The Maldives is continuously rated as one of the top diving destinations in the world. Made up of 26 coral atolls and crossing the equator, roughly 1,200 islands are home to some of the most beautiful, thriving reefs of rare and common coral, attracting every kind of marine life.

With a destination that is surrounded 99% by water, Carpe Diem Maldives believes any traveller to the region should be in, on, or under the ocean to truly appreciate it’s beauty. Spending a week exploring different lagoons and reefs on board an award-winning luxury liveaboard cruise, complete novice scuba divers can now do this in style with Carpe Diem Maldives.

Introducing the scuba diving experience to all travellers, in 2018 Carpe Diem Maldives is offering beginner divers the ultimate dream holiday. For one week in July and a week in August, a 7-day cruise on Carpe Vita will be dedicated to 20 adventurous travellers looking to obtain their PADI Open Water Diver certification. Starting in Male and ending in Baa Atoll, northern Maldives, guests will experience the beauty of coral reefs and a myriad of fish starting from just 3 metres beneath the surface.

Learn to Dive cruise weeks begin with shallow and calm lagoon dives. With the fundamentals of diving firmly mastered, 4 open water dives on beautiful coral bedecked reefs will complete the certification. By the end of the week, novice divers will be confidently enjoying the mesmerizing underwater world at 20 metres below the surface. Each of these special trips will also include a snorkelling visit to the region’s annual manta ray migration in Hanifaru Bay, Baa Atoll, a UNESCO protected marine biosphere area.

Under the guidance of Carpe Diem’s expert Maldivian Dive Instructors, guests will learn the PADI Open Water theory in the briefing room on board Carpe Vita luxury cruise. Equipped with the latest dive gear, guests then step onto a dive dhoni for their first plunge into lagoon waters. With increased confidence and applied theory, divers return to the main cruise vessel after each dive to enjoy breakfast, lunch, and dinner on the upper deck. Around a long table, mealtimes quickly become an enthusiastic exchange of underwater observations and shared experiences. Accommodation is on the boat, in twin bed and double cabins, each with private bathrooms, air conditioning, 24 hour electricity and wifi connection.

The two Learn To Dive cruises on Carpe Vita will run July 1-8 and August 26-September 2, 2018. Priced from USD 2,363 for the week, the package includes:

• 7 nights on board Carpe Vita
• 3 meals daily, plus between-dive snacks
• PADI Open Water theory and practical training, as well as certification
• 3 dives daily (except for on day of arrival and day before departure)
• Use of tanks, weights and belts
• Dive mask, fins, dive computer and buoyancy control device
• Drinking water, tea and coffee

Not included in the package are international flights and one-way domestic or seaplane transfers from Baa Atoll to Male International airport. These can be arranged by Carpe Diem and guests can also combine their cruise with a resort stay in Raa Atoll at the new Carpe Diem Beach Resort and Spa, opening July 2018. For cruise guests staying at the resort, three complimentary dives are included in the full-board stay package, making it the perfect opportunity to practice those certified dive skills on a thriving house reef. Stays at the resort start at USD 450 per night for solo travellers in a shared twin-bed pool villa.

By the end of each PADI Open Water Learn to Dive week, guests will have a dive log that begins with enviable diving in The Maldives. Since 2008, the award-winning hospitality group Carpe Diem Maldives Pvt. Ltd. has been operating luxury dive and surf liveaboard cruises, sharing the beauty of the Maldivian waters with adventurous travellers. Carpe Diem is the only liveaboard operator in the Maldives to offer diving adventures with a team of all-Maldivian Dive Masters. With the expansion into resorts, Carpe Diem Maldives becomes the only hospitality brand in the country to offer year-round liveaboard cruises that can be combined with a resort stay.

For more information and to reserve your Carpe Diem adventure, visit www.carpediemmaldives.com.