Carlton | Northern Egypt

Boat

Carlton is a 33-metre Egyptian liveaboard built around the classic northern Red Sea circuit. She accommodates no more than 20 guests, a practical group size for itineraries that combine famous wrecks with current-fed reefs and the dramatic coastline of the Sinai Peninsula. Her current published schedule embarks from Travco Jetty in Sharm El Sheikh and focuses on Ras Mohammed National Park, the Straits of Tiran, the SS Thistlegorm, the Dunraven and selected Dahab sites.

The social spaces are spread across several levels. An indoor salon provides upholstered seating for briefings and surface intervals, while the adjoining dining area is arranged for communal meals. Outside, guests can choose a partially covered lounge, open deck seating and a large sun deck. These separate areas make it possible to find shade, sea air or a quieter corner without occupying the working dive deck.

The operator serves a varied buffet three times a day and says snacks and drinks are available around the clock. The normal catering period begins with dinner on embarkation day and ends with breakfast on disembarkation day. “Available” should not automatically be read as “all beverages included”: complimentary drinks, packaged soft drinks and alcohol should be identified on the dated quotation, and dietary requirements must be supplied in advance.

Two 6.5-metre tenders, each listed with a 45 hp outboard, support dives away from the mother ship and surface pickups where mooring directly over a site is not practical. The vessel page also lists GPS plotter and radar. Safety equipment includes smoke alarms, fire extinguishers in the cabins, emergency oxygen, a stocked first-aid kit, life jackets and two life rafts rated for 25 people each.

Public specification pages disagree about Carlton’s construction year, refit date, beam, engines and tank capacities. The operator itself currently confirms the 33-metre length, 20-guest capacity and core safety and diving inventory, but does not publish the disputed build and refit figures. Those uncertain numbers should not be used as guaranteed sales facts unless the operator supplies an updated technical sheet.

Cabin

Carlton has exactly 10 guest cabins for a maximum of 20 people. The distribution is clearly stated by the operator and is also reproduced by current specialist booking platforms:

• 6 Lower Deck Twin Cabins: each has two separate single beds and accommodates up to two guests. These are the largest cabin category by quantity and may be sold on a share basis.
• 2 Middle Deck Double Cabins: each has one double bed for up to two guests. Current sales descriptions place them on the middle deck and advertise sea views. They are intended for a couple or two guests comfortable sharing one bed and are not normally treated as shareable twin cabins.
• 2 Upper Deck Twin Cabins: each has two separate single beds and accommodates up to two guests. They provide an upper-level alternative to the six lower-deck twins.

Current PADI Travel and LiveAboard.com listings describe all ten cabins as air-conditioned with private ensuite bathrooms. Their bathroom description includes a washbasin, hot-and-cold shower and ceramic marine toilet. Towels, soap, hygiene products and bed linen are also advertised, while the operator’s own information page independently confirms that towels and bed linen are supplied and recommends bringing a personal bath towel.

The operator’s vessel page does not itself repeat the air-conditioning or ensuite specification, and another reseller incorrectly marks the cabins as having no air conditioning. For publication, the ten-cabin layout can be treated as verified; air-conditioning control, bathroom fixtures and sea-view wording should remain subject to the dated cabin confirmation.

No reliable cabin floor areas, mattress dimensions, storage measurements, window or porthole details, housekeeping frequency, hairdryers, safes, USB outlets or cabin-by-cabin electrical sockets are published. Bed configuration should not be assumed convertible: the six lower and two upper rooms are fixed twin categories, while the two middle-deck rooms are sold as doubles. Guests should have the deck, bed type, cabin number and single-share conditions written into their booking.

Multi-deck access appears to be by stairs, and no lift, wheelchair-adapted cabin or accessible bathroom is advertised. Anyone travelling with reduced mobility, medical equipment, CPAP requirements or a need for refrigeration should request a written suitability assessment before paying a deposit.

Diving

Carlton’s northern Red Sea programme is designed for qualified divers rather than introductory try-dives. The operator requires at least an Open Water Diver certification or equivalent and 30 logged dives to join a safari. Participation in more demanding dives—particularly wreck penetration, deep sections or strong-current sites—still depends on certification, recent experience and the dive team’s assessment.

