Dolce Vita

Dolce Vita is a white 40-metre yacht belonging to Divers Fleet, an Egyptian company based in Hurghada. The fleet has two hulls, Dolce Vita and Odyssey, and both work the Red Sea year-round. The vessel is easy to identify: the Divers Fleet pennant flies from the mast, the same name hangs above the bar in the dining room, and every tank in the dive-deck racks carries an “M/Y DOLCE VITA” sticker.

One caveat first, and it is the reason to look at the photographs. A second, older Egyptian liveaboard also sails under the name Dolce Vita — black hull, a completely different interior with turquoise sofas, carved panels and a lit bar. That is not this boat. Our Dolce Vita has a white hull with an orange boot stripe, pale cabins and a grey-blue saloon with starfish cushions.

There are thirteen cabins and twenty-six berths. Eight cabins sit on the lower deck: two with a double bed (01 and 02) and six twins with separate beds (03–08). The finish down there is pale, almost white, with blue cove lighting around the ceiling and oval portholes. The upper deck holds four cabins — two twins (09, 10) and two doubles (11, 12); these are panelled in light wood, and instead of a porthole they have a large rectangular window that fills most of the bulkhead. One more cabin is on the main deck next to the galley; the deck plan labels it 13, the operator’s booking system calls it 14, and it is not on sale on every departure: the boat usually sells twelve cabins and 24 places and keeps the thirteenth closed. Every cabin has its own bathroom, individually controlled air conditioning and storage space for gear.

The operator is brief about money. The week includes full board, soft drinks and snacks around the clock, three to four dives a day (16–18 per week guaranteed), 12-litre tanks, weights and belts, dive guides, nitrox at 28–32 % and return airport transfers. Nitrox is genuinely free here, with one caveat the operator states himself: if the mix is not available on board there is no refund, because nothing was charged for it in the first place.

One obligatory charge is collected on board in cash — the marine park fee. On 2026 departures it is €120 per person, on 2027 departures €235. The step is not about north versus south; it is annual. Crew gratuities are described as voluntary, with a suggested €75 per person per week. The Egyptian visa is arranged by the guest at the airport on arrival; the operator does not publish the amount. A separate note about the September 2026 departures: those are sold by a partner agency under its own package, and its terms name a different on-board figure — €210 plus €75 for the crew and €25 for the guides. On those dates the amount should be confirmed at the time of booking.

One more detail people usually discover on the jetty: the last night may be spent not on board but in a 3★ hotel. The operator keeps that at his own discretion and includes such a night in the package whenever the boat’s schedule is tight. Do not plan a late flight on the assumption of sleeping aboard.

The boat works out of two ports, Hurghada and Port Ghalib, and trips regularly end somewhere other than where they started: Hurghada → Port Ghalib and back appear throughout the schedule. It is worth buying the return ticket only after a specific date has been chosen.

There are eight itineraries and each has its own experience requirement. “Wreck week” with the Thistlegorm and “Tiran’s Treasures” are open to Open Water divers with 15 logged dives, Fury Shoals with 10. The “Golden Loop” with the Brothers and the Dahab–Tiran week ask for Advanced Open Water and 25 dives. The far south — Rocky, Zabargad and St John’s — needs 30 dives, while “Shark Obsession” (Brothers – Daedalus – Elphinstone) and “Megafauna Mecca” need 35. The usual Egyptian rule of thumb, “south means Advanced plus 50 dives”, does not apply here.

On board there is a jacuzzi on the foredeck, two open lounges with bean bags, a sun deck with loungers and a bar. The boat is also equipped for kite surfing — a rarity among Red Sea dive liveaboards.