Overview

The MV Carpe Diem is a luxury 35m (115ft) motor yacht with a start of the art design and layout. She was newly launched in 2008 and features 3 decks plus massive sundeck.

The famous latin term 'Carpe Diem' translates to 'Seize the day' and the crew of MV Carpe Diem look forward to welcoming you onboard for a fun filled and action packed Maldives Diving adventure and making every day of your holiday truly memorable.

Description

Unique diving itineraries for the Carpe Diem

The Carpe Diem schedules 7 night and 10 night cruises and usually depart on Sundays from Male.

Carpe Diem 8 day/7 nights Southern Cruise
This cruise will take you to the most popular dive sites in South Male Atoll and Ari Atoll, weather conditions permitting of course. This route is renowned for spotting big pelagics like Mantas, Sharks and Whale sharks. Famous dive sites included in our itinerary are Kudarah Thila, Manta Point, Maaya Thila and Fish head which are well known for this.

Carpe Diem 11 day/10 nights Cruise
This cruise will take you to the beautiful dives sites of North and South Male Atoll, North and South Ari Atoll apart from Rasdhoo and Felidhu Atoll. Not only are you likely to see Mantas, Sharks and Whale sharks but there is a good possibility for spotting Hammerhead sharks as well.

Baa/Raa atoll trips in summer 2010
During summer 2010 (starting in July till end of October) the Carpe Diem will be organising apart from her usual trips to Ari Atoll, special 7 and 10 night dive trips to Baa and Raa atoll. One of the reasons of the visit to Baa atoll during this period is to observe the famous Manta Rays while feeding themselves in Hanifaru Bay.

Hanifaru Bay is a marine protected uninhabited island located in the Baa Atoll of the Maldives Islands. Its size is no greater than that of a football field and yet it has become one of the hottest spots on the planet for underwater photographers. The reason for this modern day phenomenon of underwater diversity is because plankton blooms between the months of May and November, a very unusual phenomenon, attracting manta rays by the hundreds. At any one time at Hanifaru Bay, there can be up to 200 manta rays feeding off the coral reefs as well as plenty of whale sharks which do the same. Hanifaru Bay has become the worlds largest Manta Ray feeding destination.

Apart from this, Baa atoll has many different other dive sites to offer with beautiful soft and hard corals.

In Raa atoll, between dives, a special excursion will be organised to our boat yard Innamadu, where the Carpe Diem was built and the Carpe Vita is being built.

The 7 night trips will take you to dive sites in North Male, Baa and Raa atolls. The 10 night trips will include the Northern part of Ari atoll as well apart from North Male, Baa and Raa.

All together all the cruises are spectacular and fun, during which if your are a novice then you can become a certified diver. Certified divers can improve your diving skills by adding more advanced/expert courses at our PADI diving centre on board.

Standard Inclusions

• Share accommodation in air conditioned standard cabin with 20x15cm portholes (in Standard). Cabins are twin share so if you book as a couple or 2 people you will be allocated your own cabin. If you book as individual you will share with another individual.
• Own bathroom with hot water shower
• Toiletries, towels and beach towels
• Individually controlled air-conditioning in all enclosed areas
• Full board meals, Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner
• Drinking water
• Tea/ coffee available 24h
• Bbq night Maldivian style on one of the pic-nic islands
• DVD library and Books library
• Audio and video entertainment centre
• 3 guided dives per day (depending on your arrival time in Mal?, weather conditions and
• 24-hours no diving before fly safety rule) including one night dive per week
• Tanks: 13.5 and 11.5 lt Aluminum DIN/INT, weights and weight belts
• Snorkeling equipment for non-divers
• 1 x PADI Instructors (English speaking) and 2 x Dive Master Guide (English speaking) services - Guides to Divers max Ratio 1:8
• Sunset Fishing trip Maldivian style
• Cultural visit
• Maldivian Bed Tax
• Salsa workshop
• Airport Transfer from Male, meet and great
• What is not included:
• Scuba Equipment rental (with the exception of Discover Scuba Diving Experience and
• Open Water Course, in which equipment rental is included in the fee, but limited to its duration).
• Extra Dives are charged at 25 US$ each, not including equipment rental
• 13.5 liters Nitrox tanks
• Dive Insurance coverage
• Alcoholic, soft drinks and extra bottles of water
• PADI Dive School courses, windsurf, jetski, O-ring rides, knee board, waterski and Studio services)

