Komodo luxury phinisi charter: the spec list, including what is missing

The hull is ironwood and teak, 31 m long, with a beam of 5.5 m. She was built in Bulukumba, South Sulawesi, in 2020 and launched the following spring, so she is a young hull rather than a refit. A Mitsubishi main engine drives her at 8 to 12 knots, and a Yanmar generator runs the air conditioning.

The crew is 7: a captain, an engineer, a chef, two deckhands and two guide-photographers, which gives a ratio of 1 crew per 2.6 guests at a full 18 guests. The chef works in an open galley that guests can watch, and that is service rather than decoration.

The brochure calls the class VVIP. That is the supplier's label, not an international rating, so judge the boat by the list below and ignore the letters.

• 6 ensuite cabins, all air-conditioned, each with a hot shower.
• Western rooms on the main deck, with a real bathtub and a sea-view window.
• Japanese rooms on the upper deck, with a private balcony and a tatami-style table.
• Balinese rooms on the lower deck, quietest for motion.
• An outdoor dining table under a canopy, an air-conditioned lounge with bar, TV and karaoke, and a sundeck with bean bags.
• Two stand-up paddleboards, snorkelling gear and a Yamaha 40 hp tender.
• Documentation by GoPro, mirrorless camera and drone, on request, quoted separately.

Every item there is a noun you can hold. We use the list because the word luxury says nothing a bathtub does not say better.

Add the crew to that list. The chef cooks in an open galley, and the crew of 7 also includes a captain, an engineer, two deckhands and two guide and photographer roles. At a full 18 guests the ratio is 1 crew per 2.6 guests.

There is no jacuzzi, no spa and no elevator, and the three decks are reached by stairs. There are no stabilisers, so the boat rolls in a beam sea. There is no satellite internet; the Wi-Fi is a local hotspot off mobile signal, which works near Labuan Bajo and in patches between islands. There is no dive compressor. Each of these is stated in the equipment list, and none of them is a surprise we want you to meet after the deposit.

The lack of stabilisers is the one that costs people a day. The upper deck moves most, the lower deck least, and a luxury charter that makes you ill is a bad purchase. Choose the room by stomach, and take a motion tablet before overnight legs.

Extras that are not in the fare: park fees, drone permits and diving. We list them instead of hiding them in a bundle.

A private charter prices the whole boat. For 3D2N, one to five guests pay IDR 100,000,000 (≈ USD 6,135), six to ten pay IDR 105,000,000 (≈ USD 6,442), and eleven to fourteen pay IDR 110,000,000 (≈ USD 6,748). The 4D3N for one to five guests is IDR 120,000,000 (≈ USD 7,362), and it adds a beach dinner at Sebayur.

Add-ons you can ask for: a romantic dinner on the beach from IDR 2,950,000 (≈ USD 181), the honeymoon package at IDR 3,900,000 (≈ USD 239) per couple, and a birthday package at IDR 2,000,000 (≈ USD 123).

The deposit is 50 percent, and the balance is due 30 days before sailing. The price includes 11 percent VAT. If stabilisers, a spa deck or a satellite link decide it for you, look elsewhere; we would rather say so before you commit.