There was an amazing race for “likes” on our Facebook group page this past week. The prize was an Egyptian diving safari for 2. A tremendous number of “likes” were given to the pictures as we were witnesses to a serious head-to-head race. Only a few hours before the end of the race, it still seemed like the dice may turn…

Let’s start with the most important – the esteemed winner of our game is Stepan Shulga, collecting a total of 654 “likes”. Once again congratulations to Stepan and his substantial voting group of friends . We wish you a great safari filled with lots of things to see! We have already contacted the winner and he can be on his way with a friend to their well-deserved prize of Egyptian safari!

The Winner:

Just to recap:

We called on all our diver and non-diver members between June 8 and 14 to upload pictures onto our Facebook group site with the writing “Andromeda safari” displayed, preferably in the most creative ways. After that things got simple as all was to be done was to collect enough “Likes” to reward the owner of the most enduring and lasting picture with the most “Likes” with an Egyptian safari for 2.

We can say with certainty that our game has reached its purpose – we were able to make a player happy and at the same time we were able to liven up our Facebook community in a usual but effective way. We thank for this all the ones who had posted the pictures and all those who had voted! Of course we are curious to hear about your experiences, suggestions and what you thought of the game.

Did you like it?

PLAY AND WIN a St Johns diving safari for 2 to Egypt onboard M/Y Andromeda between July 6 and 13, 2011! What do you have to do? Show off your creativity! Write the words “Andromeda Safari” onto any surface with any tools, take a picture of it and post it onto our Cassiopeiasafari Facebook page. The owner of the picture with the most “likes” and a companion will be off to Egypt for the prize trip!

The game process: We would like to see the words “Andromeda Safari” displayed in the most creative ways! Write it onto a dusty car, put it together from various objects, cut it into the grass or your hair, for that matter, spray it onto the belly of your girlfriend with whipped cream, and so on. The possibilities are endless. You can post your pictures onto our Cassiopeiasafari Facebook page for 7 days after this message is posted. Then one full day will be available to vote. The prize for the owner of the picture with the most “likes” will be an Egyptian diving safari onboard M/Y Andromeda for 2 people (including transfers between Hurghada airport and boat, 7 nights fullboard accomodation onboard, diving, taxes and sisha/waterpipe onboard).

The game rules:
- Only registered members can post pictures, so first “like” the page then upload the picture.
- The “Andromeda Safari” must be clearly visible and legible in the picture.
- One registered member can upload only 1 picture.

Posting and deadline: Upload your picture onto our Cassiopeiasafari Facebook page from the time this message is posted until no later than June 14, 2011, 22:00.

Voting and deadline: You can vote for the uploaded pictures by clicking the ”like” button starting from the date this message is posted until no later than June, 15, 2011, 14:00

Winner announcement: On June 15, 2011 at 14:00. The winner will be notified by e-mail.

Important!
- The prize is non-transferable and cannot be exchanged for money.
- The already booked guests on this safari are not eligible to take part in the game.

M/Y Andromeda reached Hurghada’s main marina yesterday in the early afternoon. She will go through a few days of customs checks, administration, some beautification and after a full paint job, she will continue her work in Egypt from the beginning of July. We have detailed the dock work on the boats in January… as if it was yesterday! So what has actually happened since then? You can read about it in this article!

The Sudan weeks were practically fully booked already by the end of last year and our optimism was only hampered by the Egyptian revolution at the end of January. After the situation had improved in Cairo, could we just start our work almost from scratch and we had to re-schedule bookings for 13 dates in Sudan. But in a short time, we were able to get back the bookings to almost where they had been originally.

The boat left Hurghada for Sudan a week later than planned, on Febuary 15, 2011, so we spent 15 weeks in all in Sudan out of which the boat worked 14 weeks straight and spent only 1 week in port.

Our last Sudan tour this season ended this past weekend. During these 14 weeks M/Y Andromeda welcomed 269 guests from 14 countries like Germany, Hungary, Finland, Holland, Italy, Russia, the Czech Republic, Belgium, Romania, Spain, the US, Poland, France and Japan.

The Icelandic eruption a couple of weeks ago (which happened almost a year to the date of the 2010 disastrous eruption) caused a minor scare again but thankfully this time it did not create any real havoc.

