Lite trip to Romblon and PG May 2025

[Searcaigh]

The VIP cabin was surprisingly nice! There are only three on the ferry, and you can't reserve them (that I could figure out) online. We went through a Romblon travel agent

3P arranged all of that for us when we booked last November.

 

[Centrals]

I was on Salve Regina on both trips.

VIP Cabin is only available for people with connection!
Not who you are but who you know!

 

[Centrals]

Turtle Rock and then swam back to Sinadagan Wall.
Nothing unusual except five big Bumphead Parrotfish in relatively shallow water.
Need to upgrade the hand held plastic magnifying lens to a more powerful one. 2X just won't do with those tiny nudi.

 

[Centrals]

Last dive of the trip.
The dm asked me where I would like to go. And my answer was Shark Cave! Are you sure because shark has not been seen for many yrs was his replied. For the old time sake!
Shark Cave to Hole in the Wall.
The big cave has accumulated a lot of sand over the year. So nothing really interesting and the smaller cave was the same. Really need the return of the white tip to shuffle off those sand.
Didn't make it to the Hole as we had spent too much time around 28m.

I need to plan my return to Romblon more carefully. Ferry is the only option and PG will also be included.

 

[dumpsterpurrs]

I'm pretty certain I took the ferry to Romblon from Cebu and it was somewhat hellish.

There is a ferry from Romblon to Cebu? I can't seem to find out how to book it.

 

[annasea]

There is a ferry from Romblon to Cebu? I can't seem to find out how to book it.

I might be misremembering, sorry. Last time I was in the PI was far too long ago. I'm thinking 10 yrs now.

 

[Centrals]

Mola mola was spotted few wks ago and there is a video circulated on FB. Wow! Very nice indeed.
I remembered the first time I saw a Hammerhead at Fish Bowl many many yrs ago. We were tec diving inside the Bowl at 48m and this Hammerhead just cruised by from a distance.

 

[cetacean]

I was a bit disappointed but have to accept it.
"You can't always get what you want" by Rolling Stones.
"But if you try sometime you'll find you get what you need"!!

@Centrals

I may have missed it, but... why didn't book the diving ahead of time? If you weren't sure about the days, you could have booked a couple of weeks out and then cancelled closer to your travel dates.

 

[Centrals]

@Centrals

I may have missed it, but... why didn't book the diving ahead of time? If you weren't sure about the days, you could have booked a couple of weeks out and then cancelled closer to your travel dates.

LOL.
I know how to plan my own holiday and have been doing that for at least 45 yrs. The ferry ticket was purchased at Batangas Pier. Advanced reservation is available but why bothered? The first night accommodation was paid at the last minute from Agoda. I do not mind to pay just a bit more but the FREE cancellation offered is good value.
Not able to dive was a bit disappointed but...NO big deal because I was able to do something else.

You claimed to have travelled in the country for a long time but do not seem to know how the local travelled!!! I suspect it is one of the reason why bus and ferry seldom departed on time.

 

[cetacean]

LOL.
I know how to plan my own holiday and have been doing that for at least 45 yrs. The ferry ticket was purchased at Batangas Pier. Advanced reservation is available but why bothered? The first night accommodation was paid at the last minute from Agoda. I do not mind to pay just a bit more but the FREE cancellation offered is good value.
Not able to dive was a bit disappointed but...NO big deal because I was able to do something else.

You claimed to have travelled in the country for a long time but do not seem to know how the local travelled!!! I suspect it is one of the reason why bus and ferry seldom departed on time.

@Centrals

I was only asking how you ended up at your destination without being able to dive. If your intent was to dive there then that's a bit of poor planning...

I've traveled throughout Thailand and Malaysia without reservations before - did miss a dive on occasion, but had the time to wait it out. Now, time is more valuable than $$, so I would rather not miss the opportunity to dive if that is my goal for a destination. I've also sat in the harbor in Palau waiting for a typhoon to pass over the country - lost a few days of diving but it eventually cleared up enough to dive.

Glad you could do other things. Until service to Tugdan is restarted, that trip is too long to not dive when you get there.