Emperor Echo dive boat review
Photos: Divezone / Emperor Echo; cabin photographs via DiveBooker.
Emperor Echo: a former Red Sea liveaboard
Emperor Echo is no longer operating and is not a boat to book for a 2026 holiday. The yacht suffered irreversible hull damage at Fury Shoals on 28 October 2023; the operator reported that all guests and crew were evacuated unharmed. This profile preserves the boat’s story and guest feedback.
The boat behind the name
Previously named C-Echo 1, Emperor Echo joined the Emperor fleet in 2017, sailing from Hurghada and Port Ghalib in Egypt. Its appeal was straightforward: a week built around diving, with room to relax between outings and Nitrox included for qualified divers. The 2017 launch announcement described accommodation for 24 guests; later cabin descriptions recorded thirteen cabins and space for 25.
The October 2023 incident ended that chapter. During a storm, Echo was driven onto the reef at Fury Shoals and sustained hull damage described as irreversible. Emperor’s current Egyptian fleet lists Elite, Superior and Asmaa. A surviving catalogue page or an old price beside Echo’s name is not a current departure.
The cabin layout during service
Every room was air-conditioned and featured a private en-suite bathroom. The later layout included a genuine single cabin as well as twins and a Panorama double, an important distinction for guests travelling alone.
| Deck | Recorded accommodation |
|---|---|
| Lower | Six twin cabins and one single cabin |
| Main | Three cabins: two twins and one twin/double |
| Upper | Two twin/doubles and one Panorama double |
These describe the former boat, not rooms available to reserve. Cabin photographs and past accounts remain useful for recognising a trip taken aboard Echo.
Life between dives
The original Divezone review described a clean interior in neutral colours, with indoor spaces to enjoy meals, watch television, or mix and mingle with fellow divers. Outside, the upper-deck lounge and bar made a natural gathering place, while the partly shaded top deck offered a quieter place to stretch out.
Meals brought the group together between dives. The former full-board package included afternoon snacks and soft drinks, with red wine at dinner; premium coffee and other alcohol were separate purchases. Those inclusions explain the boat’s former value proposition, but they should not be carried over to another vessel’s quote.
Diving facilities
Echo had a spacious dive deck with equipment storage and separate camera rinsing facilities. Nitrox was included for certified users, and two guides featured in the launch programme. The attraction was the diving itself, from northern wrecks to offshore reefs; the final site choice depended on weather, access and the divers aboard.
Emperor Echo’s former itineraries
The historical programme included the seven families below, generally built around a week aboard. They explain where Echo sailed; none is advertised here as an available Echo cruise. Departure ports and the actual sequence varied between sailings.
| Former route | What distinguished it |
|---|---|
| Simply the Best | Brothers, Daedalus and Elphinstone: offshore islands and walls. |
| Famous Five | Northern wrecks and Ras Mohammed combined with the Brothers; the historical programme also named Salem Express. |
| Southern Sharks / Red Sea Sharks | A shark-focused southern programme. Encounters varied; the route name was never a sighting guarantee. |
| South & St John’s | Southern reefs around St John’s and Fury Shoals. |
| Safaga, Brothers & Elphinstone | A combination of Safaga reefs and offshore walls; Panorama, Middle Reef, Abu Kafan, Salem Express and Abu Dabab also appeared in the programme. |
| Reefs & Wrecks | Northern wrecks, Ras Mohammed and the Straits of Tiran. |
| Get Wrecked! | A northern wreck-focused week, also including Ulysses in the historical description. |
Historical itinerary references
This map locates documented places from the former programme, without inventing a sailing order. Several Safaga sites and the exact boarding marinas are not plotted. It is a historical geographic overview, not a navigation chart or a proposed departure.
Daedalus marker: southern reef reference from Red Sea Diving, checked 4 November 2026. This is a geographic reference, not a dive-entry point.
Geographic references: CDWS. Historical programme checked 22 October 2026.
Mapped places by former route
Simply the Best
Big Brother · Small Brother · Daedalus Reef · Elphinstone
Famous Five
Rosalie Moller wreck · Abu Nuhas — reef · Thistlegorm · Ras Mohammed — reference at Shark & Yolanda Reef · Big Brother · Small Brother
Southern Sharks / Red Sea Sharks
St John’s — regional reference at Habili Ali, exact reef not fixed · Rocky Island — reef reference · Daedalus Reef · Elphinstone
South & St John’s
St John’s — regional reference at Habili Ali, exact reef not fixed · Claudia Reef
Safaga, Brothers & Elphinstone
Big Brother · Small Brother · Elphinstone
Reefs & Wrecks
Abu Nuhas — reef · Small Gubal — island reference · Thistlegorm · Ras Mohammed — reference at Shark & Yolanda Reef · Tiran — strait reference at Jackson Reef, exact reef not fixed
Get Wrecked!
Abu Nuhas — reef · Small Gubal — island reference · Rosalie Moller wreck · Thistlegorm
Sites from the former programme
- Thistlegorm: Northern wreck reference; depth, current and penetration call for an appropriate dive plan.
- Ras Mohammed — reference at Shark & Yolanda Reef: Ras Mohammed wall reference, not a fixed entry point.
- Big Brother: Offshore island walls; exposed location.
- Daedalus Reef: Isolated offshore reef with steep walls.
- Elphinstone: Reef walls and plateaus where current can shape the dive.
- Rocky Island — reef reference: Remote southern island reference.
- St John’s — regional reference at Habili Ali, exact reef not fixed: Regional reference at Habili Ali, not every reef in the St John’s group.
A film of Emperor Echo
This DiveTheWorldVids presentation shows the former liveaboard. It is historical boat footage, not evidence of current operation.
