Two master cabins with a balcony, and what VIP means on this boat

The boat describes itself as a VIP boat. Nothing else defines the word, so we set out what it sits on, and only that.

Built in 2023, she is a 33 m phinisi with 6 air-conditioned cabins over two decks, each with its own ensuite bathroom. Behind the word are two master cabins with private balconies, an indoor lounge with a bar and a karaoke set, mini golf and two stand-up paddleboards. A crew of 8 sails with her.

It does not sit on a butler, a private chef, a spa or a turndown service. None of them is offered, and we do not claim them. This is a snorkelling phinisi with good cabins, and the price list shows it.

Malacca I is on the upper deck. On its balcony a round white jacuzzi tub stands on the platform beside a teak railing, with sea and green hills in view. The balcony belongs to the cabin, and so does the tub.

Inside there is a double bed with a cream bench at its foot and a navy-and-white rug. A glass-walled bathroom stands beside the bed, and an armchair sits near the balcony doors. The bathroom has a hot shower, and the cabin has air conditioning and a sea view.

A seat here is IDR 12,000,000 (≈ USD 736) per person, two sharing, on the 2026 card. The bed is a double; its size is on request. The boat has two extra beds in all, and we name the cabin for each in writing ahead of payment. The cabins page has the photographs of all six.

Malacca II is on the main deck. A free-standing oval bathtub with a wooden tray sits under two large windows facing the sea. The cabin has its own private balcony as well.

The tub is inside the cabin, not on the balcony, and no other cabin has a bathtub. Malacca II has the same double bed, air conditioning and ensuite bathroom with a hot shower as the rest, one deck lower.

A seat is IDR 11,000,000 (≈ USD 675) per person, two sharing. The jacuzzi stays with Malacca I and the bathtub with Malacca II. The Borneo and Java cabins have neither.

The route, the meals and the crew do not change with the cabin. A double bed, air conditioning, a sea view and an ensuite bathroom with a hot shower come with each one. Breakfast, lunch and dinner are served every day, with afternoon coffee or tea and a snack.

Only the two Malacca cabins have a balcony. Borneo, on the upper deck, and Java, on the main deck, are deluxe cabins with a window onto the sea. If the balcony is not the point, they sleep just as well.

Ask for Malacca by name, with the date, and we hold the cabin on WhatsApp before you pay.

One honest line on the word VIP. The open trip shares the deck, the lounge and the dining room across all six cabins, so a master cabin buys a balcony and a tub, not a private sailing. A private sailing is the whole boat, and the price list shows its cost beside the seats.