Names the vessel
A proposal for "a phinisi" is not a proposal. It should name the boat, its cabins and its capacity.
From Enquiry to Aboard
Six steps, one of which involves money. Knowing the shape of it in advance is what stops a charter enquiry feeling opaque.
Enquiry, proposal, contract, deposit, balance, boarding. The whole thing usually takes a fortnight of correspondence and then goes quiet until sixty days out.
- Send dates, guest count and interests — those three shape everything else.
- A proposal that names the vessel and lists exclusions is a good proposal.
- Deposits are typically due within seven to fourteen days of signing.
How it actually runs
Nothing is committed until step four. Everything before it is conversation.
What a serious operator does
None of this is exotic. Its absence is the signal.
Lists exclusions
Park fees, alcohol, diving and gratuities in writing, before the deposit, not on a final invoice.
Expects revisions
Two or three rounds on the itinerary is normal. An operator who will not adjust is selling a package, not a charter.
Transfers, not cards
Bank transfer is standard for charter sums and avoids card processing fees. Currency should be stated explicitly.
States cancellation tiers
Specific day thresholds and specific percentages. Vague terms here are the clearest warning sign there is.
Sends a confirmation pack
Vessel details, crew, transfer times, packing notes and what happens on arrival — before you fly, not on the jetty.
Three things worth sending first
Dates, guest count, and what matters most to you. Those three determine the vessel shortlist, the price and the route, and everything else is detail. A group of eight wanting dives is a completely different shortlist from two people wanting quiet, even in the same week and at the same budget.
If your dates are flexible by a fortnight, say so in the first message. It often changes which boats are on the table entirely.
- 6–12 mo
- When to open the conversation
- 7–14 d
- From signing to deposit due
- 30–90 d
- Before departure, balance due
- 30–60 min
- Airport to marina in Labuan Bajo
Amending beats cancelling
If something moves, ask about postponement before cancellation. Shifting dates within the same season is often accommodated where a cancellation inside sixty days would cost the entire fee. Operators would rather move you than lose the week, and that flexibility disappears the moment you use the word cancel in writing.
The process, answered
What should my first message say?
Dates, how many of you, and what matters most — dragons, diving, quiet or a celebration. Add whether the dates can move; it often changes the shortlist.
How long does it take?
A proposal within a day or two, a couple of rounds of revision, then a contract. Deposits are typically due seven to fourteen days after signing.
How do I pay?
Bank transfer for the main sums, quoted in a stated currency. Cards are sometimes accepted for deposits and usually carry a processing fee.
What arrives before I fly?
A confirmation pack: vessel and crew details, transfer times, packing notes and the boarding arrangement. If it does not arrive, ask for it.
Can I change the dates later?
Often, within the same season. Ask about amendment before cancellation — the terms are usually much better, and they vanish once you cancel formally.
Open the conversation
Nothing is committed until a contract is signed and a deposit clears. An enquiry costs a message.