Neptune Cruise is a 40-metre phinisi sailing from Labuan Bajo into Komodo National Park, for up to fourteen guests. All seven air-conditioned cabins have a private bathroom with a hot shower and a private balcony: two Master Cabins and a Junior Suite with a sofa bed on the upper deck, and four Deluxe Cabins on the main deck. A comfortable base for snorkelling, island hikes and sunsets over the bays of Komodo.
Book a cabin on a scheduled sharing trip and share the boat with other guests, or charter the whole boat for your group.
At 40 metres, Neptune Cruise is one of the largest boats we offer in Komodo, yet it carries only fourteen guests, so there is plenty of deck space for everyone. Sharing trips leave Labuan Bajo on Fridays, with pick-up from the airport or your hotel between 8:00 and 10:00. Day one takes in Kelor Island, Manjarite and the sunset at Kalong Island; day two Padar Island, Pink Beach, Komodo Island, Taka Makassar and Manta Point; and on the last morning you snorkel at Siaba or Sebayur before returning to Labuan Bajo at noon.
Meals, drinking water, coffee and tea, afternoon snacks, Wi-Fi, snorkelling gear, canoes and paddle boards, a guide and drone and GoPro photos are included. The Komodo National Park entrance fee is added to your booking.
Komodo National Park has been a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1991. To plan your trip on Neptune Cruise, compare other 3 day 2 night Komodo liveaboards, check the Komodo National Park fees and read how booking works.
Book a cabin and share the boat with other guests on a scheduled departure. Prices are per person.
8 photosFrom IDR 14.750.000 per person≈ USD 810
(Minimum booking for 2 guests)
Extra person from IDR 7.000.000 per person (3rd)
Upper deck, private balcony and hot shower. Up to three guests with the extra bed.
17 photosFrom IDR 12.750.000 per person≈ USD 700
(Minimum booking for 2 guests)
Extra person from IDR 7.000.000 per person (3rd & 4th)
Upper deck, private balcony and a sofa bed. Up to four guests with the extra beds.
11 photosFrom IDR 10.750.000 per person≈ USD 590
(Minimum booking for 2 guests)
Main deck, private balcony and hot shower.
Not included in the trip price: it is added to your invoice, so you pay one total.
Children under 2 do not pay.
The itinerary is subject to change based on weather conditions
| Duration | 1–14 guests |
|---|---|
| 2D1N2 Days 1 Night | IDR 140.000.000 ≈ USD 7,720 +IDR 6.500.000 per extra guest |
| 3D2N3 Days 2 Nights | IDR 180.000.000 ≈ USD 9,930 +IDR 6.500.000 per extra guest |
| 4D3N4 Days 3 Nights | IDR 230.000.000 ≈ USD 12,700 +IDR 7.500.000 per extra guest |
| 5D4N5 Days 4 Nights | IDR 280.000.000 ≈ USD 15,400 +IDR 8.500.000 per extra guest |
| 6D5N6 Days 5 Nights | IDR 320.000.000 ≈ USD 17,700 +IDR 8.500.000 per extra guest |
| 7D6N7 Days 6 Nights | IDR 370.000.000 ≈ USD 20,400 +IDR 8.500.000 per extra guest |
Prices for the whole boat for up to 14 guests. Route: Komodo National Park. Each extra guest costs the amount shown under the price. Up to 14 guests on board.
Not included in the trip price: it is added to your invoice, so you pay one total.
Children under 2 do not pay.
Choose a departure and your cabins. Prices and availability are live. Your cabins are held while you fill in your details.
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Want the whole boat for your group? Pick your dates to see the private charter price straight away. The operator confirms availability within 24 hours. No payment is taken now. Only need a cabin or two? Choose Sharing trip above.
Neptune Cruise is a 40-metre Bugis phinisi, built in 2022 in Bulukumba in South Sulawesi from ironwood and teak. It sails from Labuan Bajo into Komodo National Park on 3 day 2 night sharing trips with up to fourteen guests in seven air-conditioned cabins, and every cabin has a private balcony and a bathroom with a hot shower.
With a beam of eight metres and a gross tonnage of 260, Neptune Cruise is one of the largest boats on the route, yet it carries a small group, so there is plenty of deck space for every guest. Wi-Fi is included on every trip.
A boat of forty metres could carry many more guests. On Neptune Cruise the space goes to the guests instead: seven cabins with a private balcony each, and a top deck with ten lazy chairs looking out over the sea.
