OP
cleomagic
Contributor
Hi - Sorry for the delayed response. Just came back from a 2 week camping trip with no cellphone or internet coverage.
Conclusion - Would we dive the Palau Sport again? Yes, we would. The ownership is relatively new to operating a dive boat and are still learning. Once they fix the pickup and communication issues, we'd give them an even bigger yes.
Pros:
- The boat is clean and the crew is attentive. The boat recently went through a complete over-haul about 1 1/2 years ago.
- Even though there was an itinerary of dive sites for the day, we changed locations a few times because either the current was too fast or the seas too rough. We really appreciated the fact that they would do what was best and most safest for us.
- We felt safe on the boat because all of the bedrooms are on the same floor as the dive deck. If there is an emergency, there were multiple ways out and off the ship (including the window in our room which opened wide enough to get out, if necessary
- There is a dedicated rinse tank for cameras, so if you are a photographer, there is room for your camera gear.
- We stayed in one of the rooms with a queen sized bed and we had plenty of storage. We decided to keep all of our luggage in our room; most people gave their luggage to one of the crew and it was stored away. If we had to do it again, we would probably do that to give us more space in the room. The rooms are not large, but it is a boat. They never are.
- We had 2 issues with our room, and Jonathon (one of the owners) was quick to resolve both problems.
- Cost - The Palau Sport is a good value at a "budget" price for Tubbataha.
Neutral:
- The food. There was always food available; however, for American taste buds the Philippine dishes seemed mostly repetitive between lunch and dinner, and day to day. The food wasn't bad, just not that exciting, either.
Con:
- Communication on being picked up to arrive at the boat. Palau Sport said they would pick us up at the hotel around 1pm. Since we were checking out at noon, we thought we would just hang out in the lobby and wait. It would be only an hour. At 2:30pm, we contacted Palau Sport and asked them when we would be picked up. We were informed they were going around and picking up divers throughout Puerto Princesa. Since we were close to where the boat was located, we were going to be the last to be picked up. When we asked for an ETA on when that would be (so maybe we could go and find some lunch, walk around the city), we received no reply. When we contacted them at 3:30pm, we did not receive a response. At 3:45pm, the shuttle van finally showed up. When we arrived at the boat, they brought us to the dining room, and then left. No instructions, no information. It took 10-15mins before someone showed up and took us to our room (after we asked). Given how attentive the owners and Palau Sport staff are, we are still surprised by how bumpy our initial experience was with them. If we had been given a time frame as to when to expect the shuttle, we could have easily worked around it - had lunch, requested a late check out, etc. The other option would be for Palau Sport to have passengers consolidate to a couple of specific hotels (the way Aggressor does it), and that way the timing of the shuttle can be more predictable. When disembarking, the dropoff at the airport and local hotels was well communicated and went flawlessly.
Hopefully that helps - and as mentioned at the beginning we would dive with Palau Sport again, if their itinerary aligns with our vacation/trip plans.
Conclusion - Would we dive the Palau Sport again? Yes, we would. The ownership is relatively new to operating a dive boat and are still learning. Once they fix the pickup and communication issues, we'd give them an even bigger yes.
Pros:
- The boat is clean and the crew is attentive. The boat recently went through a complete over-haul about 1 1/2 years ago.
- Even though there was an itinerary of dive sites for the day, we changed locations a few times because either the current was too fast or the seas too rough. We really appreciated the fact that they would do what was best and most safest for us.
- We felt safe on the boat because all of the bedrooms are on the same floor as the dive deck. If there is an emergency, there were multiple ways out and off the ship (including the window in our room which opened wide enough to get out, if necessary
- There is a dedicated rinse tank for cameras, so if you are a photographer, there is room for your camera gear.
- We stayed in one of the rooms with a queen sized bed and we had plenty of storage. We decided to keep all of our luggage in our room; most people gave their luggage to one of the crew and it was stored away. If we had to do it again, we would probably do that to give us more space in the room. The rooms are not large, but it is a boat. They never are.
- We had 2 issues with our room, and Jonathon (one of the owners) was quick to resolve both problems.
- Cost - The Palau Sport is a good value at a "budget" price for Tubbataha.
Neutral:
- The food. There was always food available; however, for American taste buds the Philippine dishes seemed mostly repetitive between lunch and dinner, and day to day. The food wasn't bad, just not that exciting, either.
Con:
- Communication on being picked up to arrive at the boat. Palau Sport said they would pick us up at the hotel around 1pm. Since we were checking out at noon, we thought we would just hang out in the lobby and wait. It would be only an hour. At 2:30pm, we contacted Palau Sport and asked them when we would be picked up. We were informed they were going around and picking up divers throughout Puerto Princesa. Since we were close to where the boat was located, we were going to be the last to be picked up. When we asked for an ETA on when that would be (so maybe we could go and find some lunch, walk around the city), we received no reply. When we contacted them at 3:30pm, we did not receive a response. At 3:45pm, the shuttle van finally showed up. When we arrived at the boat, they brought us to the dining room, and then left. No instructions, no information. It took 10-15mins before someone showed up and took us to our room (after we asked). Given how attentive the owners and Palau Sport staff are, we are still surprised by how bumpy our initial experience was with them. If we had been given a time frame as to when to expect the shuttle, we could have easily worked around it - had lunch, requested a late check out, etc. The other option would be for Palau Sport to have passengers consolidate to a couple of specific hotels (the way Aggressor does it), and that way the timing of the shuttle can be more predictable. When disembarking, the dropoff at the airport and local hotels was well communicated and went flawlessly.
Hopefully that helps - and as mentioned at the beginning we would dive with Palau Sport again, if their itinerary aligns with our vacation/trip plans.
