Diving deck, Red Sea " Excel."

Apres diving R & R.

© Copyright 2006 U.S. Dive Travel Network.
 

The former RED SEA AGGRESSOR
(then the MV " Excel " later) --
Previously offered by the AGGRESSOR FLEET Ltd.

Premier live-aboard cruising the Red Sea reefs,
ultimate destination for serious scuba divers worldwide.
NOT OFFERED for all of Years '06 & '07 & '08 due to Mideast concerns.

[ Call us for prices for any alternate scuba diving adventure: 952-953-4124.]

Taxes + tariffs + air tickets are extra.
 

(Text & vessel photos are edited by U.S. Dive Travel & were provided courtesy of the Aggressor Fleet.)
 

Side view of the Red Sea Aggressor live-aboard.

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OVERVIEW of the VESSEL's ON-BOARD AMENITIES &
TWO MAJOR CRUISE ROUTES  (Northern & Southern):
With awesome visibility & breath-taking soft corals, the salty Red Sea is one of the hottest dive destinations in the world. That's why Aggressor Fleet is offering divers live-aboard adventures on the finest dive yacht in the region, the Red Sea Aggressor. The 120-foot long, 27-foot wide Red Sea Aggressor offers two exciting itineraries. On Red Sea scuba vacations from September through April, divers explore the waters off the Sinai peninsula which includes the Straits of Tiran, the Strait of Gobal, & of course, the magnificent Ras Mohammed Marine Park. Wreck divers are treated to some of the finest wreck diving in the world on the Dunraven, the Carnatic & the famous World War II wreck, Thistlegorm which was sunk in 1941. These seven-day adventures, known as "Red Sea" charters, depart from Sharm el Sheikh, Egypt.

The Red Sea Aggressor's second itinerary, the "Islands," features virgin wall dives off the Brother Islands, Adu El Kizan, Deadelus Reef, Zabrgad & Rocky Island. These remote islands & reefs offer thrilling drift dives with mantas, turtles, hammerhead sharks & even whale sharks. Due to weather conditions, this ten-day itinerary which departs from Hurghada, Egypt is only available during the summer months, May through August.  What makes this southern itinerary extremely special is that the Egyptian government, for more than 3 years, has kept these islands strictly off limits to all divers & tourists, while they established a marine sanctuary to protect this supremely world-class reef environment.  The corals & marine life of the Red Sea have been hailed by scores of the world’s top underwater photographers & biologists as the lushest & most colorful on planet Earth.  There is not even a hint of hyperbole to this.  It is simply a fact.  The Red Sea is the sine qua non of reef diving worldwide. Our partners & guides would agree that Red Sea scuba vacations are pretty well the zenith of dive travel worldwide.

If you arrive on Saturday, an agent with an "Red Sea Aggressor" sign will greet you at the Sharm or Hurghada airport, depending upon your itinerary, & drive you to the boat in an air-conditioned bus. Guests may board the Red Sea Aggressor Saturday afternoon after 1:00 p.m. Once on board, you will be given a tour of the boat & assigned a dive locker. The first dive briefing is later that afternoon. Your ancillary expenses in Sharm or Hurghada are your own costs.

Throughout the week, you may want to capture some of the Red Sea's underwater beauty on film with one of the on-board rental cameras. With the on-board E-6 photo lab, divers may view their slides just hours after they were shot. There is a full line of rental camera equipment & dive gear available throughout the week, as well as specialty courses including nitrox certification.

The Red Sea Aggressor returns to port Friday afternoon on "Red Sea" charters & Monday afternoon on "Islands" charters. Guests may spend the afternoon shopping, sight seeing or just relaxing on-board until the evening cocktail party hosted by the crew. After the party, everyone will dine at a local restaurant. This is the only meal not included in the charter. Check-out time is 7:00 a.m. on the morning of departure. A Red Sea Aggressor representative will drive you to the airport. Ask your travel agent about add-on packages such as a Nile cruise or Pyramid tours in Giza or Thebes.

The new 120-foot long, 27-foot wide steel Excel, completed in October 1998, provides cruising & diving in unparalleled luxury. When the entire vessel is chartered by a group, she can accommodate any special requests or itineraries. She is also the perfect setting for business meetings, seminars & retreats. The Red Sea Aggressor provides up to 20 guests the ultimate in comfort & space. She is the acknowledged Queen of Red Sea live-aboards.

The Red Sea Aggressor offers guests eleven luxurious, air-conditioned staterooms. Each carpeted stateroom features a private head & shower, storage area, window & individual climate control. Two cabins have double berths & nine cabins have two single berths. Eight staterooms are on the lower level & three are on the main level. The three cabins on the main level have a large picture window. These well-appointed staterooms are just steps away from the dining room & dive deck.

