Last updated: September 2026 · Prices & availability verified for the 2026/2027 season
The question reaches our WhatsApp most days in the same shape: we are six, or ten, or two, should we take the whole boat or book cabins on the shared departure? The two formats are priced on different bases, so the printed figures cannot be compared until both are turned into a per-person number for the same 3D2N voyage. This guide does that conversion on the published 2027 private charter rate card, sets it against the shared-cabin floor on our live open-trip page, and covers what changes beyond the price.
Quick answer: An open trip sells a cabin per person on a fixed 3D2N departure, from USD 300 per person on our open-trip page (checked 12 September 2026). A private yacht charter in Komodo sells the whole boat per package: Malca 3D2N is USD 6,000 for 1 to 12 guests on the 2027 rate card, about USD 1,000 each at six and USD 500 each at twelve.
Below is the same arithmetic for the other three rate-card boats, where the guest bands change the answer, then the operational differences the price does not show. If you already know your headcount and dates, send them to the desk: we check availability for your exact dates and confirm in writing. The private charter versus shared Komodo trip page holds the short version; this article is the working.
Two formats, two price bases
An open trip sells a cabin. The price on our Komodo open trip page is per person per voyage for a 3 days 2 nights program, from USD 300 per person, with cabin tiers listed on the same page up to USD 850 per person (checked 12 September 2026). Departures run on a fixed schedule, generally Friday to Sunday, with certain boats also sailing Monday to Wednesday depending on availability. Other booked guests share the deck and the itinerary; the program is snorkelling-led.
A private charter sells the hull. The price is per boat, per package, for a guest band: a full-day row on some boats, then 2D1N, 3D2N, 4D3N and longer, each its own published row. Departure and return timing, pace and route are set with you. Our private Komodo tour packages page lists the boats and durations we quote on; rate cards by vessel are on the Komodo yacht charter rates hub.
One distinction the desk repeats every week: a private cabin on a shared boat is not a private charter. A private cabin is exclusively yours; the boat, the schedule and the route are still shared. Sharing cabins are mixed-gender with bed assignment set by final occupancy, which is why couples who want a door that closes book a private cabin, and couples who want the boat charter it. The shared cabin versus private cabin guide covers that middle path.
| tour grupal (habitación compartida) | Chárter privado (barco completo) | |
|---|---|---|
| Base de fijación de precios | por persona, por viaje | Per boat, per package, per guest band |
| Duración | 3D2N program | Full day or 2D1N up to 7D6N and longer, each a published row |
| Departure days | Fixed: Friday to Sunday; some boats Monday to Wednesday | Your dates, subject to availability |
| ¿Quién más va a bordo? | Other booked guests | Your group and the crew |
| La unidad más pequeña que se comercializa | One cabin (private or sharing) | The whole boat for the band |
| Scuba diving | Not on the shared program | Arranged as a private diving charter |
What a whole boat costs per person on the 2027 rate card
The figures below are the B2C publish rates for 2027 (Final Edition 11 September 2026) for the four boats on that card: per private charter, per package, in USD, for the guest band shown. The card carries its own caveat, repeated here: rates are presented for review and are not a booking offer; itinerary, services, taxes, payment and cancellation terms are confirmed in the individual quotation. We do not convert packages into a nightly rate or multiply a 2D1N figure to estimate a longer trip; each duration is its own published row. This comparison uses the 3D2N package only, the like-for-like basis against the 3D2N open trip; the full duration rows and the additional-guest line are on the Komodo yacht charter rates hub and in our guide to reading a charter quote. Every per-person figure in this section is an illustrative division of the 3D2N package total by a headcount inside the band.
Malca Voyages
Malca Voyages, two bands. 1 to 12 guests: 3D2N USD 6,000. 13 to 18 guests: 3D2N USD 6,700.
Ayvara
Ayvara, two bands. 1 to 8 guests: 3D2N USD 6,200. 9 to 15 guests: 3D2N USD 7,000.
Naturalia
Naturalia, three bands. 1 to 8 guests: 3D2N USD 8,500. 9 to 16 guests: 3D2N USD 9,500. 17 to 24 guests: 3D2N USD 10,400.
Catnazse
Catnazse, two bands. 1 to 12 guests: 3D2N USD 7,800. 13 to 18 guests: 3D2N USD 8,800.
