MSY Seahorse dive boat review
Photos: Seahorse / LiveAboard.com.
A wooden phinisi with a photographer’s practical streak
Seahorse combines the atmosphere of a traditional Indonesian boat with a working dive deck built around cameras, tenders and small groups. The best choice is not necessarily the itinerary covering the most islands: a Raja Ampat round trip and a crossing towards Halmahera give a very different rhythm to the same boat.
33 m · 8 cabins · up to 16 guests
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Divezone reader reviews
Seahorse, through your eyes.
The best advice often comes from someone who slept in the cabin, shared the dive deck and came back with a story. This is the place for your Seahorse experience.
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Reviews from other websitesSelected accounts · checked 13 November 2026
The accounts below describe different cabins and departures. Their common thread is attentive service; individual comfort and guiding experiences vary.
What guests love
Meals, helpful crew and varied diving recur in the selected accounts. The DiveBooker contributor also appreciated vegetarian mains and small guided groups.
What guests like less
Comfort depends partly on cabin choice. One earlier account found less wildlife-spotting support than on other boats; that is an individual comparison, not a finding about every guide.
LiveAboard.com
9.3/10 · 40 platform-labelled verified reviews
Chris E, 16 June 2025: “a great mix of beautiful reef dives as well as muck dives.”
Yann V, 13 January 2025: “Everything was well organised”.
Emily L, 23 January 2023, praised the crew and food but wanted guides to point out more marine life. This older report does not establish current practice.
DiveBooker
One published Seahorse review was available.
B. Katharine, 20 February 2025: “Spacious cabin and bathroom” and “Dive briefings thorough”. The reviewer booked a larger cabin and appreciated individually prepared vegetarian mains. The reported premium-cabin massage benefit describes that trip, not a current inclusion.
How to read this comparison
These are selected accessible accounts, not a review of every submission in the displayed platform total. Figures are manual snapshots; platforms may contain overlapping travellers. Their scores are neither pooled nor added to Divezone ratings. Platform verification labels belong to the platform. LiveAboard.com links may earn Divezone a commission.
Choosing your cabin
The current operator layout has five twin cabins and three doubles, all with individual air conditioning and ensuite hot-water bathrooms. A sea-view double is a distinct cabin category; the room named in the booking matters more than the generic “double” label.
Lower-deck twin
Five cabins with two separate beds, suited to friends sharing.
Lower-deck double
One cabin with a double bed.
Sea-view double
Two main-deck cabins with double beds and sea views.
Cabin photos: Seahorse / LiveAboard.com; sea-view cabin: Wallacea Dive Cruise. Solo sharing and sole-occupancy supplements depend on the departure and cabin offered.
Life between dives
The camera room and charging workstations are a useful distinction for photographers bringing more than a compact camera. Separate camera rinse facilities and two 22-foot aluminium tenders support the dive routine. Four dive guides work with the guest group. The wooden phinisi was built in 2004, launched in 2005 and substantially refurbished in 2018.
Meals mix Indonesian and international cooking, with buffet service, snacks and drinking water. Food and the crew feature repeatedly in dated guest accounts. Between dives, the sun deck, library and kayaks offer quieter diversions; a massage is an optional extra, rather than part of the cruise fare.
How the diving works
Free Nitrox is listed for suitably certified divers. Wallacea requires a recognised diving qualification and dive accident insurance covering evacuation and decompression treatment, plus surface signalling equipment. The 5 April Raja Ampat, 8 February Triton and 19 April Halmahera 2027 listings each specify Advanced Open Water certification and at least 30 logged dives. DiveBooker’s general Raja Ampat programme lists 50 logged dives, so the required experience needs written confirmation for the exact departure. Route-specific experience and current management deserve a conversation before booking; a general boat listing does not establish that every crossing or dive suits a newly qualified diver.
Matching the route to your holiday
Raja Ampat round trips
The 5 April 2027 departure is an 11-night Sorong return cruise. Staying within one broad region avoids the flight complication of finishing on a different island.