The large, air-conditioned dining room & dive deck are on the main level. The dining room has both tables & booths to accommodate all guests at meal time. Traveling toward the stern is the roomy dive deck. This is the area where divers suit up & prepare their gear. Each diver has his own personal dive station complete with seat & locker. All tanks are filled in place with either air or Nitrox. There are several 80-cubic-foot cylinders on board. After donning their gear, divers take a few steps down the stairs to the dive platform. Here the crew safely assists the divers into the two 15-foot dive dinghies. Freshwater rinse showers & fin racks are conveniently located on the dive platform. A dive briefing area, camera table, camera rinse tank & are all part of the roomy dive deck. Red Sea diving vacations should be easy, relaxing, & here they are, aboard the Red Sea Aggressor.

Upstairs is the air-conditioned salon, an attractively furnished room designed for comfort & relaxation. It includes a bar, entertainment center with TV, VCR & stereo with compact disc player. The salon's comfortable seating arrangement & presentation equipment make it a great room for lectures & meetings. Exiting the salon & traveling toward the stern is the sun deck. Guests may soak up some sun & relax on the deck chairs. Ahh, this is Red Sea diving the way it was meant to be. That's why Red Sea dive packages with the Red Sea Aggressor are people pleasers. Other Red Sea live-aboards follow the standard set by this Aggressor Fleet live-aboard.

Red Sea diving sites visited by the
Red Sea Aggressor, a stellar live-aboard.

"RED SEA" ITINERARY  (The Northern Route)
departing from Sharm El Sheikh

Sep., Oct., Nov., Dec., Jan., Feb., Mar., Apr.   /   7-day, (6 days of diving), Sat. to Sat.

Day 1- Check-in noon, afternoon dives at light house & Ras Mohammed (Shark Reef),
            night dive at Shoaab Mahmoud

Day 2- Wreck of Dunraven, Shoab Sourour, Shag Rock, night dive at Shoaab Ali

Day 3- 3 dives at Wreck of Thistlegorm, night dive at Gobal Island

Day 4- The Abu Nuhas wrecks: Giannis D., Carnatic & Chrisoula K.

Day 5- Ras Mohammed (Anemone City, Shark Observatory & Ras Attar) night dive at Tempel

Day 6- Straits of Tiran (Jackson Reef, Wood House, night dive South lagona)

Day 7- Morning dives at Tomas Reef & Gordon Reef. Check-out noon.
 

"ISLANDS" ITINERARY (The Southern Route)
departs from Hurghada

May, June, July & August 10 days   /   (9 days of diving) Sat. to Tues.

Dives the Brothers, "Abu El Kizan/Daedalus Reef," Zabargad, & Rocky Island.
On the way back north to Hurghada, dives are made along the coast.
 

( Dive sites on all Red Sea scuba vacations are selected by the Captain
& may vary due to weather conditions & logistics. )
 

Deck plans for the Red Sea Aggressor, showing room layouts in detail.

1 . Where is the Red Sea?  
The Red Sea is located on the north east corner of Africa bordered by Egypt, Sudan, Ethiopia on the west & Saudi Arabia & Yemen on the east.

2. What is included in the Red Sea diving charter?  
Accommodations aboard the vessel, diving, compressed air tanks, weights & weight belts, airport transfers on day of arrival & departure, meals & snacks, non-alcoholic & local alcoholic beverages are included in the charter rate.

3. How many days is the charter & how many dives can I make?
The Red Sea Aggressor offers charters departing from Sharm el Sheikh (Red Sea Itinerary) & Hurghada (Islands Itinerary & Brothers Itinerary). "Red Sea" Itinerary charters are Saturday to Saturday with 6 days of diving. "Islands" Itinerary charters are Saturday to Tuesday with 9 days of diving. "Brothers" Itinerary charters are Saturday to Saturday with 6 days of diving.

4. What airlines service the region, for this Red Sea live-aboard?
Egypt Air offers flights into Cairo from New York & most major cities around the world. Due to flight schedules, guests must overnight in Cairo & then catch an early morning flight to Sharm or Hurghada. This flight is approximately 1 hour.

5. When should I arrive in Egypt for my Red Sea live-aboard package?
Due to flight schedules, guests must overnight in Cairo & then catch an early morning flight to Sharm or Hurghada. This flight is approximately 1 hour.

6. Are there any taxes or fees not included in the charter price?
Yes. Upon arrival in Cairo, all visitors must purchase a visa for $15 US. On "Red Sea" Itineraries, guest must pay a $5 US Ras Mohammed Park fee.  "Islands" & "Brothers" Itineraries guests must pay a $60 US park fee.  *Taxes & fees are subject to change without notice & they are not included in the charter price.

7. Do I need a passport for Red Sea live-aboard dive packages?
Visitors must have a current passport valid for more than three months, adequate funds to support themselves & a return ticket in hand on arrival. Guests on charters which depart from Hurghada, "Islands" Itinerary & "Brothers" Itinerary, must fax a copy of their passport to the Aggressor Fleet, Ltd. office 30 days prior to the charter. The Aggressor Fleet, Ltd. office fax is (504) 384-0817. It is very important that you clearly print your charter date on the passport fax.

