What's Included in a Liveaboard Dive Package?

You see a headline price, do the maths, and a small voice asks: is that really it? Knowing what's included in a liveaboard dive package is what quiets that voice. Across the Red Sea, Maldives and Indonesia, the package price usually covers far more than a hotel room with fins — your cabin, your meals, and a structured week of diving are almost always in the box. Here's what you're actually paying for, and where the lines blur.

This is the optimistic half of the story. There are costs that land outside the headline figure too — park fees, flights, the bar tab — and we flag the big ones below so nothing ambushes you at check-out.

The short answer: what the headline price covers

On most liveaboards, the per-person price bundles four big things:

Your cabin for the full itinerary (commonly 6, 7 or 10 nights)
Full board — all meals, snacks, water, tea and coffee
The dive package — usually 3 to 4 dives a day, tanks, weights and guiding
Onboard facilities — sun deck, lounge, charging, often a camera table

That's the shape of nearly every trip. The variation lives in the details: how nice the cabin is, which drinks are free, whether Nitrox and torches are thrown in, and whether transfers are handled. Let's walk through each.

Cabin and accommodation tiers

Your bed for the week is always included — but boats sell different grades of it.

Lower-deck / standard cabins sit near the waterline, often with a porthole rather than a window. Cheapest, perfectly comfortable, a touch more engine hum.
Main-deck cabins are the mid-tier: bigger windows, more space, a steadier ride.
Upper-deck / suite cabins are the premium pick — large windows, more room, occasionally a private balcony on the bigger boats.

Almost all cabins on modern liveaboards are en-suite with air-con. The gap between the cheapest and priciest cabin on the same boat can be substantial, and the "from" price you see advertised is nearly always the lowest-deck cabin. Worth knowing before you assume the suite is included.

Full board: what "all meals" really means

Full board means three cooked meals a day plus snacks between dives, and on a dive boat the food tends to be good — well-fed divers are happy divers. Expect buffet breakfasts, hot lunches, multi-course dinners, and fruit or cake waiting when you surface.

Drinks are where it gets specific. Almost universally included: water, tea, coffee and soft drinks. Almost universally not included: alcohol. Beer and wine are usually sold onboard or run on an honour-bar tab you settle at the end. Some premium boats fold a house beer or wine allowance into the price — a genuine perk, but never assume it. Ask.

Pro tip: If you don't drink, your real per-day cost is lower than a comparison table suggests — the "drinks not included" line barely touches you. If you do, budget a modest bar tab and you'll never be caught out.

The dive package: dives, tanks, guides and gas

This is the part you came for, and it's almost always in the headline price.

Number of dives: typically three day dives plus a night dive on full diving days, so roughly 3 to 4 dives a day. Over a 7-night trip that often works out to somewhere in the high teens to low twenties.
Tanks, air fills and weights: included as standard. You dive, you surface, the crew refills — that's the rhythm.
Dive guides: included. Certified guides lead or shadow groups, with the ratio depending on the boat and the region.
Tenders / zodiacs: included — most liveaboards run dives from small boats rather than the mother ship.

What's often extra: Nitrox, dive-computer rental, full kit rental, and sometimes a mandatory dive-insurance check. Nitrox for the week is commonly an add-on — usually somewhere in the region of a modest per-week fee rather than a major line item — though some premium boats include it free, which is a real selling point if you breathe it. If you're weighing it up, our guide on whether Nitrox is worth the certification goes deep.

Premium boats sometimes bundle free Nitrox, a dive torch, and a more personal guiding ratio into the price. These are the inclusions that quietly justify a higher headline number — count them before you compare on price alone.

Onboard amenities you don't pay extra for

The good stuff is included: sun decks, shaded lounges, a saloon with charging points, sometimes a small library or a hot tub on bigger boats. For photographers, most boats provide a dedicated camera rinse tank and a charging table — included, not a luxury fee.

WiFi is a coin toss. Some boats offer it free, some sell satellite data by the package, and plenty of the best remote sites have no signal at all — which, frankly, is part of the appeal.

Are airport transfers included?

Sometimes — and this one genuinely varies.

Often included: the transfer from the local airport or hotel to the port on embarkation day, and back at the end. Common on Red Sea and many Maldives boats.
Sometimes extra: transfers in remote regions where the boat sits a domestic flight or long drive from the international airport.

