Destinations
MV Amba dive boat review
Step aboard Amba
MALDIVES LIVEABOARD GUIDE
Amba: A smaller group and longer itineraries
20 guests · 11 cabins on the current operator plan
A smaller group and longer itineraries. Start with your preferred cabin and itinerary, then compare the complete departure quote.
Check dates & cabin availability →
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Amba vessel and booking details
Amba was built in 2004. Its operator describes accommodation for 20 experienced divers and a separate diving operation. The current cabin page lists six lower-deck cabins, two upper-deck terrace cabins and three upper-deck rooms without balconies. This replaces the older ten-cabin summary; confirm your assigned cabin on the latest plan.
Vessel source · Current cabin plan · checked 7 October 2026.
Which cabin should you book?
| Deck | Cabin choice | What to check |
|---|---|---|
| Upper deck | 2 terrace cabins + 3 rooms without balconies | Confirm room number, beds, occupancy and deck in your written quote. |
| Lower deck | 6 cabins with double or single beds | Confirm the assigned bed layout. |
Cabins have air-conditioning and private bathrooms. Specify whether you need separate beds, a double, a view or sole occupancy; a category name alone does not settle those details.
Life aboard Amba
Amba’s main saloon doubles as the dining room, while the upper-deck outdoor lounge and partly shaded sundeck offer different places to stretch out between dives. Choose a lounger for the view or the shaded seating when you want a longer break from the sun.
Amba’s food and daily rhythm
Three daily meals are supplemented by afternoon cakes and snacks. The German and Maldivian kitchen team prepares international food with Asian influences and bakes bread each morning; water, juice, tea and coffee are offered alongside meals and breaks. Tell the team about allergies or dietary needs before committing to a departure.
Travelling with a non-diver on Amba?
Acceptance and activities: Amba’s current partner listing welcomes non-diving snorkellers. The cruise remains focused on diving, so check how its schedule suits your companion. Confirm snorkeling supervision, suitable water access, equipment charges and any island excursions. The deck is an alternative during dives or passages; a surface activity is not guaranteed at each dive stop.
Non-diver price: the non-diver fare and any discount need to be confirmed for your departure. Request a written quote for your dates, cruise length, cabin and occupancy, stating currency, taxes, transfers and activity extras. Do not assume that unused dives are refunded.
Diving, routes and experience
The current listing recommends at least 30 logged dives and experience in currents. Nitrox is included.
Check the itinerary attached to your departure. Malé–Malé routes avoid the domestic-flight logistics of many southern trips. Currents can change the site order and wildlife sightings are never guaranteed. See the Maldives diving guide for seasons and atolls.
Get the minimum logged dives, certification, required equipment and no-fly interval in writing from the operator. A statement that a boat welcomes beginners does not mean every route or dive is suitable for them.
Example circuit: Malé → South Malé → Vaavu → South Ari → North Ari → Rasdhoo → Malé. Operators vary the order and select sites according to the departure, weather and currents.
- Maaya Thila, North Ari: a reef pinnacle; conditions affect dive planning.
- Alimatha, Vaavu: the island marker locates the surrounding night-diving area, not an exact entry point.
- South Ari: the Maamigili marker locates the wider whale-shark area; encounters are not guaranteed.
- Rasdhoo: an atoll reference for the surrounding reefs, not a promised stop.
Most central itineraries use Malé-area boarding and return. Check the actual meeting point and airport transfer; southern one-way departures may require domestic flights.
Route context: Emperor Best of Maldives and Carpe Diem Central Atolls. Geographic references: Malé / North Malé, South Malé area, Vaavu / Alimatha, South Ari / Maamigili, Maaya Thila / North Ari, Rasdhoo.
Amba itinerary map
Select the documented route example below. Zoom to inspect the islands and reefs, and select a numbered stop for its name. The actual sailing programme must be confirmed with the operator.
Lines show indicative connections between regions, not navigation tracks. Arrows show the example direction; departures can run in reverse, and stops vary with weather, currents and the chosen cruise.
Routes at a glance
- Central Atolls: Malé / North Malé → South Malé area → Vaavu / Alimatha → South Ari / Maamigili → Maaya Thila / North Ari → Rasdhoo → Malé / North Malé. Indicative regional connections from the route described on this page. Confirm the actual departure, direction and stops; this is not a navigation track.
Confirm ports, transfers and any domestic flights before booking.
Geographic references and route sources
Regional markers use the references below. See the boat-specific itinerary sources accompanying this map; no extra route is implied by the destination guide.
Malé / North Malé · South Malé area · Vaavu / Alimatha · South Ari / Maamigili · Maaya Thila / North Ari · Rasdhoo ·
Watch: Maldives Central Atolls — destination film
Guest film by AROS Pro, February 2026, filmed aboard Emperor Serenity. Destination illustration only: it does not show this boat or establish its facilities. Video source · Watch on YouTube. Illustrative boat photograph.