8. How do I meet the Excel on the day of departure?
If you arrive on the day of departure, you will be met at the airport by an Excel representative, holding an "Excel" sign, & taken to the boat in an air-conditioned bus. If you arrive earlier in the week, you are responsible for your own transportation to the boat, same as with all Red Sea live-aboards.

9. Where does the Red Sea Aggressor / Excel dock?
In Sharm El Sheikh, the Red Sea Aggressor docks at the Sharm Harbor. In Hurghada the Red Sea Aggressor docks at the Cataract Hotel.  Guests may board the boat at noon. The Red Sea Aggressor leaves the dock at 1:00 p.m. for the first dive site.

10. What is unique about Red Sea diving?
The Red Sea is known for walls & reefs covered with beautiful soft corals. The northern region features several WWII wrecks such as the world famous Thistlegorm. Marine life includes anemones, clownfish, lionfish, sting rays, eels, sharks & Napoleon Wrasses. Most diving is done from dinghies. Some dives are drift dives.

11. What is the water temperature? Will I need a wet suit?
The water temperature averages 75F-90F May, June, July, August, September & October. A 3mm wet suit with an additional skin for layering, or a 3-5-3 mm suit is recommended. November, December, January, February, March & April, the water temperature is 60F-75F. A 1/4 inch (5mm) wet suit with an additional skin for layering, booties & hood are recommended. Gloves are not permitted when diving in the Red Sea. Visibility is excellent year round. The "Islands" Itinerary diving may be challenging to beginner divers due to currents.

12. Is there dinghy diving with these Red Sea dive packages?
Yes, all dives are made from two 15-foot skiffs with 55 hp. outboard motors. Not all Red Sea live-aboards offer this type of reef access.

13. Is there night diving on my Red Sea live-aboard charter?
Yes, night dives are offered throughout the charter, whenever winds & weather permit safe diving, of course.

14. What is planned Saturday afternoon & evening after we return to port, after our Red Sea live-aboard vacation?
This is your opportunity to shop or sight-see. The crew of the Red Sea Aggressor hosts a cocktail party on the last evening of the charter. Dinner is not served on board. This is the only meal not included in the charter. The crew can recommend a local restaurant & arrange transportation.

15. When is check-out time on the vessel?
Check-out time is between 7:00 & 7:30 a.m. in the morning of departure.
A Red Sea Aggressor representative will bring you & your luggage to the airport.

16. Where is the nearest recompression chamber re' this Red Sea live-aboard charter?
There are recompression chambers in Sharm El Sheikh & Hurghada.
The safety protocols are set, & solid, as with any quality Red Sea live-aboards.

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All photos on this webpage, & many of the text blocks are material provided courtesy of our esteemed colleagues at the Aggressor Fleet central reservations office, for whom we operate as a stateside wholesaler-broker. All copyrights for the borrowed text blocks & for these photos are reserved by Aggressor Fleet Ltd. The provisions of this paragraph hold for all Aggressor Fleet vessels represented on other pages of the U.S. Dive Travel Network website.

Unless specifically noted, these above Red Sea scuba diving prices are for only the live-aboard portion of your dive vacation, in most cases reflecting double-occupancy staterooms. On nearly all Red Sea live-aboard vessels, there will be no triple-occupancy rooms offered. International & commuter "island-hopper" airfares are always extra above these land costs. Nominal service fees are also extra for air tickets & the lodging + diving components. The baseline tariffs for all Red Sea scuba diving clients start at $35 per person for the land portion + $15 pp for the air tickets. Late-booking Red Sea diving clients may receive slightly higher tariffs on the lodging + diving. Solo clients will always pay a single supplement to secure a private stateroomroom -- normally 35% to 50% more -- & possibly a full doubling of the standard double-occupancy rate on most live-aboards.

The preferred payment mode for all Red Sea live-aboards is by cashier's check or wire transfer in U.S. dollars. All Red Sea scuba diving clients living outside the USA or Canada will need to pay only via direct wire transfer in U.S. dollars. No personal checks will be accepted for the diving charter nor air tickets portions of any reservation, please. Thank you for your gracious understanding. Our service level is the highest & our prices the lowest in this industry, & thus we need to preserve a reasonable margin. For published-fare air ticket bookings, USDT always accepts Visa & Mastercard. For ultra-discount wholesale air tickets, however, USDT accepts only cashier's checks, please.

Remember, all Red Sea diving clients to all foreign destinations will be asked by local officials overseas, upon departing the airport on your final day, to pay a nominal government departure tax, usually between USD $25 - $40 per client. USDT cannot collect this tax beforehand, so you simply pay it down there, in your host country. Be sure to stash away a little cash for this final moment at the airport, so you'll get your exit visa stamped quickly with no fuss; & away you go. Best of luck with your Red Sea scuba diving plans. We hope your Red Sea dive vacation is a safe & satisfying adventure. Blessings & best wishes.

Best fishes too!

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