The Southern Route commences at Cebu, the second largest city of the Philippines. Cebu is the capital of the Visayas Region, located centrally in the Philippine archipelago.

This cruise takes you around to some of the most beautiful tropical islands in the world; serene places with white sandy beaches, turquoise water and idyllic fishing villages, that have remained totally unaffected by modern mass tourism. There will be plenty of opportunity to relax and enjoy or explore – on your own or together with one of our guides.

Route:

Cebu – Apo Island – Bohol – Camiguin – Dinagat – Southern Leyte – Cebu

Available Schedules:

October 15 – 22, 2011
October 22 – 29, 2011
October 29 – November 05, 2011
November 05 – 12, 2011
November 12 – 19, 2011
November 19 – 26, 2011
November 26 –December 03, 2011
December 03 – 10, 2011

Rates:

Package Inclusions:

• Welcome drinks
• Air-conditioned accommodation with private toilet and shower
• Full-board meals (buffet) for the whole cruise, excluding drinks.
• Dive package includes 4dives per day with tanks, boat & services of Dive Master.
• Adventure cruise package includes various activities such as island hopping, kayaking and other mentioned in the itinerary (weather permitting).

Exclusions:

• Rental of snorkel and dive gear – Click here for rates
• All beverages and mineral water
• Massage
• Harbor and Island Fees, which will be collected on the ship:
  • Southern and Normal Transit Cruises: Php 2,360 per person
  • Diving Transit Cruises: Php 4,500.00 per person

Itinerary:

The Southern Route – Cruise Schedule

The following is a day by day run through of the Southern Route:

Day 1 – Departure from Cebu

Departure from Cebu, the second largest city of the Philippines. After boarding, you will be shown to your cabin. Then we all gather for a welcome drink and a presentation of the ship and its crew. Dinner will be served on the deck while we head out on a southerly course underneath a starry sky. (D)

Day 2 – Apo Island and Siquijor

We arrive early in the morning at the rocky Apo Island, one of the pearls of the Visayas region (not to be confused with Apo Island of the Apo atoll). Apo Island is home to a small society of fishermen and it offers a relaxed atmosphere and a wonderful beach. Excellent snorkeling and diving around the island. Lunch will be served on board while we make our way eastward to Siquijor Island where we will anchor for the night. (B, L, D)

Day 3 – Balicasag and Pamilacan

We depart early in the morning for our next destination, the island of Balicasag. Balicasag is considered to be the best diving site in the Visayas region. Balicasag is a natural reserve and it offers a huge variety of beautiful corals and colourful fish for snorkelers and divers alike. Lunch will be served on board while we set the course for Pamilacan Island. The people of this island were whalers for generations, but with the ban on whaling in 1992, they took to traditional fishing. A stroll through the village is well worth your time. Here you will get an interesting glimpse of daily life, present and past, on this secluded island. Back on the ship, it is time for a Happy Hour drink with a view of the sunset until dinner is served. (B, L, D)

Day 4 – Camiguin Island

We arrive at Camiguin Island early in the morning. The Philippines is the world’s second largest archipelago, consisting of more than 7,000 tropical islands, so it takes something truly extraordinary to stand out from the rest. Camiguin Island does just that. The island is famous or bulahan as they are known for its wonderful, sweet lanzones fruits locally. Camiguin Island is rich with volcanoes, hot springs, blue lagoons, beautiful waterfalls and deep jungles.

The island’s most spectacular feature is the Hibok-Hibok volcano, rising to 1,320 metres’ height. Camiguin actually has a larger number of volcanoes per square kilometre than any other island on Earth. Hibok-Hibok last erupted in 1951.

We will spend the entire day on the island, giving you plenty of time for exploring together with one of our guides, and if you are in good shape you can trek to the top of the volcano. For the less adventurous, Camiguin is also blessed with intriguing black sandy beaches and a healthy coral reef, ideal for both diving and snorkeling. (B, L, D)

Day 5 – Dinagat Island

Very few travellers get to this remote island. primarily due to lack of hotels. On our floating hotel, we have the possibility to visit this fantastic island, where especially the north western coast are spectacular. We reach areach very special coastline in the morning. Tall limestone rocks rises vertically from the sea, and reminds of Halong Bay in Vietnam. After breakfast we go for some of the Islands beautiful white sand beaches, with good opportunities for sunbathing, swimming or snorkeling. We’ll have lunch onboard the ship, while it cruises south between small islands. In the afternoon we anchors in Puerto Princessa, a beautiful bay with a fine white sand beach and excellent corals for snorkeling and diving. There is a small fishing village close to the beach, that can be visited in the afternoon. (B, L, D)

Day 6: Leyte Island, Sogod bay and Coral Cay Conservation

This day are dedicated to underwater activities. We’ll anchor in the morning in a safe distance to the coralreefs in Sogod Bay. Here the UK based organization Coral Cay Conservation have been doing a project dedicated to protect the corals and developing best practises to preserve the Corals. During the day there will be good opportunities to see some of the activities in the project, and to learn more about the fascinating world of the corals. Read about the project here: www.coralcay.org There will be served lunch on the beach. The reef in Sogod Bay has a big variety of fish, plants and different corals, so expect a wonderful day for snorkeling and diving. After Happy Hour and dinner the ship sets the course for Cuatro Islands. (B, L, D)

Day 7: Cuatro Islands

On Cuatro Islands (4 islands) you can get the ultimate experience of white beaches and excellent snorkeling. And the best, is that no travellers reach the islands, due to lack of public transportation, so you can enjoy and relax undisturbed. We will visit the islands Himokilan and Apid where the locals live closely connected to the sea and the sky. The fishermen build small bancas on the beaches and then go fishing, the boats covering the sea like small colorfull dots. . The local kids are ready to play some basketball. On Apid Island we will visit a small school, where we have a chance to donate clothing, toiletries, toothbrushes, pencils or other usefull things. In the afternoon we will gather on the ship and enjoy the happy hour, while the sun sets. After dinner the ship sets the course for Cebu. (B, L, D)

Day 8: Cebu

After an overnight voyage we arrive at Cebu at breakfast time. After breakfast it is time to say goodbye and leave the ship after a week packed with wonderful experiences and memorable moments. (B)

In case of inclement weather

The ship moves from island to island through sheltered waters. In case of inclement weather, we will anchor in a safe lagoon and await better weather. Safety always comes first on our adventure cruises, but it is extremely rare that we have to skip a day’s program