FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

The minimum requirement for our Thailand itineraries is an Open Water Diver certification (PADI, SSI, or equivalent) with 10+ logged dives under your belt. Although, please do confirm on your specific itinerary, as some itineraries may have higher requirements.

For Myanmar, the minimum certification level is Advanced Open Water (AOW courses can be carried out during the trip), with 30+ logged dives.

Guests who don’t meet the minimum requirements for their chosen itinerary, or whom our crew assess as lacking sufficient experience to dive safely in the situational conditions, may be asked to sit out certain dives.

It is each diver’s individual responsibility to ensure that they are fit to dive. Please review the medical questionnaire here well in advance of your trip. If you answer “yes” to any of the questions on the form — including conditions that are currently managed with medication – you will need to bring a doctor’s certificate (dated within the past year) confirming you’re fit to dive.

We strongly recommend sorting this before you travel rather than trying to organise it at the destination. Guests who cannot produce the required documentation may be unable to participate in diving activities.

You can view all our forms here

We recommend waiting at least 24 hours after your last dive before boarding a flight. This is slightly more conservative than the minimum 18 hours cited by current research, but it’s the standard we follow to keep you safe.

Please plan your return flights accordingly. If your departure is within 24 hours of the final dives, you will not be able to participate in those dives.

Yes – all guests are required to sign the relevant liability releases for their itinerary and activities on embarkation.

We recommend viewing these before your trip. You can access all our forms here

We recommend arriving in Phuket the day before embarkation if possible – it’s a long travel day from most origins and there’s no buffer if flights are delayed.

Thailand

If flying in on embarkation day, the airport pickup is usually around 5pm, so please allow at least 2–3 hours after landing for an international arrival, or 1.5–2 hours for domestic.

The airport is around 1–1.5 hours from both embarkation points. The shared transfer pickup point is at Terminal 2 (Domestic Terminal), Exit 3 – the international and domestic terminals are within easy walking distance of each other.

On the final day, please ensure at least 24 hours between your last dive and your flight. Check your specific itinerary for disembarkation times so you can plan accordingly. We recommend staying an extra night in a hotel before flying.

Myanmar

The only suitable flights into Ranong currently operate from Bangkok Don Mueang (DMK) – not Suvarnabhumi (BKK).

Please refer to the Myanmar Trip Information for more details.

Yes – there are included transfer options for all itineraries.

Thailand

Shared transfers between Phuket Airport, Phuket hotels, and the vessel are included in your cruise price on embarkation and disembarkation day (see below for specifics). The transfer is a shared pickup, so the exact departure time varies. You’ll be notified at least 48 hours before embarkation.

• Chalong Pier departures/arrivals — transfers to/from Phuket Airport and Phuket hotels.
• Khao Lak / Thap Lamu departures/arrivals — transfers to/from Phuket Airport, Phuket hotels, and Khao Lak hotels.

Please refer to your itinerary details for confirmation.

Myanmar

The vessel operates from Ranong, approximately 5 hours from Phuket by road. On embarkation morning, two shared pickup points are available in Phuket:

• 05:00 — PTT Petrol Station, Bypass Road, Kathu (north of Tesco Lotus)
• 05:30 — PTT Petrol Station, Highway 402 (north of Phuket Airport)

Both locations have a coffee shop and 7-Eleven nearby. Guests are responsible for making their own way to the pickup point.

Guests already staying in Ranong are collected from their hotel.

A return transfer to Phuket is included on disembarkation day, departing after immigration formalities are complete.

Please view the Myanmar Trip Info for more details.

Yes, nitrox is available on board for an additional charge. If you’re not yet nitrox-certified, you can complete the specialty course during your trip – just let us know in advance and we’ll arrange it for you.

Please note that nitrox availability is not guaranteed in all circumstances, and no compensation will be offered if we’re unable to supply it for reasons beyond our control.

Yes – a good range of rental equipment is available on board, including BCDs, regulators, wetsuits, masks, fins, and computers. There is a section in your pre trip information form where you can list what you will need, along with sizes.

