Palau Aggressor II — a compact wreck-diving liveaboard with a strong crew

The Palau Aggressor II is for divers who come to Palau to spend a week in the water, not to collect another resort room. Its compact size keeps the group manageable, while the itinerary points toward one of the Pacific's richest concentrations of World War II wrecks. That matters here: the boat's value lies in how easily it turns a remote wreck-diving trip into a practical sequence of briefings, gear changes and entries. Nitrox is available for certified divers who want it, but it is not included by default. The boat also accepts non-divers and snorkellers, so a mixed group can come aboard without changing the character of the trip. Choose this boat for the diving first, then for the crew and food that make repeated days at sea easier.

The first impression is of a working dive yacht arranged around a small group rather than a large cruise ship. The salon gives everyone somewhere to regroup, while the shaded sundeck, deck chairs, bar and grill keep the outside space useful between dives. Movement is simple: cabin, salon, dive area, then back up to the open deck. The boat runs on diesel power and carries the practical equipment expected for a remote ocean itinerary, including radar, sonar, GPS, VHF/DSC/SSB radio, a locating beacon, oxygen and first-aid kits. The layout is not trying to hide the fact that diving is the main business. That is exactly the point.

The atmosphere is shaped more by the crew than by the yacht's facilities. Passenger scores put the crew at 9.6 and the boat at 9.3; food scores even higher, at 9.7. That combination suggests the practical advantage of this boat: the people running the week are a major part of what guests remember. The crew speaks English and starts every dive with a full briefing. On dives directly from the yacht, at least one staff member is in the water to offer support, help with photography and video, and look for small marine life. That person is not a private buddy and does not directly supervise the dive, so buddy teams remain responsible for their own profiles and surfacing procedures. Evenings leave room for presentations, films and the week's shared adventure video.

Seven crew members support the boat, and the crew speaks English. Each dive begins with a comprehensive briefing covering the information needed for the site and the planned dive. Staff may enter the water to offer support, assist with photography and video, or point out critters, but they do not directly supervise the dive; divers are not required to follow them. Buddy teams therefore remain teams of two or three, with the usual responsibility for gas checks, ascent procedures and surface signalling. Oxygen, first-aid kits, fire alarms and extinguishers, life jackets, rescue boats, emergency flares and several forms of radio and satellite communication are carried onboard. Nitrox training is available onboard, along with other advanced and specialty courses depending on the instructor and trip.

The dive setup is built for repeated entries rather than for leisurely marina diving. There is a shaded dive area, a platform, rinse tanks, diver tenders, outdoor showers and separate camera rinsing. Standard equipment includes an 80-cubic-foot air tank with a K valve, weights and a weight belt. Larger 100-cubic-foot or 15-litre tanks may be available by request as an optional rental, but availability is not guaranteed. Certified Nitrox divers can arrange 32% fills as an optional extra; divers taking the Nitrox course onboard can use student fills afterward. Rental equipment is available, and a MARES loaner may be provided if a piece of equipment fails or luggage is lost, subject to availability. Sidemount is accepted only with a single tank. Rebreathers, double tanks and underwater scooters are not supported. All dives are buddy-team dives.

The quiet hours collect around the shaded sundeck, where chaise lounges and deck chairs give divers somewhere to dry off without standing in the working part of the dive area. The salon is air-conditioned when the heat builds, and the jacuzzi offers another place to sit when nobody wants to discuss the next dive yet. The bar and grill keep the deck social without requiring a formal activity. There is also a dedicated photo area and camera room, with a separate rinse tank for cameras. In the evening, fish-identification presentations, films, games and other audio-video entertainment give the group something to do after the gear is rinsed and the logbooks are open.

A day starts with a dive briefing before the first entry and keeps returning to the same practical cycle: prepare the gear, get in, surface, signal the tender or yacht, rinse everything and eat before the next call. The shaded dive area becomes the centre of the day, while the salon and sundeck take over during the gaps. Meals and snacks are placed around the diving rather than treated as separate events, which is what a liveaboard schedule requires. Once the diving is finished, the evening can turn to a fish-identification presentation, a film, a game or the shared adventure video. The exact number and timing of dives depend on the itinerary and conditions, so the useful expectation is order rather than a rigid clock: briefing, dive, recovery, food, rest, then back to the water.

Meals are included throughout the trip, with a buffet-style service drawing on Western and local cuisine. Breakfast, lunch and dinner are supported by snacks through the day, which matters when the next dive is never far away. The galley also covers non-alcoholic drinks, water, tea and coffee, while beer and wine are available and wine is served at dinner. Food is one of the boat's strongest passenger-rated points, scoring 9.7. On a four-dive day, that is not decoration: a reliable plate between dives keeps the schedule from becoming an exercise in running on biscuits and caffeine.

The cabins are on the main deck and have portholes, private bathrooms with showers, air conditioning and individual climate control. The Deluxe Staterooms use a queen bed with a single upper bunk; the Double Stateroom has a double lower bed and a single upper bunk. Storage is provided, but these are still liveaboard cabins, not hotel rooms designed for spreading luggage across every surface. The porthole gives the room a connection to the sea without promising a panoramic view. After a day of repetitive dives, the useful details are the private shower, controlled temperature and a place to shut the door. The boat is non-smoking in the cabins.

The Palau Aggressor II departs from and returns to Koror, Palau, for the Best of Palau itinerary. An airport transfer is available as an optional extra and is not included in the standard package. With boarding on Sunday afternoon, arriving in Palau the night before is the sensible choice.