Philippines Aggressor

The Philippines Aggressor is a magnificent and modern 41m/135 ft purpose-built steel hull liveaboard, constructed in 2020 in Egypt. The yacht operates 7 and 10 night diving cruises to Tubbataha and to a variety of Visayas destinations, including Malapascua, Southern Leyte, Bohol and Moalboal. These represent much of the best in diving that the Philippines have to offer - large pelagics such as whale sharks, mantas, hammerheads and thresher sharks, plus an unbeatable amount of macro creatures including innumerable varieties of shrimps and octopus. Many claim the Philippines to be The Nudibranch Capital of the World.

24 guests are hosted onboard in 12 cabins with ensuite bathrooms. There are Deluxe Staterooms on both the lower and main decks, as well as Balcony Suites on the upper deck (with private balconies, of course), from where you can drink in the picturesque island seascape of the archipelago. Guests are attended to by the 18 onboard staff, so you can expect the attentive service, characteristic of Aggressor liveaboards.

The Philippines Aggressor has a dedicated restaurant on the main deck, where meals are taken – breakfast is cooked to order, lunch is a buffet, and dinner is served tableside. One great feature is this yacht is that the sun deck can also be used for al fresco dining when preferred. The menu onboard is varied and the food plentiful. Some examples of dishes include Asparagus Cream Soup, Chicken and Mushroom Pie, Roasted Turkey with Brown Sauce, Bell Pepper Stew and Saffron Rice with Vegetables, Pear Strudel, Crème Brûlée. There are always plenty of snacks available throughout the day too, such as Mexican-style nachos, pizza slices and carrot cake. Local beer and wine is provided free of charge throughout the cruises.

Besides having set tables for al fresco dining, the sun deck also has a hot tub - ideal for late afternoon or early evening relaxation. The awning covers the entire deck, but is retractable so sun worshippers can catch some rays during the day. The upper deck is also a popular relaxation area. It has an open-air cocktail lounge for unwinding after the day’s diving, and an indoor lounge, complete with television sets and various other entertainments, such as movies, games and books.

The dive deck is wide and spacious; each diver has their own tank rack, locker, and seating area. All dives are made from the 20 ft / 6m outboard zodiacs capable of carrying 12 divers. The boarding ladders were designed for convenience to make exits and entries a breeze. Many sites in the Philippines are drift dives so you should be comfortable with a diving in a current. A full line of Aqua Lung rental equipment is available aboard. If any of your own dive gear fails while onboard, the crew will loan you equipment free of charge, compliments of Aqua Lung. Nice! There is also a photo/video editing center, where you can check out your underwater shots.

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Dive experience: All divers must affirm that they are fit to dive in the Philippines, including physical fitness, dive skills and experience. The individual diver is the best person to judge their own fitness.

Cruise price per person includes: Cabin accommodation with air-conditioning, breakfast, lunch, dinner (except final night), snacks, water, soft drinks and hot drinks, local wine and beer, local airport transfers, dives (as detailed in the cruises above), 4 experienced English-speaking divemasters per full boat, tanks, weights and weightbelts, all taxes.

Cruise price per person excludes (mandatory, unless customer provides own): Scuba equipment (complete set incl dive computer US$ 225 per week), dive computer, port/park fees - Tubbataha 7 and 10 nights trip US$ 150, Tubbataha transition trip US$ 210, Visayas 7 nights US$ 100 per week, Visayas 10 nights US$ 125, Oslob (when visited) US$ 30. With effect from 1 April 2022, a fuel surcharge will apply to all cruises (7 nights US$ 200, 10 nights US$ 285). Unless otherwise stated, all the listed items need to be paid on arrival (cash or credit card).

Optional extras: Nitrox fills for enriched air certified divers (7 nights US$ 100, 10 nights US$ 150), torch ( US$ 8 per night), 15 liter tanks (7 nights US$ 75, 10 nights US$ 120 ), dive insurance, dinner on the final evening of the cruise. Unless otherwise stated, all the listed items need to be paid on arrival.

How to get there: The Philippines Aggressor uses 3 ports:
Puerto Princesa: This port is used for cruises to Tubbataha Reefs Natural Park and some transit trips to Cebu. The local airport is Puerto Princesa Airport (PPS). There are direct flights from Cebu City and Manila, as well as from Hong Kong, Taiwan and South Korea.
Dumaguete: This port is used for cruises between Cebu City and Dumaguete. The local airport is Dumaguete City Sibulan Airport (DGT). There are direct flights from Manila and Cebu City.
Cebu City: This port is used for all other cruises. The local airport is Mactan Cebu International Airport (CEB). There are direct flights from Manila and some other Filipino cities, as well as from Hong Kong, South Korea, Singapore, Dubai, Taiwan and China.
For more information see our Philippines travel information section.
In all cases, you will be collected at the local airport at 4 pm and transferred to the yacht. You must be onboard by 6 pm for cruise briefing, dinner and departure. The last dive of the trip will be at lunch time on the penultimate day. Disembarkation and local airport/hotel transfers will be at 8 am. Please wait at least 18 hours before flying after diving.

Non-diver rate: US$ 200 off the full published price (does not apply to specials).

Single supplement (if you do not want to share accommodation): This is optional - single travellers may choose to share a cabin or pay a supplement of 65% of the normal published price.

Dive clubs and group discounts: Pay for 11 guests, and 2 extra persons can join the cruise in a stateroom free of charge (total 13+ guests).

Whole boat charter rate (per night): Pay for 21 guests and 3 additional persons can join the cruise in staterooms free of charge (total 24 guests).

There are 12 staterooms, 5 on the lower deck, 4 on the main deck, and 3 Balcony Suites on the upper deck. All room categories are 2-share and can be used as twin bed or king bed occupancy, Each cabin has its own ensuite bathroom replete with separate shower cubicle. All have individual climate control, media players, ample storage space, and a safety box for personal belongings. Lower deck staterooms have portholes, upper and main deck have seaview windows. Linen is changed upon request and fresh towels are placed in each stateroom as needed.

All the cabins have: No. of bathrooms / showers - 14 / 14 - hot water

Customer reviews:

"The facilities and service were very good. The food was of a good quality, varied, and plentiful. The staff were experienced, friendly and welcoming. I think the tour could be better organised, and a few tweaks here and there would lead to a better customer experience.
Dive The World were very responsive. Free dive insurance was a nice perk." - Mathew Orr, United Kingdom, 19 April 2023 ...