Destinations
MV Galapagos Master dive boat review
Step aboard Galapagos Master
Photos selected September 2026. Capture dates are not supplied; archive images are identified in their captions.
Ecuador / Galapagos / 2026 boat guide
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The Galapagos Master, also known locally as Deep Blue, takes divers to the world-famous Galapagos Islands. Diving here can be challenging: currents, temperatures and thermoclines vary. For those drawn to large pelagic marine life, it remains a compelling expedition. The 32-metre steel vessel’s operator lists its latest refurbishment in early 2025.
Editorial update checked September 28, 2026. This is a source-based guide, not a new firsthand inspection onboard. Original guest reviews remain below.
Find your cabin
| Cabin choice | Layout | What to check |
|---|---|---|
| Classic Twin | Two lower-deck cabins with fixed twin beds. | No windows or portholes in the current description. |
| Classic Twin/Double | Two lower-deck cabins with convertible beds. | Also without windows or portholes. |
| Premium Twin/Double | Four upper-deck cabins with convertible beds and views. | Compare the extra fare if natural light matters to you. |
Check bed configuration, deck location, stairs and sharing arrangements on your confirmation. A category name alone does not guarantee a particular room.
Unwind between dives
The lounge offers comfortable seating where you can relax with your travelling companions in air-conditioned comfort. Moving along the vessel is the dining area, with an adjacent cocktail bar for after the day’s diving. There is also outdoor seating, a shaded lounge area and a sun deck. Photographers have an indoor camera set-up station with charging points.
Diving and itinerary
The dive deck provides equipment preparation and storage space, with diving conducted from two support tenders. The operator lists two guides and Nitrox at extra cost. Seven-night departures are the usual choice, with selected 10-night programmes also listed. Confirm the precise allocation of days at Darwin and Wolf. The operator does not list this yacht as rebreather or technical-diving friendly.
Is this trip right for you?
Master Liveaboards requires Advanced Open Water or equivalent, Nitrox certification, at least 50 logged dives and experience in currents. Send your certification and diving history before paying, and confirm dive insurance, thermal protection and the DSMB equipment checklist in the operator pre-trip information.
Discuss cold-water comfort, currents, tender entries, rental sizes and any non-diver activities before booking. For seasonal planning, use our Galapagos diving guide. No yacht can guarantee a particular animal encounter.
Watch: Galapagos Master: 2026 diving trip report
Preview: illustrative boat photograph from this page’s gallery, not a frame from the film.
Film embedded in Bluewater Travel’s report of its May 2026 Galapagos Master trip. A diving trip report, not a complete boat inspection. Selected September 28, 2026.
Plan your trip: 2026 prices and extras
Cost comparison: use the shared 7-night budget and extras breakdown to compare Nitrox, taxes and compulsory fees on the same basis. Figures are planning references, not a live quote.
The operator currently lists 7-night trips from USD 7,140 and 10-night trips from USD 10,400. These are reference starting fares, not a guaranteed quote for every cabin; dated promotions can differ substantially.
Published extras include USD 200 park entry and USD 20 transit card. A 7-night single-cylinder Nitrox package is USD 168; a full equipment set excluding computer is USD 300, and a computer is listed separately at USD 84. Confirm fuel surcharges through the operator’s linked policy. Flights, hotels, insurance, drinks, Wi-Fi, rentals and tips must be checked separately against your invoice.
All reference fares are subject to reconfirmation. Check the currency, per-person basis, cabin, taxes, deposit and cancellation conditions on the actual quote.
Flights, transfers and time aboard
Plan the journey with our Galapagos travel guide and check seasonal conditions in the Galapagos diving guide. Confirm the arrival and departure airports for your exact itinerary before buying flights, especially on longer cruises.
Current departures are listed from San Cristóbal. Confirm your SCY flights, airport meeting point and transfer inclusions for the selected date. Build in a mainland overnight and avoid confusing the embarkation airport with Baltra, used by several other Galapagos yachts.
Which Galapagos boat fits your priorities?
