Solitude One Philippines

At 52m in length, Solitude One is a very large and spacious steel-hulled liveaboard which visits some of the best dive spots of the Philippines between April and October each year on cruises of 6-10 nights.

The huge dimensions of this Philippine liveaboard mean that you will never feel cramped and everything has a bright and roomy feel. The cabins and private bathrooms are larger than on most other liveaboards and the saloon, outdoor shaded areas and sun deck are also impressively proportioned. If you want to be sociable on Solitude One you can, but equally it’s very easy to find a quiet location onboard if you prefer some privacy.

Solitude One has some excellent features that very few other yachts boast. The cabins all have a flat screen TV with USB media support (so you can enjoy your own videos or music), and a networked system so you can access the boat’s library of movies and TV shows. The electrical sockets are universal and have USB charging ports too. Taller guests will appreciate the added headroom throughout and the extra-long mattresses. Features that underwater photographers will enjoy include the digital studio with computer stations and power surge protection, as well as 2 camera rinse tanks, air gun and special towels for cameras.

Diving is conducted from 2 speedy tenders which come equipped with medical oxygen, first aid, GPS navigation and VHF radios. Equipment rental includes a dive computer, lost diver device, reef hooks and SMBs. All of this adds to the sense that you are in good hands in the Philippines with the liveaboard crew of Solitude One.

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Dive experience: On all itineraries a minimum of advanced certification and experience of diving with currents is highly recommended.

Cruise price per person includes: Cabin accommodation, breakfast, lunch, dinner, snacks, drinking water, hot drinks, local airport transfers to and from the boat, dives, experienced English-speaking divemaster, tanks, weights and weightbelts, Nautilus Lifeline, safety sausage and reef hook, VAT/GST on cruise price.

Cruise price per person excludes (mandatory, unless customer provides own): Scuba equipment rental including computer (US$ 200 per week), marine park fees where applicable: Tubbataha (US$ 86), Sumilon (US$ 6), Oslob (US$ 26), Apo Island (US$ 26), Batangas, Romblon & Masbate park fee (7 nights US$ 50), Manila airport/hotel transfers to and from the boat. There will be fuel surcharge of US$ 30 per night imposed 30+ days in advance (advised on booking or charter) if the International crude barrel oil price is equal to US$ 75 or more. Unless otherwise stated, all the listed items need to be paid on arrival (cash - PHP, USD, EUR, or bank card).

Optional extras: Soft drinks, alcoholic drinks, nitrox (EAN 30%) fills for enriched air divers (US$ 135 for 7 day tour, US$ 20 for each additional day), torch (US$ 40 per week), 15 litre tank (US$ 8 per day), dive insurance, hotel transfers. Unless otherwise stated, all the listed items need to be paid on arrival. Note: prices of items purchased onboard are subject to change.

How to get there: The Solitude One liveaboard uses 4 ports in the Philippines - Puerto Princesa in Palawan, Anilao in Batangas, and Surigao in Mindanao. Boat-airport return transfers are provided by the boat operator.
Puerto Princesa: Direct domestic flight connections are possible from both Cebu and Manila. Airport pick up and boarding from 2-5 pm, depart port at sunset.
Anilao: A 2 hour minibus transfer service will be provided from Manila to board at 2 pm, depart port at sunset.
Cebu: Direct domestic flights are available from Manila and some other Filipino cities, as well as from Hong Kong, South Korea, Singapore, Dubai, Taiwan and China. Airport pick up and boarding from 4 pm, depart port after midnight.
Surigao: Direct domestic flight connections are possible from Cebu.
For more details, including airlines, see our Philippines travel information section. The last dive of the tour will be at 2 pm on the last full day of the trip. Disembark by 11 am. Please wait at least 18 hours before flying after diving.

Non-diver rate: 10% off the published price.

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 80% of the normal published price for their own cabin (stateroom and deluxe cabin only).

Dive clubs and group discounts: A group of 3 persons can occupy a 4-share room as full by paying 110% of the quad-share cabin price.
Pay for 10 guests and 1 extra person can join the cruise in a Stateroom cabin free of charge (total 11-19 guests). Pay for 18 guests and 2 additional persons can join free of charge (total 20-21 guests).

