From 2025 Royal Evolution will commence 11 night itineraries for the Farasan Banks dive area of Saudi Arabia. This is a seasonal itinerary with some exploration of an up and coming dive destination. As such, it is only suited to experienced divers, with experience of wall and blue diving.
Royal Evolution is a sleek 39m and built to internationally recognised SOLAS standards. In 2024 the cabins and saloon have been refurbished and modernised. There are 8 lower deck twin suites in the lower deck and 4 main deck luxury suites - 2 luxury suites are twins and 2 are doubles. Each offers independently air-conditioned, a private bathroom/shower, picture window or porthole view, mirrored cabinet, hair dryer, fresh towels, safety deposit box, mini fridge, smoke detectors, sprinkler system and sound system with volume controls. Each suite has a TV and media player. Guests may plug their computers into the TV screen to edit underwater pictures and video.
The menu aboard is varied and plentiful, with a variety of international and local cuisine. Breakfast (cooked to order), lunch and an elegant meal at dinner with tableside service are served in addition to fresh mid-morning and mid afternoon snacks.
Between the 2 sun decks and enormous saloon there is always a peaceful corner for relaxing. The bar and jacuzzi form the social hub. The back dive deck has more space that you could want, with 28 individual cubby holes for storing your gear between dives and charging batteries, as well as a large camera table with air gun in the middle of the deck.
The Royal Evolution is built according to SOLAS and under the full survey of the international surveyor Bureau Veritas as a passenger ship area with the highest notation which is multi cross Hull & Machinery, as well the load line certificate. A full complements of safety equipments is also onboard such as SOLAS life rafts class A, SOLAS life jackets, EPIRB, SART, Flares, Rockets, Parachutes, Electric & Manual Cloud Horn, Fire Alarm, Sprinkler, automatic fire detector, Fire Extinguishers, Fire Hoses, Co2 for engine room, lifebuoys to insure the maximum safety for the Vessel, Clients & Crew. The bridge is complete with full navigation equipments, 62 Nautical Miles Radar, GPS & Plotter, Echo Sounder & backup GPS, Auto pilot, Electronic Compass, NAVTEX, Searchlight, Stern & Engine room cameras monitor.
Royal Evolution has two luxury double suites on the main deck - 14.4s q.m / 48 sq.feet including the ensuite with a queen size bed with panoramic view
Royal Evolution has two main deck twin suites. 14.4sq.m / 48sq.feet including the Ensuite with 2 separate beds with panoramic view
The lower deck has eight standard suite cabins. These cabins comes with 14.40 sq.m / 48 sq.feet including Ensuite) with 2 separate beds
Please note these prices may not include flights. Click select for the full holiday details
Lynne Pope
Sharon Savory
Thank you to scuba travel just come back from two fab weeks in Sudan on the royal evolution ,fab boat and crew
stephen bowers
Just astonishing recently returned from a Deep South Suakin trip. The Hammerhead sightings were remarkable very close and in large numbers. A very close sighting of a Manta plenty of Silky Sharks. Pristine and undisturbed. A superb and attentive crew enthusiastic guides. My fourth trip to Sudan and it just keeps getting better
Frances
Just a quick note to thank you for the great support booking my trip on the Royal Evolution. I had a great time – the diving was awesome! I will definitely be happy to book trips through you guys again! Best regards, Frances
Margaret & Stuart
The diving was excellent. The reefs were in better condition and the fish life was more prolific than in most of the southern marine park sites of Egypt. We were slightly disappointed that we only saw a few sharks but the large number of bump head parrot fish on one site made up for this. The Umbria was an excellent wreck and offered the opportunity to penetrate most of it safely. We really appreciated being the only boat on most dives. Only on one dive did we briefly see other divers in the water at the same time. We also enjoyed being able to do four dives a day when possible and it was great to do so many night dives. The briefings were mostly clear, concise and well informed. They made good use of power point slides especially when briefing the Umbria. The crew were excellent. They were very helpful without being too intrusive.
