MV Marco Polo

MV Marco Polo sails to The Similan Islands and Richelieu Rock. Just 12 guests join each cruise, and while most are certified divers, non-diving guests are welcome to join. The boat is 23 metres in length and it has a very good reputation and lots of repeat customers.

There are six cabins on Marco Polo, each accommodating two guests. All cabins have air-conditioning and private en-suite bathrooms. The cabins are brand-new, with bunk beds and large bathrooms. At the rear of the main deck is where the well-designed diving platform is, with an extremely-quiet compressor, plenty of tank slots, and Nitrox facilities. EANx certified divers get free Nitrox 32% fills throughout the trip.

On the upper deck is where guests eat and socialize. There is a small indoor lounge saloon. Here is where great food is served throughout the cruise, and includes western and local cuisine, all freshly cooked every day. However, most guests decide to enjoy their time outside on the same deck. Here we have a covered area with several tables and seating. Guests can enjoy the sea breeze and beautiful scenery while chatting in small or larger groups, or even relaxing alone. There's also a sundeck on the roof of Marco Polo that has soft mats and is partially shaded.

The dive trips on Marco Polo allow enough time to enjoy all of Thailand’s best diving sites without having to miss any out or race from one to the next. Marco Polo now sails from Khao Lak. The 5D/4N trips leave in the evening, and the 3D/2N trips leave in the morning. 4-night trips start at The Similans, before sailing north to Koh Bon, Koh Tachai and Richelieu Rock. And the shorter trips go directly to Koh Bon, then onto Koh Tachai and Richelieu Rock.

The amount of time aboard enables divers to take part in diving courses, such as the Advanced or Nitrox. Having completed these courses enables you to dive deeper, and for longer. For anyone wanting to fully immerse themselves in the best diving in Thailand, and staying on board with not too many other people, Marco Polo is a great option. But what really sets this boat apart is the very small number of guests, and the extremely well-run organisation.

Prices & Schedule

After being allocated cabins and introduced to the crew and safety procedures, guests enjoy dinner/breakfast on board while getting to know one another.

For 5D/4N trips, Marco Polo sails into the night, the boat arrives at the dive sites in The Similan Islands at about midnight, allowing everyone on board to get a good night’s sleep before the diving starts first thing in the morning.

The 3D/2N trips leave in the morning, but you still get a full day's diving in, starting at Koh Bon.

The first dive of the trip is always at an easier dive site, and known as a 'check dive’. The Divemasters, instructors and cruise leader make a better and final decision of who will dive with who, using their assessment of each diver’s confidence and air consumption. 

There are up to four dives per day, including a sunset or night dive. Meals or snacks are served before, between & after every dive, and there are excursions to beaches and snorkelling reefs when possible.

On the final day of the cruise Marco Polo sets sail back to Khao Lak, arriving around 6.00pm.