Budget, inclusions and extras
Current departure listings were checked on 6 October 2026. Obtain a cabin-level quote for your dates. The observed late-October and November Amba departures lasted 11 nights; do not compare their total price directly with a seven-night cruise.
| Budget line | Before paying |
|---|---|
| Cruise | Match dates, nights, cabin, currency and occupancy. |
| Mandatory extras | Ask for taxes, fuel/service charges, park fees and compulsory transfers as a written total. |
| Diving extras | Check Nitrox, rentals, larger tanks, courses and private guiding. |
| Travel | Add international flights, any domestic flights, hotels, insurance and optional spending. |
Request a written shared-berth or sole-occupancy quote. Availability in a double cabin does not establish the price for one guest.
Do not compare headline prices as final totals. Until every compulsory charge is confirmed for the same departure, the all-in comparison remains incomplete. Use our budget guide and travel guide to build the rest of the trip.
Is this the right boat for you?
A smaller group and longer itineraries. Start with that priority, then check cabin availability and route. For an alternative, compare Emperor Voyager, Emperor Serenity, Carpe Novo and Blue Force One. See the Maldives boat comparison. Our Maldives liveaboard guide explains the route choices; the luxury guide compares comfort priorities.
What guests say about Amba
LiveAboard.com guests describe both the relaxed spaces and the way Amba organises its diving days.
Craig D — 21 January 2026: Craig deliberately chose a ten-night trip with two or three dives a day rather than four. He appreciated the briefings, helpful dhoni crew and food. His account is useful if your ideal holiday leaves time to rest between dives.
Sina S — 20 November 2024: On her first liveaboard, Sina enjoyed the shaded lounge, varied vegetables and fruit, and a wahoo dinner. This predates the accommodation changes advertised for September 2026; do not use her cabin description as a current deck plan.
Amba: questions before booking
Which Amba cabins have a private terrace?
The two luxury upper-deck cabins have private terraces. The three other upper-deck rooms do not. Confirm the category, cabin number and bed arrangement before booking.
Has Amba’s cabin layout changed?
Yes. The operator now describes eleven cabins across the upper and lower decks. Use its current cabin plan, rather than the older ten-cabin description.
Does every Amba cruise last seven nights?
No. The previously checked late-October and November sailings were eleven nights. Compare nights, atolls and joining instructions for your exact departure.
Where can I verify the cabin plan?
Use the operator’s cabin page and ask for the room assigned in your quotation. A higher deck alone does not guarantee a terrace.
Find your Amba departure
Compare the cabin and final quote for the dates you can travel.
Have you dived with Amba?
Share your travel date, cabin, diving experience and any practical advice for the next guest. Existing reader reviews remain below.
Gallery, vessel details and guest-review update: 7 October 2026. Fare observations retain their stated dates. This is a researched update, not a new onboard inspection. Useful original descriptions have been retained and outdated prices and specifications corrected. Sources: operator boat information, departure and cabin listings.
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.
destination of the monthMaldives
Drift dives, reef sharks, manta rays and whale sharks: choose the right atoll, season and diving style for your Maldives adventure.
- If you have been diving on board this liveaboard dive boat in Maldives, 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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Other Liveaboard Reviews in Maldives
I’ve never had such a shitty dive experience like this one! You might not evenpublish this,so I will be blogging about it on my own.my back ground, former PADI divemaster, currently active SSI dive master, with over 9 years diving, and an avid underwater photo video dude. Let me say the massive maldavians on board were great, as was the service, and the food. What sucked was having a cabin on the lower deck 25th a bike that takes if Derian so bad the end result was a migraine the following day that cost me three dives. The solution of keeping my hatch open along with the emergency hatch didn’t work, so I ended up sleeping in the salon, and yes, at two thousand dollars you’re dam right I contacted the booking agent about this. After I requested a cabin on the upper deck, that problem was resolved, and again emailed my booking agent to inform them of that. However Liveaboard.com emailed the management; Jamin Neiderstrasse, and Tamara Neiderstrasser, who immediately got pissed of about it, and wouldn’t even hear me out about it, with the remark, “so sleep on the fly bridge”, which is a good answer if you paid 1000$ or less…I had brought up the stink the first day, and it was worse after they took in more fuel. I never met these two before and I wasn’t on a discounted price, so yes I stand up whatfor what I pay for. Now whether Jamin was bragging, our telling the truth of his arrest in Germany for selling drugs, namely ecstasy, combined with his unprofessional attitude I lost my trust in them, and having been in the US Navy, and creed multi million dollar yachts, my trust weren’t our the window, and then that rolls down to not trusting the crew, ask the way down to not trusting the tanks of Nitrox. I cab day if you want hash oil, Jamin cab get it for you as he suprised me with that, and I didn’t ask for it. I took pictures if it..but I digress.. I thought those two little immature a goes would have gotten over it, cut no, bad attitudes, faces, looks, etc. So yes, to geek with that, so not only did I stop diving, I told the booking director that they were making me nervous, and I wanted off..this wasn’t my first liveaboard, and when I do these trips, I go to 