Whole boat charter rate (per night): Pay for 19 guests and 3 additional persons can join the cruise free of charge (total 22 guests).

Tubbataha Reefs Natural Park (7 Days / 6 Nights - 18 Dives)

Trip highlights: shark action, great macro life/ marine diversity, schooling fish & big pelagics

Diving environment: advanced divers, beginner divers, cage diving, caverns, drift diving, healthy reefs, off the beaten track, very popular, wall diving, wreck diving

Dive sites and activities: North and South Atoll: Delsan Wreck, Black Rock, Washing Machine, North East Wall, Donato's Wall, Shark Airport, Amos Rock, Staghorn Point, Jessie Beazley Reefs, Malayan Wreck

Day 1
Embarkation at Puerto Princesa harbour starts in the afternoon and guests are collected from Puerto Princesa Domestic Airport Terminal. If you arrive early, please make your own way to the harbour. The Solitude One crew will welcome you and give you a boat orientation and briefing, as well as ask you to sign the liability release forms. Dinner will follow once you have settled in. The boat leaves at port at sunset towards Tubbataha (estimated travel time is 10 hours).

Days 2-6
Tubbataha Reef is a UNESCO World Heritage site. Located in the center of the Sulu Sea, it is made up of South and North Atolls and the nearby Jessie Beazley Reef. It is here that you will find one of the most pristine coral reefs in the world. The park is a marine sanctuary in which nature flourishes, a dream place to go for divers like you, where you can find around 300 different coral types and at least 380 species of fish. Groupers, trevallies, Napoleon wrasse, triggerfish, turtles and also grey reef and whitetip reef sharks are present.
3-4 dives per diving day are scheduled on this Solitude One cruise: wake up with a light breakfast of hot drinks (they have a fully automatic (self-service) pressed coffee machine that delivers great latte, cappuccino, espresso or 'long black') and cookies, do the 1st morning dive followed by a full breakfast. A 2nd morning dive will be followed by lunch.
Relax for a couple of hours in the indoor lounge, on the partially shaded sun deck, or in the digital darkroom for safe stowing of camera and video equipment, and charging batteries. The afternoon dive is followed by homemade snacks, while dinner is scheduled after the 4th (night) dive. Main meals are carefully planned by the chef in order to meet the tastes of everyone on board with buffet style Asian and Western entrees.

Day 7
After a big breakfast, check out follows, and a transfer to the airport.

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Tubbataha, Malapascua, Southern Leyte & Cagayan (10 Days / 9 Nights - 30 Dives)

Trip highlights: whale sharks, hammerhead sharks, shark action, dolphins, manta rays, turtles, great macro life/ marine diversity, schooling fish & big pelagics

Diving environment: advanced divers, beginner divers, cage diving, caverns, drift diving, healthy reefs, off the beaten track, very popular, wall diving, wreck diving

Dive sites and activities: Tubbataha: North and South Atoll: Delsan Wreck, Black Rock, Washing Machine, North East Wall, Donato's Wall, Shark Airport, Amos Rock, Staghorn Point, Jessie Beazley Reefs, Malayan Wreck; Cagayancillo, Malapascua: Monad Shoal, Kalangaman, Gato Island, Southern Leyte: Sogod Bay, Limasawa Island, Panaon

Day 1
Embarkation at Puerto Princesa harbour starts from 2 pm. You would be collected from Puerto Princesa Domestic Airport Terminal from 2 pm onwards. However, if you arrived before this time, please make your own way to the harbour. The Solitude One crew will welcome you and give you a boat orientation and briefing, as well as ask you to sign the liability release forms. Dinner will follow once you have settled in. The boat leaves at port at sunset towards Tubbataha (estimated travel time is 10 hours).

