Carlton

A look aboard Carlton

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Choosing your cabin

Welcoming 20 guests across 10 cabins, Carlton keeps everyone on the same small-ship scale. Each cabin includes its own bathroom and individually controlled air conditioning. The principal choice is between separate beds and a shared double, rather than a long list of suite categories.

A solo traveller’s quote should specify whether the booking is for one berth in a shared twin or the whole cabin. The bed arrangement is clear; a single-occupancy supplement is a separate part of the offer.

Life between the wrecks and reefs

Carlton has lounging spaces both inside and out. The saloon combines living and dining areas, with a television and audio system, while the partially covered outdoor lounge gives you somewhere to sit out of the sun. On the upper and sun decks, the sea view is part of the appeal; beanbags and outdoor seating make an easy setting for a book or a conversation after the briefing.

The interior has wood finishes, a bar and a buffet counter. Its air-conditioned dining room offers an indoor retreat when you have had enough sun, with space to gather around a meal. Outside dining is another option when conditions allow. The photographs are more useful than a broad luxury label for deciding whether this layout feels right for your holiday.

What is on the menu?

Three buffet meals anchor the day, with snacks available between them. The advertised food mix includes local and Western cooking, with vegetarian and vegan options. Specific allergies and dietary arrangements need acceptance before the trip, so the kitchen has time to prepare. Soft drinks, tea, coffee and drinking water are listed in the partner package; alcoholic drinks are extra.

Wi-Fi is limited at sea. It is better suited to an occasional message when coverage allows than to a working week built around video calls.

Diving from Carlton

The aft dive platform and two Zodiacs give the team options for reaching the sites. A charging area and equipment storage help keep the diving routine organised, and 15-litre cylinders can be requested alongside the standard 12-litre setup. Rental equipment needs advance arrangement; it is not a stock of every size waiting on board.

The operator’s entry requirement is Open Water certification or equivalent plus at least 30 logged dives. A computer, surface marker buoy and dive light are required. Individual wreck dives still depend on your training and experience: joining the safari does not qualify someone to enter enclosed wreck spaces. A medical declaration and the requested diving documents are part of the joining arrangements.

A full week, a mini-safari, or Dahab?

All six dive variants below are linked to Carlton, with Sharm el-Sheikh as the departure and return point. Current departures are separated from dated programme examples. A short trip can fit neatly around a stay on land, but it leaves fewer days to rearrange the diving if wind changes the plan.

Lines connect indicative programme stops, not navigational tracks. Repeated visits share a marker, whose popup lists their stop numbers. The December combination is shown as location references without an invented sailing order; Jackson represents Tiran for that layer and for the unspecified Tiran return on the Dahab example. Permits, conditions and the dive team determine the actual dives.

The routes in sequence

The Sinai Classic example is dated 7–14 November 2026. The four-night reef example comes from an earlier published Tiran programme; the wreck variant is dated 16–20 June and Dahab 19–26 September 2026. Night dives and dolphin encounters mentioned in some sample schedules are not promised stops or activities.

What about southern Egypt and kite trips?

Brothers, St John’s and Fury Shoals appear in broad descriptions of Carlton, but a current dated southern sailing and its joining instructions have not been established here. They should not be assumed to be part of a Sharm departure. The operator also advertises a separate seven-night kite charter for clubs; this is a customised trip, not a kite session automatically included in a diving holiday.

Dive-site locations

Thistlegorm, Kingston and Dunraven provide the wreck interest. Ras Mohammed and the four Tiran reefs add walls and reef scenery; the Dahab example reaches farther north along Sinai. Site positions use the Egyptian Chamber of Diving and Watersports directory. Travco marks the marina area, not a guaranteed berth.

Blue Hole and the Canyon on a route list do not imply technical penetration. Carlton’s published operation excludes decompression dives; the actual dive plan must remain within each diver’s qualification.

Compare the package, not just the headline fare

A seven-night direct Sinai Classic offer dated 7–14 November 2026 is advertised at €1,050 and names 12-litre nitrox and marine park fees as included. The partner listing separately charges for those items on some offers. Cabin allocation and occupancy still need to be specified in the quote; these offers are not automatically like-for-like.

The written booking should identify the cabin, nights, diving package and which fees are already paid. Flights, personal insurance, equipment hire and alcohol can add to the holiday budget. Direct individual sailings also depend on a minimum of eight participants, so a listed date is not itself a guarantee that the trip will run.

Joining the boat in Sharm el-Sheikh

The documented routes use Travco Jetty. Airport transfers are a separate booking detail, and the route confirmation matters more than a generic “Red Sea” flight plan. Standard weekly joining information gives afternoon embarkation and morning disembarkation; mini-safaris have different timings. Allow the operator’s requested 24-hour interval between the final dive and flying.

Travelling with a non-diver?

Carlton is listed as snorkeler friendly, but the companion fare and the water activities available on your particular route require confirmation.

What guests say about Carlton

There is too little clearly attributable feedback to describe a broad consensus. One May 2025 report headed “Carlton Red Sea” gives a useful individual account. Reviews of Carlton Queen and unnamed replacement boats should not be treated as reviews of this 33-metre vessel.

Questions about booking Carlton

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Reviewed 14 October 2026. Booking links are affiliate links; Divezone may earn a commission. Photographs identify the vessel and facilities, but their capture dates are not confirmed.