The 3D2N package divided by headcount
The table divides each 3D2N package total by 2, 4, 6 and 8 guests where those headcounts fall inside the band, then by the band maximum, rounded to the nearest dollar; a dash marks a headcount the band does not cover. The last row is the open-trip floor for contrast: a per-person fare that does not change with your headcount.
| Boat and band (2027) | 3D2N package | 2 guests | 4 guests | 6 guests | 8 guests | Band maximum |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Malca, 1 to 12 | USD 6,000 | USD 3,000 | USD 1,500 | USD 1,000 | USD 750 | USD 500 at 12 |
| Malca, 13 to 18 | USD 6,700 | – | – | – | – | USD 372 at 18 |
| Ayvara, 1 to 8 | USD 6,200 | USD 3,100 | USD 1,550 | USD 1,033 | USD 775 | USD 775 at 8 |
| Ayvara, 9 to 15 | USD 7,000 | – | – | – | – | USD 467 at 15 |
| Naturalia, 1 to 8 | USD 8,500 | USD 4,250 | USD 2,125 | USD 1,417 | USD 339 | USD 339 at 8 |
| Naturalia, 9 to 16 | USD 9,500 | – | – | – | – | USD 594 at 16 |
| Naturalia, 17 to 24 | USD 10,400 | – | – | – | – | USD 433 at 24 |
| Catnazse, 1 to 12 | USD 7,800 | USD 3,900 | USD 1,950 | USD 1,300 | USD 975 | USD 650 at 12 |
| Catnazse, 13 to 18 | USD 8,800 | – | – | – | – | USD 489 at 18 |
| Open trip shared cabin (contrast) | per person per voyage | from USD 300 | from USD 300 | from USD 300 | from USD 300 | from USD 300; tiers listed up to USD 850 |
The lowest per-person figure the division reaches on these four boats is about USD 372, Malca with eighteen aboard, still above the USD 300 entry cabin. At the top of each first band, USD 500 on Malca at twelve, USD 650 on Catnazse at twelve, USD 775 on Ayvara at eight, the whole boat lands among the mid and upper cabin tiers on the open-trip page. Below six guests the whole-boat figure is a multiple of any shared cabin, and the reason to charter is privacy, dates and route.
Is there a minimum group for a private charter?
No. The rate card has no headcount minimum; it has bands. A couple on Malca 3D2N pays USD 6,000, the same package total as twelve friends, because the band is 1 to 12 guests. The desk quotes per boat and per date, with the band that matches your headcount.
Couples and small groups who want the private format without the full 3D2N figure usually look at a shorter private Komodo boat tour (the 2D1N row is published for each boat) or a two-night Komodo sailing trip on a smaller hull, quoted on request. The four rate-card boats carry published 2027 figures; other vessels booked through the reservations desk are priced in the quotation.
Why the package price does not fall when fewer of you sail
Because the boat is committed as a whole. Crew, fuel, permits and provisioning are arranged for the hull, so the rate card bands on headcount instead of pricing per head, and inside a band nothing moves. It is also why a traditional phinisi under sail and a motor yacht at a similar package figure feel so different aboard; our luxury yacht charter Komodo page sets out the classes. Two things move the per-person figure: headcount, up to the band ceiling, and duration. A longer package costs more in total on both formats; on a charter the 4D3N figure is its own published row, not the 2D1N row multiplied. The cabin-based formats are set out on our Komodo liveaboard page.
The decision by group size
Solo or a couple
Book the open trip. A private cabin gives you the door that closes; deck and dining are shared. Single occupancy of a private cabin is charged at that cabin’s single rate, on several boats the per-person price doubled; the desk quotes the exact figure. If the boat itself has to be yours, the smallest overnight private package is each boat’s 2D1N row; Naturalia and Catnazse also publish a full-day row. Our open trip for solo travellers guide covers cabin choice.
A family of four to six with children
Both formats work here. On the open trip we recommend a Master or Family cabin, designed for two adults and a child; children are welcome under full parental supervision, and children aged three and above are charged at the full rate under our published policy. Child-sized snorkelling gear for under-tens is not carried on board, so bring your own. The whole boat makes sense when the children’s pace should set the itinerary: on Malca 3D2N a family of six is USD 1,000 each on the illustrative division. Groups of more than ten with children are quoted by a member of the team. The private charter for families with kids guide goes deeper.
Eight to twelve friends
This is where the arithmetic turns over. At the top of the first band, Malca is USD 500 each and Catnazse USD 650 each at twelve, Ayvara USD 775 each at eight, all on the 3D2N package: figures among the mid and upper cabin tiers on the open-trip page, with your dates and route included. If your group is one or two short of a band ceiling, filling the last places is the most effective thing you can do to the number.
Thirteen to twenty-four
Second and third bands apply: Malca 13 to 18 at USD 6,700, Catnazse 13 to 18 at USD 8,800, Ayvara 9 to 15 at USD 7,000, Naturalia 9 to 16 at USD 9,500 or 17 to 24 at USD 10,400, all 3D2N. Here a private charter is normally both the lower per-person figure and the more private trip; the desk’s job becomes matching the band to the cabin count on each boat, a question of beds rather than price.
What changes beyond the price
- Departure timing. On the open trip you are collected from your Labuan Bajo hotel between 08:00 and 09:00 on day one and the boat is back alongside between 11:00 and 12:00 on the last day, so we recommend a same-day flight at 14:00 or later. On a private charter the timing is set with you; under our published terms, delays on a private trip adjust the itinerary within the allocated time rather than extending it.