Days 2-9
This cruise represents an almost full spectrum of what diving in the Philippines has to offer. Tubbataha is a UNESCO World Heritage site. Located in the center of the Sulu Sea, it is made up of South and North Atolls and the nearby Jessie Beazley Reef. It is here that you will find one of the most pristine coral reefs in the world. The park is a marine sanctuary in which nature flourishes, a dream place to go for divers like you, where you can find around 300 different coral types and at least 380 species of fish. Groupers, trevallies, Napoleon wrasse, triggerfish, turtles and also grey reef and whitetip reef sharks are present.
Malapascua is known for frequent sightings of rare thresher sharks as well as manta rays, and Gato Island is home to a sea krait breeding sanctuary. Finally, between November and May, you have an excellent chance to spot the incredible whale shark feeding in Sogod Bay.
3-4 dives per diving day are scheduled on this Solitude One cruise: wake up with a light breakfast of hot drinks (they have a fully automatic (self-service) pressed coffee machine that delivers great latte, cappuccino, espresso or 'long black') and cookies, do the 1st morning dive followed by a full breakfast. A 2nd morning dive will be followed by lunch.
Relax for a couple of hours in the indoor lounge, on the partially shaded sun deck, or in the digital darkroom for safe stowing of camera and video equipment, and charging batteries. The afternoon dive is followed by homemade snacks, while dinner is scheduled after the 4th (night) dive. Main meals are carefully planned by the chef in order to meet the tastes of everyone on board with buffet style Asian and Western entrees.

Day 10
After a big breakfast, check out follows at 9 am, and a transfer to Surigao Airport.
Note: this cruise sometimes operates in reverse so please check exact port details above.

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Tubbataha Reefs Natural Park (10 Days / 9 Nights - 30 Dives)

Trip highlights: shark action, great macro life/ marine diversity, schooling fish & big pelagics

Diving environment: advanced divers, beginner divers, cage diving, caverns, drift diving, healthy reefs, off the beaten track, very popular, wall diving, wreck diving

Dive sites and activities: North and South Atoll: Delsan Wreck, Black Rock, Washing Machine, North East Wall, Donato's Wall, Shark Airport, Amos Rock, Staghorn Point, Jessie Beazley Reefs, Malayan Wreck

Day 1
Embarkation at Puerto Princesa harbour starts early afternoon. You would be collected from Puerto Princesa Domestic Airport Terminal from 2 pm onwards. However, if you arrived before this time, please make your own way to the harbour. The Solitude One crew will welcome you and give you a boat orientation and briefing, as well as ask you to sign the liability release forms. Dinner will follow once you have settled in. The boat leaves at port at sunset towards Tubbataha (estimated travel time is 10 hours).

Days 2-9
Tubbataha Reef is a UNESCO World Heritage site. Located in the center of the Sulu Sea, it is made up of South and North Atolls and the nearby Jessie Beazley Reef. It is here that you will find one of the most pristine coral reefs in the world. The park is a marine sanctuary in which nature flourishes, a dream place to go for divers like you, where you can find around 300 different coral types and at least 380 species of fish. Groupers, trevallies, Napoleon wrasse, triggerfish, turtles and also grey reef and whitetip reef sharks are present.
3-4 dives per diving day are scheduled on this Solitude One cruise: wake up with a light breakfast of hot drinks (they have a fully automatic (self-service) pressed coffee machine that delivers great latte, cappuccino, espresso or 'long black') and cookies, do the 1st morning dive followed by a full breakfast. A 2nd morning dive will be followed by lunch.
Relax for a couple of hours in the indoor lounge, on the partially shaded sun deck, or in the digital darkroom for safe stowing of camera and video equipment, and charging batteries. The afternoon dive is followed by homemade snacks, while dinner is scheduled after the 4th (night) dive. Main meals are carefully planned by the chef in order to meet the tastes of everyone on board with buffet style Asian and Western entrees.

Day 10
After a big breakfast, check out follows, and a transfer back to the airport.

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[Information is best estimate in ideal circumstances and subject to changes beyond our control. The itinerary is a guide only and may be adapted to best suit the weather, tides, currents, availability and other prevailing events. Price is for the cruise, not for an exact number of dives].

There are 10 cabins on board. 3 Stateroom cabins (1 double bed cabin and 1 twin bed cabin on the main deck, 1 double bed cabin on the lower deck), 6 Deluxe double/twin bed cabins on the lower deck and 1 Standard 4-share (2 single beds and 2 bunk beds) cabin on the lower deck. All cabins have private en-suite bathrooms with hot water shower, and many of them have a day bed which may be converted to an extra bed.

All the cabins have: No. of bathrooms / showers - 11 / 16