Compare cabins, diver requirements and matched trip costs in our Galapagos liveaboard comparison. For the wider choice of itineraries, see our Galapagos liveaboard planning guide.
| Your priority | Boat to compare | Useful distinction |
|---|---|---|
| Western route and spacious social areas | Tiburon Explorer | 16 guests; compare 7- and 10-night routes. |
| Nitrox in the published package | Galapagos Sky | Deluxe twins or upper-deck Master cabins. |
| Lower published Explorer reference fare | Humboldt Explorer | Eight cabins; compare total extras with Tiburon. |
These are practical differences, not a quality ranking. Start with your dates and dive experience, then compare cabins and total cost. Browse our Galapagos liveaboard guide.
Before you book: frequently asked questions
Which cabin should I book?
Two lower-deck cabins with fixed twin beds. No windows or portholes in the current description.
Are current departures confirmed?
The linked operator or partner publishes this boat’s programme. Availability is date-specific and can change; follow the departure link for an actual quote.
Is the headline fare the whole holiday cost?
No. Compare the budget section with your invoice and include flights, hotels, insurance, mandatory charges and your chosen extras.
Can a beginner join the diving?
Master Liveaboards requires Advanced Open Water or equivalent, Nitrox certification, at least 50 logged dives and experience in currents. Send your certification and diving history before paying, and confirm dive insurance, thermal protection and the DSMB equipment checklist in the operator pre-trip information.
Will we definitely see hammerheads or whale sharks?
No. Wildlife, visibility and currents vary. Choose a suitable season and itinerary, and treat sightings as possibilities rather than promises.
From the original review
Watch the original archive video →. Filming date and current boat appearance have not been verified; this is background footage, not a 2026 inspection.
Make your next Galapagos trip easier to plan
Compare your chosen departure, confirm the cabin and get a complete written quote.
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Sources and editorial check
Checked September 28, 2026: Master cabins, itineraries and extras, Master Galapagos FAQ. Photographs belong to their credited sources; their selection date is not their capture date. Original useful descriptions have been retained and corrected where current sources differ.
Have you dived aboard Galapagos Master?
Help another diver choose with confidence. Share your travel date, cabin, diving conditions, crew experience and what you would have liked to know before booking. Honest highlights and limitations are both useful.
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.
Galapagos
Plan Galapagos diving in 2026: Darwin and Wolf liveaboards, island day trips, seasons, diver experience and essential travel preparation.
- If you have been diving on board this liveaboard dive boat in Galapagos, 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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Okay, more about it now. First, it’s expensive, hell yeah. But is it totally worth it? Hell yeah! The Galapagos Master is great, neat and cozy. The crew is very nice, full of little attentions. The food we are served was excellent, with no exception. Plus, they catered to my fiancée’s vegetarian diet. The room was cozy, great quality in everything and power in the shower, etc. Felt like a 5 stars hotel in all points!
As for diving, that’s what brought us there and it was no disappointments! It’s been on our bucket list for years so we saved up a long time for this trip. Needless to say that swimming with dolphins and sea lions, seeing that whale shark, dozens of hammerheads and so many fishes made it so worth the saving and the trip!
Would we do it again, and on the same boat? Tomorrow!
My 18-year old son and I spent 7 days aboard the Galapagos Master (July 2nd to 9th, 2018). A little bit of information about us first. We are both experienced PADI AOW, warm water/wetsuit divers (I have over 400 logged dives, and my son has about 250). We have dived in over 20 countries around the world and we dive frequently throughout the year. However we are relative new to dry suit diving (less than 20 dives each). The Galapagos has long been on our must-do list and we were excited for the opportunity. My son as a genetic eye disease and is legally, but not totally blind. I informed the Company ahead of time about his condition and that we’d probably require a little extra time and help during scuba setup. Where am I going with this? You’ll see in a moment.
The ship itself – the Galapagos Master – is a fine ship. Each passenger is assigned a station. The scuba deck is small and cramped, the stations are really,close to,one another and the corner stations are especially problematic because they cannot be used by 2 adjacent divers at the same time. It is next to impossible to properly clean equipment after the final dive on the final day as the wash tanks are too small.
We had one of the deluxe cabins in the upper floor. The beds themselves were the most uncomfortable I have ever slep in and each passenger is only provided with a single tiny pillow. The waters we travelled through were rough. The blinds could not be properly secured and banged open and shut continually during the night. Very disturbing and prevented getting a good nights rest. It’s clear management knew about this issue as they try to use Velcro tape in a slipshod manner to “fix” the problem.