Neptune Cruise was built in Bulukumba, the region of South Sulawesi where Bugis shipwrights have built phinisi by hand for generations. The art of building a phinisi is recognised by UNESCO as an Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity.
All seven cabins on Neptune Cruise have air conditioning, a queen bed, a private balcony and a private bathroom with a hot shower. The two Master Cabins and the Junior Suite are on the upper deck, and the four Deluxe Cabins on the main deck.
Master Cabins. The two Master Cabins on the upper deck each have a queen bed and an extra bed for a third guest.
Junior Suite. The Junior Suite on the upper deck has a queen bed and a sofa bed for up to four guests, which suits a family.
Deluxe Cabins. The four Deluxe Cabins on the main deck each have a queen bed for two guests and offer the lowest price on Neptune Cruise.
Prices on Neptune Cruise are per person and depend on the cabin. The cabin cards on this page show the current price of every cabin, and the booking form shows which cabins are still free on each departure.
Day 1. The transfer collects you at the airport or your hotel in Labuan Bajo between 8:00 and 10:00, and Neptune Cruise sets sail with lunch on board. The first stop is Kelor, where a short, steep path climbs to a view over the bay. Manjarite follows for the first snorkel, and in the evening the boat anchors off Kalong Island, where thousands of flying foxes leave the mangroves at sunset.
Day 2. The day begins early with the trek up Padar Island and its view over three bays, followed by breakfast on board. Neptune Cruise then sails to the Pink Beach for snorkelling and sunbathing and on to Komodo Island, where park rangers lead the walk to see the Komodo dragons. After lunch there is time at Taka Makassar, a sandbar that appears at low tide, and a snorkel at Manta Point, where manta rays often feed in the current.
Day 3. After breakfast the last snorkel is at Siaba or Sebayur, two islands with shallow reefs; Siaba is known for its green turtles. Neptune Cruise is back in Labuan Bajo at about 12:00, and the transfer drops you at the airport or your hotel at about 13:00.
The order of the stops can change with the tides, the weather and the rules of the park. Snorkelling and treks are always optional, and guests who prefer to rest can stay on board.
Kelor Island. The first stop is also the first climb: a short but steep path to the top of the hill, with a view over the turquoise water and the islands around Labuan Bajo.
Kalong Island. Kalong is the Indonesian word for flying fox, and at dusk thousands of them leave the mangroves of this small island to feed on the larger islands. The boat anchors close by, so the deck is the best seat.
Padar Island. The view from the top of Padar, over three bays with beaches of white, pink and black sand, is one of the best-known in Indonesia.
Taka Makassar. This sandbar of white sand appears in the middle of the sea at low tide, surrounded by clear, shallow water that is ideal for a swim.
On Neptune Cruise the day starts with the sunrise, best seen from your own balcony. On the second morning the group climbs Padar before the heat, and breakfast is waiting on board after the walk down. The Pink Beach and Komodo Island fill the rest of the morning, and lunch is served while the boat moves on.
After Taka Makassar and Manta Point, with a snack and juices in between, the evening begins on the top deck of Neptune Cruise. Dinner is served on board at anchor, and the night is free for the lazy chairs and the stars over the park.
Neptune Cruise stops at five snorkelling spots on the 3 day 2 night trip: Manjarite on the first afternoon, the Pink Beach, Taka Makassar and Manta Point on the second day, and Siaba or Sebayur on the last morning. Fins, masks, snorkels and life jackets are on board, and the guide is with the group at every stop.
The reefs are mostly shallow and easy for beginners, with reef fish at every stop, turtles that are often seen at Siaba and manta rays at Manta Point when the current is right. Between the snorkels, the canoe and the paddle board of Neptune Cruise are free to use around the boat.
Three meals a day are served on board, with mineral water, coffee and tea and an afternoon snack with juices. Two water makers produce fresh water on board, so there is plenty of water for the hot showers.
The top deck with its ten lazy chairs is the place for the sunsets, and every cabin has its own balcony for a quiet moment. Wi-Fi is included, and there are charging points for phones and cameras. A tour guide joins every trip, and the crew records the highlights with a camera, a drone and a GoPro.
Neptune Cruise has two main engines and a Mitsubishi generator, and cruises at six to ten knots. Its tanks hold five tonnes of fuel and ten tonnes of fresh water, and two water makers add up to nine cubic metres of fresh water a day each.
