By Liveaboard Explorer · Published
Similan liveaboards: routes, boats, cabin costs and joining ports
Compare Dolphin Queen, Marco Polo and six-night Junk/Phinisi programmes. Separate Similan diving from Surin and Richelieu Rock, and compare actual nights, fees and qualifications.
Choose the route, then compare the boat
For a Similan liveaboard, shortlist the named stops rather than the word Similan alone. Dolphin Queen offers three- and five-night trips, Marco Polo has a four-day/four-night programme, and The Junk/Phinisi sell a six-night Similan and Surin programme. The longer options can add Surin island diving, not just another night in the same place. Similan-area boats also travel north to Koh Bon and Koh Tachai, then to Richelieu Rock. Richelieu Rock belongs to Surin National Park, so a trip including it crosses a park boundary even when the headline calls everything Similan. This matters for the route and fees. A shorter cruise can still include Richelieu Rock: longer does not automatically mean farther north.
Similan Diving Safaris: Dolphin Queen routes, prices and park-fee breakdownThree useful programme choices
Scroll sideways to compare every column.
| Compare | Dolphin Queen | Marco Polo | The Junk / The Phinisi |
|---|---|---|---|
| Nights and route | Three nights: Similans, Koh Bon, Koh Tachai and Richelieu Rock; five nights also advertise Surin Islands | Four days/four nights: Similans, Koh Bon, Koh Tachai and Richelieu Rock | Six nights: Similan and Surin Islands, Koh Bon, Koh Tachai and Richelieu Rock |
| Cabin comparison | Four-berth, twin and double price categories | Six air-conditioned en-suite cabins; advertised maximum 12 guests | The Junk has twin/double, triple and four-berth layouts; identify the actual vessel and occupancy |
| What changes the budget | BCD, regulator, computer and Nitrox are separately priced | Meals, tank, weights, guide and Nitrox included; equipment and park fee excluded | Standard Nitrox and rental charges are extra; do not extend a dated promotion to every departure |
| Best shortlist use | Compare lower shared-berth cost and three versus five nights | Compare a smaller advertised guest count with an evening embarkation | Compare six nights and Surin coverage, with the published Open Water+ and 10-dive minimum |
Dolphin Queen: count nights, not inconsistent day labels
The 2026–27 schedule labels its products four days/three nights and six days/five nights. The same operator’s inclusion list calls them three days/three nights with 10 dives and five days/five nights with 18 dives. Those descriptions do not establish an extra full diving day. Use the written embarkation, disembarkation and dive programme for the departure you buy. Its advertised fares, checked on 25 October 2026, are THB 22,000 per person for a four-berth cabin or THB 23,500 for a twin berth on the shorter product; the longer equivalents are THB 27,500 and THB 29,000. The page says cabin fares include 7% VAT. These are published fare examples, not a current availability search or a sole-use cabin quote. The price page separately lists park collections of THB 1,600 for its three-night product and THB 2,000 for five nights. These are the operator’s collections, not an independently verified current government tariff. A BCD and regulator are not covered by its included wetsuit, mask, booties and fins. Its Nitrox packages, computer rental and transfers beyond the stated Khao Lak/Bang Niang pickup area need their own budget lines.
Dolphin Queen: cabin occupancy, inclusions and separately charged equipmentMarco Polo or six nights with The Junk and The Phinisi
Marco Polo’s four-night sample starts with evening boarding at Check In Andaman Pier in the Tap Lamu area near Khao Lak. The next days move from the Similans through Koh Bon and Koh Tachai to Richelieu Rock, then south towards the mainland. Its published offer includes Nitrox but not the training needed to use it. For more time aboard and explicit Surin coverage, compare the six-night Junk/Phinisi programme. Its Open Water+ and 10+ logged-dive threshold belongs to that programme. The Junk’s shared triple and four-berth layouts are different products from a twin cabin; a vessel name without an occupancy category is not a comparable quote. The broader Thailand guide covers their pier and cabin differences.
Sea Bees: Marco Polo four-day/four-night programmeJoin from the confirmed pier and use the current season calendar
Search the published October–May operating window first. The Junk advertises October–May; Sea Bees describes mid-October to mid-May. These are operator programme windows, not a promise that each park, site or departure will operate throughout them. This guide does not treat a boat calendar as an annual park-opening decree. Sea Bees’ page contains old Sunday departures for 2025/26 alongside a newer notice that dates in the following season vary. Do not book flights around the old weekly pattern. Dolphin Queen has a separately labelled 2026–27 schedule. Its advertised Khao Lak/Bang Niang pickups do not establish an included transfer from every Phuket hotel or the airport. Keep the boarding pier separate from the airport: a flight into Phuket is not arrival at Tap Lamu. A Khao Lak-based pickup and a Chalong departure require different land arrangements. Allow time before the operator’s check-in, and plan the flight after diving from the actual last-dive time rather than the cruise’s return-to-port time.
Dolphin Queen: 2026–27 programme scheduleQualifications and currents: a minimum is not a suitability guarantee
The Junk/Phinisi six-night page lists Open Water+ and at least 10 logged dives. It also describes current-affected sites and sheltered portions of some reefs. That does not make every planned dive appropriate for every recently certified diver. Sea Bees’ onboard Advanced Adventurer and Nitrox course offers likewise do not establish automatic acceptance on a sailing. Give the named operator your certification, recent dive history and current experience before paying a non-refundable deposit. If you need sheltered practice, arrange that before the cruise rather than relying on an exposed offshore site as a training fallback. No cabin comparison here constitutes a vessel inspection or personal medical clearance. Use the requirements guide for the distinction between certification, experience and departure acceptance.
The Junk: six-night participation threshold and dive-site descriptions