Trip Info

Luxury boat with Cabin accommodation

The MV Carpe Diem is a luxury 35m (115ft) motor yacht with a start of the art design and layout. She was newly launched in 2008 and features 3 decks plus massive sundeck. The crew of MV Carpe Diem look forward to welcoming you onboard for a fun filled and action packed Maldives Diving adventure.

Boat layout as follows:

The lower deck has:
6 standard cabins
2 separate staff cabins
The engine room - Crew compartment

Main Deck features:
Two comfortable High standard rooms
Main bar and lounge area, with a coffee / tea table offering you coffee/tea and drinking water 24 hours a day. It also has a wide flat screen TV, DVD/MP3 player, in house sound system, sitting/dance area and a fully equipped bar offering you a wide variety of spirits, wines, liquors, cocktails and beers.

Outside of the bar area there is spacious shaded sitting area with comfortable cushions for chilling out in the fresh air and out of the sun while cruising and taking in the beautiful colours of the Indian Ocean.

There is a platform at the back of the main deck with two fresh water showers and a jet ski.
There is an activities deck where the dive briefings and other water sports activities briefings will be conducted.

Upper deck features:
From the main deck a staircase leads you to the upper deck and bridge area with A C-shape sofa/reading area and our in house library.
Two luxury cabins, our beautiful and very spacious Suite room and Deluxe cabin.
A studio with internet, a shop and all business centre facilities
Main open air dining area and bar where you will be served semi buffet meals prepared by our fine dining chef.

Sundeck:
From the dining area a staircase ultimately leads you to a 115 sqm sun deck, which is partially shaded and has a sitting area in the middle and some lounge chairs to catch that nice tan and read your book.

Accommodation description:

Carpe Diem has 10 comfortable cabins of different standards divided over 3 decks. The different cabin types are suite (1), deluxe (1), high standard (2) and standard (6). All cabins have individually controlled AC, safety deposit boxes and their own private bathroom with toilet and hot water shower. The electricity voltage on board is of 220V and the plugs are of 3 pins US type. All the cabins have a name instead of a number starting with a S to stay within the S-holiday concept of the Carpe Diem.

Standard
A total of 6 standard cabins, SALSA, SCUBA, SURF, SMILE, SHELL and SKI are located on the cabin deck below the main deck. 4 of these standard cabins are very spacious having a queen double bed and bunk bed and therefore can take triple occupancy. The 2 other standard cabins each have a twin bed and bunk bed and can only take double occupancy. All standard cabins have portholes.

STANDARD CABINS PRICE IS BASED ON A WILLING TO SHARE BASIS - PRICE IS FOR 1 PERSON SHARING THE CABIN WITH OTHERS.

Dining onboard Carpe Diem

High quality food will be served on Carpe Diem Live aboard. You will enjoy the excellent variety of our fine dining Chef for European and International Cuisine and our Experienced Local Chef for a delicious variety of Maldivian, Thai and Indian cuisine. Breakfast, lunch and dinner are served in a comfortable area with a splendid view..

Additional Information
Our approximate meal timings are as follows.

Pre Breakfast (coffee/tea and biscuits) 0630hrs

Intercontinental Breakfast Buffet 0800hrs - 1000hrs

Lunch Buffet 1300hrs - 1430hrs

Dinner Semi Buffet 1900hrs - 2100hrs

Special snacks coming from Maldivian, Indian and International Cuisine will be available during the trip free of charge.

Special dietary requirements can be catered for free of charge if advance notice has been received prior.

Special occasion packages like birthday, honeymoon, and anniversary can be catered for upon request.

