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Thinking of going scuba diving in December? It’s the season of gift giving and why not give yourself a gift of a liveaboard trip this yuletide season. While December is generally considered a cold month, it is surprising to know that there are many countries in the world where it is the high season for scuba diving. Bahamas and the rest of the Caribbean nations have water conditions that are conducive for diving while large pelagics like whalesharks and manta rays are appearing in Djibouti and other Middle East destinations.
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The Best Scuba Liveaboard Trips to Go Diving in December: At a Glance
| Scuba Liveaboard | # of Rooms | Nitrox | Wifi | Length | Cost | PADI Travel | Liveaboard.com | DiveBooker |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bahamas Aggressor | 6 | Yes | No | 30m | $$ | Check | Check | Check |
| Cayman Aggressor V | 10 | Yes | No | 36m | $$ | Check | Check | Check |
| Avalon II | 10 | Yes | No | 40m | $$$ | NA | Check | NA |
| Turks and Caicos Aggressor II | 9 | Yes | No | 37m | $$ | Check | Check | Check |
| Nemo | 11 | Yes | No | 31m | $ | Check | Check | Check |
| Odyssey | 13 | Yes | Yes | 40m | $ | Check | Check | Check |
| Brown Dhow | 6 | No | No | 22m | $$ | NA | Check | Check |
| Atlantis Azores | 8 | Yes | No | 33m | $$ | NA | Check | Check |
| Tiare | 6 | Yes | Yes | 46m | $$ | Check | Check | NA |
| Bavaria | 12 | Yes | Yes | 28m | $ | Check | Check | NA |
The Best Scuba Liveaboard Trips to Go Diving in December: Reviewed
1. BAHAMAS AGGRESSOR
Year of Commission: 2012 (renovated 2014)
Capacity: 14 guests
Area of Operation: Bahamas
Dive Destination: Exuma Cays
Also known as the Carib Dancer, the Bahamas Aggressor is a 30 meter (98 feet) long luxury liveaboard vessel that specializes in sailing the waters of the Bahamas. It has 6 cabins that can accommodate up to 14 guests where your room choices includes the Quad Staterooms and the Deluxe Staterooms. It has onboard amenities like the air-conditioned saloon, a shaded wet bar, a sun deck and a dining area that serves International and American cuisine. Every December, the Bahamas Aggressor will set sail on a 7-day journey towards the Exuma Cays where you can go wreck diving at the remains of a steamer ship or visit Tiger Beach and interact with with Caribbean reef sharks and tiger sharks.
Check prices and trip dates: PADI Travel / Liveaboard / DiveBooker
2. CAYMAN AGGRESSOR V
Year of Commission: 2018
Capacity: 20 guests
Area of Operation: Cayman Islands
Dive Destination: Grand Cayman, Cayman Brac and Little Cayman
The Cayman Aggressor V is a 36 meter (118 feet) long luxury liveaboard vessel that sails the waters of the Cayman Islands. It has 10 cabins that can accommodate up to 20 guests where your room choices includes the Twin Staterooms, Deluxe Staterooms and the Balcony Suite Stateroom. Its onboard amenities includes the main lounge located on the sun deck that is fitted with a bar, grill and jacuzzi. This vessel has a photo center where you can review, edit and share your underwater pictures. For its December itinerary, the Cayman Aggressor V will set sail on a 7-day journey towards the top diving sites of Grand Cayman, Cayman Brac and Little Cayman which are known for vertical drop-offs, great wreck diving and an immensity of marine life where you can see barracudas, sea turtles, eels, eagle rays and reef sharks.
Check prices and trip dates: PADI Travel / Liveaboard / DiveBooker
3. AVALON II
Year of Commission: 2014
Capacity: 20 guests
Area of Operation: Cuba
Dive Destination: Jardines de la Reina Marine Park
The Avalon II is a 40 meter (131 feet) long luxury liveaboard vessel that specializes in sailing the waters of the world’s best-preserved protected area – the Jardines de la Reina Marine Park of Cuba. It has 10 cabins that can accommodate up to 20 guests where all their rooms are classified as staterooms fitted with bunk beds. It has onboard amenities like the main saloon, a bar, a sundeck that is fitted with a jacuzzi and a dining area that serves Italian and Cuban dishes. Every December, the Avalon II will set sail on a 7-day journey towards the untouch waters of Jardines de la Reina Marine Park that is known for underwater caves, sheer drop-offs, wrecks and a healthy shark population. You can even go snorkeling with the American crocodiles that are lying motionless in shallow waters.
Check prices and trip dates: Liveaboard
4. TURKS AND CAICOS AGGRESSOR II
Year of Commission: 2000 (renovated _2013)
Capacity: 18 guests
Area of Operation: Turks and Caicos
Dive Destination: Providenciales, West Caicos and French Caye
The Turks and Caicos Aggressor II is a 37 meter (121 feet) long luxury liveaboard vessel sails the waters of Turks and Caicos. It has 9 air-conditioned cabins that can accommodate up to 18 guests where your room choices includes the Master Stateroom, Deluxe Stateroom and the Twin-share Staterooms. Its onboard amenities includes the saloon, a wet bar, a shaded sundeck that is fitted with jacuzzi and a dining area that serves Caribbean and American dishes. For its December itinerary, the Turks and Caicos Aggressor II will sail on a 7-day journey towards the top diving sites of Turks and Caicos like Providenciales, West Caicos and French Caye which are all known for great wall diving. Most of the dive sites are made up of vertical limestone ledge that is filled with corals, sponges, gorgonians with a thriving population of tropical reef fish.
