Riley Phinisi Cabin Guide: Master Suite to Deluxe

Every group that boards Riley Phinisi faces the same five-minute negotiation on the Labuan Bajo jetty: who gets which cabin. This cabin layout and facilities guide settles it before you leave home. It covers what actually separates the four cabins, who has the strongest claim to the Master Suite, and how a full party of 10 divides the boat without anyone feeling short-changed. For raw dimensions, engine data, and tank capacities, the Riley Phinisi specifications page holds the complete technical sheet — this article is the advice column that sits beside it.

Four Cabins, One Hull: The Layout in Brief

Riley Phinisi is a 29-metre traditional Buginese phinisi with a 5-metre beam, launched in 2020 from the shipyards of Bulukumba, South Sulawesi, and built from ulin ironwood and teak. She carries four guest cabins. All four are ensuite with private bathrooms, and all four are air-conditioned, powered overnight at anchor by her 22 kVA and 30 kVA generators.

The sleeping map is simple. The Master Suite Cabin has a double bed plus an extra bed; the Deluxe, Junior Suite and Superior cabins each have a double bed. The boat takes up to 10 guests, so for a full party confirm with the operator how everyone is bedded before you allocate rooms. And because Riley Phinisi is chartered per boat, not per cabin, the price stays flat whether you sail as a couple or as a full house: USD 3,350 per night through 2026, USD 3,800 per night from 2027.

The Master Suite Cabin: Decide Who Gets It Before You Board

The Master Suite Cabin is the only cabin with a private balcony, and the only one with an extra bed. That combination makes it the most argued-over room on the boat, so assign it early.

Three groups have the strongest claim. Parents travelling with a young child get the most from the extra bed — the double bed plus extra bed keeps a small family in one room without splitting anyone across the corridor. Honeymooners and anniversary couples come second: even with the extra bed unused, the private balcony is the best seat on the vessel for a 5:30 a.m. coffee while the crew positions the boat beneath Padar’s ridgeline. Third, in groups of friends, give it to whoever organised the charter and chased nine people for deposits. They earned it.

The balcony also solves a quieter problem: when the karaoke and sound system are running on deck after dinner, Master Suite guests still have a private outdoor corner of their own.

Deluxe, Junior Suite or Superior: How Couples Should Pick

The three double cabins are closer in character than their names suggest. Each has a double bed, a private bathroom, and its own air conditioning. The real difference is the deck.

The Deluxe Cabin sits on the upper deck alongside the Master Suite. It is the right call for guests who want to be up and out fast — snorkelers who are up before six, photographers who spend every golden hour on deck, teenagers who fall asleep the moment the anchor drops.

The Junior Suite Cabin and the Superior Cabin sit on the lower deck, closer to the waterline, where the boat’s motion is gentlest. Light sleepers, anyone prone to seasickness, and couples planning an afternoon rest between Pink Beach and Manta Point should take one of these two. Between them, the Junior Suite is the customary second pick after the Master Suite.

Splitting 10 Guests Across Four Cabins

Three configurations cover most Komodo charters, and the per-person maths at the 2026 rate of USD 3,350 per night is worth seeing before you invite anyone.

A three-generation family puts parents and a young child in the Master Suite, using its extra bed, and pairs grandparents and couples off into the three doubles. Four couples (8 guests) take one cabin each and leave the Master Suite’s extra bed unused, which lands at roughly USD 419 per person per night. For a full group of 10, ask Komodo Luxury how the extra guests are bedded before anyone is promised a room.

From 2027 the same maths runs from USD 3,800 per night, or USD 380 per head on a full boat. Whichever way you split it, settle cabin assignments when you confirm the charter rather than on embarkation morning; the FAQ explains how to request specific cabins, the Master Suite’s extra bed, and dietary preferences in a single message.

Facilities You Share, Whichever Cabin You Choose

Cabin choice matters less on Riley Phinisi than on most boats, because the shared spaces do the heavy lifting. The deck jacuzzi is the signature — filled while the boat rests at anchor off the sandbar at Taka Makassar, or in the bay at Kalong Island as thousands of flying foxes lift off at dusk. Outdoor dining seats the full group for meals from the private chef, a 32-inch LED TV and the sound system carry slow evenings, and a 5-ton fresh water tank keeps all four bathrooms in showers for the length of a three- or four-night itinerary.

Between April and October, the dry season and the busiest charter window (July and August book out earliest), a typical day runs Padar sunrise, Pink Beach swim, a dragon trek on Komodo or Rinca, then Manta Point before the evening anchorage. On that schedule most guests use their cabin for eight hours of sleep and not much more — worth remembering before anyone spends real negotiation capital on a cabin. Full routes and day-by-day plans are on the Riley liveaboard page.

Reserving Your Cabins

Riley Phinisi is operated by Komodo Luxury, and every charter is private: your group takes all four cabins regardless of headcount, so the only real decision is who sleeps where. Cabin preferences, the Master Suite’s extra bed, and children’s arrangements are all fixed at booking. Reserve through the official Komodo Luxury booking page, message the team on WhatsApp at +62 811-3823-875, or email [email protected] with your dates and group size — July and August departures are committed months ahead.