Amelie Adventures | Northern Egypt, Southern Egypt

Boat

Originally launched in 1999, M/Y Amelie Adventures is the larger, higher-capacity member of the Amelie Safari fleet. The current page describes a comprehensive renovation for the 2026 season and a maximum of 16 guests. A legacy technical page gives a length of 27 metres, lists width as 6.5 metres and beam as 7 metres, and therefore contains an internal dimensional inconsistency that should be checked before publishing a single width figure.

Propulsion is listed as two 600 hp MAN marine engines. Hotel and dive systems include two 45 kW generators, two desalination plants and two compressors. Two Zodiacs allow the dive team to split entries, reach offshore moorings or recover divers efficiently. Navigation and communications include radar, depth sonar, VHF, GPS and a broader safety inventory of life rafts, life jackets, alarms, extinguishers, medical oxygen, first aid and satellite/mobile communication.

The renovation date varies elsewhere on the same website: a legacy page says 2024 and the virtual-tour caption says 2025, while the current headline text says the boat was reimagined for 2026. The newest statement is 2026; the discrepancy is worth retaining in internal notes rather than silently blending the dates.

Large windows brighten the indoor saloon and dining room. Outdoor space includes two sun decks, shaded seating and sunbeds toward the bow, along with al fresco dining and a BBQ area. The published feature list adds a library, audio/video entertainment, non-smoking cabins, daily housekeeping, Wi-Fi, warm outdoor showers, charging points, a camera station and separate underwater-camera rinse.

Cabin

Amelie Adventures has a clearly published inventory of 8 ensuite cabins for 16 guests. The arrangement is split by deck and category, rather than eight identical rooms.

Lower deck — 6 twin cabins (Cabins 1–6): each has twin sleeping berths, a private bathroom with shower and toilet, individually controlled air-conditioning, storage space or a wardrobe, porthole windows and life jackets. Towels and daily housekeeping are included. The booking system may sell the cabin as double occupancy, twin share or single use, but the physical arrangement remains the published twin layout.

Upper deck — 2 suite cabins (Suites 1–2): each suite is described with twin bunk-style beds, private shower and toilet, individually controlled air-conditioning, storage or wardrobe and large windows. Life jackets, towels and daily housekeeping are also provided. The suite's “Double” booking label refers to two-person occupancy; it should not be rewritten as a queen bed.

The technical page lists 9 bathrooms in total. Eight are accounted for by the eight guest ensuites; the location and intended use of the ninth bathroom are not explained, so it should be described only as an additional published bathroom—not promised as a passenger cabin facility. Cabin measurements, mattress dimensions, safes and hair dryers are not published. Specific deck, sharing gender, single occupancy and suite availability require written confirmation.

Diving

Amelie Adventures is arranged for a larger dive group without moving into mass-market liveaboard scale. Its legacy specification lists 30 Colltri/Luxfer 12-litre aluminium cylinders, weights and belts, with 15-litre cylinders available onboard. Two compressors and two dive Zodiacs provide useful redundancy and allow entries to be planned around experience, current and mooring restrictions.

Current scheduled trips advertise complimentary Nitrox, professional guides, cylinders and weights. Nitrox certification is required for its use; the course is optional and paid separately. The dive deck is shaded and equipped with DIN adaptors, sidemount support, rinse hoses, charging and a camera station. The exact Nitrox percentage, 15-litre-cylinder charge and rental allocation should be checked for the selected departure.

The four-day Best of Hurghada program advertises about 9 dives, while the full eight-day expedition advertises 18–21 dives, including night dives where permitted. The fleet marketing also mentions northern wrecks and deeper southern frontiers, but current scheduled pages focus on the flexible Hurghada zone. A custom charter may range farther only when permits, duration, sea state and the written contract allow it.

Open Water students, experienced wreck divers, photographers, snorkellers and non-divers are welcomed, with guides adapting sites to ability. That statement does not override certification limits: wreck penetration, deep profiles, current and night diving demand the relevant training and experience. Rental equipment, PADI courses, private guide service and guided snorkelling are priced separately unless a charter agreement expressly includes them.

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 Adventures 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 Adventures 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 Adventures 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.