What’s Included in the Riley Phinisi Charter Price?

Most price questions we receive are really inclusion questions. Guests comparing Komodo charters see a nightly rate on one site, a per-person package on another, and no clear statement of where the boat’s responsibility ends and their own budget begins. This guide settles that for Riley Phinisi, the 29-metre traditional phinisi built in 2020 by the shipwrights of Bulukumba, South Sulawesi, and operated by Komodo Luxury out of Labuan Bajo. The full duration-by-duration tables live on our pricing page; here we explain what the numbers actually buy.

One rate for the whole boat, not per person

Riley Phinisi sails as a private charter only. The published rate — USD 3,350 per night for 2026 departures, USD 3,800 per night for 2027 — covers the entire vessel, whether you board as a couple or fill all 10 guest berths. There is no per-person ticket and no strangers sharing your deck.

That structure changes the math. A full group of 10 on a 2026 departure pays the equivalent of USD 335 per person per night for a crewed private yacht with a chef — a figure that undercuts many shared liveaboard cabins once you account for the private itinerary, the jacuzzi on deck, and a schedule that follows your preferences rather than a fixed group timetable. Smaller groups pay more per head but keep the same boat, crew and freedom.

What the nightly rate covers

When you charter Riley Phinisi, the rate includes everything needed to live and cruise aboard:

• Full professional crew — captain, deckhands and an English-speaking guide who manages daily excursions and park logistics.
• Private chef and all meals — breakfast, lunch and dinner prepared on board, plus drinking water, coffee, tea, juice, fresh fruit and snacks throughout the trip. Vegetarian, halal and allergy-aware menus are arranged before departure at no extra charge.
• All four ensuite cabins — the Master cabin (sleeps four, with private bathroom and its own sea-view terrace), the Junior Suite, the Luxury cabin and the Deluxe cabin. Every cabin is air-conditioned with a private bathroom, accommodating 10 guests in total.
• The deck jacuzzi, lounge and outdoor dining areas — no usage fees, no time slots. The sound system, karaoke setup and 32-inch TV are included too.
• Snorkeling equipment — masks, snorkels and fins for every guest, plus tender runs to reef sites and island landings.
• Airport and hotel transfers in Labuan Bajo on embarkation and disembarkation days.
• Fuel and operating costs for the standard Komodo National Park routes, powered by the vessel’s Mitsubishi 6D16 engine with 22 kVA and 30 kVA generators and a five-ton fresh water tank.

In short: once you step aboard, day-to-day life on the boat generates no additional bills.

What you pay on top of the charter

Four categories sit outside the charter rate, and it is worth budgeting for them before you book:

• Komodo National Park entrance fees. These are charged per person by the park authority, not by the boat — as of 2026, roughly IDR 500,000 (about USD 30) for international visitors and IDR 200,000 for Indonesian citizens, plus smaller ranger, trekking and snorkeling levies. The park adjusts these rates periodically, so confirm the current figures when you book.
• Crew tips. Gratuities are discretionary and never included. A common benchmark on Komodo charters is USD 5–10 per guest per day, handed to the captain at the end of the trip for the whole crew.
• Diving add-ons. Snorkeling is included; scuba diving is not. Guided dives with tanks, weights and a dive guide are quoted per person per dive and should be requested when you reserve, especially for sites like Manta Point.
• Alcohol and special requests. Soft drinks, water, coffee and tea are provisioned as standard. Alcohol, celebration decorations and drone filming permits are arranged on request and billed at cost.

Deposit amounts, payment schedules and cancellation terms are answered point by point on our FAQ page.

The route your money actually buys

The charter rate covers Riley Phinisi’s full Komodo National Park circuit from Labuan Bajo. A typical two- or three-night itinerary includes the pre-dawn Padar Island climb for the three-bay panorama, a morning on Pink Beach, ranger-guided Komodo dragon trekking on Komodo and Rinca islands, drift snorkeling with reef mantas at Manta Point, an afternoon on the Taka Makassar sandbar, and the sunset departure of thousands of flying foxes at Kalong Island.

Because the charter is private, the order and pace of those stops are yours to set. The dry season from April to October brings the calmest seas and best visibility; July and August are the busiest months in the park, which makes early booking essential since the boat cruises at a traditional 6–9 knots and anchors overnight in sheltered bays rather than racing between sites.

A worked budget: 10 guests, 3 nights, 2026

Here is what a complete trip actually costs for a full boat on a 2026 departure:

• Charter: 3 nights × USD 3,350 = USD 10,050
• Park entrance and activity fees: roughly USD 300–350 for 10 international guests
• Crew tips at USD 5–10 per guest per day: USD 150–300

Total: approximately USD 10,500–10,700, or about USD 1,050–1,070 per person for three nights aboard a private crewed phinisi — meals, cabins, guide and snorkeling included. Add diving or an open bar and the per-person figure moves accordingly, but there are no hidden line items beyond the four categories above. The same trip booked for 2027 runs on the USD 3,800 nightly rate, which is one practical reason to fix 2026 dates now.

How to confirm your dates

Start with our booking guide for the step-by-step process — availability check, deposit, park registration and final payment — and the pricing page for full 2026 and 2027 tables by trip length. When you are ready to reserve, official bookings are handled by Komodo Luxury, the vessel’s operator since its 2020 launch. Message the reservations team directly on WhatsApp at +62 811-3823-875 or email sales@komodoluxury.com with your dates and group size, and you will receive a written quote showing exactly these inclusions — nothing vague, nothing added later.