Last updated: September 2026 · Prices & availability verified for the 2026/2027 season
You pay for a Komodo charter in two parts: a deposit that secures the boat or cabin, and a balance due on the date printed on your invoice. From abroad the deposit goes by card link, PayPal invoice, or a Wise or Revolut transfer to the account on that invoice. Our reservations desk at Komodo Luxury (Labuan Bajo, since 2015) runs this sequence every week; nothing is paid until availability is confirmed in writing and the Terms and Conditions are signed. This guide follows the money from enquiry to balance, and says what happens to it if plans change, using our Terms and Conditions page as read on 24 September 2026.
Quick answer (24 September 2026): under the standard published policy, a 50% deposit secures a Komodo booking and the balance falls due on the date printed on your invoice. From abroad, pay by card link, PayPal invoice, or a Wise or Revolut transfer to the invoice account; bank charges are yours. Payments are non-refundable under the terms you sign.
- Source: Komodo Luxury Terms and Conditions page, read 24 September 2026; for certain vessels the terms of the respective vessel apply.
- Basis: guest enquiries to our concierge desk (2025 to 2026), 1,369 messages on payment, 205 on cancellation or refunds.
From our reservations desk. Of 11,254 guest messages to our concierge desk (2025 to 2026), 1,369 touched payment, 703 of them in September 2026, and 205 touched cancellation or refunds. By count: card or payment link (373 messages, 164 conversations); deposit amount (188 / 112); invoice timing (187 / 77); currency and bank fees (174 / 102); cancellation policy (174 / 103). This post follows the money in the order the desk processes it.
How do I pay for a Komodo charter, and what happens before the payment link is sent?
You pay against an invoice or a personal payment link, issued after four steps: an availability check, a 2 x 24-hour hold, the reservation form with signed Terms and Conditions, then the invoice. Do not transfer money before the hold is confirmed; a payment made before that secures nothing. This is how to book a Komodo cruise from abroad.
How do I check availability of a Komodo boat for specific dates?
Send the date, the boat or cabin type and the guest count including children to the desk on WhatsApp. We check availability for your exact dates and confirm it in writing, in office hours, 09:00 to 17:00 WITA, because a person verifies the allocation. A package page shows current availability, not a reservation. Partner vessels: the desk confirms with the operator first.
- Availability check. Confirmed in writing for your exact dates; allocations move in real time.
- A 2 x 24-hour hold. The desk holds the cabin or vessel for 48 hours; if the deposit is not received in that window, the hold may be released.
- Reservation form and signed Terms and Conditions. Both reach you on our official WhatsApp line; a digital signature is accepted. The invoice and payment details follow the signed document.
- Invoice and personal payment link. Your cabin is secured the moment the deposit stated on your payment link is settled; until then, availability can still move. Send the receipt; the updated invoice finance returns is your booking confirmation.
Secure the cabin first, then buy flights. A hold costs nothing for 48 hours; a non-refundable flight bought before the cabin is confirmed can cost far more if the date is full.
How much deposit is needed to book a Komodo private charter or a shared cabin?
Under the standard published Payment and Billing Policy, 50% of the invoice total. The balance falls due on the date printed on your invoice, and the desk sends the balance invoice ahead of it with a reminder. If your departure already sits inside the balance window when you book, the invoice is for the full amount. For bookings made about a year ahead, the published page describes a staged schedule: 30% to confirm, 20% at 120 days before the trip, the balance on the invoice date. Your invoice states the amount, currency and dates that apply.
The same schedule applies to a shared 3D2N cabin on a Komodo open trip and to the whole boat through the Komodo private trip page. Open trip cabins are priced per person per voyage; private charters on our rate cards are priced per package for the whole boat, not per person, and we do not convert it into a figure for each night. Children aged 3 and above pay the full rate. Trip prices sit on the Komodo yacht charter rate hub.
One worked example from the rate cards (Final Edition, 11 September 2026), checked 24 September 2026: a private 5D4N charter on Malca for 1 to 12 guests is USD 12,000 per package in 2026 and 2027, so the 50% deposit is USD 6,000 and the balance is USD 6,000. Park charges are quoted separately; the final quotation confirms the terms.
| Booking situation | To secure the booking | Interim payment | Balance due |
|---|---|---|---|
| Standard booking | 50% deposit | Keine | The date printed on your invoice |
| Departure already inside the balance window | Full payment | Keine | Paid at booking |
| Booking made about one year in advance | 30% deposit | 20% at 120 days before the trip | Remaining balance on the date printed on your invoice |
| Certain vessels with their own terms | As stated on your invoice | As stated on your invoice | As stated on your invoice |
Do Komodo charter companies accept Wise, Revolut or PayPal?
Our desk does, with conditions: Wise and Revolut as a direct transfer to the bank details on your invoice, PayPal as an invoice from our finance team on request, and cards through a secure payment link. The invoice total has to arrive in full; bank and platform charges are borne by the sender. Published rates are quoted in USD, and your invoice states the currency payable.