Lena L-M
I have dived on the Royal Evolution twice, both the deep south and northern Sudan itinerary. The ease of short travel combined with unparallel service and some show stopping diving makes this a must dive destination- affordable compared to others lesser and more far flung destinations, and of top notch quality. By all means enjoy the Caribbean, but try this first! For pristine coral, lots of 'big stuff', great crew and boat; Royal Evolution is the one to beat. Which is why I and most of my fellow guests of the last trip booked our deep south trip for 2012 straight after our 2011 Northern Sudan trip this year. The price compared to the quality of diving is unbeatable. Just do it!
Al & Sal
The Royal Evolution is the epitomy of luxury in the Red Sea! The diving was fantastic and the professionalism and experience of the dive guides is unmatched. All the crew could not do enough to make our week a memorable one. The range and quantity of food and drinks couldn't be bettered. We will be back! That's why we always book with Scuba Travel.
Stephen
Just got back from a 2 week trip to the deep South of Sudan. What an experience lots of Silky Sharks some memorable Hammerhead encounters a Thresher and a large Manta. The guides were superb and full of enthusiasm a brilliant crew and the best boat i have ever been on. An excellent and friendly group of guests made for the best diving holiday i have ever been on.
Michael
What makes a good liveaboard trip? A great boat, fantastic and helpful crew with a good bunch of fellow divers. Throw in some Hammerheads, Bumphead Parrotfish and a Manta and it becomes a great one. Would highly recommend this trip, but there is a lot of travelling at the start and end. Add to the mix a wait in Port Sudan for your visa and day three of this trip can be a long one, but once you are in the water all is quickly forgotten. Sadly 13 days passes very quickly. Hopefully back next year, and as often as I can.
Rose Hillborne
Just got home from a fabulous 2 weeks in Sudan. The diving was brilliant - hammerheads, grey reef and whitetips, even an unexpected large manta. We ended a fantastic dive with about 25 bumphead parrotfish in 3 metres of water at the top of the reef. Awesome. We drifted around with them for ages. The guides - Ahmed (the best shark spotter) Simon (rubber sharkman - if you have dived with him you'll know what I mean- if not but you do in future a "treat" is in store for you) and Ayman (a new guide but great to dive with) were really good and we got a chance to dive with all of them as they alternated between the groups. The crew were especially helpful as I'd hurt my back just before the trip and needed assistance with my equipment. My buddy Jennie and I had a great time out of the water as well, plenty of fun and we made some new dive friends. Royal Evolution is a very high spec boat with all the comforts you need, although we managed to break the hairdryer and toilet in our cabin, a
Jennie Prowse
Hi I'm just back from a 2 week trip in Sundan. The trip was great lots to see would highly recommend this trip to any diver. The crew were very friendly and helpful. The dive guides were great. My fellow divers help make this trip 1 of the best I've done. I do hope to do the deep south next year (hope my husband will still be there) My fellow divers will understand this remark. Thanks again for a great trip. Regards Jennie
Tim Priest
What can I add? We have just had a great trip on a very, very good boat with a wonderful crew and excellent guides (Simon the gurner, appearing from within the Conshelf's garage, Ahmed the shark hunter and Ayman the nudibranch fan).
Rick Bastin
I recently returned from a two week trip on the Royal Evolution and I have to say this was a truly memorable trip. The Royal Evolution is certainly the largest and best equipped liveaboard I have experienced to date and is spacious, well designed with a fantastic attention to detail to make your trip more comfortable. All the dive guides were really excellent but for me Ahmed (shark finder extraordinare) really stood out after some memorable close proximity encounters with Hammerheads. The range of dives was very good and we certainly packed a lot in (not far off 40 dives in the fortnight). The food was very good and plentiful, the rooms very comfortable and the crew were friendly and always willing to help. Everything was very well organised from arrival to departures and transfers back to the hotel at the end of the trip. A great trip and I hope to return to the Royal Evolution soon.
