Plan a birthday trip on a private boat: a timeline from twelve weeks out

The weeks here are a planning suggestion; the only fixed dates are the deposit and the balance in your quote. Start with three decisions, in this order: the headcount, the boat and the date.

The headcount picks the boat. Up to 14 guests fit Carnaby 1, which holds 14, or 15 with the extra bed in the Master Cabin. From 15 to 21 guests, Carnaby 2 is the boat. At 13 or 14 guests both fit, and Carnaby 1 is the lower whole-boat rate: IDR 75,000,000 (≈ USD 4,601) against IDR 129,000,000 (≈ USD 7,914) for 3D2N.

Then pick a free date and a second one, and ask us for both. A private charter starts on any free date, confirmed in writing.

Agree who decides what. One organiser holds the money, the guest list and the messages to us; a second person owns the surprise. Two people with the same job produce two versions of the headcount, and the quote follows the last number you send. Open the guest list in a shared document now, with names as they appear on the passport, because the ID list is needed before sailing.

Flights decide the arrival day, and everyone should land the day before sailing. Labuan Bajo is reached by domestic flight from Bali, Jakarta or Surabaya, so guests from abroad connect through one of those. The flights page covers the routes, and the hotels page covers a group hotel.

At four weeks, brief the surprise. Decide who tells the crew, what the guest of honour is told and what happens if the weather moves the toast. Decoration, a cake and a photographer are requested now, so each has a written figure before the final payment.

The balance falls just after the four-week mark, 30 days before sailing, so the cake and the decoration should be decided by then. Book the hotel for the night before sailing in one block, so the group meets for breakfast and the pickup happens once. A Toyota HiAce seats up to 12, so a group of 14 or more needs a second vehicle or a larger coach on request, quoted as its own line.

By the last week the balance is settled. Check that the receipt lists the right headcount, the right boat and the right dates, because a change after this point falls under the date-change terms. A late change costs IDR 500,000, and a change in the last two weeks is treated as a cancellation.

Send the guests a short packing note: closed shoes for Padar and Kelor, swimwear and reef-safe sunscreen, a light layer for the evening and one dressed-up outfit for the toast. The packing guide has the full list.

Send us the final ID list. ID is needed for every guest before sailing, and the exact date is in your quote. Then stop adding changes: the crew is briefed from the last version you send.

Morning: guests meet at the pickup point in Labuan Bajo, and the crew welcomes the group aboard. The time and the meeting point are confirmed with your booking. Lunch follows, and the first walk is Kelor.

Midday: the swim at Manjarite is the first group photo. Dusk: Kalong, where the bats leave about 15 minutes after sunset. The cake comes up as the sun drops, and dinner follows on deck. Day 2 and day 3 are the walks and the swims, and the 3D2N page shows every stop.

The captain sets the stop order on the day, and the weather decides the toast spot. Keep the cue sheet on one page and give it to one person, with the cake, the playlist and the photographer's friend named on it. The birthday page explains the birthday in detail.