This season the boat completed 13 North tours and navigated to South only once. She sailed 6,700km in total during these 15 weeks. And what did the unparalleled Sudan waters hide this time? Besides hammerheads in unimaginable numbers, grey, tiger, oceanic and reef sharks, some manta adventures, not to mention the humphead parrot fish, schools of barracudas and Napoleon fish which have become a common site by now.

On the last day of the safari holiday, almost all divers visited Suakin, the once majestic port in the Red Sea. These days the uninhabited white ghost town is famous only for its once beautiful “coral brick” houses and their ruins.

We have had a successful 4 months of things to see and of satisfaction. We especially thank our partners, tour operators, tour organisers and all those divers who chose us this year for making their Sudan holidays come true.

Thank you for your trust, the plenty of pictures, comments, acknowledgement we received from you during the past weeks and months!

Our next shark adventure in Sudan starts again in February, 2012 and we look forward to seeing all diving schools, clubs, tour organisers and divers who did not have the chance to join us this year, or who would like to continue collecting even more Sudan diving memories!

If you book our 2012 tours by September 30, 2011, then you can enjoy our 2011 rates next season as well! Contact your diving instructor and tour operator for details!

In three weeks, after 15 weeks of Sudan diving safaris, M/Y Andromeda will be returning to Egypt, first for a 3-week technical break and preparation work and then to continue working there starting from July.

This means that from the first week of July, both boats, M/Y Cassiopeia and M/Y Andromeda, will be sailing the Egyptian waters together again until the end of the year. We have gathered the available weeks and places in Egypt for which we are accepting booking requests from tour organisers and individual divers as well.

Here are our latest diving safari offers for the summer months:

June 5 – 12, 2011 — M/Y Cassiopeia — North tour
June 12 – 19, 2011 — M/Y Cassiopeia — North / Tiran tour
July 6 – 13, 2011 — M/Y Andromeda — St. Johns tour
July 10 – 17, 2011 — M/Y Cassiopeia — North tour
July 13 – 20, 2011 — M/Y Andromeda — South tour
August 7 – 14, 2011 — M/Y Cassiopeia — St. Johns / Abu Fendera tour

To book or to request further information, contact us or click here.

We are offering you the deal of the season in Sudan – BUDDY LOVE !!!

Book your place onboard Andromeda and your BUDDY gets the second place for FREE!!!

Tour date: May 14 – 21, 2011
Itinerary: Sudan-North

Visit the famous Sudan dive sites of Umbria wreck, Sanganeb, Shaab Rumi, Blue Bell wreck, Abington and Angarosh, among other exciting dive sites on this tour!

This is the last week of the season with availability and we would like you to be the lucky ones to take part in our great Sudan underwater adventure!

Check out our Web site and our page on Facebook to see the latest photos and stories from your fellow divers this season from Sudan…

Boat rate for you: e-mail us for further details!
Boat rate for your companion: EUR0

The Sudanese visa and taxes are EUR198 / person and we will make all the necessary arrangements for you. All you have to do is send us your passport copy.

We also make your Cairo arrangements (hotel, Port Sudan flights, transfers, sightseeing programs) upon request.

The offer is conditioned upon availability and applies only to the boat rate. All other expenses (flights, visas, taxes, hotel, transfers, etc.) are applicable.

Important things to know before you travel:

· There must not be stamps or visas from Israel in your passport.
· There must be 2 empty pages side by side for the Sudanese visa in your passport.
· There must be 2 empty pages for the 2 Egyptian visas in your passport.
· Your passport must be valid for at least 6 months after entering Egypt and Sudan.
· You must have the vaccination against yellow fever and have your vaccination card with you.
· You must have a valid diving certificate and diving and personal insurance.

The places are filling up quickly, so be among the lucky ones to join this trip! Contact us for further details and with your booking requests! We look forward to hearing from you and seeing you onboard!

GET some amazing savings on Cassiopeia! We have a couple of last-minute offers for you at great prices! Choose a 7 day itinerary on the selected dates and save money! Book your places!

• 17 April – 24 April, 2011 — onboard Cassiopeia — Brother’s Safari Trip
• 24 April – 01 May, 2011 — onboard Cassiopeia — St. John’s Safari Trip
• 08 May – 15 May, 2011 — onboard Cassiopeia — North Safari Trip

Don’t forget! Book NOW at online@cassiopeiasafari.com, as places fill fast!