Anne Wharmby
We very much appreciated the small but important touches made to this year's trip. Again your staff were extremely helpful and do everything they can to make the holiday perfect.
Brian and Anne
Just a quick note to say many thanks once again for our complimentary trip on Royal Evolution. As you may know this is the third trip we have made on the boat in the last year and it gets better each time, the service is excellent and the small touches, such as being allowed to keep our hotel rooms until we embark and a nice red wine with our dinner, are much appreciated and make a difference.
There was a very good atmosphere on the boat due very much to all the crew who were always cheerful, willingly and helpful, that was everyone from Solimon through Ahmed and Nil down to all the seaman and stewards. We thought Ahmed and Nil were one of the best dive teams we have come across anywhere in the world and all the staff worked hard and consistently tried to do whatever they could for you. In short, it was excellent.
It was a shame that we did not see many sharks but that is nature, when diving in the Red Sea you are looking for wild creatures not captives
Dave
Just back from a fantastic holiday in the Sudan.....Couldn't of had a better time the choice of dive sites and the quality of the boat first class. Big thankyou to the dive guides and crew of the Royal Evolution thought I'd been spoilt by the live aboards in the north but this was a step above.
Erica Fletcher
Great vessel, great guides, great diving. I can say with all confidence that this is the most enjoyable liveaboard Ive ever done. Thank you to Ahmed, Nil, and my fellow passengers. I had a blast!
Sandra
Thank you for a fantastic 2 weeks on Royal Evolution's Sudan trip. Excellent gudies, captain & crew - and a fun set of people too. Hope to be back for a deep south tour, if we can get a space!
Rob
Big, big THANK YOU to Ahmed, Nil and ALL the crew on Royal Evolution for providing such a great service, and giving us such a memorable trip to Sudan. The diving was great, the boat fantastic, food plentiful, and the Sharks numerous. Nice wrecks, and top Rebreather support as well :) We are already looking forward to returning - hopefully to the deep South of Sudan; can't wait :)
Whitney
We had a great trip! Our group consisted of 17 people from southern LA. The crew was very welcoming and couldnt have been nicer. If there were any problems either in our room or with our gear, one of the crew members was fast to fix it. The dive sites were awesome! So much marine life and would go back for a second trip. One of the best dive trips by far!
Richard
I have just returned from diving the Northern Red Sea aboard Royal Evolution 9-16 July. I wish to pass my comments onto you and others to acknowledge the great time I enjoyed. The boat itself was comfortable, always clean and I wish to make special mention of the fantastic crew who looked after us at all times. Unfortunately the weather was very windy and we didn't manage to dive all the wrecks as planned. The food and the housekeeping was excellent and all crew were extremely helpful in helping us kit-up before the dive and de-kit afterwards. We are not used to this in the UK but this was a nice personal touch onboard the Royal Evolution. Both guides gave the best safety briefings I have ever seen and throughout the week always kept us informed, and entertained, which only added to our very enjoyable week. I would highly recommend Royal Evolution and hope to visit again one day.
Till
Big Thanks to the complete crew of Royal Evolution for an amazing trip deep south (15. April 1010). This was my second time on Royal Evolution and if anything it has become better. The diving was amazing with Hammerheards (including schools) on lots of dives in the South, and also at the classic sites like Angarosh and Shaab Rumi. Lots of Greys close up, Silkys etc Big thanks to the crew (all doing a great job) and to Ahmed for his continued great enthusiasm in finding Hammers, I will never forget the way you point them out under water. I will be back
Anon
Just a short and belated note to say thank you for a great trip in February. I have nothing but praise for the ship, the guides, the chef and the rest of the crew. The other guests also helped make this a pleasurable and memorable trip. The diving was great and I appreciated the way the guides accepted my personal diving limitations.
Anon.
Many thanks to Ahmed, Jose and crew for a great trip to the Sudan. Some very special diving with lots of Hammerheads, and the crew looked after all our needs very well. This was my second trip down South on Royal Evolution and it gets even better each time. We look forward to our next trip later in the year when we hope to see mantas galore - you have set the bar very high! Again very many thanks, keep up the good work.
