MV Celebes Explorer

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Cruise price includes: Cabin accommodation, breakfast, lunch, dinner, snacks, drinking water, hot drinks, Tawau Airport - boat return transfers, dives, experienced English-speaking divemaster(s), tanks, weights and weightbelts.

Cruise price excludes (where applicable): Soft drinks, alcoholic drinks, equipment rental to be paid in advance, nitrox fills for enriched air certified divers (if available) (US$ 17 per fill) to be paid in advance, dive insurance (mandatory), marine park fees of approx. US$ 14 per person per day to be paid in advance, Semporna jetty fees of US$ 3 per tour booking to be paid in advance. There is a transfer fuel surcharge of US$ 50 per person each way every day except for Sunday transfers, to be paid in advance.
Note: All prices assume a morning boarding, after either arriving early or overnighting in Semporna. This ensures a greater number of dives. Packages involving later arrivals are available, please check with us for a revised price. Unless otherwise stated, all the listed items need to be paid on arrival.

How to get there: MV Celebes Explorer is moored in Semporna every Sunday morning when guests can join for trips of 3 or 7 nights' duration. Guests may also join a 4 night trip (transfer Wednesday morning) when the boat is moored at Mabul Island. Guests are advised to arrive on the morning of departure or to overnight in Semporna the previous night.

Tawau arrival flights:
Malaysia Airlines, MH2121, 07:30-08:15 hrs from Kota Kinabalu
Air Asia, AK5152, 07:20-10:05 hrs from Kuala Lumpur
Malaysia Airlines, MH 3093, 07:45-09:40 hrs from Sandakan
Malaysia Airlines, MH 2664, 11:40-14:30 hrs from Kuala Lumpur
Malaysia Airlines, MH2137, 14:15-15:00 hrs from Kota Kinabalu


You will have to wait at Tawau Airport for the transfer if your flight arrives in Tawau less than 1 hour before the next flight. Boat departures from Semporna to the liveaboard are at 09:15, 12:45 and 15:30 hrs. Diving on arrival day is only possible if you arrive on the liveaboard on the 09:15 hrs boat schedule. Please be ready at Seafest hotel lobby at least 30 minutes before the scheduled boat departure if you transfer to Semporna overland from Kota Kinabalu, Sandakan or Lahad Datu.

Tawau departure flights:
Malaysia Airlines, MH3092, 09:55-10:35 hrs to Sandakan
Malaysia Airlines, MH2665, 15:15-17:55 hrs to Kuala Lumpur
Malaysia Airlines, MH2134, 15:40-16:30 hrs to Kota Kinabalu


Disembark from Celebes Explorer and boat transfer to Semporna are at 05:30 and 08:30 hrs. Transfer to Tawau Airport is at 12:00 hrs.

Add on package If this is your only planned visit to Borneo Malaysia then we strongly recommend that you consider a 2 night add-on stay at the Sepilok Nature Resort, Sandakan in Sabah, to allow you to witness the not-to-be-missed jungle adventures with Orangutans.

Non-diver rate: 9% off the published rate.

Single supplement policy: Add approximately 45% to the published rate depending on length of cruise. Please check with us.

Dive clubs and group discounts: Discounts available for groups of 8 or more. Please check with us.

Whole boat charter rate (per night): 7 nights - US$ 3,964. For alternative trip prices, please check with us.