Stella Maris Tubattaha

[Pedro Cebu]

Looking for a review/s of the Stella Maris LOB for a Tubattaha trip this coming Easter, but can only find old reviews from 2013 or 2014. Has anyone done a trip in the last 12 mths that can comment or recommend?

 

[qtnt]

Adding on to this headline on Stella Maris Explorer to Tubbataha Reef Marine Park.
I was looking for review on this LOB before my trip but didn't find any, so I'll share my experience here.

There is many information online regarding the dives at Tubbataha Reefs. This review is mostly on the LOB - 1 week liveaboard on the Stella Maris Explorer in May 2024 to Tubbataha Reef Marine Park.

We were in the deluxe cabin with ensuite bathroom and air-conditioning. This cabin has lots of storage space to store belongings & equipment bags. Spacious ensuite with good-pressure-hot water for shower. It also has TV with movies on hard disk (to be requested from crew) and a Nespresso coffee machine. We never used the TV. Bed was made daily.

3 main meals are served per day with snacks in the late afternoon. All our meals were served in the indoor dining area and food is DELICIOUS and aplenty. Many titbits available like bake walnuts, melon seeds, biscuits and condiments like good quality honey, coconut syrup, coconut sugar, stevia. Good quality sauces available too for our meals. Coffee machine makes freshly grinded coffee. There are a handful of tea choices including organic green tea. For those who prefer to have a small-bite before the 1st morning dive, there are toasts, cereals, milk available.

Diving arrangements. We were full at 21 divers. Dive is arranged into 2 groups - a group of 10 divers and another of 11 divers. In each group, there are 2 dives guides to divers - 1 dive guide as leader while the other as sweeper. Divers were given a choice as to which group to join and to put our names down. Groups were not formed based on diver profile. Thankfully for us, our group had divers with similar experience/profile, except for 2 photographers who were mostly separated from us during the dives and the sweeper dive guide had to separate from us to be with them. The boat crew and dive guides are friendly and helpful. For divers who are Nitrox certified, nitrox is included in the dive package.

There are separate rinse tanks for camera, for masks and computers. For the wet-suit, the crew assists with a quick rinse in pleasant smelling soap and hangs them up to dry.

Stella Maris is a vessel repurposed to accommodate diving. The dive deck does get crowded even when we are staggered into 2 groups. Getting into and out of the tender (from port or starboard side) requires a bit of agility and bigger persons may find less ease when doing so.

Some short-comings:

• Dusty shelves in our cabin, I've wiped it clean before placing my belongs.
• Nespresso machine container had what looked-like an insect nest, about 5cm in diameter. Cleaned that too.
• Overhead shower pipe was coming off the wall mount, informed crew the 2nd day. It wasn't fixed during our trip, so we had to keep pushing it back into the holder, hoping the pipe does not break and fall off therefore causing water leak.
• The dining area is crammed during meal times.
• Dive deck gets crowded. The camera rinse tank is good for smaller equipment. Those with large photography equipment have little space to place and rinse their equipment.
• Tender boat is crowded; 10 divers + 2 dive guides + 1 boat crew + equipment + cameras.
• There was a Reef Creature Identification book but no a Reef Fish Identification Book, would be great to have the latter onboard as well.

 

[Jai Bar]

Adding on to this headline on Stella Maris Explorer to Tubbataha Reef Marine Park.
I was looking for review on this LOB before my trip but didn't find any, so I'll share my experience here.

There is many information online regarding the dives at Tubbataha Reefs. This review is mostly on the LOB - 1 week liveaboard on the Stella Maris Explorer in May 2024 to Tubbataha Reef Marine Park.

We were in the deluxe cabin with ensuite bathroom and air-conditioning. This cabin has lots of storage space to store belongings & equipment bags. Spacious ensuite with good-pressure-hot water for shower. It also has TV with movies on hard disk (to be requested from crew) and a Nespresso coffee machine. We never used the TV. Bed was made daily.

3 main meals are served per day with snacks in the late afternoon. All our meals were served in the indoor dining area and food is DELICIOUS and aplenty. Many titbits available like bake walnuts, melon seeds, biscuits and condiments like good quality honey, coconut syrup, coconut sugar, stevia. Good quality sauces available too for our meals. Coffee machine makes freshly grinded coffee. There are a handful of tea choices including organic green tea. For those who prefer to have a small-bite before the 1st morning dive, there are toasts, cereals, milk available.

Diving arrangements. We were full at 21 divers. Dive is arranged into 2 groups - a group of 10 divers and another of 11 divers. In each group, there are 2 dives guides to divers - 1 dive guide as leader while the other as sweeper. Divers were given a choice as to which group to join and to put our names down. Groups were not formed based on diver profile. Thankfully for us, our group had divers with similar experience/profile, except for 2 photographers who were mostly separated from us during the dives and the sweeper dive guide had to separate from us to be with them. The boat crew and dive guides are friendly and helpful. For divers who are Nitrox certified, nitrox is included in the dive package.

There are separate rinse tanks for camera, for masks and computers. For the wet-suit, the crew assists with a quick rinse in pleasant smelling soap and hangs them up to dry.

Stella Maris is a vessel repurposed to accommodate diving. The dive deck does get crowded even when we are staggered into 2 groups. Getting into and out of the tender (from port or starboard side) requires a bit of agility and bigger persons may find less ease when doing so.

Some short-comings:

• Dusty shelves in our cabin, I've wiped it clean before placing my belongs.
• Nespresso machine container had what looked-like an insect nest, about 5cm in diameter. Cleaned that too.
• Overhead shower pipe was coming off the wall mount, informed crew the 2nd day. It wasn't fixed during our trip, so we had to keep pushing it back into the holder, hoping the pipe does not break and fall off therefore causing water leak.
• The dining area is crammed during meal times.
• Dive deck gets crowded. The camera rinse tank is good for smaller equipment. Those with large photography equipment have little space to place and rinse their equipment.
• Tender boat is crowded; 10 divers + 2 dive guides + 1 boat crew + equipment + cameras.
• There was a Reef Creature Identification book but no a Reef Fish Identification Book, would be great to have the latter onboard as well.

Thanks for your review, I was looking for some info on Stella Maris and couldn't find much. Does the boat have an indoor salon where it is possible to hang out? I could find online only photos of dining room and outer deck, not much of the insides (except the rooms)...

For the dates that we have available for travel, it either the Stella Maris, Infinity or one of the Aggressors (don't remember which). I understand all LOBs go to the same dive sites anyway (and no night diving?).

For us (wife, son and me) food and cabin luxury is nice but of lesser importance- it is more important dive-deck spaciousness, what type of tender or dinghy, and how relaxed is the diving itself (I hate guides herding the group like cattle).

Any advice on the differences between these operators would be appreciated