Sea Serpent Contessa Red Sea Liveaboard

Travel

Flight options

Our holiday packages are inclusive of flights from London Gatwick for a fully ATOL bonded holiday. A supplement may apply for regional departures if possible. Times and any applicable supplements will be confirmed by your travel consultant before you finalise your holiday. Unfortunately, not all regional flight routings are compatible with liveaboard schedules. Our advertised liveaboard packages with Emperor and Aggressor fleets exclude flights. Please ask for a quote to add these to your booking. If you wish to make your own flight arrangements to Egypt, let us know and we can arrange transfers as required. Please do not confirm any flight arrangements yourself before your boat space is confirmed by us.

Stopovers

As flights are direct between the UK and Egypt, there are no stop over options available.

Arrange before you go

Visa requirements

All UK visitors to Egypt need an entry visa (valid for a 30 days.Do ensure your passport has 6 months validity from your return date to prevent any issues with immigration. This can be obtained on arrival with cash payment. Or you can now apply online by clicking here Save time and prebook your visa with Scuba Travel's prepaid visa service. It is your responsibility to ensure your passport is valid and you fulfil entry requirements. Regulations can change: please review current FCO advice: click here to review

Insurance

Scuba Travel requires all of our customers to have diving insurance. Please make sure that you have appropriate cover for your diving activities. We also strongly recommend you have travel insurance. It's worth taking out travel insurance once you have paid your deposit to ensure you are covered for unforeseen events and cancellation.

Immunisations

Please speak to your local GP or check out the latest NHS advice for the required travel immunisations for your destination: click here to go to the NHS

Preparing to fly

Seating

Flights to Egypt are charter flights with TUI or EasyJet. TUI seating is allocated at check in and you cannot check in online. For EasyJet flights you will be able to manage your booking online with the airline directly and select any payable seating/baggage extras.

Check in

Egypt does not permit digital boarding passes. You must print your boarding passes/flight coupons for both flights. TUI do not enable online check EasyJet allow online check in via their website

Lounge

An airport lounge is a great way to start your holiday or to while away flight connections in comfort. Scuba Travel works with Lounge Pass to offer a huge range of affordable airport lounges around the world. click here for more info on Lounge Pass

Parking

Prebook your airport parking to save money! If you have a long way to travel, why not also look at booking an airport hotel. These aren't as expensive as you might think. click here for holiday extras

What happens when I arrive?

On arrival in Egypt, you will need to clear immigration and collect your baggage. Our representative will be waiting either airside around the baggage carousel or in the arrivals hall. They will be holding a board with either Scuba Travel, your destination or your name on it. If you have prepaid for our visa service, you will be given your visa on arrival. If you have any issues at all locating your rep, please contact us. We have an emergency contact, manned by a member of the team here in the UK. Call 0044 7747 488 002. We will be able to help your rep locate you in the airport.

Transfers

Airport transfers are always included in your liveaboard or resort holiday package when using our flights. Our representatives will advise where to find your transfer outside of the airport. We try to keep transfer times as short as possible, with most being no more than 30mins travel time from the airport to the boat/hotel. If you have made your own flight arrangements to land in Egypt, please confirm at the time of booking if airport transfers are included or available at an additional cost

Departures

At the end of your holiday, your return transfer details will be advised locally. There is currently no departure tax leaving Egypt.

Info

Tipping

Tipping is entirely at your discretion. We do not make recommendations as to how much to tip. Should you wish to leave a tip for the guides and crew, it should reflect the level of service you have enjoyed.

Currency

All onboard prices are in Euro, but Sterling, US Dollars are accepted (subject to onboard exchange rate). The boat does have a card machine.

Phone coverage

Mobile coverage is itinerary dependent. Most of itineraries will have phone coverage when close to shore. WiFi is limited for browsing and connecting to communication applications only when a mobile signal is present normally nearby or in port. Signal strength can vary which may result in intermittent and/or slow connections. This service is provided as a courtesy but is dependent on the local mobile provider. Laptops/computers or other devices for using internet are not supplied on-board, you should bring your own computer to use the internet service

Plugs and electricity

2 pin European sockets. Plugs are located on dive deck, saloon and in cabins.