Guests are responsible for the care of any equipment they rent. Loss or damage will be charged at replacement or repair cost.

You can see the available equipment by viewing our on board extras page.

Yes – we can arrange PADI Advanced Open Water and Enriched Air Nitrox courses.

For more information, please view our PADI courses page here.

Where a child is certified as a Junior Open Water Diver, the following rules apply:

Maximum 2 dives per day – one morning, and one afternoon.

Depth and supervision in accordance with certification agency standards:

PADI age 10-11: maximum 12 metres, with an instructor or parent(s)
PADI age 12-14: maximum 18 metres accompanied by a certified adult

For a child certified as Junior Advanced Open Water Diver, the following applies:

PADI age 12-14: maximum 21 metres accompanied by a certified adult.

Junior divers may only participate in dives assessed by the Cruise Director or Lead Dive Guide as suitable for junior divers at the time of entry.

The Cruise Director or Lead Dive Guide may modify or cancel the dive for junior divers at any time, even if the dive proceeds for certified adults.

Junior divers must not participate in:

Overhead environments (caverns, wreck penetration, swim-throughs)
Mandatory negative entries
Decompression or planned staged dives
Dives requiring advanced propulsion, task loading, or emergency drills
Solo or unsupervised dives

Documentation & consent: A specific Junior Diver liability release and parental/guardian consent form must be completed and signed prior to participation in any diving activities.

We do our best to accommodate most dietary requirements – vegetarian, vegan, and common allergies are generally manageable. Please let us know as far in advance as possible so our chef can plan accordingly.

If you have a severe allergy, please flag it to us before you travel and bring any essential medications or prescribed treatments with you.

Beer and wine is available to purchase on board once diving is done for the day. Guests are welcome to bring one bottle of wine or one bottle of spirits per person – beer is not permitted to be brought on board.

Diving and alcohol don’t mix. We will not allow any guest to dive after consuming alcohol, and our crew will ask guests to sit out a dive if they don’t appear fit. This is purely for your safety and we ask that you respect this rule throughout the trip.

Life on board is relaxed – swimwear, shorts, and a t-shirt will see you through most of the day. A light sweater or fleece is often useful for cooler evenings, especially after multiple dives.

Crew and guests go barefoot on deck, but do bring a pair of sturdy sandals or trainers for any island or shore visits.

We recommend packing any essential medications, valuables, and overnight basics in your carry-on luggage in case checked bags are delayed.

For more on what to pack, please see our article here – What to Pack?

Yes — towels are provided in all cabins and on deck.

Cabins and bathrooms are stocked with liquid soap dispensers with shower gel and shampoo. Many guests prefer to bring their own shampoo and conditioner, and we encourage you to choose reef-safe, environmentally friendly products.

Absolutely — we love having photographers and videographers on board. There’s plenty of space for camera prep, storage, and charging. We also prepare rinse tanks too. Our crew are experienced in handling underwater photo and video gear with care.

For underwater photography, the National Parks require you to be Advanced Open Water certified, and/or have a minimum of 40+ logged dives.

The flying of drones is not permitted in the National Parks.

Guest safety is our top priority. For all our safety information, please visit here

Smoking is permitted in designated outdoor areas only. Please ask a crew member to point these out at embarkation.

Although marijuana has had a more recent status definition change in Thailand, we do not permit it on board.

Many of our itineraries pass through marine protected areas and national parks, which carry obligatory fees for all guests — whether diving or not. These are not included in the trip price and will be listed as an on-board extra at the time of booking. Fees are payable on board before disembarkation.

For a current list of Martine Park fees, please view our on board extras page.

Please note these fees are subject to change without notice and cannot be paid in advance.

Children aged 8 and over are welcome aboard our vessel, although not all itineraries may be suitable. Younger children are not permitted due to the nature of liveaboard life and the safety considerations involved.

Guests under the age of 18 must be accompanied by a parent or guardian who takes full responsibility for their supervision at all times.

Gratuities are not included in your trip price and are entirely at your discretion. That said, our crew work incredibly hard – there is much work that is unseen on board. We do find that guests tend to leave between 5% and 10% of the cruise price.