Raffles Cruise
Raffles Cruise
From the first message to the gangway
Updated 24 October 2026
Booking a Komodo liveaboard on Raffles Cruise starts with a 50 per cent deposit; the rest falls due 30 days ahead of sailing. Cancel 60 days ahead and 50 per cent comes back. Cancel at 30 days and 25 per cent comes back.
Five steps between your first message and the gangway
One WhatsApp thread carries a booking from hello to harbour. The steps run in this order, and none is skipped.
- You send the dates, the head count, and whether you want a cabin seat or the whole boat.
- We reply in writing with the price for your date, the cabin allocation and the pickup hour.
- You pay the deposit, 50 per cent, and the seat or the boat is held for you.
- The remainder falls due 30 days before you sail.
- Before sailing we ask for passport or ID details, and you arrive in Labuan Bajo the day before.
That last step matters more than it looks. Destinations change with weather, currents and National Park or port decisions, and flights are cancelled and delayed. The 09:30 pickup does not wait for a late connection, so arrive one day before sailing.
- Answered on WhatsAppSend dates, group size and route
- 50 percent of the totalDeposit confirms the date
- 30 days beforeBalance before sailing
What is due and when
First, the deposit: 50 per cent of the fare, paid when you accept the written price. The balance follows 30 days before sailing. VAT of 11 per cent is included in the fares you see.
Park tickets are part of neither payment. Each visitor needs a named ticket, bought online close to the trip date. Crew gratuities, hotel nights and personal expenses are yours, outside the fare.
Moving a date 30 or more days ahead costs nothing. Inside the late window it costs IDR 500,000, and a move very close to sailing is treated as a cancellation. The table sets out each window, and we confirm yours in writing, so you never learn the cost afterwards.
| Deposit | 50 percent of the total |
| Balance | 30 days before |
| Bookings inside 30 days pay in full | |
| Children | Under 3 free, accompanied by a parent |
| Prices include 11 percent VAT · Passport details 7 days before sailing |
Deposit 50% to confirm, balance 30 days before departure. You can also settle the balance in Labuan Bajo on the departure day, in cash or by card on the EDC machine.
What is returned if you cancel, by days before sailing
A cancellation made 60 days or more ahead returns 50 per cent. Cancel 59 to 30 days before sailing and 25 per cent comes back. Inside 30 days nothing is returned.
The windows count back from the sailing date to the day you tell us, and the table shows the same figures against the days. A written message on WhatsApp or by email starts the count, so send it the day you decide.
If you are unsure whether you can travel, tell us early. A move to another date costs less than a cancellation, and nothing at all 30 or more days ahead. We would rather change your date in March than refund you in July.
| Notice | Refund |
|---|---|
| 60 days or more | 50 % |
| 30 to 59 days | 25 % |
| 29 days or less | 0 % |
| Notice | Fee |
|---|---|
| 30 days or more | Free |
| 14 to 29 days | IDR 500,000 |
| 13 days or less | Treated as a cancellation |
If we cancel, you are refunded 100 percent · Refunds are paid within 14 days.
How you pay
You pay by credit card link, or through a payment partner using QRIS, Alipay, WeChat Pay, PayPal, Wise or Revolut. PayPal carries a fee of 7.2 per cent, shown in the payment block, and the other methods are listed below with any fee they carry.
Card payments run through Stripe and Airwallex and accept Visa, Mastercard and American Express. The dollar figure beside each rupiah price is a guide, not a second price. The rupiah figure is the one you pay.
Ask us which method fits your bank. A transfer from abroad and a card link behave differently, and we tell you which costs less before you pay.
Payments we accept
Secure payment by Stripe, Airwallex, American Express, Visa, Mastercard.
Fees: card payment link 3%, PayPal 7.2%, EDC card machine 3%. Your issuing bank may add its own charges.
If your boat is swapped: same class or better, or a refund in full
Should the boat be unable to sail on your dates, one promise applies. You are offered a different boat, of the same class or better, for those dates with nothing extra to pay, or the whole fare returned inside 14 days. You see the offer in writing, with the boat's name, before you answer. Nothing is decided for you.
Nothing is kept back for our change. A refund covers everything you paid us for the trip.
When weather, currents or park and port decisions alter the itinerary, that is another matter, and the boat is not swapped. The captain decides the day's stops, and we tell you on WhatsApp when they change.
This promise is written into every booking we confirm. Ask for the wording before you pay the deposit, and we send it in the same thread, in plain sentences.
FAQ
Is the deposit refundable?
It follows the cancellation table. A cancellation made 60 days or more ahead returns 50 per cent; from 59 to 30 days ahead, 25 per cent; inside 30 days, nothing. If the boat cannot sail, you are offered a different boat of the same class or better, or the whole fare returned inside 14 days.
How late can I move my date?
Ask as early as you can. A move inside the late window costs IDR 500,000, and a move very close to sailing counts as a cancellation. Tell us the new date and we confirm the cost for it in writing before you agree to anything.
Which payment methods do you accept?
A card payment link, or a payment partner for QRIS, Alipay, WeChat Pay, PayPal, Wise and Revolut. PayPal carries a fee of 7.2 per cent. Ask which one suits your bank, and we tell you the cheapest route for your country.
When do you need passport details?
About a week before sailing. We message you, you send a photograph of the passport page or the ID, and we confirm it is complete. Bring the original on the day of the 09:30 pickup, because the crew checks it at the harbour.
Check availability — Raffles Cruise
Raffles Cruise is booked through PT Komodo Explorer Indonesia. We arrange the pickup, take the payment and keep your booking in order. The boat sails with its own crew of 8.