Expedition Fleet Liveaboards: Schedule, Deals, Reviews

Everything was okay. The boat is not the newest one but it´s ok for this price. The food was very good, and the crew was really very friendly and helpful. They were a bit pushy at the end when it came to tips, but overall, - nice guys :) we had two large dive groups (10 persons in each group), and each group had two or three guides. It might be simpler with one guide per five people, but that's their system. I was surprised that they provided us with free internet via Starlink. Nitrox was included too. Tubbataha Reef is beautiful—certainly one of the most beautiful in the world—but there weren't any large fish. Almost all the dives were quite similar. But this place is worth to visit... However, there were two things that bothered me: 1. I booked a double cabin, and they asked me if I would be interested in changing cabins—it was supposed to be an Economy Premium cabin, but with two other people. I replied that I wanted to stick with my first choice... When I arrived, I ended up with the cabin I didn't want... I said we had agreed on something different - the guides made a face like they didn't know anything, they said they had to ask two brothers if they wanted to be in separate cabins... In the end, they changed the reservation even though I hadn't allowed it... 2. When I was already en route and had landed in Manila, I received an email saying we had to pay a surcharge for diesel because diesel had become much more expensive, and that it was only payable in cash - that was a bit strange...

I really enjoyed my experience on the Stella Maris. The food, crew, and diving was great. I’d recommend them to anyone! My DM/ safety diver were flawless in ensuring everyone’s safety (eg when a few divers got separated) and tried their best to make sure we all had a great dive experience.

Good food and friendly staff. Highlight was a whale shark that came very close! The only thing is that I prefer smaller dive groups, they dive with 10 people per group, with a guide and a safety diver, but in practice if everyone is good with air consumption, there is not really a point and in would have rather had two separate groups of 4-6.