Is alcohol included on a luxury phinisi charter from Labuan Bajo?

By Luxury Phinisi Labuan Bajo Editorial Desk

Sourced figures: prices in the table carry their source and check month. A published rate is not a quote and not our offer, and nothing here is legal advice.

Usually not on the published terms we compared. Vela's rate excludes alcoholic beverages, the Phinisi 50 listing excludes alcohol or corkage, and one Komodo operator guide calls alcohol a usual exclusion. Lamima is the named exception: its private charter rate lists drinks including alcoholic beverages as included. Ask what that covers, and get the answer for your own boat in writing before you pay.

Do charter rates include alcohol?

In most of the statements we can cite, no. The pattern is easy to spot once you read the drinks line closely. Sellers tend to write "soft drinks" or "non-alcoholic drinks" on the included side, which marks where the rate stops.

Those six sources are a sample, and they do not settle the question for a boat that is not on the list. The Komodo operator guide's general list puts alcohol beside diving, drone permits and crew tips among the usual exclusions, so a bar line may not be the only addition to budget for. Vela also leaves crew gratuity and PADI courses outside its rate, so set the whole list beside Lamima's and do not stop at the drinks line. Drinks are also only one line among many, and our page on charter rate inclusions covers the others.

Which boat is the exception?

Lamima, among the sources we can cite. Its private charter rate lists drinks including alcoholic beverages among the included items, alongside water toys, scuba diving, meals, massages, laundry and other lines. Lamima's phrase for this is "the only fully-inclusive rate in the industry". The wording is Lamima's own.

Lamima's line does not tell you what the allowance is, if there is one. It does not spell out which labels, how much per day, or whether a special bottle you request falls inside the rate. Those are fair questions on any inclusive rate. So even on the exception, ask for the drinks list, and find out what happens if your group wants something outside it.

How do the two rates on this page compare on drinks?

The price table on this page shows two published rates: one for a boat that includes alcohol in its list and one for a boat that excludes it. A straight comparison of those rows therefore flatters the boat with the narrower list, if your group drinks at all.

Do not read the gap between those rows as the price of a bar. The two boats differ in size, cabins, crew and much else, and the rates carry their own separate tax statements, which our reading guide to published rates explains. What you can do is add one honest line. Ask the operator of the boat that excludes alcohol for its drinks list and prices, estimate your group's use across the trip, and add that estimate before you compare. If your group does not drink, leave the line out and say so in your request, since it changes which inclusive rate is worth paying for.

Your own group's habits are a better guide to a bar bill than any published number.

Can you bring your own?

Ask before you pack, because we have found no published policy or corkage rate from the boats named here. The nearest clue is one word. The Phinisi 50 listing excludes "alcohol or corkage", which suggests that at least one seller expects a charge when guests' bottles are opened on board.

The answer you get could be any of three: bottles are welcome without a charge, they are welcome with a charge per bottle, or they are not allowed. Each one changes your budget. If bottles are allowed, a few practical points follow. Ask who stores and chills them, who serves them, and whether the crew will open and pour at dinner as they would for the boat's own wine.

Getting the bottles to the boat is a separate matter. Check limits on carrying alcohol into Indonesia and on domestic flights to Labuan Bajo directly with customs and your airline before you plan around them.

What rules apply to drinking on board?

We have not found a harbourmaster or park rule aimed specifically at alcohol on charter boats, which does not show that none exists. Ask your operator what its own rules are.

The authority on board is clearer. Vela leaves decisions on activities on board to its senior crew. A statement from one boat does not bind the others, though it is reasonable to expect a captain elsewhere to have a say in who gets into a tender or a dive group. If you plan to dive or use water toys, ask about the boat's rule on drinking beforehand so that nobody is surprised at the gangway.

What should you ask?

Send the operator these questions together, and ask for the answers to appear in the written offer. This list works just as well for an offer that reaches you through our desk, and you should hold us to it. A chat message saying "drinks included" could mean water and juice, beer only, or an open bar.

1. Is any alcohol in the rate? If so, what exactly: beer, house wine, spirits, cocktails?
2. Is there a limit per guest, per day or per trip?
3. Can you send the drinks list, with prices for anything not included?
4. May we bring our own? Is there a corkage charge, and how is it worked out?
5. How is the bar account settled: on board at the end, or on the final invoice?
6. Does tax apply to drinks ordered on board, in the same way as the charter rate?
7. Does the boat have rules on drinking before diving, tender trips or water sports?

Once the answer is written down, move it into your full comparison using our list of common exclusions.

What are the short answers on alcohol?

Is alcohol usually included in a luxury phinisi rate?

No. Most of the statements we can cite exclude it or include only soft drinks. Lamima is the exception among the boats we cite, so check your own boat's list.

Does Lamima include alcohol?

Yes. Its private charter rate lists drinks including alcoholic beverages as included. Ask Lamima what that covers, since the line gives no limits or labels.

Does Vela include alcohol?

No. Vela's rate includes non-alcoholic drinks and lists alcoholic beverages as excluded.

Can I bring my own wine on board?

That varies by boat. Ask before you pack whether bottles are allowed and whether corkage applies.

How much is corkage on a luxury phinisi?

One agent listing names corkage as an exclusion without a figure, so ask for the amount in your written offer.

Which sources support this page?

• Lamima: rates and schedules
• Vela: rates
• Vela: FAQ
• BoatBookings: Phinisi 50 listing
• Ultimate Indonesian Yachts: charter overview
• Barefoot Yachts: private charter
• Komodo Resort: yacht charter guide

How do I reach the desk?

To check a drinks line on an offer you already hold, or to raise it in a new request, message WhatsApp 6281139414563 or email bd@juaraholding.com. Tell us roughly how your group drinks, or that it does not, and we will answer from what can be sourced.