Raffles Cruise
Raffles Cruise
One traveller, one seat, and what has to be true first
Updated 24 October 2026
A solo non-diver on a Komodo liveaboard asks us before booking: Raffles Cruise sells cabins to 2 paying guests, with the Java seat at IDR 8,750,000 (≈ USD 537) per person. Three snorkels fill day one, and a life jacket helps you float and the crew decides when and where you go in.
Reading the two-guest minimum as a solo traveller
The open-trip rule is simple. A cabin needs a minimum of 2 paying guests. One person cannot take a cabin alone.
That sounds like a wall, and for the online calendar it is one. For a traveller on their own it is the start of a message. Ask us, and we tell you what the booking can do for the date you want.
No pairing with another guest is promised, and the charge for one person is confirmed in writing before you pay. The arrangement for one person is confirmed in writing before you pay.
Sailings leave on Monday & Friday. Write the date you prefer and your flight times, and the answer comes on WhatsApp.
What WhatsApp can settle for one traveller
Three questions go in the first message: your dates, your swimming level and whether you want a cabin to yourself. The answers decide the rest.
If you want a cabin to yourself, one route is to pay for both seats of a Java cabin, which is 2 x IDR 8,750,000 (≈ USD 537) on the 2026 card. We confirm whether that holds for the date in writing before you pay.
If you are happy to share the boat, say so. The open trip is a shared boat anyway, with the lounge and the dining areas open to all the cabins.
Say too when you land in Labuan Bajo. We advise arriving one day before sailing. On the day, a car collects you at 09:30, from your hotel or from the airport. Your seat confirmation names the pickup hour.
Snorkelling alone
In the water, a solo guest is never alone. The crew fits you with a life jacket and snorkelling gear, and anyone who is not a confident swimmer keeps the jacket on. The crew decides when and where you go in and calls the time you spend there.
The seat on an open trip includes the local guide, and your written confirmation says so. At Manta Point the current is strong, and the party drifts along the reef. On the open trip the guide swims with the party; on a private charter a guide is on request, or you stay aboard. Whether mantas are there is the sea's decision.
Sebayur is the gentlest start, a shallow reef with a mild current. If you have never snorkelled, say so in the first message, and we pass it on. Two stand-up paddleboards are aboard for the guest who prefers to stay on top of the water.
A solo guest swims with the party on an open trip, with the guide beside the group.
The three days from one guest's view
Day one from 09:30: Sebayur, lunch, Manta Point, a snack, Taka Makassar, dinner. Three snorkels in a row is a long day in the water for a first-timer, and the crew sets the time of each.
Day two: Padar at sunrise, breakfast, Pink Beach by snorkel or paddleboard, lunch, Komodo with a ranger, Pimpe, a snack, Kalong at sunset, dinner. The ranger walks the group together, so nobody walks alone.
Day three: breakfast, Kelor with free time, lunch, and the harbour around midday. Book a flight after 14:00.
The order inside a day is set, and the stops follow the captain's call.
Day 1
| What happens | Sailing time | Have ready | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 09:30 | Labuan Bajo — Pickup from your hotel or the airport to the harbour at 09:30 | — | passport or ID |
| · | Start sailing | — | |
| · | Snorkelling at Sebayur Island | — | mask and snorkel |
| · | Lunch | — | |
| · | Snorkelling at Manta Point | — | mask and snorkel |
| · | Snack time | — | |
| · | Snorkelling at Taka Makassar | — | |
| · | Dinner on board | — | |
| 🌙 | Night aboard. The captain picks the anchorage, weather permitting. | ||
Day 2
| What happens | Sailing time | Have ready | |
|---|---|---|---|
| · | Padar Island walk at sunrise | — | shoes with grip, hat and water |
| · | Breakfast | — | |
| · | Snorkelling or paddle boarding at Long Beach (Pink Beach) | — | reef-safe sunscreen |
| · | Lunch | — | |
| · | Komodo Island walk | — | closed shoes, park ticket |
| · | Pimpe Island walk | — | |
| · | Snack time | — | |
| · | Sunset at Kalong Island | — | a light layer |
| · | Dinner on board | — | |
| 🌙 | Night aboard. The captain picks the anchorage, weather permitting. | ||
Day 3
| What happens | Sailing time | Have ready | |
|---|---|---|---|
| · | Breakfast | — | |
| · | Free time at Kelor Island: walk, swim or paddle board, then relax on the beach | — | |
| · | Lunch | — | |
| · | Back in Labuan Bajo, drop-off at your hotel or the airport between 11:00 and 12:00 | — |
Stops that can swap places on the day: Manta Point ⇄ Taka Makassar.
The pickup is the one fixed hour. Every other time on this page is a planning guide, and the captain sets the stop order on the day.
Cases where a seat will not do
Some cases need the whole boat, or another plan. A traveller who must have a cabin to themselves on a fixed date, with no second seat to pay for, is better served by writing to us before looking at the calendar.
A traveller who cannot swim at all and will not wear a life jacket is not suited to Manta Point. There is no age or swimming test, so we ask in the first message and advise on the stops.
The private charter has no minimum beyond your party. For one guest it is IDR 115,000,000 (≈ USD 7,055) on the 2026 card, and it is a whole boat for one person. We name it only so you can see where the seat sits.
Park tickets are outside every fare: IDR 250,000 for a foreign visitor. Travel insurance is yours too.
FAQ
Can I book a cabin alone?
Not as a single seat. A cabin needs a minimum of 2 paying guests on the open trip. Ask us, and what can be arranged for one traveller on your date reaches you in writing ahead of payment.
Will you pair me with a stranger?
No pairing is promised. An open trip is a shared boat, and a solo guest settles the cabin question with us on WhatsApp. Whatever we agree is confirmed in writing before you pay.
Does a solo guest pay extra?
The charge for one person is confirmed in writing before you pay. If you want a cabin to yourself, one route is to pay for both seats of a Java cabin, at 2 x IDR 8,750,000 (≈ USD 537). We confirm that for your date before you pay.
Is it safe for a woman alone?
The cabin is private, with its own bathroom, and the boat sails with a crew of 8. The open-trip seat covers the local guide. We make no claims beyond what we can confirm in writing, so ask us what you need to know.
Do I snorkel alone?
No. On an open trip you snorkel with the party and the guide swims with you. A life jacket, which helps you float, goes on if you swim weakly, and the crew picks your entry time and your spot. A paddleboard is the dry option.
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.