Jardines Avalon Fleet
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Book through Tour Leader Club
Jardines Avalon Fleet is not one vessel but six. Avalon, the Cuban operator, holds the country’s sole concession to take divers into the Jardines de la Reina marine park and keeps six liveaboards there. Every departure leaves from the port of Jucaro and is sold under the fleet name: the operator assigns the actual ship when it confirms the booking, according to group size and date. Ask which ship before you pay — they differ a great deal.
| Vessel | Length | Guests | Cabins | Year |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jardines Avalon F I | 33 m | 20 | 10 | refit 2021 |
| Jardines Avalon F II | 40 m | 20 | 10 | refit 2026 |
| Jardines Avalon I | 34 m | 20 | 10 (8 cabins + 2 suites) | 2017 |
| Jardines Avalon II | 41 m | 24 | 12 (10 cabins + 2 balcony suites) | 2018 |
| Jardines Avalon III | 49 m | 30 | 15 (11 cabins + 4 balcony suites) | 2019 |
| Jardines Avalon IV | 58 m | 40 | 20 (12 standard + 4 balcony suites + 4 demi-suites) | 2021 |
What all the ships share: cabins with individually controlled air conditioning, en-suite bathroom, TV and safe; an air-conditioned saloon and bar; a sun deck with a hot tub; a roomy aft dive deck with camera tables and a separate rinse for underwater housings; two or three fast tenders that all the diving is run from. The gallery below shows several different ships of the fleet.
Jardines de la Reina is an archipelago of some 150 cays 80 km off Cuba’s southern coast, a closed reserve since 1996. Fishing is banned, the number of divers per year is capped, and the reef looks the way the Caribbean looked half a century ago: dense schools of snapper and grouper, huge goliath grouper, Caribbean reef and silky sharks on almost every dive, whale sharks in spring and autumn. Crocodiles live in the mangrove channels and the tenders will take you to them. A marine biologist sails with the ship — the reserve is studied here, not merely visited.
The diving is undemanding: water at 26–29 °C year round, 25–40 m visibility, moderate currents. Typically 3–4 dives a day, around 17–18 over a week including one night dive. The dive package and 15 L tanks are already in the fare. Nitrox costs extra. The fleet takes snorkellers too — the shallow mangrove edges and patch reefs suit them well.
About money on the ground. Cuba runs on cash: foreign cards barely work there, and from June 2026 Visa and Mastercard are not accepted at all. Port and park fees, tips, transfers, gear rental and nitrox are all settled locally, and you should plan to pay cash. Bring enough for the whole trip plus a margin. Medical insurance is required under Cuban entry rules and is checked on arrival; dive insurance is required by the operator.
No mark-up
You pay the rate the operator publishes. The only thing added on top is the actual payment processing cost — no fee of ours.
We run the booking
Correspondence with the operator, holding your places, the contract, confirmation and all paperwork sit on our side. Nothing for you to arrange yourself.
Pay by card
We send you a Stripe invoice — pay by card, in your own currency, from anywhere in the world. The transfer to the operator is handled on our side.
Support in your language
We help you pick the cabin and dates, answer questions on the route and gear, and stay reachable until you are home — in English, in your time zone.
We quote the exact amount when confirming the booking: it covers the operator's rate plus the actual payment processing cost. No hidden charges.
Yacht Specifications
Speed
10–12 knots cruising, up to 20 knots top
Tender
2–3 fast dive tenders per vessel
Freshwater maker
fitted on every ship in the fleet
On Board
Diving on board
The operator requires current dive insurance (DAN or equivalent) and checks it before boarding. A certification card is all that is needed; no extra course is required to dive the park. Gear can be rented on board — state your needs when booking and pay locally in cash. The crew speaks English and Spanish.
Food and drinks
Tell us about dietary requirements — allergies and religious restrictions — when you book.
Navigation and safety
Cabins
Twin
Beds: 2 single beds
A cabin with two single beds side by side. Private bathroom with toilet and shower, TV, individual climate control and a safe. Sleeps up to 2 guests and is available for solo travellers sharing.
Double / Twin
Beds: Double bed or two singles (convertible)
A cabin whose beds push together into a queen-size double. Private bathroom with toilet and shower, TV, individual climate control and a safe. On Avalon II, III and IV some suites have their own balcony.
Schedule & Pricing
Gardens of the Queen — a week (Jucaro to Jucaro)
The fleet's main itinerary, running all year: out of Jucaro on Saturday, seven nights inside the Jardines de la Reina marine park, back to the same port. The run from the port to the archipelago takes 4–6 hours. Around 17–18 dives over the week, including a night dive: walls and coral gardens off Cayo Anclitas, the Las Auras channels, sites with Caribbean reef and silky sharks, and a tender trip up the mangrove creeks to the crocodiles. Low season is September, and July to September the following year, when the fare drops.
October 2026
5 departuresNovember 2026
4 departuresDecember 2026
2 departuresJanuary 2027
5 departuresFebruary 2027
4 departuresMarch 2027
4 departuresApril 2027
3 departuresMay 2027
5 departuresJune 2027
4 departuresJuly 2027
5 departuresAugust 2027
4 departuresSeptember 2027
4 departuresOctober 2027
5 departuresNovember 2027
4 departuresDecember 2027
4 departuresGardens of the Queen — short trip (Jucaro to Jucaro)
A shortened five-night trip, run only in the December to February high season: out of Jucaro on Monday, back on Saturday. The same area and the same format with about a third fewer dives — the option when a full week will not fit the dates.
November 2026
1 departureDecember 2026
2 departuresJanuary 2027
4 departuresFebruary 2027
4 departuresPrices and availability can change. Get in touch and we'll confirm current dates and pricing.
Included in Price
Not Included
Required extras
Optional extras
Extras are shown per person and are paid on board.
from 3275 EUR / 7 nights
Estimated wait time — 24 hours
Twin
A cabin with two single beds side by side. Private bathroom with toilet and shower, TV, individual climate control and a safe. Sleeps up to 2 guests and is available for solo travellers sharing.
- Beds
- 2 single beds
- Windows
- Picture window
Double / Twin
A cabin whose beds push together into a queen-size double. Private bathroom with toilet and shower, TV, individual climate control and a safe. On Avalon II, III and IV some suites have their own balcony.
- Beds
- Double bed or two singles (convertible)
- Windows
- Panoramic window
Jardines Avalon Fleet
from 3275 EUR
