Amelie | Northern Egypt, Southern Egypt

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

Amelie is scheduled primarily on the Best of Hurghada circuit, with four-day mini-safaris and eight-day full expeditions. The operating area can include northern and southern Hurghada, Shaab Abu Nuhas, Shaab El Erg, the Giftun Islands, Carless Reef, Umm Gamaar, Bluff Point, the Siyul Islands and Shaab Abu Galawa. The operator intentionally keeps site order flexible, so the outlines below explain the published rhythm rather than promise a daily mooring.

Best of Hurghada Mini-Safari – 4 Days / 3 Nights

The short program advertises approximately nine dives and is designed for guests who want a concentrated liveaboard experience without taking a full week.

Day 1 – Hurghada arrival and setup
Airport or hotel transfer brings guests to the marina, with check-in generally from midday. Cabins are allocated, dive paperwork and equipment setup are completed, and the crew gives vessel, emergency and diving briefings before the welcome dinner. The boat usually remains in harbour overnight.

Day 2 – Check dive, two day dives and a night dive
After breakfast, Amelie moves into the Hurghada reef system. The first dive checks weighting, equipment and buoyancy. Two daytime dives plus a night dive are published, but the sites are chosen for conditions and group level rather than fixed in advance.

Day 3 – Full diving day
The sample schedule lists three day dives and one night dive. Depending on the route, the focus can be coral gardens, walls, dolphin habitat or an appropriately matched wreck. The guides may divide experience levels and revise the plan for wind or traffic.

Day 4 – Final two dives and return
Two morning dives complete the advertised program before the vessel returns to Hurghada. Guests check out in the afternoon and use the included airport or hotel transfer. Flight timing must respect the full 24-hour surface interval rather than the advertised transfer time alone.

Best of Hurghada Full Expedition – 8 Days / 7 Nights

The longer itinerary advertises around 18–21 dives. It gives the captain more freedom to time popular wrecks before day boats arrive and to move between northern wrecks, offshore reefs, dolphin areas and the Giftun region.

Day 1 – Embarkation in Hurghada
Transfer to the marina, cabin assignment, equipment preparation, safety orientation and welcome dinner. Departure is normally the next morning.

Day 2 – Check dive and first reef sector
Breakfast is followed by the check dive, two further daytime opportunities and a possible night dive. A sheltered reef is normally selected to establish group comfort.

Day 3 – Northern wreck possibilities
Within the flexible Days 3–6 block, Shaab Abu Nuhas may feature. Giannis D, Carnatic, Chrisoula K and Kimon M offer different depths and structures; the guide selects an exterior tour or qualified penetration appropriate to each diver.

Day 4 – Dolphin and lagoon habitat
Shaab El Erg, known as Dolphin House, may be considered when sea state and route timing suit. The reef itself remains worthwhile even without dolphins, and all animal interaction follows the guide's responsible-distance rules.

Day 5 – Walls and coral gardens
Giftun Island, Carless Reef or a comparable site can bring gorgonians, reef fish, turtles and blue-water scenery. The normal rhythm is three day dives and, at a suitable sheltered mooring, a night dive.

Day 6 – Flexible hidden sites
Bluff Point, Umm Gamaar, Siyul or Shaab Abu Galawa may fill the final full diving day. The captain chooses the combination that balances visibility, crowd avoidance, qualifications and the safe return route.

Day 7 – Two final dives and marina
Two morning dives close the package before Amelie returns to Hurghada in the afternoon. Guests relax onboard and take the farewell dinner; a land activity is optional where time permits.

Day 8 – Breakfast and departure transfer
Disembark after breakfast for the arranged hotel or airport drop-off. Guests must independently verify that at least 24 hours separate the last dive and flight.

Route Character, Training and Private Charters

Best of Hurghada is a route family, not a guaranteed checklist. Northern wind, harbour authorisation, wreck traffic, student training and the needs of snorkellers can change the plan before or during the trip. Combining two mini-safaris is marketed as an alternative to a single eight-day departure, but guests should check whether cabins, transfers and the intervening marina period remain continuous.

Private charters can be tailored for wreck photography, family snorkelling, course completion or a slower leisure pace. A custom request is not confirmed until the written contract names the duration, passenger mix, included guide services, fees and realistic operating zone. Marine-park permits and weather remain outside the group's control.

Dive-Site Profiles and Marine Life

Shaab Abu Nuhas is a reef complex rather than a single wreck dive. Giannis D is known for its tilted engine-room section; Carnatic combines nineteenth-century structure with coral growth; Chrisoula K and Kimon M add different cargo-ship profiles. A short safari will not necessarily visit every wreck, and penetration is never automatic. The guides choose according to mooring space, wind, depth, visibility and the certifications present.

Shaab El Erg, commonly called Dolphin House, surrounds a shallow lagoon and supports both diving and snorkelling. Bottlenose dolphins are frequent enough to give the site its reputation, but they are free-ranging animals. The reef, sand channels and smaller marine life remain the dive even when dolphins stay away.

Giftun Island and Carless Reef shift the emphasis from steel to coral. Walls, plateaus and gorgonian-covered sections can bring turtles, moray eels, schooling fish and occasional pelagic visitors. Umm Gamaar, Siyul, Bluff Point and Shaab Abu Galawa broaden the route with pinnacles, gardens, lagoons and less-frequented moorings.

Red Sea visibility can be excellent, but the operator's “up to 40 metres” is a best-case statement rather than a guarantee. Water temperature, wind and animal activity change through the year. Guests should ask for the expected exposure protection and current conditions shortly before travel rather than relying on a single annual average.

Equipment and Travel Preparation

Divers should bring certification cards, a dive computer and the personal safety equipment required for their qualification and planned profiles. A torch is needed for night diving; a delayed or surface marker buoy is prudent for open-water ascents. Rental equipment and courses must be reserved early enough for the operator to confirm sizes, instructor availability and teaching language.

The included transfer does not remove the need for sensible flight planning. Arrival details must be supplied in advance, immigration and baggage time should be allowed, and the return flight must remain outside the operator's 24-hour no-fly window. Guests joining back-to-back mini-safaris should also confirm whether a second port fee, fuel calculation or cabin change applies.

Important Planning Notes

• Daily sites and dive totals are indicative, not guaranteed.
• Free Nitrox requires the appropriate certification; the Nitrox course costs extra.
• Wreck penetration, deep, current and night dives require suitable training and experience.
• Allow at least 24 hours between the final dive and flying.
• Port, park and fuel charges must be checked against the dated invoice because older website figures remain online.
• Non-divers are welcome, but guided snorkelling and equipment may cost extra.
• Wildlife sightings cannot be promised.
• The captain can change or cancel dives for safety, permits or weather.