Princess Lala
Princess Lala Phinisi
How to book a cabin or the whole boat on Princess Lala
Updated 11 October 2026
Booking Princess Lala takes one WhatsApp conversation. You ask which cabins are free, we send a written quote, you pay a 50 percent deposit and the balance 30 days before departure, and on the open trip your guide confirms the pickup time the evening before. If we cannot sail, you get an equal or better phinisi or a full refund.
One message starts it
You open WhatsApp, tell us the dates you are looking at, how many of you there are, and if you want a cabin on the open trip or the whole boat. We write back with which cabins are free.
That is the first step, and the rest follow in order. We send a written quote for your cabin or your charter band. You pay the deposit, which is 50 percent of the total. You pay the balance 30 days before departure. And on the evening before you sail, your guide confirms the pickup time: on the open trip, between 10:30 and 11:55 from your hotel or the airport. On a charter, the hour is the one we agreed with you.
The three steps you act on are shown below.
If you are weighing two cabins, or a cabin against the whole boat, say so in the same message. The cabins page and the charter page hold the fares, and the quote we send holds yours.
- On WhatsAppSend dates, group size and route
- 50 percent of the totalDeposit confirms the date
- 30 days beforeBalance before sailing
What we need from you
Four things make the booking go smoothly, and the first is food. Tell us about diets and allergies when you book, and we confirm with the galley in writing before you pay. That is the order of things: your message, the galley's answer, and then the deposit.
Second, the ages of any children. Children under 3 travel free with a parent or guardian, and from that age the full fare applies. The ages also decide the beds. Cabins 1 to 5 are a double bed with a single beside it, so a third guest takes the single at the extra-bed fare and two parents and a child can share one door. Cabin 6 is one double: on open trips it is sold for two, and on a private charter its single berth is added.
Third, your arrival flight. Come to Labuan Bajo the day before you sail, so a delayed plane does not cost you the boat. Tell us the flight and the hotel, and we line up the pickup. Fly home after 13:00 on day three of the three-day trip, and not at all on the evening of day two of the two-day trip.
Fourth, anyone who needs a slower pace on the walks, or a hand at the tender. We pass it to the cruise director. We also need ID details seven days before you sail.
Half to book, the rest before you sail
The deposit is 50 percent of the total, and the balance is due 30 days before departure. All fares include 11 percent VAT.
The table below sets out the terms in one place, with the rule for children. It is the same table for a cabin on the open trip and for a private charter, since the deposit and the balance work the same way in both.
If you pay in another currency, or through a payment partner, ask for the amount in the currency you will actually send before you send anything. The payment methods are in the last section of this page.
Some costs sit outside the fare. Park fees are paid separately: IDR 250,000 per international visitor per day, IDR 50,000 for Indonesian visitors on weekdays and IDR 75,000 at weekends, with the ranger fee and other levies extra. Travel insurance is recommended, and not included. Tips are yours.
| Deposit | 50 percent of the total |
| Balance | 30 days before |
| Bookings inside 30 days pay in full | |
| Children | Under 3 free, accompanied by a parent |
| Prices include 11 percent VAT · Passport details 7 days before sailing |
If your plans move
Plans move, and the terms say how far. A cancellation 60 days or more before departure returns 50 percent of what you paid. A cancellation 30 to 59 days before returns 25 percent. Inside 30 days, nothing comes back. Refunds are paid within 14 days.
A change of date is kinder. It is free when you make it 30 days or more before departure. From 14 to 29 days before, it costs IDR 500,000. Inside 14 days it counts as a cancellation. Both tables are below.
If your plans can still change in the last fortnight before sailing, the terms will not bend, and we would rather you read them now than at the pier.
One case runs the other way. If we cannot sail, you are not the one who pays for it: the last section sets out what you receive in place of the boat.
| Notice | Refund |
|---|---|
| 60 days or more | 50 % |
| 30 to 59 days | 25 % |
| 29 days or less | 0 % |
| Notice | Fee |
|---|---|
| 30 days or more | Free |
| 14 to 29 days | IDR 500,000 |
| 13 days or less | Treated as a cancellation |
If we cancel, you are refunded 100 percent · Refunds are paid within 14 days.
How you pay, and what happens if she cannot sail
You can pay by a credit card payment link, with the fee shown on the invoice, or by Wise, Revolut, PayPal, QRIS, Alipay or a bank transfer in rupiah. PayPal adds 7.2 percent. WeChat Pay is not direct: it runs through a third-party payment partner. The methods are listed below.
You are booking with PT Komodo Explorer Indonesia, in Labuan Bajo, registered under NIB 1805260128363. The payment pages are secured by the providers named in the box.
If Princess Lala cannot sail, you get a phinisi of equal or higher class on the same dates at no extra cost; if the harbour master closes the port, or you would rather not take the other boat, the trip is refunded in full.
That promise covers the boat. It does not cover the weather over a single stop, which the captain decides on the day, nor the park quota that decides Padar or Gili Lawa on the open trip. Those belong to the itinerary, and the itinerary can change with sea conditions, weather, park quotas and agreement on board.
Payment — all methods available
Secure payment by Stripe, Airwallex, American Express, Visa, Mastercard.
FAQ
Can I change my date after I have paid the deposit?
Yes. A date change is free when you make it 30 days or more before departure, costs IDR 500,000 from 14 to 29 days before, and counts as a cancellation inside 14 days. Ask us first, because the new date has to have your cabin free or the boat free for a charter, and the new date is priced at its own fare.
Which payment methods cost extra?
The credit card payment link shows its fee on the invoice, and PayPal adds 7.2 percent. Wise, Revolut, QRIS, Alipay and bank transfer in rupiah are also accepted, and WeChat Pay runs through a payment partner. Ask for the total in the currency you will send before you pay, so there are no surprises on either side.
When do you need my ID details?
Seven days before departure, by WhatsApp or by email. Send them earlier if you can, and tell us at once if a name on the booking changes. Travel insurance is recommended and is not included in any fare, so check that yours covers boat travel and trekking in the park before you pay the balance.
Who am I paying, and is the company registered?
You pay PT Komodo Explorer Indonesia, based at Jl. Trans Flores 35, Desa Gorontalo, Labuan Bajo, registered under NIB 1805260128363, the Indonesian business identification number. The booking is made in writing by WhatsApp or by email at [email protected], and Indonesian law governs it.
What do I have in writing before I pay the deposit?
A written quote for your cabin or your charter band, and, if you told us about a diet, the galley's written answer. Only then do you pay the deposit of 50 percent. The balance follows 30 days before departure, and the guide's pickup time arrives the evening before you sail.
Check availability — Princess Lala
Princess Lala is sailed by her own crew; bookings and payments are handled by PT Komodo Explorer Indonesia.