Full boat guide
Princess Maani
42 m, launched 2024, 14 cabins for 28 guests. Deluxe cabins on the main and upper decks with king-size twins, two jacuzzis and a 19-metre dive dhoni.
Operator guide · 3 boats · Live cabin data · Updated 8 November 2026 · By Abdulla Maseeh
Top Class Cruising Maldives Liveaboards
Top Class Cruising is an Italian-run Maldives liveaboard operator selling three boats: Princess Maani (42 m, 28 guests, launched 2024), Princess Haseena (32 m, 26 guests) and Sachika (33 m, 22 guests, until May 2027). Published 7-night prices start at US$1,688 on promotional weeks and typically run US$2,813 to US$3,125, with a service fee, Green Tax and park fees added on board. Seven routes run from the central atolls to Addu, across the equator.
Top Class Cruising at a glance
3 boatsPrincess Maani, Princess Haseena and Sachika, 22 to 28 guests each
201departures on sale from November 2026, cabin counts updated daily
7 routesCentral atolls all year; Baa for mantas Aug to Oct; the south Feb to Apr
| Boat | Size | Cabins / guests | Built | 7 nights from | Typical 7 nights | Stands out for |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Princess Maani | 42 m, 4 decks | 14 / 28 | 2024 | US$2,688 | US$3,125 | Suite-sized cabins, two jacuzzis, 19 m dhoni |
| Princess Haseena | 32 m, 3 decks | 12 / 26 | 2016, refit 2026 | US$1,688 | US$2,813 | Lower rates; solar refit cut generator noise |
| Sachika | 33 m, 3 decks | 10 / 22 | 2007 | US$2,500 | US$2,500 | Budget weeks; sails until the end of May 2027 |
How the price works: rate plus fees
Top Class Cruising quotes a per-person cabin rate and collects the fees on board. That makes its headline prices look lower than Emperor or Dune, who build the taxes in.
The fees are fixed and published, so the real cost is easy to work out: on a 7-night trip the service fee and Green Tax add US$234 per person, and US$254 on a route that enters Baa Atoll. Nitrox is free on all three boats.
Discounts work the same way across the fleet: a third adult sharing a cabin pays 20 percent less and a child sharing with two adults half price, while a cabin for one costs 60 percent more unless you accept a same-sex share.
Worked example: 7 nights on Princess Haseena
| Typical published rate | US$2,813 |
| Service fee | US$150 |
| Green Tax, 7 nights × US$12 | US$84 |
| Per person before drinks and tips | US$3,047 |
On a Manta Madness week add the US$20 Baa park fee. Our price calculator does this for every boat and route.
| On top of the published rate | Amount | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Service fee | US$150 (7 nights) to US$255 (12 nights) | Per guest, paid on board |
| Green Tax | US$12 per guest per night | Maldives government tax on safari vessels |
| Baa park fee | US$20 | Only on routes entering Baa (Hanifaru) |
| Wi-Fi | US$50 to US$110 a week | Optional |
| Single use of a cabin | +60 percent | Or share with a guest of the same sex |
| Third adult in a cabin | 20 percent off | Where a third bed fits |
| Child | 50 percent off | Sharing with two adults |
Routes and when they run
Best of Central Atolls runs almost every week. The other six routes are seasonal: Baa in the southwest monsoon for the mantas, the far south in the calm months of February to April.
