Navis 1 Liveaboard, Philippines

Overall great trip for a low price. Good bang for the buck (or Euro).

Understand that we made two back to back trips: El Nido to Coron, and then Coron back to Coron. The cabin my buddy and I shared was small, but relatively comfortable. The room air conditioner efficiently cooled the room. Each bed had a lightweight blanket providing adequate warmth over a fitted sheet. A change of sheet, blanket and towels were available for the asking. There was plenty of space to store personal items and clothing. Small luggage was kept in the room. Larger bags can be kept in the spacious camera room. The crew on the Navis 1 were very hardworking and attentive to the guests. The crew did many things that typically are not found on a trip such as this. For example, our wetsuits were hung for us after each dive and washed at the end of each day. One of the guides was always there to help an 87 year old diver remove his wetsuit. When minor room maintenance was needed, that maintenance was quickly performed, even if it was suddenly needed in the middle of the night.. Midway through the first trip, one of the two owners of the boat came on board with his two three-year old twins and their Filipino nanny. Those kids were entertaining to watch and interact with. While on the boat, the owner was ready to hear suggestions on how to make his boat a better five boat and provide a better diving experience. The food was quite good, although it was a bit heavier on spice at times. The variety at each meal was impressive, commonly with pork, chicken, and fish in the same meal. Rice was at every meal. Pasta was common. Soups were great. I asked the cook to write down one recipe to share with my wife. Vegetarian meals were prepared separately for several divers. No one walked away from a meal hungry. One lunches was at picnic tables on an island which had an impressive cavern with a pool of water inside to cool off in and aa nearby pen with a dozen or so monitor lizards were waiting for visitors. There were two evenings on each trip where most divers stayed up late on the sun deck. The steward, Daphne, sang for us one night and played her saxophone on another. On both nights, a karaoke system was set up for those of us brave enough to sing to the other divers and the crew. I would have preferred more time on Apo Reef and less on non-combat Japanese ships sunk by Americans during World War II, but I understand that there are Navis 1 itineraries that offer most or all of the time on App Reef.

Recommended for

Been said by many other reviewers that the crew was great. That is an understatement.. Made for a fun filled voyage with entertainment beyond the diving.. Free Starlink providing amazing WiFi and ability to call/text friends and family..

28 Nov, 2024

Great dives and crew! Boat needs work.

My husband and I loved the gorgeous dives, and the adventuresome wreck dives. Apo Reef is just wonderful. I got my Advanced Open Water with Divemaster Mark Frazer. He was fantastic. He really took time to help me understand anything I struggled with. Very calm and masterful. I knew he could help me if I needed anything on a dive. The crew was just the best. Mimi took care of everything. Chef made delicious food, on what I suspect was a tight budget. The vegetarian with us had her own plates of lovely veg. The boat needs a lot of upgrades. Just know you are on a budget boat. The crew does their best to keep everyone comfortable. We were grateful for the air con in the little cabin. There's no place to put your stuff. We created a system for ourselves. The bathroom is always wet. there was a leak in the bidet hose that kept the floor wet. The matts on the floors seem old. The top deck, the only place to comfortably hang out, only had uncomfortable plastic chairs or a few old bean bags. Not enough for everyone. There was little shade we struggled to stay in. The dining area was airless and hot. There's diesel fumes everywhere which was really sad to me. There wasn't a place to hang up your swimsuits, rashguards etc. We tied our stuff to railings. There are a few clips but not enough for everyone. But the crew was so good, and strived to make us comfortable. We also had a group of awesome divers who were fun to be with so the trip was overall a success. It's a budget boat, and that is a helpful choice when you need it.

Recommended for

The Dives, The Dive masters and the awesome crew

11 May, 2024

Amazing experience!

The crew makes this experience incredible. They are all so nice and go out of their way to make sure you are happy. Food was incredible, I think I am spoiled for the rest of my life now. Diving on this trip was epic! I was in a shared room which was ok - if you only care about the room this boat is not for you. But it’s a diving liveaboard so I spent very little time in the room - just to sleep. Thank you so much Manta.ph!

Recommended for

The crew, the dive locations, the food

16 Mar, 2024

Great trip

Very good energy & vibes! Very informative on the wildlife, and the wrecks so we knew the history & characteristics of what we were seeing while diving. Friendly & welcoming staff, felt at home. Music & dinner in the evening on the top deck was beautiful. Took an advanced course on board & the instructor did a wonderful job, very attentive & thorough.

Recommended for

Staff, instructor/dive master Shawn, shipwrecks

20 Jan, 2024

First Liveaboard experience was the best we could have hoped for

Able to enjoy 18 of the 20 dives which at 73 did not exhaust us out like usual from shore based. Crew and particularly Chef surprised us with delicious food and we did not lose weight which usually happens in the Philippines as I am vegetarian. Dive guides and especially the Dive instructor was especially helpful in advanced instruction for me and helping my wife be much more comfortable with her descent and buoyancy issues that we are certain to want to return with this vessel!

Recommended for

Dive Guide, Food, Crew

19 Nov, 2023

As my first liveaboard experience, this is going to be hard to top!!!

As a solo female traveller with a background working on marine conservation projects abroad, for my first liveaboard experience I wanted to find something that was that was primarily focussed on the diving and was comfortable and relaxed without being luxury or fussy - the Navis 1 certainly delivered on all fronts. The staff are all Filipino and are extremely friendly and conscientious. The catamaran is a recently converted cargo ship and so is large and spacious. Some of the original crew from its past life are still working on board which is a testament to the operators and also means they know it inside and out. I shared a twin cabin with a fellow diver who I did not know prior to the trip and, although the space was small, the set out was well planned meaning we had plenty of room to put our stuff away and weren’t getting on top of each other. Bring earplugs if you’re a light sleeper to avoid getting awoken by the engine at times as sound proofing is limited. The upper deck is huge and has plenty of comfy bean bags to relax on and/or have some alone time in between diving – one tip for the operators for future would be to take advantage of the beautiful surroundings and have more of the dinners on the top deck rather than on the middle deck as we customarily did. I was the only vegetarian on board and the chef and staff really looked after me, ensuring I had plenty of variety and sustenance (in fact too much as I had to ask for smaller portions)! Starlink wifi worked well throughout. I would recommend operators purchase a device that allows guests to connect their devices to the middle deck TV for purposes of sharing pictures and learnings etc. Now to the diving! As I understand it the itinerary is uniquely curated to ensure visits to the best spots rather than those most convenient. True to this we did not pass another liveaboard and were for the most part the only divers on the sites. The Filipino dive and dinghy staff struck the perfect balance, being professional, attentive and safe whilst maintaining a relaxed and calm atmosphere. The dive briefing room and deck on the ground floor is spacious and well equipped. I particularly liked the pictures and information on the marine life adorning the walls of the briefing room. The expansive nature of the route, dive times and sites meant that we were able to see a variety of different marine biodiversity and reef structures and wrecks as the journey progressed – with Apo reef towards the end being the main highlight. I was delighted to find that the Navis 1 has its own mini library on pacific fish and creatures and it was such a joy to use these to debrief with the follow divers and staff about our sightings post dives. Over the 24 dives we saw wonderful diverse fish, sea snakes, turtles, endless nudis, mantis shrimp, rays, reef sharks, lobster, cuttlefish (including a flamboyant one), octopus, barracuda, tuna, dugongs - the captain also alerted us to some dolphins swimming by. If you are an individual who prioritises diving and vibes over luxury, this is the liveaboard for you!

Recommended for

The route and dive sites. The Filipino dive staff and boat crew. The fellow guest divers.

29 Mar, 2025