diem; however, this sister ship did not disappoint. The crew was extremely knowledgeable, super friendly & underwater even better, and they all went out of their way to make sure everyone was happy & enjoying their trip. The food was a mixture of Western / Maldivian & the Chef was quite creative. The curries were just amazing and went down well with everyone. Food was plentiful, fruits of all sorts, and snacks directly after your dives and before meals, in fact, I think I put on weight!!We went in April 2021 and both the weather and the sea conditions were just perfect – blue skies, calm flat water. The viz was amazing on all of the dives and there was a mix of medium to strong currents – take a reef hook! The marine life did not disappoint – sharks & rays galore, big tunas, jacks, turtles and eels everywhere, and an array of colors. The late evening nurse shark dive was amazing, literally hundreds and hundreds – well worth it. You also dive from the Dhoni, which is easy to in & out of the water, furthermore, you do not need to do anything except check your EANx mix before you dive. Otherwise, absolute first-class service.We stayed in a standard room which was excellent. Very big king-size bed and another single. The room was well-lit, with plenty of plugs for electrical items & charging. The bathroom was spacious and there was always hot water 24/7.We had an excellent time, the staff was great, the food was great and the boat was just lovely. Would I book the Carpe Vita again? Absolutely without a doubt.

We've been to the Maldives several times. This is the nicest boat we've been on. The Dhoni was also fabulous. Rooms are very spacious, great bathrooms, good lighting if you want to read, everything clean as a whistle. The food was plentiful and very good. It could have had a bit more variety though.Diving off the Dhoni was a pleasure. All the gear stayed there, except for our cameras. Good camera rinse, and lots of workspace on the stern of the Carpe Vita.There had been some recent bleaching, so the fish life was a bit down, and the corals weren't as healthy as usual. We still saw plenty of sharks and lots of mantas. When we next go to the Maldives, we will certainly book onto the Carpe Vita!

This liveaboard is a gorgeous boat, with very large cabins. It is only a couple of years old. The crew is superb -- divemasters give great briefings and are conscientious. The food is good, but not great -- it's kind of bland. The diving is all drift diving, so you must be comfortable with that style of diving. Bring a reef hook. Also, the diving in the Maldives is more about the big stuff, mantas, tuna, whale sharks, sharks, rays, etc., than small macro stuff (although there is some of that). The scenery while cruising the islands is spectacular. The tour is all-inclusive, which was very nice. It included a half-day tour of Male, the capital. I went in March. February and March are the best months to go for diving. One tip on travel:Don't fly through Mumbai! It's a horror of an airport. The best way to get to the Maldives from the U.S. is to fly through Dubai. I would highly recommend Maldives diving and the Explorer Ventures Carpe Vita. I would go again -- that kind of says it all!

Most spacious & luxurious liveaboard I've seen. Wonderful crew that is very friendly, helpful, and knowledgeable. The dive guides do an excellent job of pointing out both large & small marine life on every dive. The Sri Lankan chef cooks up a nice mix of Western & Maldivian food. The hot tub on the upper sun deck is a great place to relax with a beer after the dive day is done. Diving is done from a dhoni that is large, spacious, and equipped with personal seats for each diver, a hot shower, and big rinse tanks for camera gear.Dive conditions: I've done two trips on this boat (August 2012 and August 2013) and had similar conditions both times - warm water (mid-80s), moderate vis (30-60 feet), and medium/strong current on most dives. Reef hooks are definitely recommended, and the boat crew will sell you an excellent one they designed and built if you don't already have one.Marine life: a good mix of big and small. The first few days of each trip were in northern atolls where the macro life is excellent and just waiting to be photographed. Plenty of reef fish around too. You can't swing a dead cat without hitting a handful of eels on each dive. Mantas, sharks, and whale sharks all made an appearance too, along with schools of jacks, tuna, and grouper. Bring a camera. You won't be disappointed.Accommodations: I have stayed in both the suite on the top deck and a cabin on the main deck. Both are huge, with one king or two double beds depending on the needs of the people in the room. Plenty of hot water in the en suite shower, and enough electrical outlets for charging batteries, lights, etc.