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Dive Review of S/Y Philippine Siren in
Philippines/Anilao to Coron

S/Y Philippine Siren, Nov, 2011,

by ann mcgrath, VA, US (Sr. Contributor Sr. Contributor 26 reports with 19 Helpful votes). Report 6782 has 1 Helpful vote.

No photos available at this time

Ratings and Overall Comments 1 (worst) - 5 (best):

Accommodations 3 stars Food 4 stars
Service and Attitude 5 stars Environmental Sensitivity 3 stars
Dive Operation 4 stars Shore Diving N/A
Snorkeling N/A
Value for $$ 4 stars
Beginners 3 stars
Advanced 4 stars
Comments The boat is very nice. Cabins are roomy, although there is very limited storage for bags or clothes. More hooks and shelves would be helpful. There is a computer desk that is connected to a network on the boat, but we never used that, so the desk became another place to store things.

Bathrooms are decent size, but again, need more places to be able to put things - there are no shelves in the bathroom, except for tiny ones in the shower for shampoo and soap. There was always plenty of hot water for showers, which was great. And you can set the temperature in your cabin as cold as you want it.

The salon is odd. There is a bar and a small area to sit with good headroom. Then there is a large area with about 5 feet of headroom, which meant almost all of us were walking hunched over to get to a couch. From their web site, it looks as if all their boats are designed this way, so the captain can see over the salon. Strange, and a pain to use that area of the boat, which is most of the salon.

The dining area is large enough for a full boat, although the inside seats are just plastic, so are not terribly comfortable. But there is more room out there, so that's a good place to hang out. There is also a large deck over the salon, but it is in full sun, so you can't spend much time there.

The food is acceptable, but there is plenty of it. I made a special order, to make sure I had fresh fruit in the morning, and a salad for lunch and dinner, and they did an excellent job of accommodating me. But if you eat the food they normally serve, expect a lot of fried food (french fries with lunch every day, for example), and some overcooked meats. Some entrees were not good at all. But the presentation by Chef Jimmy is worth the trip - he loves his work!

The divemasters are outstanding. I was traveling with my 78-year old mom, and I much appreciated their looking out for her, and helping her in current. They helped her get into her gear and out of her gear. They helped her get back into the boat, and we didn't have any problems at all.

They have a very good massage therapist on board, which we took advantage of as often as we could! One day, however, I made an appointment and she didn't show up, so just because you write your name on the list at a particular time, doesn't mean you'll actually get a massage at that time. So, they need to work on their organization skills a bit.

Diving is excellent. The divemasters were very good at pointing out everything they could find, even if it's something we had seen many times before. They are a little hard on the wildlife sometimes, and don't hesitate to pick up an animal to show it to us, which was not necessary. But they were just trying to please us. Be sure to tell them if you don't want them to touch the animals, because they will!

There was only one relatively rough crossing on our trip, but it didn't interrupt our sleep very much. They did their crossings at night as much as possible, to not interfere with diving.

I'm glad I went to the Philippines, but if I go again, based on the two Sirens that sank within six months of each other, will not choose the Siren fleet again. It is my humble opinion that if two boats from the same manufacturer can go down, one of them brand new, that they are not made very well.

So, although I had a good time, with no issues, the reputation of the Siren fleet, again in my humble opinion, is not good.
Websites S/Y Philippine Siren   

Reporter and Travel

Dive Experience 501-1000 dives
Where else diving just about everywhere
Closest Airport Getting There

Dive Conditions

Weather sunny, dry Seas calm, surge
Water Temp 75-82°F / 24-28°C Wetsuit Thickness 3
Water Visibility 20-80 Ft/ 6-24 M

Dive Policy

Dive own profile yes
Enforced diving restrictions Nitrox depth limits, usually no time limit
Liveaboard? yes Nitrox Available? yes

What I Saw

Sharks 1 or 2 Mantas None
Dolphins None Whale Sharks None
Turtles > 2 Whales None
Corals 3 stars Tropical Fish 4 stars
Small Critters 5 stars Large Fish 2 stars
Large Pelagics 1 stars

Underwater Photography 1 (worst) - 5 (best):

Subject Matter 4 stars Boat Facilities 4 stars
Overall rating for UWP's 4 stars Shore Facilities N/A
UW Photo Comments Each photographer gets a good sized drawer in the salon for their camera gear and accessories. There is limited counter space, but enough outlets to get everything charged. DMs did a good job of rinsing camera gear after each dive.
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Note: The information here was reported by the author above, but has NOT been reviewed nor edited by Undercurrent prior to posting on our website. Please report any major problems by writing to us and referencing the report number above.

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