M/Y Seven7Seas dive boat review
Historical photographs: Divezone’s original archive; Seven7Seas images published by Bluewater Dive Travel and Liveaboards.com.
Seven7Seas: remembering an Egyptian Red Sea favourite
The curved salon bar, teak decks and spacious cabins gave Seven7Seas a distinctive place among Egypt’s safari boats. Between dives, the barbecue lounge and open views made the journey itself part of the pleasure.
Seven7Seas, later operated as Emperor Seven Seas, was destroyed by fire at Port Ghalib on 13 March 2025. Emperor reported that everyone aboard was evacuated unharmed. This is a historical profile, not a boat available for a 2026 booking. It is unrelated to the Seven Seas sailing in Indonesia.
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Boat cabins and layout
The 41-metre yacht accommodated 24 guests in 12 cabins. Its published historical specification gives a beam of 8.5 metres, a 2006 build and a 2017 renovation. These figures describe the former vessel; they are not evidence of a replacement boat.
| Accommodation | Historical layout | Useful distinction |
|---|---|---|
| Lower deck | Eight twin cabins | Separate beds for friends or guests sharing. |
| Upper deck | Four double cabins | King-size bed layout in the published cabin inventory. |
| In each cabin | Air-conditioning, private bathroom and separate shower | Fridge and safe were also listed among the room fittings. |
The photographs show the generous bathrooms and comfortable rooms in more detail: light walls, wooden furniture, reading lights and a proper cabinet between the twin beds, rather than bunks squeezed into a narrow passage. The double-room image also shows the bathroom opening beside the bed.
Life between dives
The spacious salon with its large central bar was a natural meeting point. There was plenty of room to sit, with tables and large windows keeping the sea in view. The adjacent dining room gave the group a separate place for meals, so a briefing or conversation did not have to take over every shared space.
Outside, the partly shaded upper deck combined bench seating, low tables and areas for stretching out in the sun. Teak decking connected the spaces visually. The barbecue lounge was another gathering place, especially towards evening, when guests could linger outdoors after the last dive.
Meals and the barbecue lounge
The former catering programme offered three daily buffet meals with local and international dishes. Guests could watch the cooks through a glass panel. The upper-deck lounge’s grill was used for barbecue evenings, with fish, meat and salads among the documented offerings. These describe the boat’s past service, not a menu offered today.
A July 2018 guest account remembered both the cooking and the barbecue, and the salon screen serving a second purpose during the football World Cup. It is a small detail, but a good illustration of the sociable time between dives.
Diving from the yacht
The large preparation deck offered individual equipment storage and separate rinse areas for diving and camera equipment. Tenders supported entries and pickups away from the yacht; the stern photograph shows the pair of ladders leading back from the water to the platform. Historical descriptions also list Nitrox, camera and light charging space, and showers by the platform.
Those facilities should be understood in their historical context. A listed system is not an independent inspection, and old equipment-hire prices or dive requirements cannot be reused for another vessel. A current trip needs the conditions of the actual boat and sailing.
Non-diving companions
Seven7Seas no longer accepts bookings, so there is no current companion fare or activity programme; the historical freediving trip described below was a specific organised event.
Documented historical routes
Seven7Seas sailed in the Egyptian Red Sea. Its northern, offshore and southern programmes offered different experiences: a northern safari was not interchangeable with several days around remote southern islands. The dated examples below preserve those differences without turning past sailings into a current timetable.
