Expertise Since 1987
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Recognized by Divers in 2026 Reader’s Choice Awards.
Every year Explorer Ventures Fleet is recognized in global dive awards — and this year once again comes with a full list of checkmarks. That recognition is built through consistency, attention to detail, and crews who genuinely enjoy what they do.
In the 2026 Readers’ Choice Awards, by Scuba Diving Magazine, several Explorer Ventures Fleet vessels were acknowledged across multiple categories based entirely on feedback from divers who experienced life aboard firsthand. These declarations reflect complete liveaboard trips, not isolated moments. They’re shaped by days of repetitive diving, meals shared onboard, clear briefings, and the overall rhythm of a week at sea.
The Awards lists are crafted by guest votes, rather than panels or judging committees. They reflect how divers evaluate a liveaboard over the course of a trip when logistics, communication, comfort, and crew support all come together. That perspective makes this kind of recognition especially meaningful – its earned through sustained performance and why this being named carries weight year after year.
Recognized Across the Categories That Matter to Divers
In 2026, the following Explorer Ventures Fleet vessels are recognized across a range of Reader’s Choice Awards categories:
- Caribbean Explorer II
Caribbean region, Saba & St. Kitts - Turks & Caicos Explorer II
Caribbean region, Turks & Caicos and Silver Bank - Emperor Explorer
Middle East and Indian Ocean region, Maldives
All three vessels are awarded across categories that speak directly to the liveaboard experiences that divers’ value most, including:
- Best Overall Experience
- Quality of the Liveaboard
- Quality of Berths
- Quality of Rental Gear
- Quality of Staff
- Level of Value
- Level of Luxury
- Level of Safety
- Quality of Food
Recognition in these categories reflects consistency across the full guest journey, from diving operations and accommodations to crew support and onboard comfort.
Why This Kind of Recognition Counts
Liveaboard diving isn’t defined by a single moment. It’s a rhythm that unfolds over days, shaped by how dives are guided, how crews communicate, and how well a vessel supports comfort, logistics, and safety throughout the week.
From the first call to our sales office and initial vessel briefing to the final dive, the experience is built on a series of small, consistent decisions. Individually, they may seem minor. Together they shape how the trip feels overall.
Being recognized across multiple categories in the 2026 Reader’s Choice Awards speaks to that bigger picture. It reflects vessels that perform well, with attention to the detail divers care about most, including safety, onboard comfort, food, and overall value, rather than excelling in just one area. Over the course of a full week at sea, it’s that balance and consistency that guests notice, remember, and ultimately vote for.
Built on Consistency, Not One-Off Moments
While individual vessels received recognition, achievements like these are never isolated. They’re built on the daily work of captains, engineers, dive teams, chefs, and crew members across the fleet, operating in very different regions but guided by the same approach to liveaboard diving.
Whether it’s wall diving in the Caribbean, clear-water drift dives in Turks & Caicos, big-animal encounters in places like the Galápagos and Palau, or long-range itineraries in the Maldives and Indonesia, the environments may change, but the expectations remain consistent. Guests notice when operations feel organized, when dive days run smoothly, and when crews communicate clearly and adapt to conditions without fuss.
Consistency matters in liveaboard diving. From thorough briefings and efficient dive deck flow to well-timed meals and relaxed surface intervals, it’s the steady execution of the basics that shapes the overall experience. Those details don’t always stand out in a single moment, but over the course of a full week at sea, they add up. And they’re often what guests remember most when it comes time to vote.
A Thank You to the Diving Community
These acknowledgements belong just as much to the guests who took the time to vote and share their experiences. Reader’s Choice Awards reflect lived experiences, and that makes them especially meaningful.
Thank you to everyone who dove with us, voted, and helped shape the 2026 results.
Looking Ahead
Recognition across so many categories sets out a strong tone heading into the coming seasons. The focus remains the same: well-run vessels, experienced crews, and thoughtfully delivered liveaboard dive experiences in destinations around the world.
Read more: Why Choose Us
Read previous year: 2025 Reader’s Choice Awards
