RA liveaboard - Seahorse vs. Samambaia

[seonmi]

I'm looking to book a Raja Ampat liveaboard for me and my husband in 2026 (will be our first time in Raja Ampat after hearing about it for years now). Interested in the longer trips (12D/11N type) to make the journey worth it and get a better feel of what we enjoy so we can go back to in future trips.

I'm debating between a Seahorse itinerary that should cover all the go-to areas (North - Central - South) vs. Samambaia itinerary that does only South and Central (still departing from and back to Sorong).

We like the small groups that these two boats offer and they seem to have good reviews from what I can find. Although I haven't seen many reviews for Seahorse, their itinerary may be better for first-timers like us?

Keen to get your views. Any experiences with these two boats would be great. Or if you have recs for me from your experience. I'm looking for a smaller boat (16 people max), for 12D/11N (i.e. longer trip) and not over £6k/person (equivalent to $7.65k)

TIA!

 

[Darnold9999]

Both would be excellent trips. Seahorse is a much older boat than Samambia. Both well run.

 

[reubencahn]

We've been on both boats. Our trip on the Seahorse was 2015, so long enough ago that the experience may not be relevant. But it was not a good experience. We were on Samambaia a year ago. It's one of the nicest boats I've been on. Great crew. Great guides. Highly recommended.

 

[cetacean]

The Seahorse is an older boat, however it used to be one of the nicest boats in RA. They have a ton of experience diving the region, a great crew, and don't overlook the fact they have some of roomiest and most comfortable tenders of any boat in Indonesia (being crammed together as you travel to dive sites isn't always fun, esp. if you and others have cameras). I'm surprised by the comment above about their experience, the vast majority of their ratings by divers range from "great" to "excellent" (including reviews shared through Undercurrent).

The Samambaia is both a much newer and more modern boat. On service it's solid, well above average but not in the class of the very best boats (like the Arenui, the two Damai boats, etc.)

Given this is your first time to RA, you will likely enjoy the Samambaia more... Personally I prefer the Seahorse, because of the experience of the crew, some of the out of the way places they choose to dive, and the boat itself is solid and very comfortable, however it is older, and shows that.

 

[reubencahn]

The Seahorse is an older boat, however it used to be one of the nicest boats in RA. They have a ton of experience diving the region, a great crew, and don't overlook the fact they have some of roomiest and most comfortable tenders of any boat in Indonesia (being crammed together as you travel to dive sites isn't always fun, esp. if you and others have cameras). I'm surprised by the comment above about their experience, the vast majority of their ratings by divers range from "great" to "excellent" (including reviews shared through Undercurrent).

The Samambaia is both a much newer and more modern boat. On service it's solid, well above average but not in the class of the very best boats (like the Arenui, the two Damai boats, etc.)

Given this is your first time to RA, you will likely enjoy the Samambaia more... Personally I prefer the Seahorse, because of the experience of the crew, some of the out of the way places they choose to dive, and the boat itself is solid and very comfortable, however it is older, and shows that.

I looked back and realized the trip on Seahorse was longer ago, I think 2012, so even less likely to be relevant. But I was also surprised by our experience on Seahorse. The boat had a great reputation and was diving places other boats didn't. Our trip was Kaimana to Ambon. Seahorse was one of very few boats diving Triton Bay at that time. Its guides were generally credited with being very knowledgeable about the area.

But the trip was not a good one. We were rarely dropped on the right part of sites at the right time. We saw very little of what makes Triton Bay special. The drops were better when we moved into the Kei Islands and the Banda Arc. But the guiding was lackadaisical. once we got to Ambon, there didn't seem to be any plan at all. The boat was also sorely in need of a refit.

As I said, this was long ago, so the experience is probably not relevant any longer. I don't think Seahorse has the same owner anymore, and I know the cruise director has changed. I'd rely on more recent reviews.

Our experience on Samambaia was more recent, November of 2022. In terms of luxury, I'd put it pretty close to the two Damai boats. I've never been on Dewi Nusantara or Arenui, so can't speak to those. For me, Samambaia is certainly as luxurious as I need. It's only real shortcoming was the size of the camera room.