SY Adelaar

TRUE LUXURY YACHT EXPERIENCE & SPECTACULAR DIVING If I had to summarize my experience aboard Adelaar in one sentence: an impeccably maintained yacht with a private luxury feel, gourmet-level food, flawless service, and world-class diving. This was my seventh liveaboard trip in Indonesia and my first time on Adelaar. I’ve dived Raja Ampat before, but this was my first time in Misool — and I’ve done the Banda Sea a few times. My husband and I joined the Sorong–Ambon (Raja Ampat + Banda Sea) crossing itinerary (April 4–15, 2025), and it exceeded all expectations. THE BOAT: The yacht felt even more spacious than the pictures suggest, and the condition was impeccable — a rarity in this industry, where photos often oversell reality. With only five guests onboard (capacity is eight), the experience felt like a private charter, with plenty of space and quiet elegance throughout. OUR CABIN: Beautifully and thoughtfully designed, always cool and dry (even without the A/C running), and with ample storage — something I’ve often found lacking on other liveaboards. Water pressure and hot water were consistently excellent. The large-screen TV with a curated movie library was an unexpected luxury I ended up using daily. THE FOOD: Hands down, the best food I’ve had on a liveaboard. They catered perfectly to my dietary restrictions (I’m a pescatarian with a peanut allergy), and every dish — a mix of Indonesian and Western — was generous, balanced, and beautifully plated. Highlights were the crème brûlée, panna cotta, and chocolate mousse. Breakfast was à la carte with everything from full English to congee, pancakes, and more. THE CREW & DIVING EXPERIENCE: Professional, experienced, and discreet — they made every day feel effortless. Gear setup was fully handled by the crew, so all we had to do was slip into our wetsuits and hop onto the tenders. The dive deck was spacious, well-organized, and the groups small, making every dive feel personal. Briefings were clear, and the guides were attentive and knowledgeable. THE CRUISING: Smooth and quiet — even when crossing the Banda Sea. Unlike wooden phinisis, Adelaar’s steel hull made for silent nights and restful sleep, with none of the usual creaks and rattles. THE ITINERARY (RAJA AMPAT & BANDA SEA): Absolutely incredible. Pristine reefs, excellent visibility (often over 40m), and mind-blowing biodiversity — massive schools of jacks, barracuda, and trevally on almost every dive, plus manta rays, bumphead parrotfish, reef sharks, and even a hammerhead. Tons of macro: pygmy seahorses, crabs, shrimps, and even a blue-ringed octopus sighting. The trip ended in Ambon’s muck diving paradise, where we spotted cuttlefish, leaf fish, longhorn cowfish, and more. INTERNET: Complimentary 1GB Starlink WiFi was more than enough to check emails and messages (extra data available to purchase). FINAL THOUGHT: If you’re a dive liveaboard enthusiast looking for comfort both above and below the surface, Adelaar is in a league of its own. Will I return? Absolutely. It will be hard to dive with another liveaboard after experiencing Adelaar, and this itinerary was so diverse I’d happily do it again — even though I’m also eyeing their other routes around Indonesia, especially where they swim with Whale Sharks in Sumbawa!

If you are looking for an amazing diving trip / liveaboard, in one of the most beautiful parts of the world, this is the place for you! The ship with its rich history was amazing and completely updated and comfortable. The master suite is spacious and has all the amenities one needs. The food is a combination of Indonesian and Western cuisine. They catered to my gluten free husband very well. The breakfasts are made to order nad delicious. The homemade desserts were excellent. But what made the trip truly exceptional was the dive staff, Julien and Thalia. They were very professional and familiar with the area. Julien gave us the run down on the boat and we did our enhanced air (Nitrox) course with him. Thalia is an exceptional young lady, her dive skills and assistance as Dive Master are excellent. Her mastery of the Indonesian language is impressive. The crew assisting with the dive equipment very also very good. I highly recommend this livaboard, in the most beautiful part of the world!

Exquisite liveaboard, very experienced and pleasant crew, priviled and history-rich ship, serving an amazing array of diving spots. We cycled the world to dive on the Adelaar and would (will?) do so again. High marks for the dive guides, Julien and Thalia.

I am sad to say I cannot recommend this liveaboard and having spent a fortune going I cannot begin to tell you how much I still regret going months later. Firstly, the boat is extremely uncomfortable and as an avid sailor that says a lot. My room and bed were vibrating constantly because it was over the engine which they leave on all the time for the air conditioning. Every morning the smell of petrol filled the room. Although I paid a single supplement, a free upgrade was given to a couple who were in a smaller room and so it was not possible for me to change rooms. It was extremely difficult to sleep which made the trip feel a little like a prison. But by far the worst part was the lack of diving professionalism. They gave an itinerary in the booking which I knew was subject to change but I later discovered was just a lie (the guide said that they never dive the indicated southern sites at that time of year-so why include them at all?). The briefings were the worst I have ever had and with a big difference in dive levels we were very unprepared for the currents in Komodo. They should have had plan B's and instead we were often running out of air due to "surprises". At one point a guide seemed to be narking on a dive and was swimming randomly in a strange direction. We managed to catch him to bring him back but it did not feel safe. They also promote themselves as "eco" and somehow up with conservation but that was also a lie. The whale shark stop we did was just a big tourist bait stop and was very sad. I don't know if there are better liveaboard guides out there but I know for a fact there are less expensive luxury boats with more comfort. There were 3 others I was looking at that I wish I had booked so badly. Many had more divers but seeing the boats around Komodo I could just tell they were more professional and often wish I could jump across. Finally I asked for a refund of the single supplement as a gesture of goodwill because they were not full, gave a free upgrade to a couple and I had had such a hard time sleeping. Not only did they refuse but they were incredibly rude, ignored me at points, called me a liar (until I showed them our messages in writing) and were generally awful. They know nothing of hospitality or even just being gracious and are clearly struggling as a result. I recommend avoiding this liveaboard.

This is not a typical liveaboard. First of all, a floating piece of history first built in 1902.. this vessel has touched my people's lives. The owners love this vessel and it shows in every detail. The cabins are fantastic. As these are a maximum of 8 dive speakers for itself. In 20 years of diving I have not come across such a magic experience. I could go into extensive details about everything but I think you should just experience it for yourself.