A normal full day can include about three daytime dives plus an optional night dive where regulations, route timing and conditions allow. The check dive is mandatory. Decompression diving is prohibited, the published maximum depth is 40 metres with the correct qualification, buddy teams are required and every dive ends with a three-minute safety stop at five metres. The captain and dive guide make the final operational decision, and missed dives caused by weather, technical limitations, permits or safety restrictions are not refundable.

The operator lists 37 × 12-litre cylinders and 5 × 15-litre cylinders. Fifteen-litre cylinders must be requested no later than ten days before departure and may carry an additional charge. The technical page prints the compressor entry ambiguously as “350 l/min air compressor2”; it confirms 350-litre-per-minute air-compression capacity but does not present the number of compressors clearly enough to guarantee without clarification.

Enriched air is available on at least some programmes. The current 2026 Sinai Classic, Dahab and Thistlegorm mini-safari listings explicitly include 12-litre EAN cylinders, while general reseller pages variously mark Nitrox as paid or free. Nitrox should therefore be described as included only when it appears on the selected departure’s invoice. Certification is required, and the requested Nitrox service must be reported to the operator at least ten days before the trip.

Every diver must carry a dive computer, surface marker buoy and dive torch on every dive, not only at night. Guests should also bring their certification, logbook, appropriate exposure protection and personal spares. The operator normally does not keep a full rental stock permanently onboard; equipment must be ordered several days in advance, is priced on request and should be confirmed by item and size.

Dives are usually made from Carlton or one of her two 6.5-metre, 45 hp tenders. Currents, negative entries and open-water pickups can occur at Tiran, Ras Mohammed and exposed wreck sites. Night diving and snorkelling are prohibited inside Ras Mohammed National Park under the operator’s published rules, although a night dive may be scheduled later at a permitted anchorage outside the restricted zone.

Required guest information must reach the operator no later than ten days before departure: a passport copy valid for at least six months on entry, certification copy, number of logged dives, flight details when transfer is included, requests for Nitrox, 15-litre cylinders or rentals, dive-insurance details and an emergency contact. Every diver completes a medical questionnaire and liability waiver onboard; a doctor’s certificate does not replace the operator’s form.

Other Information

Carlton’s package changes by date and sales channel. The selected departure’s written confirmation is the controlling document, especially for Nitrox, marine-park fees and transfers.

Normally included or expressly confirmed by the operator:

• Accommodation in the booked cabin for the stated cruise duration
• Catering from dinner on the first day through breakfast on the last day, normally with three buffet meals daily on full operating days
• Snacks and drinks being available around the clock; the exact complimentary beverage list must still be confirmed
• Towels and bed linen; the operator nevertheless recommends bringing a personal bath towel
• Scheduled diving, briefings and the check dive, subject to certification, conditions and route approval
• Standard 12-litre air cylinders and weights as part of normal diving operations
• Use of the two dive tenders when the dive plan requires them
• On current specifically labelled 2026 departures, 12-litre EAN and the marine-park fee; this is not a blanket promise for every future cruise

Not included, optional or payable unless the invoice says otherwise:

• International or domestic flights, hotels and personal travel arrangements
• Egyptian entry visa and any related arrival fee
• Individual airport or hotel transfers; the operator states that complimentary group transfers apply to full charters only and that individual transfers can be arranged for a per-person, per-way surcharge
• Government reef tax or marine-park fee when it is not expressly included on the departure
• Nitrox when the dated programme does not list 12-litre EAN as included
• Fifteen-litre cylinders, full rental equipment, courses, private services and other special dive requests
• Alcohol, premium or packaged drinks, onboard purchases and personal expenses unless specifically listed
• Travel, baggage, accident, medical and dive insurance
• Crew gratuity; the operator recommends EUR 90 per guest for a one-week safari

Carlton operates from Sharm El Sheikh across the northern Egyptian Red Sea. The current programme is concentrated on three formats: the seven-night Sinai Classic, a seven-night Dahab Safari, and shorter Thistlegorm & Ras Mohammed mini-safaris. Private full-boat charters can request a tailored route, but permits, weather, currents, diver ability and the captain’s safety decision always take priority over a proposed site list.

The examples below follow Carlton’s own dated 2026 schedules while using new editorial wording. They are route models, not guaranteed daily contracts. Site order, number of dives, night-dive location and wildlife encounters can change. Current event pages advertise 12-litre EAN and marine-park fees as included; later departures must reconfirm both items.