Seize the day beverage experience
Our wine menu is designed to ensure that you enjoy the best the New World wineries have to offer as well as the elegance and charm of the Old World chateaux.

Consequently our wine portfolio is structured to complement the uniqueness of all the local and contemporary culinary creations. We make it the hallmark of our cellar that a wine only earns inclusion if it reflects genuine authenticity, a distinctive personality and a true sense of place. One of the primary objectives of our wine list is to showcase the New Worlds emerging icons as well as to reveal some of its best kept viticultural secrets. If our range has a distinctive character, it is that it is more classic than contemporary. That said, modern-day pioneers determined to reinvent the glories of the past most definitely have a place in our collection.

The Crew welcomes you onboard for a FUN holiday

The director of Operations is of Dutch origin and speaks 5 languages fluently (Dutch, German, French, Spanish and English). Apart from that she has vast experience working in the Maldives and is a qualified salsa teacher as well as a rescue diver. Joining her two favourite passions, salsa dancing and scuba diving together in her favourite place is what resulted in the Carpe Diem S-holiday concept. She will be in charge of the operations and make sure that together with her team on board everything is done for you to have an unforgettable time during your stay on the Carpe Diem.

Your local Dive instructor Valho comes with 7 years of experience, speaks fluent English and has done more than 5000 dives. He has worked on several safari boats and is in charge of the PADI licensed dive school on board. He is assisted by a local Dive master who also speaks fluent English and has worked on many different safari boats. With this abundance of experience and knowledge of the local dive sites and conditions your safety and comfort will be guaranteed. Their challenge will be to make your dive experience with the Carpe Diem truly memorable!

Our Sri Lankan cook is a well experienced fine dining chef, to make those buffets special, extra tasty and of high standard. He will be assisted by a local chef to add some local flavour as well. The menu will cover a wide range of different international cuisines blended together for you to enjoy. Special dietary requests can be catered for with prior notice as well as any special occasion packages like birthday celebrations, anniversaries to name a few.

The balance of our Maldivian crew has been working on boats for most of their careers and know how to find the most beautiful and remote places for diving, surfing, fishing and snorkelling in the Maldives by heart. Apart from that they will take care of your comfort and security on board.

Once again welcome on board and let our staff pamper you!

Activity Info

Diving

For our experienced team working at the fully equipped PADI Dive Centre on board your safety comes first.

On offer:

55 feet (18 meters) new diving dhoni built by the same company as the Carpe Diem itself with the best facilities, including hot water shower/ toilet, 2 fresh water showers at the back and a fresh water tank for cameras. All the diving equipment will be installed on the dhoni, giving more space to the Carpe Diem itself plus enhanced safety. Additional benefits will be fast and safe transfers to the dive sites and extra comfort for putting on your gear. Nitrox (EANx) breathing mixtures are available and prepared with the best quality equipment available on the market (Nuvair Membranes, Coltrisub and a Bauer Compressors);

First Aid and Oxygen Tank on board;

Very experienced PADI Instructor (more than 5000 dives) and Dive Master (more than 2000 dives). Guide/Divers ratio 1:8;

Important rules for your Scuba Diving experience (compulsory safety equipment required, dive insurance coverage required, mandatory dive briefings, check dives FOC);

Dive Insurance available on board;

PADI Dive Centre able to cater for beginners (from PADI Discover Scuba Diving up to several PADI Specialty Courses), as well as for very experienced divers ;

Dive gear rental services as well as SONY quality underwater video-cameras and cameras.

PADI Discover Scuba Diving
The PADI Discover Scuba Diving program introduces people to scuba diving in a highly supervised and relaxed manner. It dispels common misconceptions about scuba diving by letting individuals try it out and experience it for themselves. Under the guidance of a PADI professional, new divers learn basic safety concepts, how to put on equipment, swim around in a safe environment and discover a totally new world, the beautiful and peaceful underwater world.

On MV Carpe Diem the PADI Discover Scuba Diving program is conducted at an open water dive site to give you a real life experience of what Scuba Diving is all about. This experience might get you hooked for live on diving and on exploring further the wonders of the underwater sea life.