The food while edible was amongst the worst I have had on any live aboard. My son thought it was better than I did.
Diving in the Galapagos is considered challenging send best suited for advanced divers due to currents and low visibility. However this is still no excuse for the poor attention given by the crew to the safety of the divers.
The first dive was a check out dive. I asked and was assured that we would have assistance to confirm our weights. During the first dive the dive master promised to check everyone’s buoyancy and assist with adding/removing weights. However when the time came for my son and I, he completely ignored us and failed to check us. Afterwards I brought this to the attention of the other dive master but they really didn’t seem interested.
Due to my son’s disability we would would start preparing for our divers 30-45 minutes before everyone else. Rarely did any of the crew offer any assistance unless asked.
Safety is always a major priority on all dive boats I have been on, but the safety on the Galapagos Master is extremely poor. There is no role call or tag system.
Everything is always rushed and because divers have t9 leave the area while tanks are refilled, there often isn’t enough time to properly recheck equipment between dives. The staff do not double check the gear setup before divers leave the boat for the pangas. More than a few times divers entered the water without their tanks opened. This is particularly serious in situations where we performed negative entry. On at least 3 separate occasions, dive tanks on various different divers were not properly secured to the BCs resulting in them slipping out either before entry or underwater.
Underwater the diver masters are inattentive and overlooked serious complications. On many dives. The 2 dive groups got intermingled and divers got lost, ending up in the wrong groups. My son encountered an equipment problem during a negative entry dive. During setup, no one had noticed that his manual pull purge valve cord had become entangled and jammed open so that he could not inflate his BC at all. Fortunately I was by his side and was able to fix the issue, but the dive master and the rest of the group were unaware of the issue and we ended up being left behind and eventually stranded/separated from the rest of the group.
The diving itself in the Galapagos was exhilarating and exceeded our expectations. However the trip was marred by a poor experience with this company.
I have made two trips on the Galapagos Master, and hope next year to do another. I found the crew attentive and professional, the accommodations comfortable (except for the curse of a snoring roommate on my second trip) and the diving extraordinary. Both times the guides were exceptional, committed to maximizing guest’s enjoyment of a truly memorable experience while also properly protecting the environment that brought us there. It’s advanced diving, and you need to be comfortable with strong currents and less than ideal water clarity on some dives, but for any serious diver, the Galapagos has to be first on the bucket list.
This company has no regard for the safety of its passengers.
Trip to Darwins Arch, No Life jackets provided, guests asked the driver to back away from Darwins and just ignored buy the driver.
Due to the drivers incompitence a wave capsized the zodiac and my wife got trapped underneath suffering a near drowning incident, lost thousands of dollars of camera no compensation offered for the loss or trauma, she has not dived since.
Just back from an exceptional 10 day / 11 night trip on the Galapagos Master (March 25 – April 6, 2019). A combination of factors made this trip one of the best liveaboard excursions I have ever made. The diving was superb (hammerheads by the score, marine iguanas, Sunfish (Mola’s), sea lions, eels, turtles etc. No Whale Sharks or Mantas for our group on this trip. The conditions ranged from ripping current to heavy surge to slack water. Being comfortable in challenging diving conditions is a must on some dives particularly around Darwin’s Arch, but this made the dives even more exciting. Diving with a group of six experienced divers from the UK really helped.
Most of the divers used compact cameras in housings doing natural light photography. There were no “big camera rigs” on board. They would have been a real challenge in some of the currents and the risk of damage to valuable gear would be high, though there were dives when this would not have been an issue.
The two dive guides (Natalia particularly) were exceptional as well as all the support staff on the Galapagos Master. The facilities worked well, though we missed one dive because of concerns about air quality. This was quickly resolved (tank flushing & a filter change). The “Panga” drivers were great helping with gear as did the boat staff before and after dives.
The food was good. Nothing exceptional, but plentiful and fresh. The Espresso machine was well used. The hot chocolate after each dive was very welcome. The two land excursions were very informative.
The accommodation was fine, and I was extra fortunate to have a cabin to myself (luck of the draw) because of a cancellation.
I would not hesitate in recommending the Galapagos as a destination and the Galapagos Master as a liveaboard. To some extent what you get out of these trips is a function of what you want to put in. I hope to go back again.