Safety is taken seriously on board: a life raft for 50 people, two lifeboats, 40 life jackets, ten ring buoys, ten fire extinguishers and distress flares. The crew navigates with Furuno and Garmin GPS, AIS, a radar SART and a compass, and the boat has CCTV.
On a sharing trip you book one or more cabins on a scheduled departure and share Neptune Cruise with other guests. Sharing trips leave on Fridays for three days and two nights, and the price is per person.
On a private charter the whole of Neptune Cruise is yours, with its crew. Charters run from two days and one night up to seven days and six nights, and the price depends on the length of the trip. A charter of a week leaves time to see much more of the park.
The charter tab on this page shows the charter rates for each trip length, for groups of up to fourteen guests. Send us your dates and we will check them with the operator.
Komodo National Park lies between the islands of Sumbawa and Flores. It was created in 1980 to protect the Komodo dragon, the largest lizard on earth, and has been a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1991. The dragons live only on Komodo, Rinca, the west of Flores and a few smaller islands.
The currents between the islands feed some of the richest reefs in Indonesia, where snorkellers meet turtles, reef fish and manta rays. Walks among the dragons are always led by park rangers, and every visitor pays the park entrance fee, which is added to the invoice of every Neptune Cruise trip.
The dry season, roughly from April to November, brings calm seas, clear water and golden hills, and it is the busiest time in Komodo. December and the first months of the year are wetter, with greener islands and fewer boats in the park.
The departure list on this page shows every sharing date of Neptune Cruise that is still open. For other dates, a private charter of the whole boat is often possible: ask us with your dates.
Labuan Bajo, on the west coast of Flores, is the gateway to Komodo National Park. Komodo Airport (LBJ) has direct flights from Bali and Jakarta, and the flight from Bali takes a little over an hour.
Neptune Cruise picks you up between 8:00 and 10:00 on the first day, so an early flight or a night in Labuan Bajo before the trip both work. On the last day the transfer drops you at the airport at about 13:00, in time for an afternoon flight. The transfers between the airport or your hotel and the boat are included in the price.
You can book Neptune Cruise online with live availability: choose a departure, pick your cabins and send the booking. A 50% deposit is due within 72 hours and the balance 60 days before the trip; bookings made less than 60 days ahead are paid in full. The payment policy and the cancellation policy give the details.
Every Neptune Cruise sharing trip includes:
The Komodo National Park entrance fee is paid per person per trip, at one rate for foreign guests and a lower rate for Indonesian citizens, and it is added to the invoice. Flights, hotels, travel insurance, alcoholic drinks and tips for the crew are not included.
How many guests does Neptune Cruise take? Up to fourteen guests in seven cabins.
Does every cabin have a balcony? Yes. All seven cabins on Neptune Cruise have a private balcony.
Which cabin suits a family? The Junior Suite on the upper deck, with a queen bed and a sofa bed for up to four guests.
When does Neptune Cruise leave? Sharing trips leave Labuan Bajo on Fridays and return on Sunday.
Is there Wi-Fi on Neptune Cruise? Yes. The connection depends on the mobile network in each part of the park and can be slow at times.
Do I need to be a good swimmer? No. Snorkelling is optional, fins, masks and life jackets are on board, and many stops are beaches, viewpoints and the dragon walk.
Can I see the Komodo dragons? Yes. On the second day Neptune Cruise stops at Komodo Island, where park rangers take guests on a walk to see the dragons.
What should I bring? Light clothes, a hat, sunglasses, reef-safe sunscreen, sandals and closed shoes for the treks, a light jacket for the evenings and any personal medicine.
Is there hot water on Neptune Cruise? Yes. Every cabin has a private bathroom with a hot shower.
How do I get from the airport to the boat? The transfer is included: Neptune Cruise picks you up at Komodo Airport or at your hotel in Labuan Bajo between 8:00 and 10:00 on the first day.
Is Neptune Cruise good for a group? Yes. With seven cabins and a large top deck, a family or a group of friends can charter the whole boat for up to fourteen guests.
Are drinks included on Neptune Cruise? Mineral water, coffee and tea are included all day, with juices in the afternoon. Alcoholic drinks are not included.
Can I charter Neptune Cruise for my own group? Yes. The whole boat can be chartered for two to seven days for up to fourteen guests; ask us for a quote with your dates.
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