The Coron-Apo Reef-Puerto Galera Liveaboard experience offered by the MV Resolute is an absolute must for everyone who considers themselves to be a serious scuba diver or who is simply looking for the thrill of a lifetime. This immersive voyage will take you to some of the most spectacular diving locations in the Philippines.
On this liveaboard trip, I was able to tick off several items on my dive bucket list such as diving with a dugong and exploring the World War 2 wrecks in Coron. The unique itinerary will also give you the opportunity to explore vivid and healthy coral gardens, spot a wide variety of unique marine species, and even swim with sea turtles and sharks.
You will not only have access to some of the most untouched and inaccessible diving areas in the region, but you will also be able to take advantage of the ease and convenience that a liveaboard cruise provides. The MV Resolute’s liveaboard experience offers a one-of-a-kind and unrivaled opportunity to discover the breathtaking natural scenery of the Philippines.
I have gone diving in Tubbataha with MV Resolute and I was very fortunate to be invited to experience this new route they were offering. Continue reading to find out why I highly recommend it and why you should book this trip too.
- MV Resolute Liveaboard Experience
- Liveaboard Diving in Coron with Resolute
- Liveaboard Diving in Apo Reef with Resolute
- Liveaboard Diving in Puerto Galera with Resolute
- MV Resolute Amenities and Services
- What to Pack for Liveaboard Diving
- MV Resolute Liveaboard Philippines Routes
- MV Resolute contact details
MV Resolute Liveaboard Experience
One of the best things about this liveaboard trip was the unique itinerary it offered. MV Resolute’s Coron-Apo Reef- Puerto Galera liveaboard features a trip plan that highlights some of the best scuba diving spots in the Philippines.
| Day 1 | Embarkation in Batangas, Travel to Palawan |
| Day 2 | Arrive at Calauit, Palawan |
| Day 3 | Diving in Coron |
| Day 4 | Diving in Apo Reef |
| Day 5 | Diving in Puerto Galera |
| Day 6 | Half-day diving (2 dives); Depart for Batangas |
| Day 7 | Disembarkation |
The trip kicks off with embarkation in Batangas on Day 1. From here, you travel to Calauit Island in Palawan, where you’ll have the chance to dive with dugongs and learn about the distinctive environment that exists in this region.
After that, you will make your way to Coron, where you will spend the third day of the trip scuba diving in World War 2 wrecks. Here you will also visit Barracuda Lake where you can experience diving in both thermocline and halocline environments.
This liveaboard trip will also give you the opportunity to swim among sharks and turtles as you explore the breathtaking coral reefs of Apo Reef Natural Park on Days 4 and 5.
On day six, you will go to some of the most magnificent dive sites in Puerto Galera. Here, you will get the opportunity to dive the well-known Alma Jane wreck, explore the breathtaking Canyon, and partake in some macro diving. Finally, on Day 07, you’ll disembark at 9:00 am in Batangas.
If you have limited time diving in the Philippines, this liveaboard will allow you to discover the natural treasures that the Philippines has to offer. In a span of 1 week you get to visit 3 of the best diving destinations in the Philippines and enjoy a variety of attractions and dive sites.
Liveaboard Diving in Coron with Resolute
The first day of the trip was spent embarking at Batangas and traveling overnight to Palawan. It wasn’t until the second day that the real adventure began. As we traveled to Calauit Island, I couldn’t help but feel a rush of excitement at the thought of diving with dugongs. This has always been on my Philippine dive bucket list. It was a dream come true to finally come face-to-face with Aban-Aban, one of the dugongs known in the area.
The rest of the trip was equally breathtaking, with highlights that included visiting Manta Point in an attempt to look for these graceful creatures.
We then sailed towards Coron to explore the wreckage sites of Okikawa Maru, Olympia Maru, and Morazan Maru. As someone who is not particularly fond of diving wrecks, seeing the metal skeletal remains of World War 2 covered with marine life change my mind about diving wrecks. What I thought would be an eerie experience turned out to be a thrilling one.
And then there was Barracuda Lake, a unique dive site where we explored a lake surrounded by towering limestone cliffs. Here I experienced diving in thermoclines and haloclines for the first time.
Learn more about diving in Coron in this post.
Liveaboard Diving in Apo Reef with Resolute
After Coron, we headed to Apo Reef Natural Park in Occidental Mindoro.
Apo Reef Natural Park is a protected area with a huge variety of marine life, from sea turtles and sharks to schools of bright fish and barracudas. What I loved most about diving in Apo Reef Natural Park was how much wildlife there was. I could see coral reefs and groups of fish everywhere I looked.
Apo Reef Natural Park is a great example of how marine protected areas help keep marine life and ecosystems safe for future generations.
Some of the highlights of my dive experience in Apo Reef were swimming with a huge male sea turtle, a cool encounter with two giant cuttlefish, and seeing a cavern with sleeping sharks.
Aside from the incredible diving, we also got to visit the island itself and enjoy its white-sand beaches. The island was a perfect place to unwind after a long day of diving.