After trying scuba diving, many will choose to pursue certification by enrolling in a PADI Open Water Diver course, for which the new divers will earn credit (they will have had the first Confined Water Dive done).

IMPORTANT FOR ANY DIVER ON BOARD CARPE DIEM
Medical Statement:
Every guest wanting to dive on board of the Carpe Diem has to declare his/her physical ability to support diving exercise and physical stress. Once on board, the student has to fill in the PADI Medical Statement Form.

Nitrox Main Info:
Why should I dive with it? What is it? Where does it come from?

Nitrox breathing mixtures have become a must in the current diving industry because they provide the diver extended bottom time, compared to the air ones. There are many others reasons why divers that have tried it do not want to dive with normal air anymore: one reason particularly is the increased muscular power experienced during and after the dive. As for the other reasons we suggest you try it out and experience it yourself.

The Nitrox (or EANx) breathing gasses have the very same components as the normal diving air tanks, however the Oxygen (O2) content is increased. Normal air contains 21% of O2 (in volume), while Nitrox gasses have an O2 percentage that varies from 32% up to 40%. Normally the most frequently applied mixture is 32% (or EAN32). The compulsory need for a specific course, available on the Carpe Diem, result from the fact that the higher the O2 percentage in the breathing mixture the more shallow you can dive. Only diving professionals can teach you how to enjoy and make Nitrox a special scuba diving experience.

Our unique dive itineraries described on the overview page highlight the incredible diving offered by MV Carpe Diem including the incredible Hanifaru Bay in Baa atoll to witness masses of Manta Feeding and the awesome Whale sharks.

Game fishing

Fishing by speed boat: Must be pre-booked -Please email info@gosea.com to book if interested.

Another special activity the Carpe Diem is able to offer is sports fishing by private speed boat. When booked in advance, the speed boat can be rented by the hour or per day to go trolling, big game fishing or night fishing. The boat can take maximum 8 persons and includes the soft drinks, crew and fishing gear.

Details of the speed boat Length :

36 feet Beam max: 10 feet
Design Draft: 3 ft 3 inches
Engine: Suzuki Outboard motors 225 HP x 2
Stainless Steel Fuel Tank 1000 ltrs
Speed: 33 knots
Crew: Captain + 2
Fishing equipment: Mustard Fishing hooks, Climax fishing lines, Barracuda fishing Baits, Rapala & Yo-Zuri fishing Lures, branded rods and Reels.

Fishing by dhoni
For a more traditional way of fishing, depending on availability the dhoni can be rented by the hour to go big game fishing or night fishing as well. The fishing will be done by hand lines only.

Other Activities

Salsa Dancing
As part of your trip, the Carpe Diem crew will be organising a Latin night introducing you to Salsa dancing by means of a basic salsa workshop. Salsa has been proclaimed by an article in the Economist of March 2008 as the biggest international dance craze since rock and roll in the 1950's. Salsa dance instruction DVD's are part of our in house movie collection.

Water Skiing
Apart from diving, the MV Carpe Diem offers their guests more S-activities on the water. Imagine seizing the end of the afternoon by a fun joy ride on our Jet ski (the Jet ski can hold 3 persons) cruising at your own speed. For the more sporty and adventurous types you can try out how to water ski or just simply hold on to our O-ring behind the jet ski and take in the beautiful surroundings and colours of the Maldives.

Testimonials

Ania - Nautica Poland
Apr 15th, 2010
We spent wonderfull week with Carpe Diem team! (21-28.03.2010)
Great staff, a lot of mantas, whale sharks ? everything was excellent.
thanks for this, and hope to come again

Michael Hansen
Apr 23rd, 2010
This trip we made in Oct 2009 was the best trip ever
Everything was super. Sharks, mantas, turtles, fish in all colour and sizes,
Divemasters were proffesional and very skilled,food was 1 class and staff very friendly
Fishing was exstreme, I cought a 2,3 m marlin
We can recomend this cruise very much and have allready booked a tour again
Best regards to all and look forwards to se you all again
Michael
Denmark