Last spaces, best period, best price! Cassiopeia goes to North!
One of the most popular liveaboard diving itinerary in the Red Sea is again part of our diving program in March. Places are available right now to book onboard M/Y Cassiopeia! Amazingly beautiful wrecks, reefs, turtles and dolphins have made these diving spots deservingly popular.

Date: March 12-19. 2011
Route: South + North Safari (Elphinstone/Salem Express/Abu Nuhas)
Boat: M/Y Cassiopeia – Safety and luxury in one place!

Don’t delay, book now!

We are returning to Sudan starting in February, 2011 until the end of June, 2011! Most of our weeks are already fully booked but you still have a chance to book with us this season.

Just for the sake of information, diving in Sudan is best in the spring. This is when the marine life is the liveliest and the most amazing during the year.

Last available spaces in 2011:
12/02/2011 – 19/02/2011 North Safari/Sudan
19/02/2011 – 26/02/2011 Small North Diving Safari/Sudan
26/02/2011 – 05/03/2011 North Safari/Sudan
05/03/2011 – 12/03/2011 North Safari/Sudan

What we offer: M/Y Andromeda – Safety and luxury in one place! Diver search and locate system is available onboard!

We look forward to seeing you and your friend’s again onboard for another amazing season in Sudan and we hope to see some new faces as well for an unforgettable experience.

We hope to see you there! For any further details or with your booking requests, please contact us. Thank you very much!

That’s is for know… join your dives!

Following an almost month-long preparation and beautification process, in the beginning of February, 2011 Andromeda will sail to Port Sudan harbour once again. This coming year we will enjoy Sudan’s hospitality for 16 weeks and we have planned 16 diving safaris from February to June. Are you curious about the boat’s preparation details? Then read on the article…

Andromeda’s technical preparation will take about 20 days in January. During this time the outer wood surfaces will be sanded and after the caulking, it will be all re-painted. All the textiles including linens, cushion covers, mattresses, curtains and all the linens in the Shisha room, will be cleaned.

During this time the engines of the boat, the compressors, the air-conditioning system and generators will go through maintenance and any problems will be repaired.

After all this, we will start filling up the beverage and non-perishable supplies onboard. It will take one week to fill the boat with supplies from various vendors arriving with smaller and larger trucks.

The fuelling will take another two whole days. During this time we will purchase all necessary spare parts for the engines and all technical units as well as for diving.

So, as you can see, preparing Andromeda for her 16-week stay in Sudan will take close to a month. In the end, we will depart for Sudan 100 tons heavier. The extra weight will be from the supplies, water and the fuel of course.

The only thing left will be 2-3 days of administration at customs and the boat can set sail for Port Sudan harbour, a trip which will take a day and half to two days, depending on the weather conditions.

The wreck Umbria has a cargo of 360.000 bombs that makes the exploring of the wreck still more exciting. The Umbria is one of the most famous sunken ships in the world. The Umbria was built in Hamburg in 1912 and started life as a freighter. It’s big enough to give you plenty to explore but small enough to cover in one dive.

The central part of the ship can even be explored without breathing apparatus and there is much to be said for getting a general impression of the wreck with just musk and fins. Corals and fish are plentiful in this area. The fish which have made the Umbria their home are use to divers and let them come to close quarters, almost posing for photographers.

The depth it lies in means you get plenty of bottom time and there is plenty of easy penetration to be done. For those who want to, it is possible to get to the engine room, in the holds, the bakery and thoroughly explore the interior of the wreck. The cargo of fiat lagunas, wine bottles and munitions provide interest and the wreck is festooned with coral and fish life. Even just swimming the length of the wreck and observing the holds from a distance is an excellent experience.

Be sure to head around the stern of the wreck to the propeller, and there is a nice swim through underneath the large rudder, which is home to lots of snapper and some featherstars. On one of the gangways towards the collapsed funnel midships live some tiny cleaner shrimps, and if you put your fingers on the handrail they will come up and begin to ‘clean’ you, which is very entertaining. We did 3 dives on the Umbria whilst in Sudan; I could have happily done three more. It really does deserve its reputation as one of the world’s best dives.