Small Group vs Big Boat From Labuan Bajo: An Honest Cost Table

On a Labuan Bajo boat trip, small means 8–12 guests, medium 15–25, and big 30–40. Cost per person moves the other way: a big shared boat can be under USD 200 for 3D2N, a medium charter around USD 200–475 per head when full, and a small private boat rarely below USD 550. Speed, queue time and sleep quality change with it.

Boat size is the decision that shapes a Komodo trip more than the itinerary does — every vessel visits the same islands. What changes is how long you wait for a tender, how crowded Padar is when you arrive, how well you sleep, and what you pay. This page puts numbers to all four.

The three classes, compared

Labuan Bajo boat classes — what each actually delivers
	Small (8–12 guests)	Medium (15–25 guests)	Big (30–40 guests)
Typical cabins	4–6, usually en-suite	6–8, en-suite on better boats	9–12, often shared bathrooms
Cost per person, 3D2N	From ~USD 550 upward	~USD 200 – 475	Published shared rates from ~USD 270; large charters lower
Tender transfers per landing	1 run	1–2 runs	3–4 runs
Time lost waiting to go ashore	Minimal	10–20 min	30–45 min per stop
Ride in open water	Livelier; smaller hulls move more	Steady	Steadiest, most inertia
Noise and sleep	Quietest	Manageable	Hardest — more people, more movement
Crowd at Padar sunrise	Your group only	Your group	Multiple tender loads at once
Best for	Couples, honeymoons, small families, photographers	Families, friend groups, company trips	Budget travel, large tours, student groups

The tender column is the one nobody talks about and the one guests notice most. A boat carrying 35 people with one dinghy needs three or four runs to get everyone ashore at Padar. That is 30 to 45 minutes, twice, at every stop — and if you are on the last run at sunrise, the light has already gone flat.

Where the cost actually goes

Comparing a shared seat with a charter is comparing different products. A shared seat buys a place on a fixed departure. A charter buys the vessel. Below is the same comparison in one table, using published figures.

Real published figures, 3D2N from Labuan Bajo
Option	Model	Price	Per person	Group
Big shared liveaboard, market listing	Per seat	USD 271.57 per person	USD 272	32–35 guests, 12 cabins
Lamborajo I charter, filled	Whole boat	USD 4,880 total (24 guests)	~USD 203	Your group of 24
Lamborajo II charter, filled	Whole boat	USD 9,250 total (25 guests)	~USD 370	Your group of 25
Lamborajo II charter, 12 guests	Whole boat	USD 6,550 total	~USD 546	Your group of 12
Lamborajo III charter, filled	Whole boat	USD 10,450 total (22 guests)	~USD 475	Your group of 22
Lamborajo III charter, 12 guests	Whole boat	USD 8,650 total	~USD 721	Your group of 12

Read row two against row one. A filled Lamborajo I charter costs less per person than a published seat on a 35-guest shared boat — and the boat is yours. That is the single most useful fact on this page for anyone travelling in a group of twenty or more.

The inverse is equally true. Twelve people on Lamborajo III pay around USD 721 each. If your group is small and you want that level of comfort, you are buying privacy and space, not efficiency, and you should know that going in.

What you give up, class by class

Choosing small

You get quiet, quick tender turnarounds and a crew who learn your names by lunch on day one. You give up deck space, and you pay the most per head. In open water a smaller hull moves more — relevant on the Kalong-to-Padar stretch if anyone in the group is prone to seasickness.

Choosing medium

This is where most well-run Komodo trips sit. Enough hull to be steady, enough cabins for privacy, few enough people that a single tender run works. Lamborajo II and III sit here at 25 and 22 guests. If you have no strong reason to go smaller or bigger, this is the class to book.

Choosing big

The lowest price on the harbour and, for a sociable group of strangers, genuinely fun. The costs are queue time, noise and shared bathrooms. A 38-metre hull like Lamborajo III shows the other side of scale: big enough to be steady, but capped at 22 guests so the boat never feels crowded.

Best for — pick in one line

Two people, honeymoon or photography: small boat, or a cabin on a scheduled medium departure.
Family of six to ten: medium charter. Lamborajo II at USD 6,550 for 3D2N is the natural fit.
Company or community trip of 20–25: Lamborajo I if budget leads, Lamborajo II if comfort does.
Solo traveller on a budget: a seat on a big shared boat. Accept the queues; the islands are identical.
Divers: medium, and confirm compressor and tank capacity before booking — not every boat carries them.

Full specifications and every rate tier are on the fleet page, with all-in cost worked through on prices and booking. Timing is in best time to visit, and the rest in the FAQ hub.

Frequently asked questions

Is a small boat better than a big boat in Komodo?

Better for quiet, quick tender access and sleep; worse for price and stability in open water. Big boats ride the swell better and cost far less per person, at the cost of queueing three or four tender runs at each landing.

How many people is too many on a Komodo boat?

Above roughly 30 guests the tender becomes the bottleneck: 30 to 45 minutes to get everyone ashore, repeated at every stop. It works if you expect it. It ruins a Padar sunrise if you do not.

Is chartering cheaper than buying seats?

Above about twelve people, often yes. A filled Lamborajo I charter is roughly USD 203 per person for 3D2N — below the USD 271 per seat publicly listed for a 32–35 guest shared liveaboard on the same route.

Which boat size is best for families?

Medium. Eight en-suite cabins on Lamborajo II give parents and children separate rooms, the hull is steady enough for nervous sailors, and one tender run means no waiting in the sun with tired kids.

Do bigger boats have better facilities?

Not automatically. Facilities track price, not length. Lamborajo II carries a jacuzzi, kayak and banana boat at 25 guests, while some 35-guest budget boats offer shared bathrooms and nothing else. Check the equipment list, not the tonnage.

Which is more stable in rough seas?

Longer, heavier hulls. A 38-metre vessel like Lamborajo III rides the exposed Kalong-to-Padar stretch noticeably better than a small boat. If anyone in your group gets seasick, size helps more than any medication.

Can I get a private cabin on a big shared boat?

Sometimes, at a single supplement, but on big budget boats bathrooms are usually still shared. If a private bathroom matters, that is a boat-class decision rather than a cabin upgrade.

Do all boat sizes visit the same islands?

Broadly yes — Padar, Pink Beach, Komodo or Rinca, Manta Point, Taka Makassar and Kanawa are on every standard itinerary. What differs is how long you spend ashore once tender logistics are accounted for.

Not sure which class fits your group? Message Komodo Luxury on WhatsApp +62 811 3823 875 or email [email protected] with your headcount and budget per person. We will tell you which size actually makes sense — including when the answer is a shared seat.

Charter figures are from the published Lamborajo rate card current 1 August 2026; per-person figures are arithmetic on those rates. The USD 271.57 shared-seat comparison is a competitor’s publicly listed 2026 price for a 32–35 guest liveaboard and is quoted for reference only. Park fees are extra under PP No. 36/2024.