Poster: illustrative boat photograph. Film: Emperor Echo – Red Sea liveaboard, DiveTheWorldVids.
Prices and booking today
There is no current Emperor Echo cruise price or departure to book. For a new Egyptian liveaboard holiday, compare the actual vessel, cabin and dated itinerary, together with its included services and additional charges.
What about non-diving companions?
Echo’s former programme accepted non-divers and described snorkelling equipment and onboard credit. These were historical arrangements, not benefits transferable to a booking on another boat.
What guests loved — and what could be better
Past accounts provide a picture of life aboard before the 2023 loss. They should be read as recollections of that boat and period, separately from today’s Emperor fleet.
What guests loved
In a DiveBooker review dated 13 June 2021, A. Didier praised the guides, boat crew and varied meals on a shark-focused week. Only ten guests were aboard under pandemic restrictions, so the unusually generous space was specific to that sailing.
Stefan Beskow’s operator-published recollection of a 2022 trip describes shark encounters at Daedalus and Elphinstone. It records one memorable voyage, not a promise of the same wildlife on another cruise.
What could be better
D. Alvaro’s DiveBooker review of 14 November 2021 praised the crew and BDE diving, but reported a diesel smell in the single cabin near the engine room. This was an individual report about the former vessel.
Arturo Crespo’s 30 October 2020 Dive The World review praised the boat, food and guides, while describing frustration over airport transfers being included only at set times. His account shows why a transfer schedule matters alongside a cruise price.
Choosing a boat for a new holiday
Emperor Echo can no longer be an option. For a new trip, the useful comparison is between boats actually sailing on your dates: a northern wreck week and a southern offshore circuit involve different passages, diving demands and transfer arrangements.
Questions about Emperor Echo
Is Emperor Echo operating in 2026?
No. It suffered irreversible hull damage in October 2023 and is absent from Emperor’s current Egypt fleet. This is a historical profile.
What happened at Fury Shoals?
During a storm on 28 October 2023, the boat was driven onto the reef and sustained irreversible hull damage. The operator reported that all guests and crew got off unharmed.
Why do older descriptions give different cabin counts?
The 2017 launch announcement described 24 guests. Later records describe thirteen cabins for 25 guests, including a dedicated single cabin. They should be read in their respective historical context.
Can I still book the routes mentioned here?
The names describe Echo’s former programme. Similar route names may be used by other boats, but their dates, ports, requirements and inclusions must be assessed separately.
Does an old booking link reserve Emperor Echo?
No. The former LiveAboard.com boat link now leads to the wider Egypt catalogue. A catalogue listing is not an Echo departure.
Can former guests still leave feedback?
Yes. Include your travel date, route and cabin so readers can place the experience in context. The existing visitor ratings remain separate from this editorial update.
Travelled aboard Emperor Echo? Share your recollections, including the year, route, cabin and highlights or limitations.
Status and historical information checked 22 October 2026. This is a researched update, not a new firsthand inspection aboard.
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 ranges from shore reefs and northern wrecks to exposed offshore walls. Choose the base and route around your experience and travel plans.
- If you have been diving on board this liveaboard dive boat in Hurghada & 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
.
Other Liveaboard Reviews in Hurghada & Red Sea
Blue Force 3 – Red Sea
Blue Force Fleet now markets Blue Force 3 in the Maldives. In its May 2022 announcement, the operator scheduled the boat’s final Red Sea cruise for 19 November 2022 and its Maldives programme from 25 March 2023. The current operator page still presents
MY Blue
MY Blue is a Blue Planet Liveaboards vessel built in 2016, with space for twenty-four guests in twelve cabins. Its appeal lies in the choice of accommodation, comfortable shared spaces and a diving setup that caters for photographers as well as recreat
MV Snefro Pearl
Snefro Pearl keeps the guest list to twelve. That makes this King Snefro Fleet boat an appealing choice for buddies who want a sociable diving holiday without joining a much larger group. You can spend a few nights exploring the northern Red Sea or cho
MY Blue Horizon
The pleasure of a week on Blue Horizon is having somewhere inviting to return to after each dive. There is a separate sky lounge for a quiet afternoon, outdoor seating for a conversation in the sea breeze, and a dining room where the group comes togeth
JP Marine Liveaboard
JP Marine gives 28 guests a choice of upper- and lower-deck twin cabins, with room to gather in the salon or stretch out upstairs between dives. Its Egyptian Red Sea programme ranges from the offshore Brothers–Daedalus–Elphinstone circuit to longer sou
Red Sea RE Aggressor
Red Sea RE Aggressor is the name used for Royal Evolution’s Aggressor programme introduced in 2022. Current booking listings also use Royal Evolution. They refer to the same 39 m vessel, not two boats.
MS Royal Evolution
Royal Evolution combines a steel-hulled, 39 m dive boat with twelve cabins for up to 24 guests. Its appeal is as much the space between dives as the sites themselves: a shaded deck, indoor lounge and a dedicated place for camera gear make a busy diving
MV Snefro Target
Snefro Target is a 37-metre King Snefro Fleet liveaboard for twenty guests. Ten en-suite cabins, two indoor lounges and three sun-deck areas give a group plenty of room to spread out between dives. Its regular Sharm el Sheikh programme ranges from shor
Captain Sparrow
Captain Sparrow brings together a 28-guest diving boat and some inviting leisure-cruise comforts: two sun decks, a Jacuzzi, indoor saloons and a choice of fourteen en-suite cabins. Her Egyptian programme ranges from northern wrecks to offshore reefs, w
Longimanus
MY Longimanus brings together a 20-guest layout, two upper-deck suites and a long history of Egyptian wreck and reef trips. The original idea belonged to Mahmoud Abd El Hady, associated with the Barakuda diving centres: a boat designed around days of d