General Rules Liveaboards Red Sea

Smoking onboard

It is not allowed to smoke in the cabins and in the salon. The liveaboard has fire alarms installed for your safety which are activated with a little amount of smoke.
Please use ashtrays and don’t throw cigarette butts in the sea.
Cigarette filters are non biodegradable and with time may damage the reefs or harm marine life.
It is also not unheard of that an unwary smoker threw a cigarette that fell into the RIB setting it on fire.

Safety procedures

As for the safety onboard, life jackets, life rafts, many floating devices are available. You can find fire extinguishers in the cabins, salon and engine room.
Upon your arrival onboard, please familiarize yourself with the location and operating methods of the safety devices.

Diving equipment

It is mandatory that each diver has the following equipment and papers:
Dive computer and decompression table, depth gauge and watch, a surface signaling device (SMB), snorkel, a medical certificate not older than one year, diving certificate, a regulator with alternate air source, torch and a weight belt even with integrated weight jackets.

Diving experience

Marine Park destinations require a minimum level of experience of at least 50 logged dives and the last one shouldn’t be older than one year. If you fail to meet these requirements, the dive guides are entitled to stop you from going on certain dives, or the routing might be subject to change accordingly.

Dive accident

In case of emergency, we have a 50 liter oxygen tank and a medic first aid box onboard of all liveaboards in our fleet. We suggest that you make a special insurance in case of a diving accident that covers the expenses of the hyperbaric chamber and medical evacuation.

Footwear onboard

It is forbidden to use road shoes onboard. Please take with you bathroom shoes, warm socks, or light sailing shoes.

Salon

Diving equipment are not allowed into the salon or the cabins.
The salon and cabins are strictly dry areas due to the difficulty of drying moisture stains on the material.

Shower and toilets

All our motor vessel have ensuite shower facilities for your comfort. Bathroom towels are provided to our guests as well as bathrobes.
Still, we recommend bringing your own towel for use outside the cabin.
Please don’t use too much shampoo and soap because shower water eventually ends up in the sea. It is better to buy world known ecologically friendly products that don’t affect the environment. Please help us preserve nature.
Please don’t throw anything in the toilet bowls, including toilet paper and sanitary pads, to avoid toilet blocks and damage to the eco system. Garbage bins are placed in the toilets especially for that purpose.

Cabins

Each cabin has portholes. We suggest that you open them as often as possible to let in fresh air to compensate for the air condition circulating the air. However, make sure you close the portholes while the boat is sailing.

Food & Drinks

Apart from soft drinks, coffee, tea & water, several kinds of beer and local wines are available for purchase onboard of each of our liveaboards.

Needless to say, we provide full board accommodation (3 meals and 1 snack) for all our clients during their stay onboard.

Sleeping on deck

It is not allowed to take bed sheets, covers or mattresses out of the cabin on the deck.
If you wish to sleep outside, please bring with you a sleeping bag and use the mattresses from the sundeck.

Payment onboard

We accept major credit cards onboard, with 2.5% service charge .
We accept most currencies onboard with a fair exchange rate.

Health onboard

Onboard we only have basic emergency medication. If you feel the need may arise for any special medication during the trip, please take a small supply with you.
In any case don’t forget stomach and diarrhea medication, sea sickness tablets or plasters and ear drops and please make sure it will not affect your ability to dive.

Electricity

We have 220 volts power and we suggest that you bring a European normal adaptor.

Climate and clothing

In the Red Sea we have a dry desert climate. You can expect a temperature of 35 C in the summer time. In the winter time it gets colder in the evenings and if there is wind it’s suggested that you bring a jumper. On the boat it is enough to bring light summer clothes and a jumper for cold evenings.
For a detailed weather forecast you can visit www.windfinder.de

Languages

The diving safari crew onboard speaks English. Our dive guides are mostly English, German & Russian speaking.

Rental and spare equipment

Rental equipment is normally unavailable onboard. We suggest if you need any rental equipment that you rent it from home or contact us beforehand.
We also suggest that you should have the most important spare parts with you like mask and fin straps and the repair kit for your type of regulator. Please think as well about batteries, seals and bulbs for your torch.

Gratuities

Like any other country, you are more than welcome to tip the crew if you are satisfied with the level of service that they have provided during your diving safari trip.

Nitrox diving

Kindly prebook your nitrox and gazes with us or through your agent before your trip, as well as any courses or specialties.

Transfer

We can provide round transfers from the airport to the liveabord’s location at a Red Sea port upon request. Our representative will be waiting for you at the airport with a board with the name of the boat that you booked written on it. The tour leader will assist with any flight or transfer problems. We also provide, upon request, Meet & Assist services inside the terminal, including entry visa.

Passport details & flight times

To confirm your flight back home, we need to have the passport details in the office in Hurghada at least 8 days before the boat departure from the harbor. We also need to know the first and last name of the guest, passport number and nationality, the flight number and the arrival and departure time.
We are not responsible for any flight delays.

Part of the environmental law

1. Hunting, fishing, collecting or destroying corals and shells is prohibited.
2. It is prohibited to throw anything in the sea including oil, garbage, grease, etc…
3. It is prohibited to use boat anchors in protected areas.
4. Feeding fishes and birds is forbidden.
5. It is forbidden to use diving gloves and knives.
6. It is not allowed to walk on corals or reef.

…Culprit will be fined 10 000 LE or imprisoned on the first violation and 20 000 LE or imprisoned on the second violation…
…Further along the captain and dive guide will be suspended from working in the Red Sea and the boat will not get a permission to leave port for an established period of time…
The maximum depth of diving according to the law is 40 m.

Payment conditions

We require a 25% payment upon booking. Reservation is confirmed only after down payment transfer is confirmed. The remaining amount has to be transferred at least two weeks before the beginning of the trip.
These are standard, non negotiable procedures.

Cancellation fee

In case of cancellation the following fees are deducted:
Between 60 and 45 days before arrival date: 10% of the safari price
Between 44 and 30 days before arrival date: 25% of the safari price
Between 29 and 15 days before arrival date: 60% of the safari price
less than 15 days before arrival date: 100% of the safari price

D.E.C.O. International Chamber Support Program

It is possible to purchase onboard for the price of 7 euro, D.E.C.O. International (diving emergency center organization) cards that cover hyperbaric chamber treatment in case of a diving accident. This card is valid for 4 weeks from date of issue.

Miscelleneaous

We reserve to ourselves the right to change your booking from one liveaboard to another within the same class if the need arises to do so.
It is as well possible that the guests might have to stay the first or last night of the week in a hotel.