Why a published luxury phinisi rate is not a quote

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.

A published rate is a starting figure set before your dates, group and route are known. A quote prices those specifics. Public sources show the gap: Sanctuary carries two different "from" rates, tax can sit on top of an operator's figure, and one operator adds a dated supplement. Only the written offer settles what you pay.

Why does one boat show two rates?

Sanctuary is the clearest public case. Navelia lists it at 48 metres with 18 guests and 9 cabins, and its operator lists the same 48 metres, nine cabins and up to 18 guests for private charter. Both pages give a "from" rate, both appear in the price table on this page, and the agent figure sits above the operator figure. Neither page explains the difference, and we will not guess at it.

This is ordinary in the market, according to a Komodo operator guide, which says the same boat is often sold by several agents at different prices. The sensible reaction is to ask what each figure buys. Two "from" rates may refer to different dates, group sizes or inclusions, and a lower figure with a shorter list can end up costing more.

Capacity can blur the basis as well. If rates step up with the number on board, ask which guest number a from rate assumes before you compare figures. A boat's published capacity is also not the same thing as its certified capacity, so ask which paper states that number.

How much does tax change the sum?

Enough to reorder a comparison, and there is no single rate to assume. Lamima adds 11% VAT to its published figure, and Vela marks its figure as subject to 12% VAT. Navelia shows the same two base figures on a fleet page that says nothing about tax. An agent listing for Phinisi 50 takes the other route and says its price includes government taxes of 10%.

Compare the same boat from an operator and an agent without this check and you may be setting a pre-tax figure against an after-tax one. There is a further wrinkle reported by another operator guide: since June 2026, it says, regional taxes, including 10% on accommodation and food served on board, are a condition of sailing clearance. That is an operator's account and not an official document, so ask whether any such tax is inside your figure or passed on separately.

What moves a quote above a "from" rate?

The word "from" tells you there are conditions under which the figure rises. These are the ones public sources let us name.

• Dates. Vela publishes a nightly supplement for 20 December 2026 to 5 January 2027 on its Raja Ampat rate. That is a different cruising area, but it shows the kind of line to look for. We have not found a market-wide percentage for high season, so any such percentage you are told is that seller's own.
• Group size. The operator guide says charter prices are per boat and that many rate cards step up by group band. Asik Travel, on a standard-tier boat, sets a base group of up to 10 guests and charges more for extra guests.
• Length. A trip below a stated minimum can change the price or fall away altogether. See our page on minimum nights in Komodo.
• Starting point. A boat that has to reposition may add a charge. Our page on harbour transfers and departure points covers when that appears.
• What the rate leaves out. Items outside the rate do not change the headline figure, but they do change the bill. Our exclusions list sets out what to expect.

A quote that matches the "from" figure exactly deserves the same questions as one that sits above it. It may simply be built on the narrowest set of conditions, and those may not be yours. For the starting figures themselves, use the page of published rates by boat.

Which lines should an itemised quote carry?

A quote you can compare carries the same lines as any other quote you hold. Vela's published rate is a useful model of how specific an inclusion line can be: crew and fuel, meals, non-alcoholic drinks, diving for certified divers, activities, airport transfers, a stated daily limit on spa treatments, Starlink, and national park entrance fees and permits. Whatever you think of the figure, you can tell what it covers.

Ask for these lines, and treat a blank as a question.

1. Boat name, cabin count and the guest number the price assumes.
2. Exact dates, nights, and the embarkation and disembarkation points.
3. Rate basis: per boat or per person, per night or for the whole trip.
4. Tax: the rate applied, what it is applied to, and whether it is inside the figure.
5. Any seasonal supplement or relocation charge, named as its own line.
6. Inclusions, itemised, with limits where they exist.
7. Equipment, stated as free to use or charged. The Phinisi 50 listing names sea kayaks, water skis and fishing gear, and Sanctuary's operator names scuba gear, kayaks and paddleboards. Naming a piece of kit does not tell you who pays to use it.
8. Exclusions, itemised, including park fees and crew gratuities.
9. Deposit, balance and cancellation terms, which vary by seller. Our page on deposit and cancellation terms compares them.
10. The name of the company that issues the contract.

That last line applies to us too. This site is not itself a party to any contract. Brokerage, central agency, charter marketing and commercial representation contracts are issued by PT Komodo Bahari Nusantara, and any fee and payment terms are stated in the offer. Because a request through this desk can end in a contract with our company, test our offer with the same ten lines you use on anyone else's. For the difference between an operator rate and an agent figure on real rows, see the Luxury Phinisi Labuan Bajo home page.

What do buyers ask about quotes and published rates?

Is a "from" rate the price I will pay?

No. It is a starting figure. Tax, dates, guest numbers, route and the items left out can all move the total, and only the written offer states what you pay.

Why do agents show different prices for the same boat?

One operator guide says this is common, and the Sanctuary rows on this page show one example, without either source explaining the gap. Ask each seller which dates, group size, tax treatment and inclusions the figure assumes.

Does a published rate include VAT?

Not always. Lamima and Vela publish tax on top of their rates, at different percentages, while the Phinisi 50 listing says its price includes government taxes of 10%. Navelia's fleet page does not state the tax either way.

Should I expect a seasonal supplement?

Sometimes. Vela publishes one for specific dates on its Raja Ampat rate. Ask whether your dates carry one and have it shown as a separate line.

How detailed should the inclusions and exclusions be in a quote?

Detailed enough to answer yes or no on each item you care about. If massages, alcohol, park fees or transfers are not named on either list, the quote has not answered the question yet, so send it back.

Which sources support this page?

• Navelia yacht listings (naveliaindonesia.com)
• Sanctuary operator page (oxoliving.com)
• Komodo operator guide on yacht charters (komodoresort.com)
• Lamima rates and schedules (lamima.com)
• Vela rates page (sailvela.com)
• Phinisi 50 agent listing (boatbookings.com)
• Operator guide on park fees and regional taxes (neptuneliveaboards.com)
• Asik Travel on phinisi boats (labuanbajotourism.com)

How do I reach the desk?

If you already hold a quote, send the lines you cannot read, with personal details removed, to bd@juaraholding.com or WhatsApp 6281139414563. The desk replies with what the public sources show, and it will say so where they stop.