Dive trip with Philippines Explorer One - 10 nights

Boat

Philippines Explorer One is a future luxury diving and adventure liveaboard designed for remote Philippine expeditions. The vessel is not yet an established operating product: the operator says she is undergoing a complete 2025–2027 rebuild, plans to begin cruising in 2027, and promotes Tubbataha departures from 2028. This timing must remain visible in customer-facing copy so concept specifications and rendered interiors are not mistaken for a commissioned vessel.

The steel hull was completed in 1979 as a North Sea oil-rig support vessel. It later served as the Royal New Zealand Navy dive tender HMNZS Manawanui, then worked as a diving research vessel before the present conversion. The official technical page gives an overall length of 43.96 metres, a 9.53-metre beam and 4.25-metre draft; an introductory line rounds the length to 43.98 metres. “Approximately 44 metres” is therefore the safest summary.

The announced propulsion package combines four Volvo Penta D8 250 kW generators, electric drive motors and 1,110 kWh of batteries. The operator intends to use battery power for quiet anchoring and selected overnight operation, supported by sound-insulated internal structures. This is a hybrid diesel-electric system, not a zero-emission vessel, and its final operating range, fuel consumption and battery-only endurance have not been published.

Average cruising speed is listed at 8 knots. A watermaker rated at 12,000 litres per day supports longer voyages. Dive and transfer operations are planned around one Highfield Patrol 760 and two Zodiacs. The unusually broad working hull, four guest decks and gyro stabilisers are intended to improve space and comfort in open water, although no stabilisation system can remove every movement in Tubbataha seas.

Concept plans show air-conditioned indoor areas, a large saloon and dining room, open decks, a back-deck swimming pool with optional swim current, a fitness centre and several quieter seating zones. An onboard masseuse and a small craft-beer brewery are also advertised. Massage, alcoholic drinks and minibar use are not part of the standard published inclusion list and should be priced separately unless a dated offer states otherwise.

The galley is planned for Asian and Western menus, beach barbecues and flexible dietary preparation. The vessel page states that all meals and non-alcoholic beverages are included, specifically soft drinks, freshly ground coffee, tea and herbal infusions. Wine, cocktails and beer are available rather than automatically free. Allergies, vegan or religious diets should be declared before booking because an offshore galley cannot guarantee a completely isolated preparation area.

Published safety and communication equipment includes AIS, radar, EPIRB, SART, DSC-VHF radio, four 20-person life rafts, lifejackets, oxygen and first-aid kits, fire and bilge alarms, gyro stabilisers and Starlink hardware. Final certificates, inspection dates, oxygen capacity and post-refit emergency procedures should be confirmed after commissioning. Starlink access is a paid onboard package and its speed or continuity is not guaranteed.

No lift, accessible cabin specification or step-free route is published. Tender transfers, thresholds, marine stairs, wet decks and vessel movement can be significant for guests with reduced mobility. A traveller who needs assistance, refrigerated medication, oxygen, charging for medical equipment or a specific evacuation plan should obtain written acceptance before paying.

Cabin

Philippines Explorer One is designed with 11 guest cabins, all on the main deck or higher and therefore above the waterline. Every cabin is announced with an ensuite bathroom, hot water and individually controlled air conditioning. The operator also lists universal sockets compatible with major international plug types. Final outlet count, USB provision, hairdryers, safes, toiletries and housekeeping frequency are not yet published.

• 1 Premium Suite — bridge deck, maximum 2 guests: the only guest cabin on bridge level. The detailed cabin page specifies a queen-size bed, panoramic ocean views, an exclusive deck-level position and private balcony, an ensuite with rain shower, basin and common-flush WC, Nespresso machine, minibar, 42-inch television and entertainment system. The minibar's included or chargeable contents are not defined.
• 6 Deluxe Ocean View Suites — upper deck, maximum 2 guests each: each can be prepared with a double or twin bed and has its own private balcony. The ensuite contains a shower, basin and common-flush WC. Public material does not provide individual cabin numbers, floor areas, mattress dimensions or a distinction among the six rooms.
• 3 Comfort Double/Twin Cabins — main deck, maximum 2 guests each: the operator gives approximately 20 m² of floor space, double or twin configuration and an ensuite with shower, basin and common-flush WC. These three rooms are sold for double or twin occupancy on scheduled departures.
• 1 Comfort Single Cabin — main deck, maximum 1 guest on scheduled trips: this is physically part of the four-cabin Comfort category and carries the same advertised 20 m² layout and ensuite facilities. It is reserved for one person on scheduled cruises but can be configured as a twin for a whole-boat charter only.

The published capacity calculation is therefore clear: Premium 2 + six Deluxe 12 + three shared Comfort 6 + one single Comfort 1 = 21 guests on scheduled voyages. On a full charter, converting the single Comfort cabin to twin adds one berth for a maximum of 22 guests. The website should never advertise 22 shared places for an ordinary scheduled departure.