| Route | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Best of Central Atolls | ● | ● | ● | ● | ● | ● | ● | ● | ● | ● | ● | |
| Best of Central Atolls XL | ● | ● | ● | |||||||||
| Manta Madness | ● | ● | ● | |||||||||
| Northern Highlights | ● | ● | ||||||||||
| Wild Deep South | ● | ● | ||||||||||
| South Atolls | ● | ● | ● | |||||||||
| 10 Atolls, 2 Hemispheres | ● | ● | ● | ● |
| Route | Nights | Published from | Where |
|---|---|---|---|
| Best of Central Atolls | 6–7 | US$1,688 | North and South Malé, Vaavu, Ari |
| Best of Central Atolls XL | 10 | US$3,571 | Malé atolls, Vaavu, Ari and Rasdhoo |
| Manta Madness | 7 | US$1,688 | North Malé, Baa (Hanifaru, snorkel only), North Ari |
| Northern Highlights | 10–11 | US$2,408 | North Malé, Baa, Raa, North Ari |
| Wild Deep South | 9–11 | US$3,455 | Addu, Fuvahmulah, Huvadhoo |
| South Atolls | 8 | US$3,571 | Addu to Huvadhoo, one way |
| 10 Atolls, 2 Hemispheres | 10–12 | US$4,219 | Malé to Addu or back, across the equator |
The three boats
Full boat guide
Princess Haseena
32 m, built 2016 and refitted in 2026 with solar panels and batteries, 12 cabins for 26 guests, four sea-view suites on the upper deck.
Full boat guide · until May 2027
Sachika
33 m, 10 cabins with 3 suites for 22 guests, a sun deck jacuzzi and the lowest Top Class Cruising rates. She leaves the fleet at the end of May 2027, so her winter weeks are the last chance to book her.
Top Class Cruising: questions we get asked
Who are Top Class Cruising?
An Italian-run Maldives liveaboard operator with three boats on sale: Princess Maani, its newest (launched 2024, operated by First Class Cruising), Princess Haseena and Sachika. Briefings are in English and Italian, and all three boats dive from a separate dhoni with free nitrox.
Why is the Top Class Cruising price lower than Emperor or Dune?
Because it is quoted before fees. On board you add a service fee (US$150 for 7 nights), the Green Tax (US$12 a night, US$84 a week) and, on Baa routes, a US$20 park fee. On a 7-night trip that is US$234 to US$254 per person. Add it before you compare with an all-inclusive boat.
Which Top Class Cruising boat should I choose?
Princess Maani if you want the newest boat with big cabins and two jacuzzis. Princess Haseena for the same routes at a lower rate. Sachika for the lowest price, but only until the end of May 2027, when Top Class Cruising stops selling her.
Are the cabin numbers on your pages live?
Yes. We read Top Class Cruising’s availability sheets every day, so the cabins-left numbers on our Maani and Haseena pages and the departures calendar are at most a day old. We still confirm with the operator before you pay.
What is Manta Madness?
A 7-night route from August to October that adds Baa Atoll and the Hanifaru Bay snorkel to the central atolls, timed for the plankton season when mantas gather to feed. Hanifaru is snorkel only, and a US$20 park fee applies.
Can I book the whole boat?
Yes. Top Class Cruising offers free places for groups (9 paying + 1 free and 14 + 2, and 22 + 3 on Princess Maani), so a dive club or a family can charter a boat. See our private charter guide or ask us for a quote.
Why book Top Class Cruising with HolidayVibe
- Trusted brandHolidayVibe is a trusted brand in the Maldives travel industry, licensed by the Ministry of Tourism (MOT.O1.RS.TA.25.RD9933) and based in Malé.
- We know the boatsWe work directly with the operators, hold their cabin-by-cabin availability and have walked the decks. No call centre in another time zone.
- Full-cost quotesEvery quote lists the cruise, service fee, Green Tax, park fees, nitrox, gear and transfers, so the price you see is the price you pay.
- Often better value than booking sitesOperators give local agents their best rates. We pass that on and still answer on WhatsApp within the hour.
- Fishing, surf and dive on one deskNeed a fishing charter before the dive week, or a resort night after? One team books all of it.
Keep planning
- Princess MaaniThe flagship, launched 2024
- Princess HaseenaSame routes, lower rate
- Every departureLive cabins across the fleet
- All operatorsWho runs the boats we book
- Liveaboard pricesReal costs and a calculator
- Private charterTake the whole boat
Written by Abdulla Maseeh, HolidayVibe Maldives, Malé. Fleet, fees and departures from Top Class Cruising’s public fee sheet and availability sheets, checked 8 November 2026.