Extras

Hire equipment

We offer a very wide range of rental equipment onboard Ghazala Explorer please request pre holiday

Extras

Sea Serpent Contessa offers a wide range of PADI courses on board. Please speak to your travel consultant for current course prices and options.

Souvenirs

There is an on board boutique selling t-shirts and some on board souvenir items. All stock items are subject to local availability.

Nitrox/Gas

We recommend all divers to dive with Nitrox when suitable.

Payments

Deposits and Balances

Over 300 days prior to departure a £250 deposit is required, within 300 days a £500 deposit is required, with full balance due 90 days before departure. Due to some airlines, a higher deposit may be requested, which will be advised by your travel consultant.

Ways to pay

We accept mastercard and visa debit or credit cards. If you would like a pay by link to complete check out via email please let us know and it can be set up for you. We do not take AMEX. All non sterling card payments and UK business debit cards will be subject to the 3% surcharge. Alternatively, you are welcome to pay via bank transfer. Overseas bank transfers must add £8 to the sterling total to cover international handling fees. We are not able to accept PayPal transactions or personal cheques.

Group Payments

If you have booked as part of a group, you can still call and pay directly without needing to go via your group leader. Please have your trip reference number to hand to help us locate your holiday as quickly as possible. You will receive a transaction receipt - your group leader will forward your ATOL certificate and booking confirmation

Discounts

Repeat Guests

Are you one of Scuba Travel's repeat customers?
Over 60% of our customers trust Scuba Travel to book their next diving holiday, time after time.

And we believe you deserve a huge thanks for your ongoing support over the years, which is what our repeater discount is all about! No forms, no numbers to remember, no fuss, just a good honest price reduction on your ATOL bonded Red Sea package.

5% off for repeat customers travelling with Scuba Travel within 24 months
If you have travelled with Scuba Travel with 12 months ask about free cabin upgrades (subject to availability)
Repeat discounts are not cumulative with other discounts and cannot be applied to special offer prices

Included

Airport transfers, 7 or 10 nights (depending on itinerary) accommodation on full board basis in a twin share cabin

12ltr tank, air fills, weights and all diving - the number of dives offered will depend on your chosen itinerary. Recreational nitrox is included in your package

Depending on your package, flights are included from UK regional airports with Easyjet or TUI

Niitrox, Marine Park fees, Port fees

Excluded

Rental kit hire and 15lt tanks are available for a supplement
Rental kit hire can be requested onboard however it is preferable to pre book. 15lt tanks may not be available if not prebooked

Egyptian entry visa - £35 pre paid service with our airport rep or USD cash at the visa windows on arrival at your entry point to Egypt

Tipping is entirely at your discretion. We do not make recommendations as to how much to tip. Should you wish to leave a tip for the guides and crew, it should reflect the level of service you have enjoyed.

Alcohol is available on board - the boat will run an honesty tab to pay at the end of the trip

Sea Serpent Contessa Specifications

36m in length and 7.5m breadth

Engines | 2 x 1200 HP MAN

Generators | 2 x 85 KW, 1 x 120 KW

Construction - Wood

Safety Statement

Life Rafts with Ladder | 1 x 25 person, 2 x 20 person, annual maintenance First Aid Kit, Oxygen Kit | YES Life Jackets | 45 Life Buoys | YES Fire Fighting Equipment | YES Fire Alarms | YES Sprinkle fire extinguisher for the Kitchen (Foam) & Engine room | YES ENOS System | YES Marine Signals & Flares | YES Rescue rope launching gun | YES Radar + Echo Sounder | YES VHF Radio | YES HF Radio | YES EPIRB - AIS - SART | YES GPS | YES Compass | YES CCTV Camera system | YES Escape Hatches | YES Spare Bilge Pump | YES Rescue Boats in the North (SOS Boats) | YES Contract with the hyperbaric chamber & a local hospital | YES Emergency evacuation plan – is hanging on each dive deck | YES Captain & one crew member, MFA Certified & Trained | YES Oxygen tanks | YES Magnifier Glasses | YES Walkie Talkie radios between mother ship and the 2 speed boats | YES AED | YES Satellite phone | YES

Navigation Equipment

Radar, Eco Sounder, VHF Marine Radio, HF Radio, Satelitte Phone, Compass