Raja Ampat and Triton Bay
The 8 February 2027 sailing runs Sorong–Kaimana over 11 nights; the 22 February programme reverses the ports. The return flight therefore depends on which direction is booked.
Halmahera and other seasonal regions
The 19 April 2027 sailing connects Sorong with Ternate over 11 nights. The wider programme also lists Komodo, the Banda Sea, Wakatobi and North Sulawesi; those region names are not a single daily route.
A southern crossing on the map
Numbered connections show the main regions in published sample programmes, not sailing tracks or dive-entry positions. The captain adjusts the itinerary to conditions.
Raja Ampat–Triton Bay · regional sample
The 8–19 February 2027 listing connects Sorong to Kaimana. Its narrative progresses through Dampier Strait, Penemu, Misool and Koon, with a Momon stop before Triton Bay. Momon is described here but not pinned. The listing’s day headings do not match its eleven-night duration, so this is a regional sequence rather than a day-by-day promise.
- Sorong
- Dampier Strait
- Penemu
- Misool region
- Koon
- Aiduma / Triton region
- Kaimana
The northern Raja Ampat sample still names Wayag, Kawe and Wofoh despite September 2026 access restrictions; it is not plotted as an accessible route. Halmahera is listed as possible areas rather than an agreed daily sequence. Both need an updated permitted programme from the operator.
The fare and the extras
Checked 12 November 2026: the 5 April 2027 Raja Ampat departure was listed at €5,610 per person for 11 nights, with places available. The platform lists required park, port and fuel charges of €350–450 per trip. Together that is €5,960–6,060 before flights, insurance, rental equipment and personal extras. This estimate uses the booking page’s combined-fee summary. The itinerary text separately quotes €200 for park and port fees, which does not resolve the fuel component; the combined charge needs written confirmation, without adding both figures together. Availability and the final supplement depend on the actual booking.
Full board, listed transfers, Nitrox and Wi-Fi are included in the platform package. The operator’s onboard list gives a full equipment set at €40 per day and a 15-litre tank at €75 per cruise; the exact rental contents and number of charged days matter. The €250 Nitrox course is separate from free Nitrox for certified users.
When only one of you dives
The listing welcomes snorkellers and includes kayaks and land excursions. A dedicated snorkelling guide and snorkel equipment are listed separately. That makes the chosen itinerary and supervision arrangements important for a companion who will spend most of the trip above the water.
Who will enjoy this boat?
Seahorse is a strong candidate when camera facilities and a small guided group matter more than a large cabin. Someone wanting independent shore visits every day may find a fixed liveaboard programme restrictive.
Seahorse booking questions
How many guests does Seahorse carry?
Up to 16 in eight cabins: five twins and three doubles in the current operator layout.
Is Nitrox included?
Yes, for appropriately certified divers; the certification course costs extra.
What does the April 2027 example cost with local fees?
The €5,610 fare plus the listed €350–450 required supplement gives €5,960–6,060 per person before flights and other extras.
Does every cruise return to its starting port?
No. Raja Ampat round trips use Sorong, while combinations can finish in Kaimana or Ternate.
Is a large camera setup practical?
The boat lists a camera room, charging workstations and separate rinse facilities.
Can a snorkeller join?
The boat is listed as snorkeller-friendly; dedicated guiding and equipment are separate items to confirm for the chosen route.
Seahorse on film
The MSY Seahorse presentation from Wallacea Dive Cruise’s official gallery. Watch the official Seahorse film The publication date is not stated; the film is not a current inspection.
Editorial review: 12 November 2026; cabin presentation, review sources and video checked 13 November 2026. This source-based guide is not a firsthand onboard inspection. Dated prices retain their original context.
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.
Raja Ampat
Fish-filled reef corners, tiny pygmy seahorses and manta encounters give Raja Ampat its extraordinary range. Resorts, homestays and liveaboards offer different ways into this remote Indonesian archipelago.
- If you have been diving on board this liveaboard dive boat in Raja Ampat, 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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