David A
Just a note to say thank you to MV Royal Evolution's guides and crew for my trip in February 2010. This was an exceptionally well run ship and dive operation. Senior Guide Ahmed set an excellent example for others to follow, providing us all with interesting information on every dive site and practical reminders on the health and safety aspects appropriate to safe diving from a live-aboard. Guide Jose produced an excellent video of the trip, which will bring back memories of a great two week experience in the Sudanese Red Sea. Finally, as a somewhat antique diver, I was impressed that the guides took this into account in a low- key but thorough way. Especially when I was fining /steaming into a current !! 40 dives on the trip. How's that then ?? Thanks again and best wishes to you all.
Anon.
Royal Evolution is a really nice 39m dive boat, licensed to cruise to Sudanese waters giving access to some fantastic southerly dive sites. Very luxurious, 3 excellent dive guides with their own specialities of video, crittur spotting and a shark nut. Very good food including fresh barracuda! Our main impression of these southerly sites were the sheer quantity of fish both large and small, lots of sharks including a large school of hammerheads and a Tiger shark. Pristine corals both hard and soft as well as a lot of stinging hydroids, perhaps it was the season! We dived the Umbria with all its bombs and Jacques Cousteau's underwater living experiment Conshelf, both fascinating pieces of history. We felt it was a privilege to dive such unfrequented waters and to see the Red Sea as it was probably 50 years ago. We covered 1,00 miles on a really lovely boat and didn't see another diver for 9 days. Truly remote and out of touch.
Anon
We had an absolutely fantastic trip in April, visiting the deep south of Sudan for what has to be some of the best diving we've ever done. The quality of the corals was amazing, as was the sheer quantity of fish life. We saw tiger sharks, silkies, plenty of grey reef, and even a 30 strong school of hammerheads who swam to within five metres of us. Add to that: huge tuna, massive pods of dolphins, a playful manta, and even a juvenile pilot whale, and you get some idea of how good this was. Both the Evolution boat and staff were top quality, and the dive guides went out of their way to get the best variety of sites, some of which they'd never even dived before. All in all, this was a real adventure for both of us and one we'd heartily recommend to anyone who wants to see what the real Red Sea is like, on probably its best liveaboard boat.
Jon
Deep South Trip 9/4 'the one with the stingy things' After more than 20 years since my first dive in the red sea it still keeps delivering and although I now dive further South than I used to, this trip exceeded my expectations. The coral was stunning with prolific reef life and superimposed on it all were some great pelagic sightings. Tigers, Silkys, Whitetips and glimpses of a Thresher and Silvertip plus prolonged close up action with Greys that had Simon wondering how to get it all on a dvd and a big school of Hammerheads that had Ahmed and Hesham high fiveing whilst the school came around for more passes! There was also a Manta for a lucky few and it would be rude not to mention the pod of dolphins (sea swine?) that came in to have a look and the pilot whales at breakfast. I could go on but hey life's too short - so thanks to everyone, crew, fellow guests and Shaun the Sheep, for a great trip, it's a great boat and it was great to meet you all, enjoy your diving and keep looking ou
Saudi Arabia is around 6 hours flying time from the UK when flying direct from London to Jedda. All the diving will take place in the Red sea on the Saudi Arabian east coast, opposite Egypt/Sudan and Eritrea.