This trip was also particularly memorable as I finally reached my 300th dive. Resolute surprised me with a banner which was very thoughtful of them. It’s little gestures like this that make them standout.
Liveaboard Diving in Puerto Galera with Resolute
Unfortunately, due to worsening weather conditions in the Apo Reef, we had to change the itinerary and head to Puerto Galera in Oriental Mindoro, earlier than expected. While I wanted to more diving in Apo Reef, I also didn’t mind visiting Puerto Galera once again.
No matter how many times I’ve visited this place, I never tire of the beauty and diversity of the underwater world in Puerto Galera.
One highlight of my dive experience was exploring the Alma Jane Wreck, a fascinating shipwreck that has become a popular spot for divers. As I swam through the wreck, I was amazed by the way the marine life has taken over the structure, with schools of fish darting in and out of the wreck
But the wonders of Puerto Galera didn’t end there.
During one dive, we were lucky enough to spot a flamboyant cuttlefish, a small cephalopod with vivid colors and a mesmerizing way of moving through the water. I also saw a well-camouflaged frogfish, which blended seamlessly into the surrounding sponges and was almost impossible to spot. I also had the chance to encounter seahorses and nudibranchs of different colors and sizes.
Visiting a giant clam garden during a night dive was also a cool experience for me.
On this trip, I finally saw a spiny tiger shrimp for the first time, a small but incredibly striking crustacean with vivid colors that has forever been on my dive critter list!
Diving in puerto galera was a good change of pace especially after diving in the huge wrecks and expansive coral reefs. Getting close to macro critters was definitely a highlight for me for this trip.
MV Resolute Amenities and Services
The MV Resolute’s customer service is just exceptional. I have gone diving with them thrice and they are consistent when it comes to providing genuine care and consideration to their guest.
From the minute we boarded till the end of our journey, the crew of MV resolute went above and beyond to see to it that all of our needs were satisfied and that we were always at ease. I enjoyed a safe and pleasurable diving experience thanks to the competent and skilled crew.
If you’re thinking of going on a liveaboard trip in the Phlippines, MV Resolute would be an excellent choice to do it with.
Dive Deck
The dive deck on Resolute is spacious and can fit 16 divers at the same time. But to make it more comfortable for everyone, they implemented a system to let us gear up in two teams.
We all have our own crates and there are benches all around the deck to keep things organized.
There are three showers at the back of the deck were we can cool off before a dive or rinse the salty water after the dive. They have two dunk tanks, but they’re only meant for cameras and dive computers.
After the dive, they have an area where you can hang your wetsuit, swimwear, dive protection suits, and towel. It’s pretty much first come first serve, so if you have lots of things to dry, you might want to bring your own clothes pin and hangers.
Dive Gear Rental
The MV Resolute liveaboard package includes free air refills, the use of their 12-liter tanks with DIN or yolk valves, a reel and dSMB, weights, and weight belts.
For extra fees, you can rent a BCD, regulator, dive computer, wetsuit, mask, fins, boots, 15-liter tanks, and dive computer. They will give you a dive gear rental form before the trip so you can tell them if you need to rent gear or not.
If you’d rather dive with Nitrox, you can do that too, but you’ll have to pay extra for it.
I didn’t rent gear, but I did pay more for all of my dives’ Nitrox refills. I think this is a great idea, especially since we were doing multiple deep dives.
Dive Boats
The fact that Resolute had two chaser boats that got us to the dive sites in a quick and safe manner was one of the things I enjoyed best about going diving with them. It had a lot of room, and it could accommodate between 8 and 12 people at the same time.
The employees at Resolute were the ones that placed all of our diving gear onto the dive boat. The only thing that needed to be done before we headed to the dive site was to check that all of our equipment was present and in good working order.
When we get to the sites, which are typically between five and ten minutes away from where the Resolute vessel is moored, that is when we put on our gear. After ensuring that everyone is ready, we perform a backroll to enter the water.
When we have completed our dive, our boat will be prepared for us to board, and everyone of us will get a turn getting aboard. You can cling to the ropes for support in case of heavy currents. In addition to this, there is a ladder that makes climbing on board easier.
MV Resolute Cabins
On the MV Resolute, two divers can fit in each cabin. They feature 8 rooms with private bathrooms and complete air conditioning.
Although the rooms were small, the bedding was cozy and comfortable. For this trip I was rooming with my friend Alexa. She’s tinier than I am so she didn’t mind taking the upper bunk. The rooms have different configurations or layouts so if you’re particular with space, you might want to reach out to Resolute to view each cabin.
For instance, there are two smaller rooms located towards the bow of the MV Resolute. These are typically less expensive, but if you have a fear of small spaces, you might not feel at ease sleeping there.
Each bed featured a 220v outlet and its own reading light. Its inclusion of a USB port was a feature I liked.
The space under the bed was spacious so you can store your huge luggage bag there. The room has shelves to help you keep your belongings organized.