| Family | Documented example | Character and limits |
|---|---|---|
| Brothers, Daedalus, Elphinstone / BDE | 25 October–1 November 2018; two separate weeks in May–June 2019 | Offshore reef walls and open-water passages. The weeks were separate cruises, not one fixed fortnight circuit. |
| South & St John’s | 28 June–5 July 2018; 26 December 2024–2 January 2025 advertised as seven nights | Southern reef groups. Individual reefs and daily order were voyage-dependent. |
| Daedalus, Elphinstone and Fury Shoals | Seven-day safari reviewed in May 2019 | A mix of offshore reefs and southern reef scenery. A guest reported two days at Daedalus, two at Fury and only one Elphinstone dive. |
| Daedalus, Rocky Island and Zabargad | Weekly programme advertised in 2012, from and to the Marsa Alam area | A more southerly offshore combination. The archived offer does not establish an exact marina or daily track. |
| Northern safari | 25 May–2 June 2023 guest account | The northern family is documented, but this account does not identify the individual wrecks or reefs. It is not plotted as an invented circuit. |
| Fury Shoals freediving special | Special announced in February 2016 | A coached freediving programme with Nik Linder and Rene Trost, with yoga and relaxation sessions; distinct from an ordinary scuba week. |
Older material names Hurghada and Port Ghalib as departure areas, while specific offers sometimes use the broader Marsa Alam label. These names should not be treated as the same port. Exact transfers and embarkation details belong to the original sailing confirmation.
The offshore combinations involved longer sea passages than a trip concentrating on one reef group. Guest accounts describe demanding diving on some BDE voyages, but their reported depths and encounters are not a universal dive plan. Conditions, qualifications and the guide’s briefing determine an appropriate profile; sharks are never a promised part of a safari.
Historical route map
Five layers locate the named areas in these past programmes. They are partial and unordered: no exact daily sailing sequence or embarkation berth is established. St John’s is represented by Habili Ali and Fury Shoals by Claudia, as regional references rather than claims that every cruise visited those individual reefs. The northern trip is retained in the table but not mapped because its stops are unconfirmed.
Daedalus marker: southern reef reference from Red Sea Diving, checked 4 November 2026. This is a geographic reference, not a dive-entry point.
- BDE: the Brothers, Daedalus and Elphinstone.
- South and St John’s: the southern reef group; exact reefs vary by trip.
- Daedalus–Elphinstone–Fury: offshore reefs combined with Fury Shoals.
- Daedalus–Rocky–Zabargad: the remote reef and island combination advertised in 2012.
- Fury Shoals special: the 2016 coached freediving event, not a standard scuba itinerary.
Dive-site geography
The separate site map helps place the offshore Brothers, Daedalus, Elphinstone and Rocky Island alongside Zabargad and the southern reef groups. These are geographical references, not a recommended entry point or a fixed underwater route.
Geographic references: CDWS dive-site directory. Historical voyages are represented from dated guest accounts and archived trip announcements.
A historical BDE film
StoneX posted a Seven7Seas Brothers–Daedalus–Elphinstone trip video on 20 September 2017. It is a record of that earlier diving era, not footage of a currently operating vessel. The external host controls playback.
Status, prices and booking in 2026
The yacht joined the Emperor fleet in 2023, after an initial cooperation announced that May. The loss at Port Ghalib in March 2025 ended this vessel’s operation. No cause of the fire is established here, and it would be misleading to infer one from equipment lists or comments about the incident.
There is therefore no valid 2026 Seven7Seas fare, cabin upgrade, Nitrox supplement, park-fee package or airport-transfer schedule to compare. Old agency pages may still display a starting price or equipment costs; those amounts are historical listing material, not a current offer. A similarly named Indonesian boat is a separate vessel in a different destination.
For travel now, compare the confirmed sailing and cabin of an operating Egyptian boat, including the full compulsory cost and its experience requirements. The Red Sea diving guide helps distinguish regional diving choices, while our liveaboard guide brings together trip-planning information. Our Red Sea boat comparison brings together cabin choices, itineraries and trip costs.
What guests loved — and what could be better
These are dated guest experiences from before the loss of the vessel. They complement the original review without turning guest impressions into a condition survey.
What guests loved
HeHe89’s July 2018 review of a St John’s week described a full boat of 24 guests that still felt spacious. The writer praised the sun deck, food, barbecue and crew assistance with equipment and tenders. Working air-conditioning and a surprisingly roomy bathroom also stood out.
