What ‘All Inclusive’ Really Means on a Komodo Liveaboard

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July 31, 2026

9 min read

What ‘All Inclusive’ Really Means on a Komodo Liveaboard

Short answer. On Catnazse the cruise price covers the boat, all meals, water, coffee and tea, the guide, snorkelling gear, life vests, mainland Labuan Bajo transfers and crew photo and video documentation as raw footage. It excludes park fees, flights, alcohol, snacks, gratuities and the optional drone permit.

“All inclusive” is one of the least standardised phrases in travel. Two Komodo operators can both use it truthfully and mean quite different things. The only way to compare is line by line, so here is the line-by-line version.

What is genuinely included

IncludedThe detail worth knowing
Accommodation on board for the whole tripEight en-suite, air-conditioned cabins; 18-guest charter maximum
All mealsPrepared in the galley, served in the air-conditioned indoor dining area or on deck
Mineral water, coffee and teaUnlimited; other drinks are not covered
GuideEnglish-speaking, accompanying you at each stop
Snorkelling gearMask, snorkel and fins — no dive equipment on board
Life vestsFor every guest
TransfersHotel or airport to the meeting point, within mainland Labuan Bajo near the harbour
Photo and video documentationDrone, GoPro and mirrorless — supplied as raw footage

From the operator’s published inclusions.

Catnazse is a snorkelling liveaboard. The published inclusions cover snorkelling gear and life vests; there is no compressor, no tank storage, no nitrox and no dive deck on board. If you want to dive in Komodo, that is arranged separately with a licensed Labuan Bajo dive centre.

What is excluded, and which of those surprise people

ExcludedRealistic impact
Komodo National Park feesThe largest excluded item by some distance; per person, per day
Flight ticketsExpected, but people forget the domestic leg from Bali
Alcoholic and non-alcoholic drinksBeyond water, coffee and tea — ask about arranging in advance
Personal snacksMeals are generous; the gaps between them are long
Crew gratuitiesAt your discretion; bring cash
Drone permitOptional, estimated IDR 2,100,000, request ~7 days ahead

From the operator’s published exclusions. The park-fee figure is a reported range, not a fixed tariff.

Komodo National Park entrance and activity fees are charged on top of every cruise price quoted on this site. Reported tariffs across 2025 and 2026 run from roughly IDR 150,000 to IDR 350,000 per person per day, with higher weekend and public-holiday tiers, and the structure has been revised more than once — ask the booking desk for a written breakdown covering your exact dates and route before you pay anything. The biggest excluded cost has the reported bands in full.

Why ‘raw footage only’ is worth reading twice

The documentation inclusion is unusually generous — drone, GoPro and mirrorless coverage across your whole sailing is not standard on Komodo boats. But it is delivered as raw files, not as a film.

For most guests that is better: you get everything, and you cut what you want. For anyone who booked expecting a three-minute edited piece to post the week they get home, it is a disappointment that is entirely avoidable by asking in advance. If you want an edit, say so before you sail.

The transfer boundary

Pick-up and drop-off are included “within the Labuan Bajo mainland area near the harbour only”. That wording is doing real work. Hotels in town and along the mainland coast near the port are covered. Island resorts are not, and neither is anywhere requiring its own boat transfer to reach.

It is a small thing that becomes a large thing at 08:00 on boarding day. The arrival and boarding guide covers where to stay the night before.

Meals, dietary requirements and the thing to flag early

All meals are included, cooked in the galley and served either in the air-conditioned indoor dining area or on deck. On a three-day itinerary that is roughly nine meals plus the coffee and tea running continuously, and the volume surprises people who expected packed lunches.

The part worth acting on: dietary requirements need to be flagged at booking, not at the first meal. There is no shop, no substitute supplier and no second galley. Vegetarian, vegan, halal, allergy and religious requirements are all routinely accommodated when the desk knows in advance; none of them can be solved at anchor off Komodo Island. Send it in the same message as your passport details.

Personal snacks are excluded from the fare and appear on the operator’s must-bring list for a reason — the gaps between meals are long, and day two runs from a 06:00 climb to a 12:30 lunch. The packing list explains what is worth carrying.

A worked example: what a couple actually spends

LineNotes
Cruise, 3D2N open trip, Grandis cabinUSD 530 per person — the headline number
Komodo National Park feesPer person, per day, at the reported rate for your dates
Domestic flights DPS–LBJ returnYour own booking, varies widely by season
One hotel night in Labuan Bajo before boardingStrongly recommended; not included
Drinks beyond water, coffee and teaOptional; arrange in advance
Crew gratuityDiscretionary; cash
Drone permitOnly if you are flying your own aircraft

Structure of a realistic total. We are deliberately not inventing figures for the items that vary — the point is to show you every line that exists.

Questions to ask any Komodo operator

  • Is your quoted price per person or per boat?
  • Are park fees included, and if not, what is the written figure for my dates?
  • Which drinks are covered, and can others be arranged?
  • Does the transfer cover my specific hotel?
  • Is the video an edit or raw footage?
  • What is your written cancellation and date-change policy?

Any operator that answers all six in one message is one you can plan with. The headline prices and the per-cabin open-trip rates are published here so you can run that comparison against us as easily as against anyone else. If you want to know who actually runs this boat, that is published too.

Frequently asked questions

Is a Komodo liveaboard really all inclusive?
The cruise fare covers the boat, all meals, water, coffee and tea, the guide, snorkelling gear, life vests, mainland Labuan Bajo transfers and crew photo and video documentation. It does not cover park fees, flights, alcohol and soft drinks, personal snacks, gratuities or the optional drone permit.
What is the biggest excluded cost?
Komodo National Park fees, without question. They are charged per person and reported tariffs across 2025 and 2026 range from roughly IDR 150,000 to IDR 350,000 per person per day.
Are drinks included?
Mineral water, coffee and tea are. Alcoholic and non-alcoholic drinks beyond those are not, though they can usually be arranged — ask the desk before you sail rather than assuming a bar exists on board.
Are tips expected?
Crew gratuities are explicitly excluded, which means they are at your discretion rather than built into the price. Bring cash; there is no card terminal at anchor.
What does ‘raw footage only’ mean for the video?
You receive the unedited drone, GoPro and mirrorless files rather than a finished, cut and graded film. If you want an edited piece, agree it with the desk in advance.
Is accommodation before the cruise included?
No. Hotel nights in Labuan Bajo before or after your sailing are your own arrangement, though the transfer from a mainland hotel near the harbour is included.

Ask the crew directly

Ask for the full written inclusion and exclusion sheet for your departure before you decide. Catnazse Liveaboard is operated by Komodo Luxury, part of Juara Holding Group, working out of Labuan Bajo since 2015.

WhatsApp: +62 811 3823 875
Email: [email protected]
Instagram: @catnazse.liveaboard

Catnazse Liveaboard is proudly sailed as part of the Komodo Luxury fleet — official schedules and booking at komodoluxury.com. · Komodo Luxury — official site · compare all boats & dates · Komodo Signature · [email protected]