Chartering a whole Komodo liveaboard for 10–20 people costs roughly USD 3,000–9,000 per night for the vessel, which works out at USD 350–750 per person at full occupancy — often no more than a shared cabin on a scheduled departure. Group charters need 9–12 months’ lead time for peak 2027 dates.
The arithmetic that decides everything
Charter pricing is per vessel per night, not per person. Every group conversation should start there, because it inverts the usual assumption that private is expensive.
| Group size | Suitable boat class | Cabins | Indicative USD / night (boat) | Per person / night |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 8–10 | Classic phinisi | 4–5 | 3,000–5,000 | 350–550 |
| 12–14 | Premium phinisi | 6–7 | 5,000–7,500 | 390–600 |
| 16–18 | Large phinisi | 8–10 | 6,500–9,000 | 380–560 |
| 20–24 | Steel dive liveaboard | 10–12 | 8,000–12,000 | 380–550 |
| 25–30 | Large expedition vessel | 12–15 | 20,000–51,000 | 800–1,700 |
Two things fall out of this table. First, per-head cost is remarkably flat between 8 and 24 guests, because you scale the boat with the group. Second, the break-even against a shared-cabin booking sits at roughly 70–80 percent occupancy. A group of twelve filling a 7-cabin boat pays about what individuals pay for cabins — and gets the whole vessel. A group of eight rattling around the same boat pays a premium for the privilege.
The organiser’s real job, therefore, is filling the boat, not negotiating the rate.
Free-place and deposit logic
Group terms vary by operator, but the common structures are worth knowing before you negotiate.
- Free or reduced place: many operators offer one complimentary or half-price berth per 10–15 paying guests, usually applied to the organiser or trip leader. This is customary rather than automatic — ask for it explicitly.
- Deposit: typically 25–30 percent of the charter value to hold the dates, often non-refundable after a stated point.
- Balance: commonly due 60–90 days before departure.
- Rooming list deadline: usually 45–60 days out. Miss it and cabin allocation is made for you.
- Name changes: most operators permit substitutions up to a deadline at little or no cost, which is far more useful for a club than a refund policy.
Get all five in writing before you collect money from members. The site’s page on deposits, cancellations and fine print covers what a reasonable set of terms looks like.
Dive-club specifics
A club charter differs from a leisure charter in ways that need to be agreed up front, not discovered on board.
Your own instructor onboard. Most operators will accommodate a visiting instructor or divemaster leading their own group, subject to seeing certification and insurance documents. Some require a local guide in the water regardless, which is reasonable — Komodo’s currents are not a place for a first-time visiting instructor to be solely responsible for site selection.
Tank and gas volumes. Twenty divers doing four dives a day is 80 fills daily. Confirm compressor capacity and whether the boat carries one or two units. Ask about 15-litre tank availability and how many the vessel actually has — “available on request” sometimes means two.
Nitrox. If half your group is on enriched air, the boat needs a membrane system or a bank, not a partial-pressure blending arrangement that ties up the compressor. This is a genuine differentiator between vessel classes; see the specification comparison.
Custom dive plan. With a full boat you can set the schedule: dawn dives, four-dive days, a night dive every evening, or three relaxed dives for a mixed-ability club. You can also split the group properly by ability rather than by cabin, which matters on the northern pinnacle sites.
Certification audit. Collect certification levels, logged dive counts and last dive dates from every member before you send the manifest. Clubs routinely have one member whose card is a decade old, and Komodo is the wrong place to find that out at the descent line.
Corporate and incentive specifics
Connectivity, honestly. There is effectively no usable internet inside Komodo National Park, and mobile signal is intermittent at best. Any agenda requiring live calls or reliable email will fail. If the trip must include working sessions, schedule them for the Labuan Bajo bookend days, not the water days.
Meeting space. The saloon on a 35–45 m phinisi seats 12–18 comfortably and the sun deck works for informal sessions. There are no projectors, whiteboards or partitioned rooms. Plan for facilitated conversation, not slides.
Dietary and alcohol. Full-boat charter means the galley cooks to your brief. Provide dietary requirements at rooming-list stage. Most operators allow you to provision your own alcohol; some charge corkage. Ask.
Insurance and duty of care. Corporate organisers should confirm that every participant carries dive and travel cover, and that the operator’s own liability arrangements are documented. Include a medical declaration in your sign-up form.
Non-divers. Incentive groups always contain them. Komodo handles this well — Padar, dragon trekking with ranger escort, Pink Beach, Kalong flying foxes and snorkelling fill a non-diver’s day properly.
Included and excluded
Included: exclusive use of the vessel, full crew including cruise director and dive guides, all cabins, all meals and snacks to your brief, soft drinks and water, tanks, weights and guided diving, tenders, island landings, fuel within the agreed route, port clearances, Labuan Bajo transfers.
Excluded: flights, Komodo National Park entrance and ranger fees, harbour fee, diver surcharge, equipment rental, nitrox, alcohol, courses, gratuities, insurance, and route deviations requiring additional fuel. Park fees for foreign visitors are published across 2025–2026 sources at IDR 150,000–250,000 per person per day depending on schedule, with roughly IDR 25,000 added per diver per day and a comparable harbour fee — a material line item for a group of twenty, so get it confirmed in writing and budget it as a group cost rather than surprising members with cash requests on board.
Timeline for a 2027 charter
| When | Action |
|---|---|
| 12–9 months out | Hold dates with deposit; peak July–August and Christmas need this window |
| 9–6 months | Open member sign-ups, collect certification data, confirm route |
| 6–3 months | Flights booked, insurance confirmed, dietary requirements collected |
| 90–60 days | Balance paid, rooming list submitted |
| 60–30 days | Final dive plan agreed, equipment rental confirmed, medical forms in |
| 7 days | Arrival logistics, pre-trip briefing to members |
Frequently asked questions
What is the minimum group size for a charter?
There is no minimum — you can charter a 5-cabin boat for four people. It is simply expensive per head. Value arrives around 70 percent occupancy.
Do we get a group discount on a scheduled departure?
Sometimes, typically for eight or more booking together, but the discount is usually smaller than the value of chartering outright. Compare both quotes.
Can we bring our own instructor?
Generally yes, with certification and insurance documentation supplied in advance. Expect the operator to still assign a local guide for site selection and current calls.
Can we depart from Bali instead of Labuan Bajo?
Yes — that is a repositioning charter and it changes the cost structure. See the Bali-departure charter page for how that works.
How do we handle members who drop out?
Negotiate name-substitution rights at contract stage. For clubs this is worth more than a refund clause, because you can usually find a replacement.
Is Wi-Fi really unavailable?
Assume yes inside the park. Build the agenda around it rather than hoping.
How far ahead for peak dates?
Nine to twelve months for July–August or the Christmas–New Year period. Good vessels for 16–20 guests are a small pool and they book first. Check the 2027 departure calendar for what is currently open.
Group charter enquiries
Group and club charters are handled by Komodo Luxury, based in Labuan Bajo since 2015 as part of Juara Holding Group. Their charter desk quotes per vessel per night and can propose boat options against a headcount.
- WhatsApp: +62 811 3823 875
- Email: sales@komodoluxury.com
Send headcount, date window and flexibility, diver-to-non-diver split, certification range, nitrox requirement and departure port preference. That is enough for a firm per-vessel quote and two or three boat options on the first reply. The site’s booking process page outlines what happens after you accept.