Ferry questions (Batangas - Romblon)

[nwflyboy]

I'm starting to plan and book a trip in Spring 2026, having trouble finding/interpreting info, so turning to the community here to sort through the cruft, confirm details and hook up with some reliable info.

For context: We are experienced divers, and experienced travelers, but this will be our first time in the Philippines. Trip will be late March 2026. Current plan is arrive MNL, head for Anilao (staying at Buceo Anilao Beach and Dive Resort) for 5-ish days diving there, then make our way down to Romblon for another 5-ish days, staying at (and diving with) Sunset Cove on Alad. Afterwards, back to MNL and fly out. I've surfed many a website and done a lot of research, but still have some questions. Here goes...

• Yeah, it sure is a shame that AirSwift disappeared, along with the flights to Tablas. I see rumor-mongering here that hints they might rise again (I'm sure the local dive industry in Romblon is hurting with their absence, and I can confirm it's a bit of pain to get there and back without them); but I'm not gonna count on those flights coming back until/unless I see something more concrete. So for now, I'm looking at ferries. Oy, the ferry...
• We will be relying on the route between Batangas and Romblon (outbound and returning). It seems (from what I've been able to glean) that there are multiple vessels running on this route, depending on the day of the week, you get: the Stella Maris, the Saturn, the Salve Regina (or maybe the Starlite website is broken, and doesn't correctly show the actual name of the ships - on same days, the ship name is blank...).
• It appears (at least to me, at first glance) that all the boats on this line feature the basic seats/bunks ("Economy Bed Bunk" and "Tourist Bed Bunk" and "Reclining seat"). Do they all have the same kinds of seating...?
• Whiskey Tango Hotel: I see online references, photos (and first-hand reports) about private "VIP cabins" (for up to 3 passengers) being available, but not THAT available. They're not mentioned on the ferry company website (unless you look closely at photos and reports elsewhere). So how exactly does one score those?
• Looking at availability during the next few days, it's evident that these ships do sell out, at least sometimes. OTOH...it appears that their website only allows bookings for roughly the next 30-ish days. Is that really true? Makes it kinda dicey to book things from the other side of the world.
• How reliable are their schedules? I'm trying to figure out our plans to connect to our international flights out of Manila. I'm getting the impression I should not rely on things sticking to schedules...the question is how often are they late and when they are late, how late do things get? I get it that I should not expect the efficiency and reliability of Swiss train operations but I'm trying to get some sense of how much extra buffer I need to add into my plans.

Anybody want to take a stab at any of the above? Thanks in advance! I'll have more as I get deeper into this...

 

[Johncn]

Hey,

It’s good to plan ahead. Not sure some of you issues will be resolved this early, but here are some quick reactions from someone who made dive both Buceo’s Anilao and Sunset Cove in the last couple months…and then see the Starlite ferry.

Note: You will get there and back. Travel in the Philippines is going to require some flexibility and faith…lol. There will be some unknowns. Might well be some changes in schedule. Just have a rough idea of your plan, firm up what is knowable and go with the flow.

1) Your approach is sound. Buceo will handle your transfer to the ferry easily. Macro is the main staple there, and we love the resort and dive staff.

2) The ferry is daily, and will likely remain so for your timeframe. The flights are only a rumor until they aren’t. My guess is that they rotate two ferries on this route. We were on the Marella Maris. Would book again. No issues.

3) If going from Batangas to Romblon with the current schedule, you will arrive in the middle of the night 1 am or 2 AM? This means you either book a local room with late arrival, or book the hotel room for the day before / night of your arrival, and the resort will have someone meet you for transfer.

4) The website for Starlite only books about 30 days out. It socks from a design and payment standpoint, but might be functional for some. Could not get it to work.

5) The Starlite site does not have the VIP cabins available. You can only book those through a travel agency. Thee are only THREE on each ferry. Possibly you can get one in person at the terminal, but only if available. Ronny or Charro can make yours reservations if staying with them, pay for the tickets up front, and then put it on your bill. You pick up ticket at the terminal. Three P does the same thing.

Both Buceo and Sunset Cove are great places to stay and dive if you love macro. Steven is a really good dive guide at Sunset, as is Spencer. They also have a good female dive guide, but I only know her in passing and by reputation.

FYI: Sunset now also offers compressed air and camera stations. New this year.

Get a Smart or Globe SIM chip, e- SIM or international cell phone plan from the Philippines. You can get a 14 day or 1 month plan and chip at the airport. WhatsApp is what most use rather than text messages, so get a mostly data plan…with a little text and calling just in case. Will have to register. Use the address of one of your resorts and your passport.

WiFi at Sunset Cove is great (Starlink) and local backup. WiFi at Buceo was OK. SIM card helps as the tower is very close and gives you another connection.

Have a blast!

 

[Centrals]

Both Easter and Christmas has very special meaning to Pinoys within the country and aboard.
Good Friday is on 03rd Apr.
All public transport will be extremely busy around that time. Please take this into consideration if travel by ferry or flight.

I could only get the reclining seat recently but the outbound journey was OK. There was a bar at the stern of the ferry and alcohol was available. On the inbound leg I got the "Tourist bed" because it was a overnight trip. I have no idea what is the difference between Economy bed(P1,000.00) and Tourist bed(P1,500.00) except the fare. A very simple but not filling breakfast was included in Tourist bed.