All six Deluxe suites are described as having private balconies; the Premium has a private balcony or deck-level outdoor area. The four Comfort cabins do not have advertised balconies. “Ocean view” should not be added to every Comfort room without confirmation, even though all accommodation is above the waterline.

The operator has not published measured Premium or Deluxe suite areas, formal deck plans for public download, exact balcony dimensions, wardrobe volume, mattress brand, sound levels or connecting-cabin options. Current interior images are design renders made before completion. They show the intended finish but cannot guarantee final fabrics, furniture, sightlines or room proportions.

Solo use, roommate matching, child occupancy, extra beds and triple sharing are not defined as universal policies. No sofa bed or rollaway should be inferred from the Premium seating. Families and groups should request a dated rooming list showing category, deck, bedding, balcony, bathroom and maximum occupancy for each named guest.

Diving

Philippines Explorer One is planned as a recreational diving liveaboard with air and Nitrox support. The published inventory lists 30 twelve-litre cylinders, 10 fifteen-litre cylinders, an air compressor, air bank and Nitrox system. Three tenders are intended to divide groups and support pickups at exposed reefs. Valve type, fill limits, guide ratio, camera-table provision and final diver-group size still require a departure-specific dive sheet.

On the announced Tubbataha programmes, the operator plans a maximum of four dives per day, often three, to preserve surface intervals and time onboard. The 13-night Visayas crossing includes transit and two dives at Jessie Beazley on Day 13, while embarkation and disembarkation days do not provide a full dive schedule. “Up to four” is a ceiling, never a guaranteed daily total.

Standard voyage pricing includes scheduled diving where the selected itinerary is a dive programme. It does not automatically include rental equipment or Nitrox. The current onboard-extras sheet prices a full rental set separately and defines it as wetsuit, BCD, regulator, mask, snorkel, boots, fins, weight belt, DSMB and reel; computer and torch are excluded from that set. Individual items, larger cylinders, dive computer, torch and Nitrox are also separately priced.

The operator explicitly states that it cannot support rebreather divers. Helium, oxygen blending for technical profiles, boosters, bailout cylinders, sidemount hardware and technical guides must not be inferred from the presence of Nitrox. Unless a special contract says otherwise, the product is for open-circuit recreational diving.

Optional PADI Advanced Open Water and Enriched Air practical training is listed, together with refreshers and selected specialties on request. Published course prices cover onboard practical instruction only; required eLearning and the certification card are additional. Instructor availability, medical clearance and itinerary suitability must be confirmed in advance.

The general terms require an appropriate certification but do not publish one minimum card or logged-dive total for every departure. Tubbataha can involve blue-water entries, current, negative descents and remote pickups. A diver should ask for the actual certification, experience and recency requirements of the chosen cruise rather than assuming an entry-level qualification will always be accepted.

Comprehensive insurance is mandatory and should expressly cover scuba, hyperbaric treatment, marine evacuation and repatriation. Medical facilities and chambers may be distant. Guests must follow the no-fly interval advised by the cruise team; the operator does not accept liability for flights missed because a safe surface interval must be respected.

Snorkelling, kayaks, stand-up paddleboards, towables, fishing gear and the pool broaden the product for non-divers. Their use depends on weather, local zoning, staff supervision and the daily programme. Fishing must never be assumed legal inside a protected area, and the operator's equipment list does not override national-park rules.

Other Information

The operator's current booking terms establish a useful baseline, but the dated invoice and itinerary remain authoritative.

Unless a specific departure states otherwise, voyage pricing includes:

• Accommodation in the booked cabin category
• Full-board meals and snacks between meals
• Standard non-alcoholic beverages; the vessel page specifies soft drinks, coffee, teas and herbal infusions
• Activities scheduled as included in the confirmed itinerary
• Scheduled scuba diving when the chosen voyage is sold as a dive programme
• Applicable taxes where required by law

Normally excluded or charged separately:

• International and domestic flights, hotels, visas, airport taxes and personal transfers
• Marine-park, conservation, port, government, photography and dive-permit fees
• Dive-equipment rental, Nitrox, larger or extra cylinders, computer and torch
• Alcoholic beverages and chargeable minibar items
• Laundry, massage, Starlink internet and satellite communication packages
• PADI eLearning, certification cards, courses and private instruction unless itemised
• Gratuities, personal purchases and merchandise
• Medical costs, emergency evacuation and mandatory travel/dive insurance
• Any fuel surcharge applied under the booking terms

The current extras sheet gives time-sensitive examples: Starlink is USD 30 for a six- or seven-night trip and USD 40 for a ten- or thirteen-night trip; laundry is USD 1 per item and massage USD 45 per hour. A Nitrox package is listed at USD 100/120/180/240 for six/seven/ten/thirteen nights. These figures can change without notice and must not be hard-coded into a long-lived product page.