1, dive, 2, the pics and vids for my website, 3, I always make friends. Syu i couldn’t care less if they thought I was uncool..the booking operators again contacted them telling them I wanted if the boat. Syu the shalmootah Tamara goes in with calling me scared, acting like a bitch, etc..she rolled her eyes so much I thought I thought she was having a seizure. Her “convict” boy friend was skulking being the door listening, for what? I don’t have a criminals record and quirk privately as a dive guide for high end clientele. Syu I was able to pack and get off the boat. Outrageous!!! Any GiF captain would have found the source of the squawk leash, and the only reason these two don’t get kicked off, and married I’d because her family owns the boat, which I had my friends a former disc iOS from the German army, and working security was able to find out all about them in five minutes.. If I was unprofessional I would have smacked the taste out of her mouth to stop the eye rolling and tits her douche bag boyfriend over the side…I don’t feel standing yo for my two grand is being unprofessional, it’s my right! I even offered an apology over the first email, why, I shouldn’t have, they should have! In review, there are better boats out there to do a live aboard, and having been caked crazy, those two ate just at the train station, they have yet to get in my crazy train, and I’m half convinced to give a cask to the Malawian authorities to prove how “not cool” I can be…I’ve never experienced this low, no class, shit treatment, ever! I’m no aristocrat, I have served to militaries, so I don’t take shit Fein anybody, ex’s specialty two little immature twerps who should be working a fast food job, not managing the vessel. Mokter, the dude who served the meals and drinks should be running the vessel..the day white laughed and said he doesn’t understand English, attitude! He understood me one hundred percent. I’m even going to pass their names on to my police buddies in Thailand, Bali, Indonesia, Vietnam, and the USA, and will leave it the hands of the authorities..originally I requested a refund, but I’ll enjoy blogging about it more, and putting their pics and names on it…if I was so uncool, how cine the other divers are inviting me to start with them when I tour Europe this summer? Obviously I’m not the problem, good thing I didn’t die from oxygen toxicity/diesel fumes, our they would have to reimburse everyone booked thru 2017 when the authorities would come to investigate a death on board..so to hell with those two. I got a kick out of the bill, where at the bottom it said “not charged for an upgraded room” if those Jack asses would have sorted out the diesel leak the first day, I wouldn’t be writing this. I didn’t transfer the fuel, I’m not the engineer, they need to get their shit together and grow up..I do have a video statement from one of the divers who mentioned the over peering drink of diesel, so they can go such a bag of dicks!!
First the good, The boat is very comfortable. Cabins all have separate A/Cs and are controlled in cabin. The Amba and Dhoni captains and crew are above awesome. The food is plentiful albeit monotonous. Lots of fresh caught fish which is great but the preparation lacked any kind of flair. Also lots of pasta and more pasta. Breakfast was eggs every morning. We had some really heavy wind so the diving was a little on the disappointing side however this is obviously not the fault of the boat. 4 really really good dives, 5 or 6 that were good and the others were just ok. Nothing terrible just not jaw dropping.
The boat is owned and run by a German couple Nicole and Franco. Our trip was mostly German guests with the exception of 2 russian brothers and a Australian and his Thai wife however he spoke German. Dive briefings were done by Franco and the other dive guide. Franco always went first. When he was done all of the german guests would be up and talking and carrying about. This made it VERY VERY difficult to hear our briefing. The other problem is our guide was very very soft spoken so it was hard to hear and gave only the barest of details about the dive while it seemed Franco gave much more detail based on how long his briefings were.
The trip is listed as Open Water with minimum of 40 dives logged. This trip absolutely needs to be listed as ADVANCED with a minimum of 100 dives. The strong currents, the negative entries and the hook dives all dictate that to me. My sister is an open water diver with about 40 dives and she struggled. If you are accustomed to having your dive master or guide be aware of your group then this trip is not for you. On one dive my sister decided to sit out so I dove with the 2 brothers. One of them was unable to do a negative entry as he had some ear difficulties. The guide was aware of this as was Niclole who used a torpedo on every dive and stayed above the divers to make sure all was ok. The guide told us to just keep an eye on the groups bubbles and we would be fine. The water was very murky and this was impossible. We lost sight of the group. We hung out in 80′ of water and ended up surfacing and ending the dive. Once on board neither the guide nor Nicloe asked us what happened. Needless to say I was shocked that there was such little care as to the safety of there guests. Once back on the Amba we confronted Franco and wanted to talk about what happened. He was very very defensive and told us it was our fault and basically turned his back on us and walked away. This came from the owner of the boat who has the taken on the responsibility of providing a safe diving operation, in my opinion he failed miserably.
The other big big negative was the smoking on the boat. The smoking section was on covered back deck. This is the main area to sit and relax and hang out. Anyone who doesnt smoke will find this to be a very big deal as it severely limited our ability to have anywhere to go to hangout. There is the sundeck up on top but no tables or chairs. All in all I would not recommend this boat.