Stella Maris Explorer, Philippines
8.9 Fabulous - Nitrox available
- Free Internet
- Free Nitrox
“Tubbataha is a very beautiful destination We dive into warm water with very good visibility that allows us to enjoy the beautiful …”
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: Fuel Surcharge (240 USD), Park and Port Fees (270-370 USD per trip).
Optional Extras: Gratuities, Alcoholic Beverages, Soft drinks, Nitrox Course (450 USD), Private Dive Guide (830 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.
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Drawings & Vessel Layouts
Cabin Types
Stella Maris Explorer Reviews
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- 8.9 Fabulous
- Vessel 8.2
- Crew 9.3
- Food 9.6
- Diving 8.8
- Value 8.5
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- 10 Exceptional
- Michelle C
-
United States
Love this trip and would highly recommend
Dive crew and staff were phenomenal. Tikz, king, Jaz, leyon (Rodger) were great dive guides. I felt very safe with them The boat was clean and plenty of space to lounge around. The food was so good. It felt like a culinary experience. The sites were all so beautiful. So may green sea turtles and black tip/white tip sharks. Corals were vast and colorful.
- Recommended for
- Staff. Views. Food.
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- 9.6 Exceptional
- David S
- United States
Highly recommend
We had a great time on the trip. Very nice people and the staff was really great.
- Recommended for
- The staff was fantastic. The food was excellent. The diving most mostly excellent with a few dives with poor vis.
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- 9.2 Superb
- Benjamin J
- United States
Great Tubbataha trip!
Very enjoyable week in Tubbataha. The food was excellent, as was the weather and dive set-up. Rooms were well appointed and comfortable, and the crew did well with safety and accommodations. Things that could have been better (all pretty minor): - Didn’t love the sheet material for the beds - Unlucky with pelagic sightings, but that’s what happens in the wild.
- Recommended for
- The food was excellent. Excellent company between the crew, guides, and other guests. Solid diving set-up.
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- 9.6 Exceptional
- Felipe C
-
Brazil
Amazing dives and food
The dives in Tubbataha are amazing, cristal clear water, lots of fishes, sharks, whale shark and many corals. The cabins on the boat are very good, the food is amazing and the crew too.
- Recommended for
- Healthy coral reef, cristal clear water and amazing food
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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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- 9.6 Exceptional
- Nicolus V
- United States
Comfy boat, delicious foods, good gear, nice guides!
This liveaboard was wonderful! The boat was very comfortable with a variety of community spaces to hang out in, private bathrooms with showers in each cabin, and plenty of storage space for all of our belongings. The meals were always very yummy and offered a variety of options for different preferences/needs. We each rented BCDs and regs and one of us rented a wetsuit, all of which were in good repair and functioned well. Our guides were friendly and fun, and had us feeling safe at every turn. Notes: - Though the description says "nitrox available" it should actually read "nitrox required", as we discovered once on board during the orientation. We were not nitrox certified but the training was offered to us onboard for $420/person. - While the diver-to-guide ratio is 5- or 6-to-1, it actually plays out as 10 or 11 divers in each group with one leading guide and one safety guide at the back of the group. - When they take you to the ranger station, wear clothes you don't mind being in the water in. You'll be waist-deep for group photos. - Gear rental is separate, paid in cash before leaving the boat (BCD $12, reg $12, wetsuit $8). - Beers and sodas are separate, paid in cash before leaving the boat (beers $3 each, sodas $2 each). - Tips are suggested on the last day, with the crew splitting whatever you leave in the envelope and guides being given theirs by hand individually, all paid in cash before leaving the boat. Really our only complaint about our time with this company was that there was a group of 4 other guests onboard that were constantly grabbing onto coral, breaking coral, getting too close to wildlife and scaring it off, etc and we did not feel that this issue was handled sufficiently by the guides. Though the guides gave them ongoing verbal reprimanding, when the behavior continued incessantly there were not any further consequences, such as being pulled from dives early or having to miss future dives. During the orientation, someone from the park came onbaord to tell us that if we saw anyone violating the park rules we should report it, but when we talked to the guides about reporting the ongoing, unchanging behavior we were told not to because the boat/company would be shut down. We definitely felt this issue could/should have been handled in a more appropriate way. But other than that, we had a great time on this boat and would most definitely recommend it!!
- Recommended for
- The (smallest, cheapest) cabin had plenty of storage space and a private bathroom with shower.. The foods were varied, delicious, and plentiful.. The dive gear was high quality and well-maintained..
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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
- 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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- 8.4 Very good
- Etienne B
-
France
Wonderful diving destination
Tubbataha is a very beautiful destination We dive into warm water with very good visibility that allows us to enjoy the beautiful corals and the richness of the marine life
- Recommended for
- nice dives friendly and helpful crew very good meals
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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.
