Stella Maris Explorer, Philippines
8.8 Fabulous - Nitrox available
- Free Internet
- Free Nitrox
“The dives in Tubbataha are amazing, cristal clear water, lots of fishes, sharks, whale shark and many corals. ”
Highlights
Designed with comfort in mind, the Stella Maris Explorer offers year-round liveaboard diving in the Philippines. Ten spacious 'retro-chic' cabins accommodate up to 21 guests. Each cabin features memory foam mattresses, pillows, AC, storage space, and private en-suite bathrooms. The cabins are spread over 3 decks with a choice of deluxe or premium economy, with twin, double, or queen beds available. Social areas include a spacious salon with a large TV and a dining area where expertly prepared meals and snacks incorporating lots of fresh fruits, vegetables, and a variety of proteins are served. The top deck offers chairs and loungers either in the sun or covered area, the perfect place to soak up the sun, relax in between dives or enjoy a stunning sunset with a cocktail.
The Stella Maris Explorer yacht offers itineraries to dive the best of Tubbataha in the Sulu Sea and Apo Reef & Coron. Up to 4 dives per day are scheduled to dive in nutrient-rich waters, bringing sharks, mantas, dolphins, and a host of macro critters. Diving is made easy with the 2 custom-designed 26ft/8mtr hard bottom dive tenders, and groups are kept small with a diver-to-guide ratio of 5:1. Nitrox is also available for those certified.
Join the Stella Maris Explorer yacht for a fantastic dive liveaboard in the Philippines. Book online today to reserve your space.
Choose your departure date
Included: VAT, Airport Transfer, Hotel Transfer, Drinking Water, Tea & Coffee, Full-Board Meal Plan (All meals), Snacks, Diving Package, Nitrox, Beach Towels, Cabin Towels, Complimentary Toiletries, Deck Towels, WiFi internet.
Required Extras: Park, Port and Fuel Fees (270-370 USD per trip).
Optional Extras: Gratuities, Alcoholic Beverages, Soft drinks, Nitrox Course (450 USD), Private Dive Guide (600 USD), Rental Gear, Scuba Diving Courses (360-570 USD), Snorkel Gear, Snorkeling Guide, Laundry / Pressing Services.
Book now, pay later: You can easily place your booking online. We will then hold the spaces for you and you can confirm with a payment later.
* Extra fees are shown per person.
Pay by bank transfer or online with
Drawings & Vessel Layouts
Cabin Types
Stella Maris Explorer Reviews
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- 8.8 Fabulous
- Vessel 7.9
- Crew 9.2
- Food 9.6
- Diving 8.8
- Value 8.4
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- 10 Exceptional
- Centia M
-
India
Great trip
Everything was great. We were a bit unlucky in the diving (didn't see some of the things I wanted to see) but the boat, crew, food and guides were all fantastic.
- Recommended for
- Food. Crew. Dive guides.
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- 10 Exceptional
- Tamanna D
- India
What a great first experience!
It was our first liveaboard, and we're spoiled for life! Everything was perfect from the crew to the food to the dives! Special shoutout to our dive guides Rambo and Leyon, who were extremely perceptive and attentive to our needs and went out of their way to make the dives comfortable for us. All in all, it was a great first experience! 10/10 to the kitchen staff that kept us so well fed - sardine pizza FTW! The boat was really clean, and all other amenities were top-notch too! Highly recommended!
- Recommended for
- Dive Crew. Hospitality. Dives.
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- 8.8 Fabulous
- Henricus B
-
Netherlands
Best crew ever and most sharks ever!
Tubathata is truly beautiful.A visit to the ranger station is a welcome change in the trip.Apo reef nice closure in the whole.For the Stella Maris crew, nothing is too much.Big chapeau also at the end of the season safety net!
- Recommended for
- Hospitality crew (nothing too much) Quality food Comfort
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- 8.4 Very good
- Taj H
-
United States
Friendly and Fun
It's always great to be on a liveaboard with like minded people - DIVERS! We saw so much sea life in Tubbataha and I finally got my first siting of a whale shark. Food was plenty and tasty and friendly crew and fellow divers!
- Recommended for
- Crew, Beauty of Marine Park, and Diving
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- 10 Exceptional
- Serge L
-
Canada
Our most beautiful diving trip
The dives all different and magnificent, the smile and the welcome of the staff at all times, the meeting of the other divers, the pre-dive briefings.All the conditions were met for this trip
- Recommended for
- The dive sites, the Stella Maris Explorer team, the quality of the meals and the temperature
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- 8.4 Very good
- Franz V
-
Germany
Tubbataha with whale shark
A really nice tour to Tubbataha Reef. Good boat with friendly crew and especially nice diving. There were always highlights and encounters with whale sharks.
- Recommended for
- Whale shark. Coral. Sharks.
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- 9.2 Superb
- Eleanor N
-
Switzerland
Recommended experience
I really enjoyed my week on the Stella Maris. It is an intense schedule with 4 dives per day and no night dives but getting up early to be in the water after 6am was not a problem with the beautiful reefs and walls to explore. We saw many, many reef sharks and the corals and number of fish were astounding. The visibility was always pretty good although we did encounter some currents. The boat is well maintained and very comfortable. The cheap cabins are tight but still OK. The showers in the cabins are not very convenient (low ceiling) but you can just shower on the dive deck. There is an indoor room for all of the briefings and food. I would've loved an outdoor eating area rather than this really cold (aircon) room but it was meticulously clean for every meal and the food was amazing. I rented dive gear from them and it was in good shape. There was enough space for the ca. 20 divers and their gear. The dive guides were very friendly - as were the rest of the numerous staff! There are two things that I felt were not ideal 1) I was booked onto a boat that was actually chartered but had one spot to fill. I was super lucky that the charter group was very inclusive and spoke good English. I don't think the company (or liveaboard.com) should allow this to happen as it could be a quite isolating experience. 2) In the description it says 5 people max to 1 dive guide but actually we dived in groups of 10 with one lead guide and one safety guide. While I like the idea of a safety guide, I think this is too many people in one group and also is not what I would expect from the description. I have never dived this way anywhere before (otherwise usually 4 divers or maaaybe 5 to one guide is the max) and I would prefer not to in the future.
- Recommended for
- The amazing food. Size and comfort of the boat. Attentive staff and dive guides.
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- 9.2 Superb
- JEAN LUC S
-
France
Recommended trip
Very good pickup service for transfers to hotel, the dive guides are very professional and attentive to all requests .......
- Recommended for
- Quality of dive sites. Sympathy from all the staff. Quality of meals.
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- 8.0 Very good
- Gordon R
-
United Kingdom
Comfortable and well equipped boat with well run dive operation, marred only by rather noisy cabin when engine running.
Lovely pristine reefs and walls, with abundant soft and hard coral (especially seafans) and generally great visibility. Some big stuff - though not as much, or as close (for photography) as hoped for.
- Recommended for
- The reefs and marine life (obviously). Crew handling of dives and camera equipment, and very friendly dive staff. More than decent food.
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- 8.0 Very good
- Mikolaj R
-
Poland
Amazing experience with a great crew
The owner made a nice gesture by sending us for a trip to the underground river free of charge as our boat was held back in the port due to bad weather. We lost 1.5days of diving, but the crew made sure we recuperated as many dives as possible by diving 5times a day.
- Recommended for
- Crew and Food