The bathroom is quite roomy. There is a hot and cold shower, and there is also liquid body soap and shampoo. There is no need to pack towels because they are provided.
Every day, the rooms are also made up. The crew tidies up our cabins while we are on our dives so we can return to a comfortable space. This was something I appreciated after a long day of diving.
Food and Dining on MV Resolute
We were getting a lot of exercise because we were diving four times every day. You may expect that by the end of the trip we would have lost some weight, but because they fed us so well, we ended up gaining it all back.
The MV Resolute was a highly accomplished chef who each cooked five to six different meals for each meal. We were served both Filipino and International dishes.
Breakfast, lunch and dinner consisted of two different types of meat, one type of seafood, rice or noodles, soup, and vegetables. You can help yourself to as much food as you wish from the buffet that is provided. The food was so good that I couldn’t help but order a second helping of each dish.
A typical diving day will normally be like this:
| 6 AM | Wake up / Light breakfast |
| 7 AM | 1st Dive |
| 8 AM | Heavy breakfast |
| 10 AM | 2nd Dive |
| 12 NN | Lunch |
| 2 PM | 3rd Dive |
| 3 PM | Snack |
| 4 PM | 4th Dive |
| 7 PM | Dinner |
| | |
For this trip, I particularly enjoyed the paella and pizza. Dishes I don’t particularly get to eat when I am diving in the middle of nowhere.
They offered filtered water as well as an endless supply of coffee, tea, and fruit juices. Alcoholic beverages and soda are available but are subject to an additional charge.
If you are celebrating a special occasion, like birthdays, anniversaries, and even your 100th dive milestone, you can also inform them so they can make sure to celebrate it with you!
Our trip landed on Valentines day and we celebrated on board with a special dinner, a cake, and they also gave everyone some chocolate.
What to Pack for Liveaboard Diving
When it comes to packing for a liveaboard trip, always pack light. Space is very limited on board so take only the essentials.
In my experience, you will spend most of your time in your swimsuit and dive gear so there is no need to bring fancy clothes and shoes. If I wasn’t wearing my booties and fins, I was barefoot or wearing my flip-flops.
While space is limited, it’s still best to bring your own dive gear to save on rentals and also for your own comfort.
Here is the scuba equipment and dive gear I brought on Resolute liveaboard:
My Scuba Diving Gear
Regulator: Scubapro MK25 Evo, C300 and C200 2nd Stage
BCD: Aqualung Axiom
Mask: TUSA M-212 Freedom Ceos
Snorkel: TUSA SP-170 Platina Hyperdry II
Booties: Poseidon Pink Dive Boots
Fins: Problue
Wetsuit: Seavenger
Vest Hoodie: Scubapro Hybrid Hooded Vest
Dive Watch: Suunto D4i Novo
Dive Knife: Aqualung Blunt Tip Knife
Dive Leggings and Rash: Blue Adaptation Coral Sea Fan
My Underwater Camera Gear
Underwater Camera: Canon G7X Mark II
Underwater Camera Housing: Fantasea FG7XII
Video Lights: Big Blue AL1200XP
Underwater Action Camera: GoPro Hero9
360 Camera: Insta360 X3
> Canon G7X Mark II full review
> Insta360 X3 underwater camera review
> Scuba diving camera recommendations for beginners.
Dive Insurance
Divers Alert Network (DAN)
Need travel insurance for your trip? Get a quote from Safety Wing.
Water temperature was around 24-26 (86°F) at the time so for most of the dives I was wearing my 3mm wetsuit, dive leggings, rash guard, and hoodie.
The Philippines is an underwater photographer’s dream destination. If you want to bring your own camera, here are some recommendations on scuba diving cameras for beginners.
It’s important to note that there is no mobile reception in many of areas that Resolute visits so bring a book or an iPad with music or movies to entertain you between dives.
While they fed well us, I still brought some personal snacks and candies. They don’t sell snacks like chips on board but they have alcoholic beverages you can purchase.
Don’t forget to bring motion sickness medicine. I was taking Bonamine for three days. The journey made me nauseous and it took me some time to adjust to the motion of the ocean.
Bring cash if you intend to buy souvenirs, purchase some alcoholic beverages, and if you wish to tip the crew at the end of the trip.
You can also check my post on the Ultimate Liveaboard Packing List: What to Bring on a Liveaboard Dive Trip.
MV Resolute Liveaboard Philippines Routes
When MV Resolute is not sailing in Coron, Apo Reef Natural Park and Puerto Galera, they are exploring other dive destinations in the Philippines.
If you want to dive with them in other locations, here are the other routes they have:
- Tubbataha Reefs Natural Park – highly recommended!
- Cebu (Visayas)
MV Resolute contact details
If you wish to contact MV Resolute to inquire further about their trips, here is their contact information.
Telephone: +63 2 8697 2697
Email: info(a)dive-resolute.com
Website: https://www.dive-resolute.com/
I hope you find this liveaboard review helpful! If you have questions about my experience with MV Resolute, leave a comment below!