Indonesia is the classic gotcha — your liveaboard may include the local port transfer but not the domestic flight to reach it. Always confirm where "the transfer" starts and ends.

Budget vs premium vs luxury: how inclusions stack up

Same four pillars, different levels of generosity. Here's the rough shape:

Inclusion	Budget boat	Mid-range boat	Premium / luxury boat
Cabin	En-suite, lower deck	En-suite, choice of decks	Spacious suites, some with balcony
Meals	Full board, simple	Full board, varied	Full board, near-restaurant quality
Soft drinks / tea / coffee	Included	Included	Included
Alcohol	Honour bar (extra)	Honour bar (extra)	Sometimes house beer / wine included
Dives per day	3 to 4	3 to 4	3 to 4, often more flexible
Tanks / weights / guide	Included	Included	Included
Nitrox	Usually extra	Often extra	Often free
Torch / camera support	Bring your own	Sometimes	Often included
Transfers	Port only, sometimes extra	Usually included	Included, often door-to-door

The jump in price between tiers buys comfort, flexibility, and a handful of "small" inclusions — Nitrox, transfers, drinks — that quietly add up. For the full numbers, see our liveaboard trip cost breakdown.

How inclusions differ by region

Same word — "liveaboard" — but the package shifts with geography.

Red Sea

Egypt is the value capital of liveaboard diving. Packages are competitively priced, transfers from Hurghada or Marsa Alam are commonly included, and you get a lot of diving for your money. Marine-park fees and fuel surcharges are sometimes added separately. See the Red Sea destination guide for itineraries.

Indonesia (Raja Ampat and Komodo)

Indonesia's traditional wooden phinisi boats range from comfortable to genuinely luxurious. Two things to watch: the Raja Ampat conservation permit and Komodo national-park fees. Both are typically paid separately, sit outside the package, and the exact amounts change from season to season — so confirm the current figure rather than relying on an old number. Domestic flights to the departure port are almost always extra too. Explore Raja Ampat and Komodo.

Maldives

Maldives packages tend to be clean and inclusive — full board, transfers from Malé to the boat, and a solid dive package are usually baked in. A per-night "green tax" and sometimes a fuel surcharge are normally added on top. More in the Maldives destination guide.

The smart questions to ask before you book

A two-minute checklist saves a week of surprises. Before you commit, ask your operator — or our concierge — these:

Which cabin tier is this price, and what does upgrading cost?
How many dives per day, and is the night dive included?
Is Nitrox included or extra — and how much?
Which drinks are free, and is there an honour bar for alcohol?
Are airport or port transfers included, and from which airport?
What separate fees apply — marine park, conservation permit, green tax, fuel surcharge?
Is gear rental available, and is dive insurance mandatory?

Get clean answers to those seven and there are no nasty reveals at check-out.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is food included on a liveaboard?

Yes. Virtually every liveaboard includes full board: three cooked meals a day, snacks between dives, plus water, tea, coffee and soft drinks. Alcohol is almost always the one thing charged separately, usually via an onboard honour bar.

How many dives are included per day?

Typically three day dives plus a night dive on full diving days, so around 3 to 4 dives daily — all with tanks, weights and guiding included. Over a week that usually adds up to somewhere in the high teens to low twenties, depending on the itinerary and travel days.

Is Nitrox included in a liveaboard package?

Not always. On budget and mid-range boats it's usually an add-on for the week. Some premium and luxury boats include it free — a real perk if you're Nitrox-certified and breathe it on every dive. Always check, because the policy varies boat to boat.

Are flights included in a liveaboard price?

No. International and domestic flights are never part of the liveaboard package. Some boats include the local port transfer on arrival and departure, but getting to the country, and to the departure port, is on you.

Want help matching the right boat and inclusions to your budget and region? Talk to our concierge for a personalised shortlist — or take the 60-second trip quiz and browse upcoming departures.

How Much Does a Liveaboard Trip Really Cost? Full Budget Breakdown — the full numbers behind the headline price
Hidden Costs of Liveaboard Diving: What to Budget For — the extras that fall outside the package
Nitrox on Liveaboards: Is It Worth the Certification? — decide if the gas upgrade pays off
How to Book a Liveaboard: Direct vs Agent vs Aggregator — the smartest way to actually book