Card link: Visa and Mastercard
Finance issues the link against your invoice through a card gateway, at present branded Doku or Stripe (24 September 2026), in the same WhatsApp conversation as the invoice. A platform fee applies and is stated on your invoice. Card is the quickest route from abroad, since finance verifies it without bank processing days. If you hold American Express, say so before the link is issued.
PayPal: an invoice from our finance team, on request
Finance issues a PayPal invoice in the name on your reservation form, for the deposit or the balance; platform charges are borne by the payer. Pay the invoice itself and send a screenshot. A PayPal transfer to any address that did not come from our official WhatsApp line is not a route we use.
Wise or Revolut: direct transfer to the account on your invoice
Pay by direct transfer to the bank details on the invoice. We accept transfers alone, not payment claims or requests generated inside Wise or Revolut, so initiate the transfer yourself. The receipt should reach us within the hold window, because the hold is what protects your cabin until the funds are verified. The beneficiary name has to match the details we provide.
Bank transfer, and what we do not accept
An ordinary international bank transfer is workable but discouraged: it can take several working days, the booking is confirmed when the money arrives, and intermediary banks may deduct charges so the invoice arrives short. Instruct your bank that all charges are yours and agree the timing with the desk first. We do not take cash for the balance on departure day, payment to any personal account, or cryptocurrency. If anyone asks you to send money elsewhere, stop and contact the desk on the number published on this site.
What should I check on the invoice before I pay?
Your invoice becomes your booking confirmation once payment is verified, so read it before paying. It should show:
- The beneficiary company name, matching the operating company on our company facts page; charters are operated by PT Komodo Bahari Nusantara.
- The vessel name, and whether it is one of the four boats on our own rate cards (Ayvara, Malca, Catnazse, Naturalia) or a partner vessel booked through the desk.
- Embarkation and disembarkation dates, the Labuan Bajo meeting point, guest names as on the reservation form, and the cabin allocation.
- The total, the deposit, the balance and its due date, in one stated currency.
- Inclusions, with the Komodo National Park ticket as a separate line per person, and a reference to the signed Terms and Conditions.
If anything differs from what you were quoted on WhatsApp, ask before you pay; our checklist on verifying a Komodo boat operator before you pay shows how to tell our documents from an impostor’s. After full payment we send the pre-departure form and, the day before departure, add you to the trip’s WhatsApp group for pickup timing and weather updates.
What happens to my money if plans change?
What follows is the short version the desk gives on WhatsApp: the published terms you sign before payment, in plain words, not legal advice, adding nothing to them. Where your case is not covered here, the booking terms on your invoice and our T&C page apply.
If you cancel
Payments are non-refundable. Under the published terms the deposit is forfeited from registration, and a participant cancellation at any time forfeits 100% of the total payment, whatever the reason: visa refusal, illness, a change of plans. Payments cannot be refunded, rescheduled or transferred to another trip. You may nominate a replacement person, and the booking continues under the new name. That is the Komodo cancellation policy as published for our trips; partner vessels may carry their own terms, stated on your invoice.
If you want to change dates, including after a cancelled flight
A flight cancellation is listed under force majeure in the published terms, alongside weather and government regulation, and does not by itself create a refund or a new date. Where a change of date is agreed with the desk, it is valid once documented in an official invoice from the reservation team; a chat message is not a reschedule. Participant-initiated changes remain subject to the cancellation terms. Two protections work in practice: arrive in Labuan Bajo at least one day before the trip, as the terms recommend, and hold travel insurance that covers cancellation, bought when you pay the deposit. Our guide to travel insurance for a Komodo liveaboard sets out what to look for.
Weather, sea conditions and the Harbour Master
The Harbour Master regulates all sailing, so any itinerary is tentative and may change with sea conditions. If weather or an official restriction affects the sailing area, the trip in most cases operates on an alternative route to destinations considered safe; the published terms treat force majeure as a change without refund. If a trip cannot operate at all, the booking terms on your invoice and our T&C page apply; we do not promise an outcome the terms do not state.
Park tickets and the Komodo National Park reservation
The Komodo National Park ticket is excluded from the trip price, set by government regulation, billed as its own line per person and confirmed by our desk. It is set under PP 36/2024 as displayed by the Balai: IDR 250,000 per foreign visitor per day, IDR 50,000 per Indonesian visitor per day (IDR 75,000 on Sundays and public holidays). Our desk registers guests, pays the park and lists the park line separately on the invoice, and makes the Komodo National Park reservation for your sailing dates; since 22 September 2026 the park requires entry on the date printed on the e-ticket. Quota is the park’s, confirmed at registration; no operator can promise quota. Purchased tickets are non-refundable; a date change means registering again for a date with available quota (see our Komodo National Park quota update).
How far ahead should I book a Komodo cruise for August 2027, and how do I compare Komodo boats before booking?
