Carnaby
Carnaby Phinisi
How to book a celebration boat: three steps, one WhatsApp, one written quote
Updated 26 October 2026
Three steps: message us the occasion, headcount and dates; get a written quote; pay a 50 percent deposit, then the balance 30 days before sailing. If the booked Carnaby cannot sail for a reason beyond our control, we arrange a boat of the same class or refund you in full.
First message: occasion, headcount, dates
Your first WhatsApp message needs four things: the occasion, the number of guests, the dates you have in mind and the boat, Carnaby 1, Carnaby 2 or "not sure". "Not sure" is a perfectly good answer. If all you have is a headcount, start there and we'll suggest the boat.
The button on every page opens WhatsApp with a sentence ready to fill in. It reads: "Hello KEXI, I'm planning a birthday, anniversary, proposal or reunion on Carnaby 1 or 2. Guests: ___ Dates: ___ Could you send the private-charter options?" Fill in the blanks and change whatever you like.
You can mention a surprise without naming the guest of honour. Whoever replies to you stays with your booking from that first message right through to the pickup.
- Answered on WhatsAppSend dates, group size and route
- 50 percent of the totalDeposit confirms the date
- 30 days beforeBalance before sailing
Second, the quote you can keep in writing
The written quote comes in three parts. First, the whole-boat rate for your band, from the 2026 price list. Then what sits outside that rate: park fees, flights, hotel, insurance, gratuities and alcohol. Last, anything on request and quoted separately, such as the guide and documentation on a private charter, decoration, a cake or a photographer.
Anything the boats leave out is confirmed in the quote before you pay. That covers the pickup time, the return time on the last day and the stop list for a trip with no published route.
Third, deposit, balance and cancelling
A 50 percent deposit confirms the date. The balance is due 30 days before sailing. If you cancel 60 days or more before, 50 percent is refunded; 30 to 59 days before, 25 percent; closer than that, nothing. A change of date inside the last weeks carries a fee of IDR 500,000.
The tables below set out the same terms window by window. They're KEXI's terms for every trip we book, and your quote repeats them.
| 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 |
Deposit 50% to confirm, balance 30 days before departure. You can also settle the balance in Labuan Bajo on the departure day, in cash or by card on the EDC machine.
| 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.
Payment — all methods available
Secure payment by Stripe, Airwallex, American Express, Visa, Mastercard.
Fees: card payment link 3%, PayPal 7.2%, EDC card machine 3%. Your issuing bank may add its own charges.
Collecting from friends: the organiser's note
One person pays the deposit and the others pay that person back. Fix the repayment date before you book, and post the per-person figure in the group chat the same day. The charter page has per-person figures for 10, 14, 16 and 21 guests, and the journal, Moments on deck, has a piece on collecting money from a group.
If a friend drops out after the deposit, the same cancellation scale applies. Agree beforehand whether that risk sits with the group or with you.
Names and ID for every guest
Every guest on board needs a name and an ID document number on the guest list, collected before sailing. The date by which we need them is in your quote. Send them in one message, listed cabin by cabin, so nobody gets missed.
Put any dietary or medical notes in the same message. They go to the Carnaby crew, for safety and for the kitchen, and nowhere else.
The spare boat, in plain words
If the booked Carnaby cannot sail for a reason beyond our control, we arrange a boat of the same class on the same date at no extra cost, or refund you in full within 14 days.
The promise covers a boat that can't sail, not a stop moved by the weather, which stays the captain's call on the day. Stops and their order can change with traffic, weather and tides; the captain decides on the day.
The company on your invoice
Your invoice, your quote and your receipts carry the name of PT Komodo Explorer Indonesia and its NIB. You pay us, not the boats' owner.
Who you are booking with
- Legal entity
- PT Komodo Explorer Indonesia
- Business ID (NIB)
- 1805260128363
- Address
- Jl. Soekarno Hatta, Kampung Air, Labuan Bajo, Kec. Komodo, Kabupaten Manggarai Barat, Nusa Tenggara Timur 86754, Indonesia
- +6285190096797 · +6287727777677
- info@komodoexplorer.com
- Chat hours
- Daily 08:00–20:00 (WITA)
A captain and crew sail with every trip. Bookings and payments are handled by PT Komodo Explorer Indonesia.
FAQ
How far ahead should we book a birthday trip?
As soon as the date is fixed. The balance is due 30 days before sailing, so booking early gives your friends longer to pay you back. A 2027 date can be reserved now; 2027 rates come on request.
Can a card be used for the deposit?
Yes. A credit card payment link is one of the methods, along with bank transfer, Wise, Revolut, PayPal, QRIS and others. PayPal carries a 7.2 percent fee; any other fee is shown on the invoice.
Who is the contract with?
With PT Komodo Explorer Indonesia, NIB 1805260128363, the booking partner. The boats belong to their owner. Your invoice, your quote and your receipts come from us.
Can the deposit be split between friends?
The booking has one contract holder and one deposit. Whether payments can arrive in parts is confirmed in your written quote. The simplest route is one organiser who pays and collects from the others.
What if one guest cancels?
Losing one guest only changes the price if it drops the group into a lower band. Tell us the new headcount and we requote. The cancellation scale applies to the part of the booking that changes.
Check availability — Carnaby
Carnaby is published and booked by PT Komodo Explorer Indonesia, a booking partner for Carnaby 1 and Carnaby 2. The boats belong to their owner.