Things to Know

Accommodation and Information

Check In On Board

Each Desert Island Cruising experience begins with a warm welcome on the Maldives Princess. We aim to match the ship's arrival in Male with the arrival of incoming aircraft allowing you to transfer immediately and go directly on board. Cabin assignment and registration is handled efficiently and quickly with no unnecessary administration. Your luggage is transported to your cabin for you.

What to pack

A Desert Island Cruise is a care free, relaxed holiday and the dress code is casual and informal, with emphasis on casual resort wear & swimsuits.

Billing

For your convenience, all purchases onboard are charged to your account for settlement at the end of the cruise. All major credit cards are accepted.

Tipping

It is normal to tip at the end of the cruise in a communal tip box. This is then divided equally among the crew. If you wish to offer a gratuity as a gesture of thanks to an individual crewmember for particularly good service than this is your choice.

Travel Insurance

Travel Insurance is essential and should include cruising as well as snorkelling and diving should you intend to participate in these activities.

Special Requests

Every effort will be made to meet special requests, for example for birthdays or anniversaries. Please make these requests in advance of the cruise departure in order to avoid disappointment.

Drinking Water

Bottled water is available on board free of charge.

Smoking

Smoking is not permitted in the staterooms and cabins, or any enclosed area of the ship. A smoking area is available on the upper aft deck.

Sun tips

Desert Island Cruises emphasize the importance of using sunscreen and recommends that you use water resistant 15+ or 30+ SPF when in the sun.

Snorkeling tips

Desert Island Cruises takes you to some of the most beautiful coral and marine life in the world. To ensure that you and future visitors can continue to enjoy the beauty of the reefs, please respect this pristine environment by not removing living shells or coral from the reef. Try to avoid making contact with any of the reefs with trailing fins for example. Snorkelling lessons are also conducted by your diving instructors.

Passengers

The Yasawa Princess is not suitable for young children and teenagers, therefore bookings will not be taken for people under the age of 21.

Important Notes

Most of the time onboard is spent cruising through the protected waters of the Maldivian atolls, but crossing between these protected areas includes passing through more open waters which can occasionally be a little rough. Anyone prone to sea sickness should take the necessary precautions. To make the most of your holiday, we recommend all passengers are able to swim and have the ability to climb stairs. Due to the internal layout of the Yasawa Princess is not suitable for anyone who may have mobility problems.

Your Safety

Safety is always our prime consideration. We reserve the right to alter the cruising schedules and omit or substitute other islands if prevailing weather conditions or any other external forces make it prudent to do so. All such decisions are at the sole discretion of the captain and no refund can be given if as a result.

Dress Code

The Yasawa Princess is an informally island cruising boat. Formal dinners and evening entertainment are not part of our itinerary so we do not dress up in the evening. Some evenings you will have a beach barbecue and you will get your feet wet when transferring from the ship to the beach. Other evening meals will be taken in our open restaurant. The restaurant is not air conditioned so casual dress in the evening is the best option. In the day time shorts and tee shirts are normal for the bar and restaurant, beach wear on the sun deck and islands.

The Maldives is a Muslim state, so if you visit a populated island for shopping or sightseeing both men and women must respect a dress code that is acceptable to the locals. This is casual clothing that covers your shoulders and thighs. Footwear is optional, flip-flops are good. Public nudity is not allowed at any time in the Maldives.