**To book a comfort-class Flores cruise, pick a scheduled departure or a full-ship private buyout, then hold your ensuite cabin with a 10% deposit. Balance and Komodo National Park fees fall due 14 days before you sail. Arunika Cruises, operated by Komodo Luxury, confirms every voyage directly by WhatsApp.**
Reviewed by Rani Wulandari, Arunika Cruises booking desk. Figures are current as of 5 July 2026 and subject to change; confirm at the point of booking.
Arunika Cruises sells comfort-class, ensuite-cabin voyages across the whole Flores arc — the Komodo National Park core loop out of Labuan Bajo, plus eastbound sailings toward Riung, Ende and Maumere. This page covers one thing only: how the booking itself works. For per-route fares and cabin galleries, see our route and package pages.
How do you book a comfort-class Flores cruise?
You book in two moves: choose a voyage, then hold a cabin with a deposit. Every reservation is handled directly by the Komodo Luxury team — the award-winning operator that has run Labuan Bajo departures since 2015 — not an offshore call centre. You tell us the date, the route and how many berths you need; we confirm live availability and send a written quote before any money changes hands.
Two ways to sail:
- Scheduled departure — you book individual ensuite cabins on a fixed calendar. Best for couples, solo travellers and small groups who want a set price and a set date.
- Full-ship buyout (private charter) — you reserve the entire vessel and set your own itinerary. Best for families, corporate groups and travellers who want a bespoke eastbound route beyond the standard Komodo loop.
Scheduled departure or full-ship buyout — which fits you?
Scheduled departures follow a published cadence. Modelled on the Le Pirate Explorer pattern used across the Labuan Bajo comfort fleet as of 2026, a 3-day/2-night loop departs every Monday and returns Wednesday around 15:00; a 4-day/3-night itinerary departs every Thursday and returns Sunday around 15:00. You share the ship with other guests, so shared trips carry a minimum age of 16 — families travelling with younger children book a private charter instead.
A full-ship buyout removes the calendar entirely. You choose the sailing dates, the cabin allocation and, on longer voyages, the eastern shore excursions — Riung’s 17 Islands, the cultural stops at Ende and Maumere, and the far-eastern port of Larantuka. It is the only way to sail the whole Flores arc on your own terms.
Which voyages can you book, and how long do they run?
Public per-person fares in this category are quote-based rather than listed, because cabin class, group size and season all move the number. Durations and departure cadence, however, are fixed. Request a live quote for the exact figure on your dates.
| Voyage | Duration | Departure cadence | Cabin basis | Price basis |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Komodo core loop (Rinca, Padar, Pink Beach, Manta Point) | 3D / 2N | Every Monday, returns Wed ~15:00 | Ensuite cabin, per person | Quote-based |
| Komodo + Padar sunrise extended | 4D / 3N | Every Thursday, returns Sun ~15:00 | Ensuite cabin, per person | Quote-based |
| Eastbound Flores arc (Riung 17 Islands, Ende, Maumere) | 6D / 5N–8D / 7N | Seasonal, private buyout | Full-ship, whole vessel | Quote-based |
| Bali–Komodo crossing (comfort small-ship) | 7 nights | Seasonal, Apr–Sep | Ensuite cabin, all-inclusive | Quote-based |
For context on where comfort class sits: shared open-deck backpacker boats on the Lombok–Flores–Komodo run start near IDR 1.5 million per person (roughly AUD 150) as of 2026. Arunika does not sell that deck-class product — every Arunika berth is a private ensuite cabin, which is why our fares sit above the budget floor. Aqua Expeditions and Adventure Life both market this same comfort small-ship category for 2026, which is the tier Arunika occupies.
What does the deposit-to-balance flow look like?
The payment structure follows the market norm published by Le Pirate, current as of 2026. A small deposit secures the cabin; the balance and park fees settle two weeks out.
| Stage | Share of fare | Refundable? | Timing |
|---|---|---|---|
| Deposit | 10% | Non-refundable | At booking — locks your cabin |
| Second instalment | 25% | Refundable only if cancelled 14+ days before departure | Before the balance |
| Final balance + park fees | 65% + Komodo NP fees | Non-refundable | Due 14 days before departure |
Read that middle row carefully: the 25% is your one refundable window, and it closes 14 days out. After that, the full fare and the park entrance fees are committed. Because of this structure, operators — including our own reservations team — strongly recommend travel insurance that covers cancellation, medical emergencies and trip disruption. Buy it when you pay the deposit, not the week you fly.
Where do Komodo National Park fees fit in?
Komodo National Park entrance fees are a separate line item, paid on top of the cruise fare, and they are non-refundable. The park is managed by Balai Taman Nasional Komodo under Indonesia’s Ministry of Environment and Forestry (KLHK). Exact fee tables are not publicly fixed and change from time to time, so we quote the current figure at booking rather than print a number that may be stale by the time you sail. Treat any park-fee amount you see quoted elsewhere as indicative only.
How does booking actually happen, step by step?
- Choose your voyage and date. Pick a scheduled Monday or Thursday departure, or tell us your buyout dates.
- Request a live quote. We confirm cabin availability and send a written per-person or whole-ship price.
- Hold your cabin with the 10% deposit. This is the moment your berth is locked; until then, dates are subject to availability.
- Settle the balance 14 days before departure. Final 65% plus Komodo National Park fees are due here.
- Arrive in Labuan Bajo one day early. Fly into Komodo Airport (IATA: LBJ); the transfer to the Le Bajo Flores port runs roughly 15 minutes.
- Meet and sail. Meeting time is 09:00–09:30 at the operator office; the ship departs 10:00 sharp and returns around 15:00 on the final day.
That one-day buffer matters. Operators advise arriving the day before departure so a delayed flight never costs you the cruise — there is no waiting for late arrivals at a 10:00 departure.
When should you sail — and when should you arrive?
Plan around the April-to-September window. Aqua Expeditions sails the Bali–Komodo–Flores region April to September only, avoiding the harsher weather the rest of the year, and independent Flores guides name April to June as the sweet spot — greener landscapes, clearer water and thinner crowds. Padar’s sunrise hike and the snorkelling at Manta Point and Pink Beach all reward the calmer, clearer months.
Looking further out, the region keeps deepening: Raja Ampat-to-Flores expedition sailings are already on the calendar for March 2027, a Smithsonian-style 2027 Indonesia cruise includes Flores and Komodo, and Labuan Bajo remains a government “super-premium” priority with port and marina upgrades tracked toward 2027. Booking early for peak-season 2027 dates is sensible.
Who can join a shared departure?
Shared scheduled trips carry a minimum age of 16. Families travelling with younger children book a private full-ship charter, where age limits are set by your own group and the itinerary is yours to shape. Solo travellers and couples are the natural fit for the Monday and Thursday scheduled departures.
Ready to reserve your cabin?
Arunika Cruises is operated by Komodo Luxury, a real, award-winning Labuan Bajo operator founded in 2015. Reservations are handled directly by its team — you are talking to the people who run the ships, not a reseller.
Reserve on WhatsApp: +62 811-3823-875 — send us your dates and group size for live availability and a same-day quote.
Prefer email? Write to sales@komodoluxury.com. Ask for the current departure calendar, and we will hold your ensuite cabin the moment your 10% deposit clears.