Sinai Classic – Representative 8 Days / 7 Nights

This is Carlton’s main northern itinerary, linking Ras Mohammed’s walls and channels with famous Gulf of Suez wrecks and the four reefs of Tiran. The official sequence is ambitious, so actual timing depends on sea state, moorings, authority clearance and group experience.

Day 1 – Sharm El Sheikh embarkation
Board at Travco Jetty at the time stated in the final documents; current schedules usually show 17:00. Cabin allocation is followed by vessel safety procedures, dive organisation and dinner. The first night is spent in harbour.

Day 2 – Check dive, Ras Mohammed sector and Dunraven
Begin with the mandatory check dive at Temple, allowing the team to review weighting, equipment and buddy procedures. The published plan then moves through Ras Za’atar and Jackfish Alley before a dive on the Dunraven. A night dive may be arranged at a permitted anchorage outside the national-park restriction.

Day 3 – Small Crack and the SS Thistlegorm
An early dive at Small Crack introduces one of the channels through the Shaab Mahmoud reef system. Two dives are planned on the SS Thistlegorm, giving qualified divers time to see both the exterior and suitable cargo areas without treating the wreck as a single rushed visit. A late-afternoon dolphin snorkel is listed as a possibility, followed by a night dive when conditions and rules allow. Dolphins are wild and never guaranteed.

Day 4 – Kingston, Dunraven and Shark & Yolanda
The current schedule names the Kingston, a second visit to the Dunraven and Shark & Yolanda Reef. This combination moves from nineteenth-century wreck structure to Ras Mohammed’s steep reef scenery and schooling-fish potential. The operator’s published example repeats Dunraven; the dive team may substitute another suitable site. Any night dive takes place outside the park’s prohibited area.

Day 5 – Ras Umm Sid and southern Tiran
Ras Umm Sid’s wall and coral growth provide the transition toward the Straits of Tiran. Jackson and Gordon are the two Tiran reefs named for the day. Currents can be a defining part of these dives, and the tender plan is adapted to the surface conditions.

Day 6 – Thomas, Woodhouse and Jackson Reefs
The route concentrates on three of Tiran’s current-swept reefs. Thomas is known for steep contours, Woodhouse forms the long central reef and Jackson presents exposed corners and rich reef structure. The guide chooses entry and exit points according to current rather than promising a fixed circuit. A night dive is possible later at a protected, authorised location.

Day 7 – Final Ras Umm Sid and Ras Katy dives
Two closing dives are listed around Ras Umm Sid and Ras Katy before Carlton returns to Travco Jetty. Equipment is rinsed and onboard accounts are prepared. The reduced final day helps establish the required no-fly interval.

Day 8 – Breakfast and disembarkation
Leave the vessel after breakfast at the confirmed time. The event calendar and body text do not always show the same checkout hour, so onward transport must use the booking confirmation.

Dahab Safari – Representative 8 Days / 7 Nights

The Dahab programme turns north along the Sinai coast, combining shore-famous geological sites with Tiran and Sharm El Sheikh reefs. It is still a liveaboard dive safari, not a land-based Dahab package. Blue Hole and canyon diving require disciplined depth control and an honest assessment of certification and experience.

Day 1 – Travco Jetty check-in
Join Carlton, take the assigned cabin and complete safety and diving briefings before dinner. Departure timing depends on port clearance.

Day 2 – Temple check dive and Jackson Reef
The opening check dive is scheduled at Temple. Carlton then heads toward Tiran for Jackson Reef. The official plan includes a night dive at a permitted anchorage.

Day 3 – Gabr El Bint, El Shugarat and the Canyon
The boat works north through Dahab’s less urban coast. Gabr El Bint and El Shugarat combine reef scenery with a remote desert backdrop, while the Canyon is shaped by a distinctive underwater fissure. Penetration, depth and route choice remain within recreational limits set by the guide. A night dive is listed.

Day 4 – Abu Galum
Spend the day in the Abu Galum protected area, where the mountain coastline and comparatively isolated reefs create a different atmosphere from central Sharm. The exact sites and number of dives depend on permission, anchorage and conditions. The published programme includes a night dive.

