LASHA Private Charter or By Cabin? How Booking Actually Works

Every serious enquiry about LASHA eventually lands on the same fork: do we need to take the whole boat, or can we book a cabin or two? It is the right question to ask early, because the answer shapes your budget, your dates and who you share the deck with. Here is how the model actually works — including the arithmetic that makes whole-boat charter less expensive per person than most people assume.

The primary model: whole-boat private charter

LASHA's rate structure is built around exclusive charter. You take the entire vessel — all 10 ensuite cabins across her four decks, from the Master Suite with jacuzzi and the Junior Suite with balcony down through the Grand Deluxe and Deluxe categories — together with her full crew, all meals aboard and the standard activity program. One rate, one boat, your group and nobody else. The full structure is published as the LASHA private charter price on the rates page, which is the document every quote is anchored to.

The logic is straightforward for a vessel of this class. At 52.5 m length overall and 466 GT, launched in 2023 with an ironwood and teak hull in the Buginese tradition, LASHA is a private expedition platform rather than a scheduled ferry — the itinerary, the daily rhythm, the menu and the pace all bend to one group's preferences. That flexibility is precisely what a shared-cabin model gives away, which is why whole-boat is the default.

The math: what whole-boat really costs per person

The headline number reads differently once you divide it. On the long-haul expedition band — Raja Ampat, Banda Sea, Wakatobi, Maratua — the charter starts from USD 11,600 per night with a 5-night minimum. Filled sensibly, the per-guest figure lands in ordinary luxury-travel territory:

At 14 guests — a comfortable load for 10 cabins — a five-night Raja Ampat expedition prices around USD 4,125 per person for a private 52.5 m phinisi with ensuite accommodation, full crew and full board. Komodo charters, priced from the lower Komodo rate band on the rates page, bring that per-person figure down further. Park fees and any separately-policied programs such as diving sit on top, per the published rate sheet.

This is why multi-family groups, milestone celebrations and small companies dominate charter bookings: two or three families splitting the boat routinely pay less per person than they would for comparable resort suites, and they get Komodo or Raja Ampat moving past the rail instead of a pool view.

So can you book LASHA by the cabin?

The honest answer: whole-boat charter is the primary way LASHA sells, and the rate structure is built around it. Cabin-based placement is not a standing product with a public per-cabin tariff — when individual cabin spots are offered, it is on specific scheduled departures, and availability is confirmed directly with the sales desk rather than through a booking grid. The maiden Komodo season, opening with the first sailing on 17 August 2026, and the 2027 calendar of Komodo plus eastern expeditions are where such departures would sit.

If you are a couple or a small party hoping to join a sailing, the practical move is simple: message the desk with your dates and group size and ask what is scheduled. If a suitable departure exists you will get a straight answer with real numbers; if not, the desk will tell you that too — and may suggest date windows where shared departures are more likely. No invented availability, no waitlist theatre. For a sense of what life aboard looks like either way, the liveaboard experience page and cabin guide cover the boat cabin by cabin.

Which routes can you charter?

Two bands, two kinds of trip. Komodo — the home ground, sailing out of Labuan Bajo — is the accessible masterpiece: dragons, Padar, pink beaches and the park's manta channels inside a 3-to-7-night frame, priced from the Komodo rate band. The long-haul expedition band covers Raja Ampat, the Banda Sea, Wakatobi and Maratua from USD 11,600 per night at a 5-night minimum — remote routes that LASHA is genuinely built for, with 12,000 litres of fuel, 22,000 litres of fresh water, a 750 Hp Weichai main engine and a bridge running Garmin GPS, Samyung AIS, radar with SART and iCom comms. Route maps and sample plans are on the itineraries page, with the eastern flagship detailed under Raja Ampat.

How booking works, step by step

1. Enquire. Contact the operator, Komodo Luxury, with your dates, group size and route on WhatsApp +62 811-3823-875 or [email protected]. These are the only official booking channels.

2. Get a written quote. The desk confirms availability and returns a quote anchored to the published rate sheet: charter rate for your band, park fees per the current schedule, and any separately-policied items, all itemised.

3. Confirm with a deposit. Dates are secured with a deposit, with the balance following a payment schedule set out in your charter agreement. Deposit percentage, balance deadlines and the cancellation policy are stated in writing in that agreement before you pay anything — read them, and keep the document.

4. Pre-departure planning. Between confirmation and boarding, the desk collects guest details, dietary requirements, dive certifications where relevant, and flight times into Labuan Bajo, then builds your final itinerary around tides and your priorities. The full sequence is outlined on the booking page.

The bottom line

Take the whole boat if you can assemble the group — the per-guest math works, and total control of a 52.5 m private phinisi is the product at its best. If you are travelling as a couple or small party, ask the sales desk about scheduled departures rather than assuming the door is closed. Either way, the numbers you plan around should come from the rates page and a written quote, not from third-party listings. LASHA is operated by Komodo Luxury, and the desk answers quickly: WhatsApp +62 811-3823-875, email [email protected].

Frequently asked questions