Gloria Royal

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Photos: Gloria Royal / LiveAboard.com.

The boat behind the name

The Gloria Royal liveaboard is a 23-metre vessel in Egypt. Built in 1988, this traditional gulet-style sailing boat has a listed renovation date of 2021. She should not be confused with the larger MY Gloria: cabin descriptions, departure programmes and guest reports for that boat cannot be used to describe Gloria Royal.

The photographs show a compact yacht with timber-trimmed interiors, bench seating and outdoor deck space around the masts. That arrangement will interest travellers who enjoy the character of a smaller boat. The sailing rig does not, by itself, promise that a diving cruise will be conducted under sail.

Five cabins, with an occupancy question to settle

Every room has its private bathroom as well as its own air conditioner. The cabin description lists three queen-bed rooms and two double-bed rooms, with towels, bathrobes, bedding and 220 V sockets. Daily housekeeping is offered.

The advertised total of 12 guests does not match five cabins described as sleeping two each. For a group booking, the written cabin allocation needs to explain where every overnight guest sleeps. There is no verified twin-bed or additional-berth arrangement to assume from the photographs. Solo travellers will also need a specific private-use or sharing quotation, rather than treating a double room as an automatic shared twin.

Life between dives

To enjoy your free time between dives, Gloria Royal offers an indoor lounge combined with a dining area. Blue upholstered benches run around the saloon, with windows on several sides and tables close to the seating. It is a sociable room for meals and a place to spread out a fish-identification book afterwards; the library and audio/video entertainment offer other ways to fill the quieter hours.

Outside, the seating areas include sunny and partially shaded space. The aft-deck photograph shows a bench beside the saloon entrance and a ladder to the upper deck, while the foredeck provides another place to sit. On a small vessel, these different corners matter when part of the group wants to chat and someone else simply wants a break between dives. Charging stations are listed, though a dedicated camera room is not documented.

Meals aboard

Meals are served buffet-style, with local and Western food, snacks, and vegetarian and vegan options listed. Full board, drinking water, soft drinks, tea and coffee form part of the advertised package; alcoholic drinks are extra. Allergies and dietary needs belong in the booking request so the crew can confirm the arrangements before departure.

Diving and the route that shapes your trip

Gloria Royal has a rear dive deck and tender-assisted diving. Her published programme describes seven-day trips and names Brothers, Daedalus, Elphinstone, St. Johns, Dolphin House and Fury Shoal. These are possible areas across different programmes, not a confirmed single circuit visiting them all.

A dated route sheet is especially useful here: it establishes the number of nights, the embarkation and return ports, the planned crossings and the diving level. Current departure-specific sequences and requirements are not available to verify. A fixed 18-dive count or a universal Marsa Alam departure would therefore be misleading. The final schedule also depends on weather, access and the skipper’s decisions.

“Dolphin House” needs a precise reef name on the itinerary. Samadai, near Marsa Alam, is a dolphin resting area with conservation management, but the boat’s generic programme does not establish that this is the reef intended. Neither a route name nor a past photograph guarantees a dolphin encounter.

Travelling with a non-diver?

Gloria Royal is advertised as welcoming snorkellers, with shore excursions possible when arrangements allow. A non-diver fare and the actual supervised activities still need confirmation for the chosen departure.

A glimpse of the reefs around Marsa Alam

Mark Heinis’s film, Marsa Alam – Coral reefs, offers a regional underwater introduction. It is not a Gloria Royal boat tour or evidence of present reef conditions.

▶ Watch the Marsa Alam film

Film by Mark Heinis / Galadril. Watch on Vimeo.

What to include in the budget

A current Gloria Royal fare is available by enquiry, so there is no reliable per-person trip total to publish. The useful comparison is the written price for your exact cabin, occupancy and number of nights, together with the compulsory charges below.

These package details are reference information checked on 4 November 2026, not a live quotation. The booking conditions should also explain payment and cancellation terms, including what happens if the planned boat or route changes.

Getting to the right embarkation point

Gloria Royal’s connection with the Marsa Alam area is useful for planning, but it does not identify a confirmed marina for every cruise. The transfer arrangements should name both the airport and the actual boarding port before flights are booked. Arrival and departure timing should leave room for the operator’s check-in arrangements and the diving schedule, rather than assuming that all seven-day descriptions mean seven nights aboard.

What guests loved — and what could be better

There is not enough verified guest feedback about this exact Gloria Royal to describe a reliable pattern. In particular, detailed Aquatic Divers reports about an overnight trip aboard MY Gloria describe a different vessel, even where they mention Gloria Royal moored nearby.

Gloria Royal questions

Have you travelled aboard Gloria Royal? Share your experience, including the travel date, cabin, route, crew and anything that could have been better.

Editorial information checked 14 October 2026; online booking status, cabin listing and package charges rechecked 4 November 2026. This is a source-based guide, not a new firsthand inspection aboard.