Check prices and trip dates: PADI Travel / Liveaboard / DiveBooker
5. NEMO
Year of Commission: 2003 (renovated 2013)
Capacity: 22 guests
Area of Operation: Djibouti
Dive Destination: Moucha Island, Seven Brothers, Obok, Tadjoura and Ras Korali
Nemo is a 31 meter (101 feet) long liveaboard vessel that specializes in sailing the waters around Djibouti. It has 11 cabins that can accommodate up to 22 guests where your room choices includes the twin cabins and the lower deck suites. It has onboard amenities like the airconditioned saloon that is fitted with a large plasma TV, a shaded sundeck and a dining area that prepares mouth-watering dishes served in buffet style. Every December, Nemo will set sail on a 7-day journey towards the top dive spots of Djibouti like Moucha Island, Seven Brothers, Obok, Tadjoura and Ras Korali. Manta rays and whalesharks are often seen on December in Djibouti as they are attracted to the plankton-rich water and interacting with these large marine animals is very easy since visibility is clear and diving conditions are at its calmest.
Check prices and trip dates: PADI Travel / Liveaboard / DiveBooker
6. ODYSSEY
Year of Commission: 2012
Capacity: 26 guests
Area of Operation: Egypt
Dive Destination: St. John ́s Reef, Abu Fandera, Zabargad and Daedalus
The Odyssey is a 40 meter (131 feet) long modern liveaboard vessel that sails the waters of Egypt and the Red Sea. It has 13 cabins that can accommodate up to 26 guests where your room choices includes the Twin Cabins, the Queen Suites and the King Suites. Its onboard amenities includes the main saloon that is fitted with a flatscreen TV, a bar, a shaded lounge terrace and a dining area that serves freshly-cooked foods. For its December itinerary, the Odyssey will set sail on a 7-day journey towards St. John ́s Reef, Abu Fandera, Zabargad and Daedalus.
Check prices and trip dates: PADI Travel / Liveaboard / DiveBooker
7. BROWN DHOW
Year of Commission: 2005
Capacity: 10 guests
Area of Operation: Oman
Dive Destination: Musandam Peninsula
The Brown Dhow is a 22 meter (72 feet) long liveaboard vessel that specializes in sailing the waters of Oman. This traditional Arabic ship has 6 cabins that can accommodate up to 10 guests where your room choices includes the Twin Share Cabins and the Lower Deck Bunk Bed Cabins. It has onboard amenities like the air-conditioned saloon that is fitted with a large television, a sun deck and an open-air dining area that serves freshly cooked meals. Every December, the Brown Dhow will set sail on a 7-day journey towards Musandam Peninsula where its dive sites are known for sheer drop-offs, coral gardens and an abundance of marine life like green sea turtles, spotted eagle rays marble stingrays and whalesharks.
Check prices and trip dates: Liveaboard / DiveBooker
8. ATLANTIS AZORES
Year of Commission: 1989 (renovated 2015)
Capacity: 16 guests
Area of Operation: Philippines
Dive Destination: Cebu, Bohol and Dumaguete
The Atlantis Azores is a 33 meter (108 feet) long luxury liveaboard yacht that sails the archipelagic waters of the Philippines. It has 8 cabins that can accommodate up to 16 guests where your room choices includes the Deluxe Staterooms and the Owner Stateroom. Its onboard amenities includes the main saloon fitted with flatscreen TV, a library that has a long list of Fish Taxonomy books, a wet bar, a shaded sundeck and a dining area that serves Western and Asian cuisine prepared by their onboard chef. For its December itinerary, the Atlantis Azores will set sail on a 7-day journey for its famous Visayan Dive Safari where you can go drift diving in Apo Island, wall diving with hammerhead sharks in Bohol or explore an offshore mound in Malapascua Island in Cebu that is famous for thresher sharks.
Check prices and trip dates: Liveaboard / DiveBooker
9. TIARE
Year of Commission: 2017
Capacity: 14 guests
Area of Operation: Indonesia
Dive Destination: Raja Ampat
The Tiare is a 46 meter (151 feet) long luxury phinisi-style sailing vessel that is custom built to become a liveaboard vessel and specializes in sailing the waters of Raja Ampat in Indonesia. It has 6 cabins that can accommodate up to 14 guests where your room choices includes the Kingsize Bed Cabins, the Twin bed Cabins and the Triple Twin Bed Cabin. It has onboard amenities like the air-conditioned saloon, a workstation that is fitted with a computer, a bar, a large sundeck and a dining area that serves International and Local gourmet foods prepared by their in-house chef. Every December, the Tiare will disembark on an 11-day journey towards Raja Ampat and visit pristine reef system naturally loaded up with lots of tropical fish that can all be enjoyed in a 30-meter visibility.
Check prices and trip dates: PADI Travel / Liveaboard
10. BAVARIA
Year of Commission: 2016
Capacity: 24 guests
Area of Operation: Thailand and Myanmar
Dive Destination: Similan Island (Thailand) and Mergui Archipelago (Myanmar)
The Bavaria is a 28 meter (92 feet) long 4-star liveaboard vessel that sails the waters of Thailand and Myanmar. It has 12 cabins that can accommodate up to 24 guests where your room choices includes the Standard Twin Cabins, the Comfort Double Cabins and the Deluxe Double Bed Cabin. Its onboard amenities includes the main saloon, a sundeck and a dining area that serves International and Thai foods. For its December Itinerary, the Bavaria will set sail on a 3-day journey towards the top diving spots in Thailand like Similan Island or on a 6-day journey towards Myanmar and visit is top diving spots in Mergui Archipelago.
Check prices and trip dates: PADI Travel / Liveaboard
Find other amazing scuba liveaboard trips around the world!
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