- Itinerary and pace. The shared program follows a fixed route; a private charter sets the route with you. On both, sailing decisions follow the harbour master: after the 15 August 2026 earthquake the harbour master reopened sailing from Labuan Bajo the same day, and our Labuan Bajo status page carries the official notices.
- Diving. The shared trip is snorkelling-led, with gear and life jackets on board. Scuba, including discovery dives, is arranged as a private diving charter quoted by the desk.
- Arrival routing. For most guests the straightforward route is a flight into Labuan Bajo and boarding in the harbour; guests connecting through Denpasar have our Komodo tour from Bali page.
What sits outside both prices
Komodo National Park fees are quoted separately at the rate set by the park authority and shown as their own line on both formats; the amount is not folded into a cabin fare or a package total. Flights to Labuan Bajo are booked separately on either format, and diving is quoted separately where arranged. Taxes and service components are stated in the individual quotation, and that written quotation is the figure that applies.
Deposit and payment schedule
For open trip cabins the deposit and balance dates for your booking are stated on your invoice and confirmed in writing by the desk. The balance cannot be paid in cash on departure day.
For private charters the published payment and billing policy applies: a 50 percent down payment secures the booking and full payment is due no later than 30 days before departure. For bookings made one year in advance, a 30 percent deposit confirms the charter, an additional 20 percent is paid 120 days before the trip, and the balance is due 30 days before departure. The terms of the respective vessel apply to certain boats; your booking confirmation states the schedule that applies.
Common to both: under the published cancellation policy payments are non-refundable, although a replacement person may be nominated. For an open-trip cabin, once you decide the sales team re-verifies availability during office hours (09:00 to 17:00 WITA), places a 2 x 24-hour hold, and sends the reservation form with your deposit link. For a private charter the desk confirms the hold and deposit steps for the boat in writing. On either format the booking is secured when the deposit is made, so secure the boat or cabin before buying flights.
How the reservations desk decides with you
Send three things: your dates or travel window, your headcount with children’s ages, and what matters most to you. We reply with both formats on one page where both fit: the cabin fare per person on the departures in your window, and the whole-boat package for your band, with park fees on a separate line. Availability is checked per date and confirmed in writing. WhatsApp +62 811 3823 875 or [email protected].
Questions our reservations desk hears
Should a family of six book a private charter or join the open trip in Komodo?
Both work, so it comes down to pace and privacy. On the open trip a Master or Family cabin suits two adults and a child, priced per person on a fixed 3D2N departure. On Malca 3D2N the whole boat is USD 6,000 for 1 to 12 guests, about USD 1,000 each for six, with the route set around the children.
Can we book the whole boat for our group, and is there a minimum number of guests for a private charter?
Yes, and there is no headcount minimum. The 2027 rate card prices each package for a guest band, so a couple and a party of twelve pay the same Malca 3D2N total of USD 6,000 in the 1 to 12 band. The desk quotes per boat and date and shows any additional-guest row as its own line.
At how many guests does a private Komodo charter cost about the same per person as a shared cabin?
On the four rate-card boats the 3D2N division reaches the mid and upper cabin tiers at the top of the first band: USD 500 each on Malca at twelve, USD 650 on Catnazse at twelve, USD 775 on Ayvara at eight. The lowest figure reached, about USD 372 on Malca at eighteen, still sits above the USD 300 entry cabin.
Does the open trip only run as 3 days 2 nights, and on which days does it depart?
At present the open trip is sold as a 3D2N program on a fixed schedule: departures are generally Friday to Sunday, with certain boats also sailing Monday to Wednesday depending on availability. For a 2D1N, a longer itinerary or your own departure day, the desk quotes a private charter with duration and timing set with you.
We are a couple who want privacy: is a private cabin on a shared boat enough, or should we charter?
If privacy means your own cabin and bathroom, a private cabin on the open trip is enough and costs a per-person fare. If privacy means nobody else on deck, that is a charter, and for two the smallest overnight private package is the 2D1N row; Naturalia and Catnazse also publish a full-day row. For most couples a private cabin answers the privacy question; couples who want the whole deck to themselves charter.
Is the deposit and payment schedule different for a private charter and an open trip?
For an open trip cabin the deposit and balance dates are stated on your invoice and confirmed in writing by the desk. Private charters follow the published payment policy: 50 percent down payment and full payment 30 days before departure, or for bookings a year ahead 30 percent, 20 percent at 120 days, and the balance at 30 days; the terms of the respective vessel apply to certain boats.
Are Komodo National Park fees included in either the open trip or the private charter price?
No. On both formats the park fees are quoted separately at the rate set by the park authority and appear as their own line, so the cabin fare and the package total compare like for like. Flights to Labuan Bajo and any diving are also outside both prices; the written quotation lists every component.
If the number decides it and you are one to four people, the shared cabin wins and it is not close. If you are six or more, run the division on the band before assuming otherwise. If you are twelve or more, the whole boat is often both the lower per-person figure and the more private trip. Send your dates and headcount and we will price both formats, or start from the private yacht charter Komodo page if you already know the boat is yours.
