01
Navigation & safety
A licensed captain and deck crew who run this park year-round. GPS and VHF, life jackets for full capacity, first aid on board, and a route that adapts to sea state rather than ignoring it.
Services
Riley Phinisi charter services
What the crew handles from the moment you land in Labuan Bajo to the moment you fly out — and what stays your job.
The short answer
A crewed charter, not a boat rental
A Riley charter is fully crewed and full-board: eight crew, all meals, snorkelling equipment, an English-speaking guide, transfers within Labuan Bajo and professional photo documentation, all in the fare.
You are not chartering a hull. You are chartering a vessel that arrives provisioned, fuelled and crewed, with a captain who knows the tide tables for this park and a chef who has already asked about your allergies.
Everything below is included unless it appears in the "budget separately" column further down the page.
On board
What the crew handles
Six things you do not have to think about once you have stepped off the tender.
02
Full-board galley
A chef on board for the whole charter. All meals, mineral water, coffee and tea are included. Dietary requirements — allergies, vegetarian, halal — are handled if you tell us at booking.
03
Snorkelling & water
Masks, fins and life vests in every size, carried on board. The crew get in the water with you at every stop and will stay with anyone who is not a confident swimmer.
04
English-speaking guide
A cruise guide who handles ranger arrangements ashore, briefs each stop before you get there, and translates when it matters.
05
Documentation
Drone, GoPro and mirrorless coverage across the trip, shot by the crew and handed over afterwards. Included in the fare, not an upsell.
06
Transfers
Pick-up and drop-off at your Labuan Bajo hotel, timed around your flights. Tell us the flight number and we work backwards from it.
The fare
Included, and what to budget for separately
Included in the fare
- Accommodation on board Riley Phinisi for the full itinerary
- All meals, prepared fresh by the on-board chef
- Mineral water, coffee and tea throughout
- Professional documentation — drone, GoPro and mirrorless
- English-speaking cruise guide
- Snorkelling equipment and life vests
- Pick-up and drop-off within Labuan Bajo
Budget separately
- Flights to and from Labuan Bajo (LBJ)
- Komodo National Park entrance and ranger fees
- Crew gratuities
- Alcoholic and soft drinks
- Personal snacks and expenses
- Drone permit, where required
- Travel insurance
Tailoring
The itinerary bends to the group
Because you take the whole boat, nothing is on a fixed schedule but the tides. Skip a stop, add an hour at a reef, hold breakfast until after the Padar hike — the crew work to the group, not a printed timetable.
Beyond the route, the crew regularly set up beach dinners, anniversary tables on the sun deck and birthday cakes that were quietly loaded in Labuan Bajo. Tell the reservations desk at booking and it is arranged before you board.
- Route
- Adjusted to your interests and the weather
- Celebrations
- Anniversaries, honeymoons, birthdays, retreats
- Diets
- Allergies, vegetarian and halal on request
- Diving
- Arranged as an add-on with certified guides
Add-ons
What can be arranged on top
Diving is the most common addition: certified guides, tanks and equipment hire, booked as an extra and priced separately. Tell us at booking who is certified and to what level, and how recently they last dived.
We also arrange drone permits where the park requires one, extra nights in Labuan Bajo either side of the charter, and airport handling if you are connecting through Bali on a tight window.
The vessel
What you are chartering
29m
Length overall
4
En-suite cabins
10
Maximum guests
VIP
Boat class
Services
Questions about what is covered
Are all meals really included?
Yes — every meal from boarding to disembarkation, plus mineral water, coffee and tea throughout. Alcohol is not included; you are welcome to bring your own and the crew will keep it cold.
Can the chef handle allergies or a special diet?
Yes, with notice. Tell the reservations desk at booking — provisioning happens in Labuan Bajo before you board, and there is no shop between islands.
Do I need to bring snorkelling gear?
No. Masks, fins and life vests are carried in every size. Bring your own mask if you have a prescription lens.
Is diving included in the charter price?
No. Diving is an add-on with certified guides and separate equipment hire, quoted on top of the charter rate.
Who arranges the park permits?
The crew handle the ranger arrangements ashore. The entrance and activity fees themselves are paid by each guest in cash, separately from the charter.
What is the crew-to-guest ratio?
Eight crew for a maximum of ten guests, including the captain, deck crew, chef and English-speaking guide.
Keep reading
Where to go next
Reservations
Tell us what your group needs
Dates, guest count, dietary requirements and whether anyone dives. We reply with live availability and a written quote.