MY Golden Dolphin III

MY Golden Dolphin III is noticeably larger & more luxurious than its predecessors, and on a par with the best luxury Red Sea liveaboards available. Designed from the start to be among the elite yachts offering liveaboard scuba diving safaris in The Red Sea, the boat has vast amounts of space and some unique ideas for the layout of cabins and dining lounge saloon. At 40 metres long and 8 metres wide, Golden Dolphin III is a very big boat. And there are two things about it unlike most other Red Sea diving safari liveaboards. These are the ‘flexible itineraries’ & the location of the guest cabins and dining lounge.

The itineraries are flexible in that if a trip week is empty with no confirmed guests, then the first guests to book are the ones who choose the itinerary. There is a very wide choice of Red Sea itineraries, including several to the northern wrecks & marine parks, plus The Brothers, Daedalus, Elphinstone & down south. Even for two guests, if you are the first to book, then you choose the trip destination for that week.

As for the location of cabins & dining lounge, the designers of this boat decided to have guest cabins spread over the main and upper decks, with the lounge saloon & dining area on the lower deck. For many reasons of comfort & convenience, this is an excellent idea. Six guest cabins are on the main deck of Golden Dolphin III, and four more are located on the upper deck. Each cabin has a private bathroom, air conditioning, storage space for personal items, a window, and minibar fridge. There’s a choice of doubles & twins. Having your cabin on a higher deck usually gives a safer feeling at night, and it enables you to walk out onto deck without having to climb a staircase. The only possible disadvantage is additional roll on rough seas, but Golden Dolphin III is so big & well designed that this is never an issue.

On Golden Dolphin III’s top deck there is a large sunbathing area with sofas and loungers for enjoying the views & sea breeze. The upper deck of Golden Dolphin II has four guest cabins; two king-size doubles, and two twins. At the front of the upper deck is more space for sunbathing and another long sofa with two tables. At the rear of the upper deck is a large shaded area that has plenty of soft seating & elegant décor. This is where many guests spend most of their time on board. There are four sofas, four tables, bean bags, and a self-service kitchen corner.

The main deck has six twin cabins, plus the large & well-designed scuba diving deck. There’s a slip-free floor on the dive deck, and all the individual tank stations are well spaced. This enables scuba divers to safely gear up before stepping down to the dive platform. Sometimes, it’s necessary to dive from one of the two support Zodiacs, but ideally you jump in from the rear of the liveaboard when possible. Certified Nitrox scuba divers can get fills for free, and the on-board Nitrox course is excellent value if you’re not already certified. Every year the boat is fully refurbished, and it has a full complement of safety, communication & navigation facilities. The crew & dive staff are all highly experienced in The Red Sea and all the great dive sites.

Finally, Golden Dolphin III’s lower deck is one huge indoor area, split into two sections. At the front is a large dining room, with enough seating for everyone to eat together. The food served several times each day is a delicious blend of local and western cuisine, with something for every taste. Behind the dining room is a massive lounge saloon and bar. This includes a variety of places to sit and relax alone, in couples or in small or large groups. There’s a giant-size flat-screen television here, plus one on the upper deck. Such is wide choice of places to relax and socialise on this wonderful boat, it’s a good thing that cruises are one week long. This way, you can make sure that you make the most of each part of the ship at least a couple of times during your trip.

Prices & Schedule

There is a wide range of itineraries available on Golden Dolphin III. Please note that when itineraries on the schedule are referred to as ‘any destination available’ this means the boat currently has no bookings, and the itinerary is chosen by the first guests to book.