View entry requirements here View entry requirements here You will need a visa to enter or travel through Saudi Arabia as a visitor. You can apply for a tourist visa online There is no requirement to provide a vaccination certificate or negative PCR or antigen test certificate to enter the Kingdom. All visitors must fill out the Registration Immunization Information Form before travelling to the Kingdom. All visitors intending to visit the Kingdom (excluding residents) must have medical insurance that covers the costs of COVID-19 treatment in outpatient clinics, emergencies and hospitals. From 18th March, when you travel to England from abroad you: do not need to take any COVID-19 tests before you travel or after you arrive do not need to fill in a UK passenger locator form do not need to quarantine when you arrive This applies whether you are vaccinated or not. It includes people who are transiting through England. Updated 13APR 2022
Saudi Arabia is very warm. The hottest time of the year is July to August with air temperatures around 40°C. Even in the n 'winter' the average rarely falls below 20°C. Water temperature varies from 20°C in February to 29°C in September. Please choose your exposure suit accordingly, depending on your personal preferences.
We mainly use BA or Saudia , but other options are available.
No
Compulsory EUR 150 your entry visa is not included in the trip. Around the time of the Hajj, the Directorate of Civil Aviation of Saudi Arabia have previously imposed restrictions on Muslim visitors flying to Jeddah, Madinah and Taif for reasons other than the Hajj pilgrimage. During this time, Muslim visitors may only be allowed to board flights to Jeddah, Madinah and Taif if they have a valid Hajj visa.
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.
Your covid proof of vaccination must match your passport name and flight ticket name. Please speak to your local GP or check out the latest NHS advice on updating your NHS details or for other travel immunisations: click here to go to the NHS
You will be able to manage your booking online once you have been ticketed (after you have paid your holiday balance). Most airlines will now enable you to select your seating at this point. There may be a small charge for prebookable seating before online check in opens. Please look at the airlines website for more information about charges.
As you are flying with a scheduled airline, you will be able to check in online with your airline. Please visit their website for more information about when online check in opens.
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
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
On arrival in Saudi Arabia, you must provide your contact details and travel information. You may be refused entry to Saudi Arabia if your passport contains evidence of previous travel to Israel or indicates Israel as your birthplace.
All transfers to and from Jedda to the marina and to and from the hoitel are included.
At the end of your holiday, your return transfer details will be advised locally. There is currently no departure tax leaving Saudi Arabia.
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.
You will only be able to pay your port fees & fuel surcharge in cash in USD, EURO, English pounds. The yacht accepts cash, Visa and MasterCard. (no personal checks or travellers checks)
Email is not available, however, there is a satellite phone available for incoming/outgoing calls for a US$ 4 fee
The voltage aboard the yacht is 220v and the plug sockets around the boat will accept American plugs.
A full line of Rental gear is available aboard including regulators, BCDs, Dive Computers, and Night Lights (wetsuits not available)
Several diving specialty courses are offered onboard including Nitrox, Advanced Open Water, UW Photography, Master Diver and more
There is a mini-boutique onboard with assorted t-shirts, and miscellaneous items.
Nitrox up to 32% 12l tank per trip : 70 EUR per trip, to be paid on board or 15l tank per trip : 90 EUR per trip, to be paid on board
A typical deposit for your Royal Evolution liveaboard package will be 30% of the trip cost. Your final balance will be due 100 days before travel.
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.
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
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! Travel with us again in either 12 months or 24 months and you will qualify for a discount. That's all you have to do. No forms, no numbers to remember, no fuss, just a good honest price reduction.
The Farasan Banks is fast gaining a reputation as a pinnacle among Saudi Arabia's scuba diving destinations, known for their stunning coral reefs, diverse marine life, and crystal waters. The starting point of the cruise is the port of Al Lith locat... Learn more about Farasan Banks Explorer
In 2025 Royal Evolution will start 11 night itineraries scuba diving in Farasan Banks Saudi Arabia - a seasonal itinerary with some exploration of new sites for experienced divers
Call us or email to bookWe would be more than happy to help you. Our travel advisors are at your service to help you.
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Returned from Suakin 2 week trip on the 9th May. I had a superb time. Lovely comfortable, spacious boat. Fantastic, attentive crew. The food was excellent and the diving spoiled me for anywhere else. Lots of hammerheads, Silky sharks and pristine reefs. I was the only diver from England but everyone on board was very accommodating for my lack in speaking other languages and I made some lovely new friends. I will definitely be going again.