Review Brotherdive 2021 - Brothers Islands, Daedalus Reef, Elphinstone Reef (BDE) liveaboard Red Sea Aggressor III
Aggressor III Liveaboard - Brothers Islands, Daedalus Reef, Elphinstone Reef (BDE) - Egypt
27th of November – 4th of December 2021
Due to Covid restrictions we were not able to go on our planned brotherdive to Palau in 2021.
Therefore we decided to plan a last minute trip towards the Red Sea.
Combined we have over 1500 dives in the Red Sea, but we never did a trip to ‘The Brothers’ and daedalus reef.
So we went on a 6 day liveaboard on the Aggressor III visiting The Brothers islands, daedalus and Elphinstone reef.
The Red Sea Aggressor III
The most common way to get to the Aggressor III is via the airport of Marsa Alam.
From there a pickup is being arranged who will bring you to the Port Ghalib yacht marina.
The marina has a lot of restaurants and shopping possibilities.
Here you will go onboard.
The Red Sea Aggressor III is a spacious 42 meter long by nine meter beam motor yacht. Diesel powered, she can cruise at 10-12 knots comfortably, has 220-volt power. It was built in 2017, so it is quite recent.
The vessel has accommodations for 22 guests, in 11 individually air-conditioned cabins with ensuite toilet and shower, porthole view window, mirrored cabinet, 32-inch flatscreen and a hairdryer.
The ship has 4 deck levels:
The Aggressor III
(Click to enlarge)
Deck layout
(Click to enlarge)
The lower deck
Here are almost all of the cabins located. It also hosts the engine room.
The main deck
Here you can find the dining room, 2 suite cabins, an indoor lounge and the dive deck and platform.
The dining room is huge, with two long dining tables. It has air-conditioning, and the panoramic windows which allow guests to enjoy the sea views.
There is also a small lounge inside, but don’t expect too much of it.
The dive deck area provides enough space for divers, equipment and tanks.
The upper deck
This deck has a large indoor lounge, with plenty of sofas. This room is used for the dive briefings. It has a huge TV, with plenty of movies to choose from.
Below all the sofas in the lounge are charging plugs.
Outside you have the so called ‘cocktail deck’ area with comfortable lounge seats, bean bags and tables. It also contains the bar.
The lounge area on the upper deck
(Click to enlarge)
The sun deck
(Click to enlarge)
The sun deck
The sun deck at the top of the boat has plenty of sunbeds and a jacuzzi.
Note that there is no way you can sit in the shade on this deck. So temperatures can rise quite high !!
The cabins
Our cabin was comfortable, with two single beds and a large window. There is plenty of storage space. You can also store your suitcases underneath the bed.
The room has individually adjustable AC.
The bathroom / toilet is small. It has a porthole that you can open. The shower is small but has hot water and a good pressure.
You don’t have much (engine) noise in the room.
(Click to enlarge)
(Click to enlarge)
The service
The quality of the service was very good during our stay.
The entire crew was very friendly and helpful, food and drinks were always offered.
We did however have one major issue with the ‘dive organization’ onboard.
During our stay we also had a group of East European divers….
Unfortunately they didn’t pay much attention to the ‘dive regulations’ onboard.
Besides that they drank more alcohol than the boat could carry… they also didn’t take the ‘diving rules’ so seriously.
You can imagine that is you’re diving in the middle of the Red Sea, you should stick to the depth regulations. This because the nearest decompression chamber is 12 hours away.
Besides that, if an accident occurs it means the end of the trip for everyone onboard…
The depth rules are explicit: NO deeper than 40 meters!
We complained several times after they made dives of 65+ meter, however the cruise director only gave them warnings instead of a diving ban.
It was until the penultimate day (when we were already close to shore) that she finally restricted them from diving.
For us this was a real bad experience, how can you be so unsure about making these kinds of decisions!
The crew
The crew worked tirelessly to make it as comfortable for us as can be.
They seem to work non-stop between 5 am and 10 pm.
They clean the cabin twice a day. They also served food and drinks throughout the day.
They also help you to assisted on the dive deck.
A really nice touch was the hot towel they would hand us after every dive.
They also helped us getting safe into the dinky.
The schedule is tightly organized, and the diving program is made clear every day.
The crew
(Click to enlarge)
(Click to enlarge)
The food
Food is really plentifully with 4 meals a day!
The menu on the Red Sea Aggressor III combines traditional Egyptian cuisine with international favourites. Wake up to cereals, juices, fresh fruits and hot dishes cooked to order, with lunches served buffet-style after the morning dives and consisting of hot soups, salads, entrees and homemade breads.
Early breakfast was quite simple with bread, jams, and coffee. After the first dive breakfast was more complete, including hot dishes with plenty to choose from.
Lunch and dinner both have 4 courses! The quality was very good.
The chef was super responsive to dietary requirements cooking individual dishes as needed.
Fruit juices, soft drinks, iced water, tea, coffee and a limited selection of local beers and wines are complimentary on board.
Some pictures (Click to enlarge)
Main lounge
Indoor lounge upper deck
Sundeck
The bar at night
Upper deck lounge
Indoor lounge main deck
Our cabin
Lounge upper deck
The Dive organization
The overall diving organization was very good. Diving is the most important aspect on a liveaboard so they offered 4 to 5 dives a day.
Besides the ‘issue’ we had with the group mentioned earlier, we can’t complain about the diving organization.
It is obvious that the whole boat organization revolves around diving. Diving can be off the boat or using the zodiac, depending on the dive site.
The dive deck is spacious and well-designed, and the staff ever-ready to assist with dive gears.
The Aggressor has 2 and sometimes 3 dive guides for 22 divers, so the group size is large!
Divers are encouraged to dive independently by buddy teams.
They also mix beginners with more advanced divers in the same groups, something I am not a big fan of.
They have 2 onboard air compressors including for Nitrox.
The dive deck
(Click to enlarge)
(Click to enlarge)
Other facilities
There is a good camera table and individual charging stations on the dive deck.
After diving you will immediately receive a warm towel.
They provide free internet onboard which worked most of the time when you’re close to shore.
For example on Daedalus and The Brother Island there is no reception.
For emergencies they have a satellite phone onboard.
The trip wass ‘all inclusive’ this means: Airport Transfer, Alcoholic Beverages, Drinking Water, Soft drinks, Tea & Coffee, Full-Board Meal Plan (All meals), Snacks, Diving Package, Cabin Towels, Complimentary Toiletries.
Our evaluation
Our ratings below are based on our personal experiences. They are also adapted to our needs as divers. Meaning that we’re less focused on additional features.
Therefore you should only pay attention to our ratings if you’re planning a diving holiday.
Where we base our score on:
Accommodation:
Room size, beds, cleaning, bathroom, location, environmentally friendly, etc.
Facilities:
Pool, sport activities, organized trips, TV, Internet, phone, etc.
Dive center:
Quality of equipment, boats, crew, dive guides, location, service, marine conservation, etc.
Conclusion:
The diving groups are (maybe too) large, specialty for new or inexperienced divers.
Besides the issue we had with the dive operation, it’s overall well arranged.
But let’s face it, this is/was no small matter and has left us a negative mark on the trip.
The dive center score is a 3, But this is mainly due to the deck crew and dive accommodations, otherwise the score would certainly have been insufficient.
The dive ‘management’ was way below level.
All facilities onboard were outstanding and the food is very good.
Our verdict:
Accommodation:
Facilities:
Dive Center:
Total score:
Based on all arguments we can recommend the trip towards BDE with the Aggressor III