Day 5 – Blue Hole and Napoleon Reef
The day pairs the Blue Hole area with Napoleon Reef. The Blue Hole is not permission for technical or decompression diving: Carlton’s normal maximum remains 40 metres with suitable certification, and the operator prohibits decompression profiles. A night dive may follow at an approved location.

Day 6 – Three Tiran dives
Return to the Straits of Tiran for three dives selected from the day’s best reef faces and current windows. Jackson, Thomas, Woodhouse and Gordon provide the route’s principal options, but the schedule does not promise all four on this day. A night dive is planned where conditions permit.

Day 7 – Ras Umm Sid, Ras Katy and port return
Complete the final dives near Sharm before returning to Travco Jetty. The dive team shortens the day to preserve the 24-hour pre-flight interval.

Day 8 – Disembarkation
Breakfast is followed by checkout at the confirmed time. Guests should not book an early flight based solely on the public event page.

Thistlegorm & Ras Mohammed Mini-Safari – Representative 5 Days / 4 Nights

This shorter format is aimed at divers who want the northern highlights without a full week onboard. Carlton’s current five-day version is intensive and includes repeated wreck dives, so recent buoyancy control and comfort in reduced visibility or confined wreck environments are valuable. Not every guest will be authorised to enter every section.

Day 1 – Afternoon embarkation
Check in at Travco Jetty, settle into the cabin, attend the safety presentation and have dinner onboard.

Day 2 – Temple, Jackfish Alley and Dunraven
After the mandatory check dive at Temple, the programme moves to Jackfish Alley and the Dunraven. A night dive may follow outside Ras Mohammed’s restricted zone.

Day 3 – Small Crack and two Thistlegorm dives
Dive Small Crack before two planned sessions on the SS Thistlegorm. The split makes it possible to adapt the visit to current, other boats and diver qualifications. The schedule also mentions dolphin snorkelling and a possible night dive, neither of which is guaranteed.

Day 4 – Kingston, Beacon Rock and Shark & Yolanda
The Kingston and Beacon Rock bring another mix of wreck and reef diving before Shark & Yolanda Reef. A final night dive is listed at a legally permitted anchorage.

Day 5 – Ras Umm Sid, Ras Katy and Ras Ghozlani
Three final sites are proposed before the afternoon return and disembarkation: Ras Umm Sid, Ras Katy and Ras Ghozlani. Actual dive count and checkout time depend on safe scheduling and the confirmed mini-safari programme.

Private Charter and Route Flexibility

Carlton advertises full-boat bookings for dive clubs, agents and private groups. A charter can request a customised northern route and group-oriented schedule, but it does not override Egyptian permits, marine-park rules, weather limits, minimum experience or the final authority of the captain and dive guide. The contract should identify the embarkation point, nights, requested route, minimum and maximum participants, cabin allocation, dive ceiling, EAN arrangement, park fees, transfers and any exclusive-use services.

Choosing the Right Carlton Route

Sinai Classic offers the broadest mix: major wrecks, Ras Mohammed walls and Tiran reefs in one week. It is the strongest general choice for an experienced northern Red Sea visitor who does not want to specialise in only one style of diving. The Thistlegorm mini-safari concentrates that experience into fewer nights and a faster rhythm; it suits travellers with limited time, but it is not necessarily easier because several wreck dives are scheduled close together.

Dahab Safari shifts the emphasis toward underwater geology and the less-developed Sinai coastline. Canyon formations, steep reef profiles and the Blue Hole area reward careful buoyancy and depth awareness. It can appeal to divers who have already explored the main northern wreck circuit, while the Tiran and Sharm sections preserve route variety.

Across all three formats, anthias, jacks, barracuda, turtles, rays and reef fish are realistic possibilities, and open-water species may pass current-exposed reef corners. Dolphin snorkelling appears in the published programmes, but animals choose whether to approach. Neither sharks, dolphins nor any other species should be marketed as guaranteed. Water temperature, visibility, current and marine life vary by season and even between dives on the same day.

Snorkellers and non-divers must obtain approval for the selected departure. The operator expressly prohibits snorkelling within Ras Mohammed National Park, and there is no published promise of a separate tender, guide or shore programme for non-divers. A companion who does not dive should have permitted water activities, supervision, park restrictions and the applicable non-diver price confirmed before booking.