MY Amelia

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Photographs: Discovery Divers.

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Lower-deck twins or an upper-deck cabin?

Discovery I is a wooden vessel built in 2005, with substantial refits recorded in 2011, 2017 and 2022. The boat measures 32 × 7.5 metres. Ten air-conditioned cabins have private bathrooms, with twin beds below and a choice of twins or doubles above.

The cabins offer storage space, with towels and bathrobes supplied. An upper-deck room may appeal if you value windows and proximity to the outdoor spaces, while lower-deck twins provide the main shared-cabin option. Solo travellers can request a share or sole use; the latter is quoted by one booking agent at a 50% supplement to the published fare, subject to the chosen departure.

Spaces to gather, and spaces to drift off with a book

The boat is generous in communal space, either for everybody to gather together or for divers to have some privacy. Indoors, the air-conditioned salon has separate dining and lounge areas. Tables are laid for meals beside cushioned seating, and a bar, television and music system complete the room.

The outdoor lounge offers cushioned seating and a broad view of the Red Sea. Some seating sits under shade, with low tables that make an easy home for a drink or a book. Higher up, the open area with mattresses suits sunbathing or watching the sky after dinner. The choice between a social table and a quieter corner is part of the boat’s appeal. Photographers also have a camera station and a separate rinse area for their equipment.

What’s on the menu?

Meals combine local and Western cooking, served as a buffet, with snacks, soft drinks, tea, coffee and water included. Current photographs show fruit, salads and cooked dishes laid out for guests; the menu changes with supplies rather than promising the same spread each week. Vegetarian and vegan options are listed; dietary needs are best agreed before sailing so the kitchen can provision accordingly. Alcohol is a separate purchase.

Travelling with a non-diver?

Non-divers are accepted, and one booking agent offers a 25% reduction that cannot be combined with other discounts. The applicable cabin fare and any remaining compulsory charges need to be specified. Snorkelling suitability depends on the route and permitted water access, so a companion’s programme should be agreed for the actual sailing.

Three current routes, three different weeks

The current Discovery I calendar offers three seven-night families, all starting and finishing in Hurghada. A northern week emphasises wrecks and reefs; BDE takes the boat offshore; the combined northern–Brothers–Safaga route links both styles but also adds travelling time. These are Egyptian cruises, not a tour of the countries around the Red Sea.

What about the southern routes?

St John’s and the Deep South appear in broader boat descriptions, and the fleet publishes Rocky, Zabargad and southern route plans. No dated Discovery I departure on those programmes was verified in its current calendar. A southern enquiry therefore needs an explicit boat, port and itinerary confirmation; the fleet’s Port Ghalib routes should not be substituted for this boat’s confirmed Hurghada timetable.

Indicative sequence of diving areas

The outlines below follow the published route plans. Alternatives remain alternatives, and the order can change with weather, permissions and the group. They describe a safari, not a universal dive plan or permission to enter a wreck.

• Northern Wrecks, Ras Mohammed & Tiran: Hurghada → Poseidon / Abu Nuhas / Shaab Mahmoud → Jackson / Thomas / Gordon OR Woodhouse / Temple → Ras Mohammed / Dunraven / Thistlegorm → Thistlegorm / Shag Rock / Gubal → Abu Nuhas / Siyul / Shaab El Erg → Umm Gamar area / Fanous → Hurghada.
• Brothers, Daedalus & Elphinstone: Hurghada → Small Giftun → Big Brother / Small Brother → Daedalus → Elphinstone, possibly Ras Tromby → Salem Express / Panorama / Ras Abu Soma / Gota Abu Ramada → El Mina / Fanous → Hurghada.
• Northern Wrecks, Tiran, Brothers & Safaga: Hurghada → Poseidon / Giannis D / Shaab Mahmoud → Jackson / Thomas / Gordon OR Woodhouse / Temple → Ras Mohammed / Thistlegorm → Big Brother / Small Brother → Salem Express / Panorama / Tobia Arbaa OR Ras Abu Soma / Gota Abu Ramada → Small Giftun / Fanous → Hurghada.

Itinerary reference map

The three layers show verified reference points within those routes. They are partial: the exact Hurghada berth, several coastal sites and Safaga stops are not plotted. No connecting line implies a complete sailing track.

Daedalus marker: southern reef reference from Red Sea Diving, checked 4 November 2026. This is a geographic reference, not a dive-entry point.

Wrecks, reef walls and choosing your diving

The northern route brings Abu Nuhas, Thistlegorm and Dunraven together with Ras Mohammed and Tiran. The Brothers, Daedalus and Elphinstone shift the emphasis to offshore walls and current-dependent diving. Animal sightings are possibilities, not a reason to promise the same experience on every week.

Salem Express appears in the Safaga portions of the published plans. It is a wreck associated with a major loss of life, and any visit should be approached respectfully within the operator’s permitted dive plan.

Diving arrangements and experience

The dive deck has storage beneath the benches and stairs to the platform, with two 5.25-metre tenders available. Standard 12-litre aluminium cylinders and weights are included. Nitrox up to 32% in a 12-litre tank is complimentary for appropriately qualified divers; the terms do not provide a refund if a technical problem prevents its supply.

Published experience requirements conflict between the booking calendar and specialist agents. For planning, one agent recommends Advanced Open Water with twenty logged dives for general trips and thirty for marine-park routes. These are not a universal Egyptian rule or a guarantee of acceptance. Obtain the requirements for your exact sailing in writing; BDE’s exposure and currents deserve particular attention, and guides may restrict dives to match experience.

A week aboard under the Amelia name

▶ Watch Amelia Discovery

Liveaboard Amelia Discovery, Egypt by Dani. Guest trip footage under the boat’s former name; it is not a current cabin inspection. The poster is a current-listed boat photograph.

The fare is only part of the budget

As checked on 23 October 2026, the official calendar shows a starting fare of €900 per person for BDE on 7–14 November and €720 for the northern route on 19–26 December. Both are seven-night Hurghada-return trips. These are date-specific starting fares with shared-cabin accommodation in the standard package; your cabin allocation and remaining availability need confirmation.

The listed compulsory extras total €175–250 per person before optional purchases. Applied to a €720 starting fare, that gives an illustrative €895–970 subtotal, excluding flights, visa, insurance, rentals and tips. This is a budgeting range, not a matched cabin quote; the operator’s final invoice should resolve the route’s exact charges.

Transfers and the final night

The standard terms include Saturday airport transfers from Hurghada or Marsa Alam; other days and outlying hotel locations can cost extra. For the currently scheduled Hurghada-return trips, Hurghada airport is the straightforward arrival choice.

Check-in normally begins at 16:00 on Saturday, with sailing early on Sunday. The boat returns to port on Friday afternoon and checkout is at 10:00 on Saturday. Terms allow the final night aboard or in a hotel, so accommodation and the last diving day should be clear before flights are arranged.

What guests loved — and what could be better

Recent reviews emphasise helpful crew and good value, with realistic qualifications about the boat’s age and busy dive sites.

Discovery I / Amelia questions

Have you sailed on Amelia or Discovery I? Share your review with your trip date, cabin and itinerary.

Information checked 23 October 2026. This documented update is not a new firsthand inspection. Existing visitor ratings and comments are preserved.