About two months is the lead time our desk measures from first enquiry to confirmed booking, and the one figure we publish. It is not a promise that a cabin is open two months out. August is peak season, so for a named boat or cabin in August 2027 send your dates as soon as you hold them; dates are managed one by one, and availability is confirmed at registration, in writing. How far in advance to book Komodo for 2027 has one more answer: the 2027 rate cards are published, Malca and Ayvara at 2026 rates, Catnazse and Naturalia higher. Our post on when to book a Komodo boat tour for 2027 explains what open means at the desk.
To compare Komodo boats before booking, use three numbers that do not move with the season: guest capacity, cabin count and the rate-card figure. On our own four boats, Ayvara carries 15 guests in 7 cabins, Malca 21 in 7, Catnazse 18 in 8 and Naturalia 24 in 8; the Ayvara boat page is one example. Partner vessels can be booked through the desk, but we do not publish their prices or state their availability. Whole-boat options sit on the private yacht charter in Komodo page.
Häufig gestellte Fragen
How much deposit is needed to book a Komodo private charter?
Under the standard published policy, 50% of the invoice total; the balance falls due on the date printed on your invoice. A private charter is priced per package for the whole boat: on a Malca 5D4N for 1 to 12 guests at USD 12,000 (2026 and 2027 rate card), the deposit is USD 6,000. Park charges are quoted separately.
Can I pay a Komodo cruise deposit by credit card or payment link?
Yes. Our finance team issues a personal card link against your invoice, on a Doku or Stripe page, in the same WhatsApp conversation as the invoice. It takes Visa and Mastercard; a platform fee stated on your invoice applies. Card is the quickest method for finance to verify inside a 48-hour hold.
Can I pay for a Komodo boat tour with PayPal?
Yes, on request. Our finance team issues a PayPal invoice in the name on your reservation form, for the deposit or the balance; platform charges are borne by the payer. Pay the invoice itself and send a screenshot; never send money to a PayPal address that did not come from our official WhatsApp line.
Can I pay the remaining balance in cash when I arrive in Labuan Bajo?
No. The balance is due on the date printed on your invoice, by the same routes as the deposit; there is no arrangement to settle it in cash on the day you board. If your departure already sits inside the balance window when you book, the full amount is paid at booking.
Is the deposit refundable if I cancel or change my travel dates?
No. Under the published terms the deposit is non-refundable from registration, a participant cancellation at any point forfeits 100% of the payment, and payments cannot be rescheduled or transferred to another trip. You may nominate a replacement person. A date change agreed with the desk is valid once an official invoice documents it.
Can I reschedule a Komodo charter if my flight is cancelled?
Not as a right. Flight cancellation sits under force majeure in the published terms and does not by itself create a refund or a new date; where the desk agrees a change, an official invoice documents it. What protects you is arriving in Labuan Bajo a day early and travel insurance that covers cancellation.
What happens to my payment if weather stops the boat from sailing?
The Harbour Master regulates all sailing, so any itinerary is tentative and may change with sea conditions. In most cases the trip runs on an alternative route to destinations considered safe; the published terms treat weather as force majeure, a change without refund. If a trip cannot operate at all, the booking terms on your invoice and our T&C page apply.
Are Komodo National Park fees included in the deposit or invoiced separately?
Invoiced separately. The park ticket is set under PP 36/2024 as displayed by the Balai (IDR 250,000 per foreign visitor per day) and sits outside every trip price; our desk registers the dated ticket, pays the park and shows it as its own line per person. Since 22 September 2026 entry is on the ticketed date. Purchased tickets are non-refundable.
Sources and last reviewed
- Komodo Luxury, Terms and Conditions page (payment schedule, cancellation, force majeure, cabin hold, reschedules, child policy, bank charges), read 24 September 2026.
- Komodo Luxury private-charter rate cards 2026 and 2027, Final Edition, 11 September 2026; open trip USD rate card 2027, verified 21 September 2026; checked 24 September 2026.
- Balai Taman Nasional Komodo, announcement PG.46/T.17/TU/KSA.04.01/B/09/2026, published on its official channels, 22 September 2026; tariff and carrying-capacity page (PP 36/2024), read 24 September 2026.
- Guest enquiries to our concierge desk (2025 to 2026): 11,254 messages, 1,189 conversations, counted 24 September 2026; payment routes as processed by the Komodo Luxury finance team; booking lead time about two months.
Last reviewed 24 September 2026 by the Komodo Luxury Editorial Desk.
If you have your dates, send them with your guest count to the reservations desk on WhatsApp at +62 811 3823 875 or [email protected]. We check availability for your exact dates, confirm it in writing, and send the invoice you will pay against, with the deposit, the balance date and the park line on it.
By the Komodo Luxury Editorial Desk, Labuan Bajo. Komodo Luxury is a specialist maritime brand under Juara Holding Group; charters are operated by PT Komodo Bahari Nusantara. Rate-card figures checked 24 September 2026.