Terry335, reviewing a BDE trip in November 2018, appreciated the space even with 22 divers aboard and remembered a small reading corner in the salon. The account praised the meals and crew, while also describing the diving as demanding. Its wildlife sightings belong to that particular voyage.
What could be better
Sulfamo’s May 2019 account praised the boat, cabins, food and guides, but wanted more variety on the Daedalus–Elphinstone–Fury itinerary. A late guest arrival delayed departure, and only one Elphinstone dive was made. This is a useful reminder that a route’s headline sites do not specify how much time is spent at each one.
Those differences are worth remembering when comparing today’s alternatives: a comfortable cabin and an enjoyable crew do not remove the need to understand the actual route, crossings and diving schedule.
Seven7Seas: useful questions
Can I book Seven7Seas in 2026?
No. The Egyptian yacht was destroyed by fire at Port Ghalib on 13 March 2025. This page is a historical profile.
Was anyone injured in the fire?
Emperor reported that all passengers and crew were evacuated unharmed. No cause of the fire is established here.
Is this the Seven Seas in Indonesia?
No. The Egyptian Seven7Seas, later Emperor Seven Seas, was a different vessel. Indonesian departures and prices do not apply to this page.
How many people did it accommodate?
The historical layout was 24 guests in 12 cabins: eight lower-deck twins and four upper-deck doubles.
What made its shared spaces distinctive?
A curved bar in the salon, a separate dining room and an upper-deck barbecue lounge gave guests several places to gather. The partly shaded teak sun deck added open-air space between dives.
Which trips did Seven7Seas offer?
Documented families include BDE, South and St John’s, Daedalus–Elphinstone–Fury, Daedalus–Rocky–Zabargad, northern safaris and a specific Fury Shoals freediving event. The maps are partial historical references, not present-day itineraries.
Why are no current prices shown?
The vessel is no longer operating. Old starting prices, equipment costs and discounts cannot be used as a 2026 quote.
What do the old guest reviews tell me?
They describe the comfort, meals, crew and diving experienced on particular past voyages. They do not establish current service, and the sightings and dive profiles are not guarantees for another trip.
Did you sail on Seven7Seas? Share your experience, with the date, route and cabin.
Information checked 23 October 2026. This researched update preserves useful descriptions from the original review; it is not a new onboard inspection.
Where does this liveaboard dive boat go?
Check out the fabulous places where this dive boat travels to.
Note: some destinations may not be listed below, please enquire for more details.
Hamata
Hamata gives land-based divers access to Fury Shoals: coral gardens, small wrecks and exposed outer reefs, with outings matched to experience and sea conditions.
Eilat
Eilat offers mainly shore-based Red Sea diving, with coral gardens, the Satil wreck and sites for different experience levels. Check recent-dive and insurance requirements before arrival.
Aqaba
Aqaba combines coral gardens and shore diving with the Cedar Pride, aircraft wrecks and underwater military displays. A land-based stay can also include Petra and Wadi Rum.
Marsa Alam
Marsa Alam combines shore-access bays such as Abu Dabbab with boat trips to offshore reefs including Elphinstone. Choose the base and dive profile to suit your experience; wildlife sightings vary.
Nuweiba
Nuweiba suits unhurried shore diving and underwater photography, with coral gardens and small marine life to explore with a local guide.
Dahab
Dahab combines shore-access reefs and training sites with advanced profiles at the Canyon and Blue Hole. Choose the dive to match your experience.
Hurghada
Hurghada combines day-boat reefs, beginner training and longer wreck excursions. Match the site, transfer and dive profile to your experience.
Sharm El Sheikh
Sharm combines local reef diving with Ras Mohammed, Tiran and separately planned wreck excursions. Match the route and dive profile to your experience.
Red Sea
Red Sea diving, through the eyes of the people who have been: guest reviews, trip stories and our guide to Egypt’s reefs, wrecks and shore-diving stays.
- If you have been diving on board this liveaboard dive boat in Red Sea, please share your review and let us know what you thought. Please post your comments in the review section below, by doing so you will help fellow divers to plan their next diving trip
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