Ship Travel

Frequently Asked Questions

Frequently
Asked
Questions


Through our feedback and questions form we daily get a lot of questions belonging to sea travel. Local people use ferries, ships and boats like you are using bus, train and tramway. But as a fisherman from Palawan would encounter some problems with the train in your country, you may have some problems with his pump-boat in the Philippines.


This is why we created this page containing the most Frequently Asked Questions.

Question

Why don't you publish ferry schedules and time-tables?

Answer

There are two reasons why we cannot publish ferry schedules. a) Ferry companies either do not publish schedules or they change them anytime. b) Weather conditions can change rapidly. Within a few hours a mirror-smooth sea can throw 5+ meters waves.

Related pages

See here Current weather and forecast

 

Can I book ferry tickets on the Internet?

 

Yes, some ferry companies have a booking page on their website. Other companies allow ticket reservation on their website but the ticket has to be picked up at an office in the port. There are also companies which do not have a website.

 

See here Ferry Companies

 

Are the ferries in the Philippines safe?

 

The ferries in the Philippines are rather safe in spite of the press articles. But when an accident happens, the number of fatalities is high. World's worst peacetime shipping disaster happened on December 20, 1987, when the Doña Paz ferry collided with an oil tanker off Mindoro island near Manila, leaving more than 4,000 dead.

 

See here Traffic accidents

 

Are there restaurants on the ferries?

 

Some of the very big ferries that ply long routes do have restaurants and canteens. Smaller ferries and fast crafts sometimes have a bar, a canteen or a food take-out.

 

We strongly recommend to bring your own food and beverage. Quality on board might be poor and the stock might only last for some few hours.

 

Are there international ferry lines from and to the Philippines?

 

At this moment (January 2019) there is only one international ferry link from and to the Philippines. Aleson Shipping Lines sails once a week from Zamboanga to Sandakan (Malaysia).

 

See here Ferry Companies