Everything you need to plan a voyage on Tiger Blue — how to reach the boat, what is included, and the questions guests ask us most. Can’t find it here? Email sail@tigerblue.info or message us on WhatsApp and a member of the team replies within a working day.
Tiger Blue moors as close as possible to each airport; a private car and our RIB tender take you from the terminal to the boat in about twenty minutes, and transfers are included on arrival and departure days. We are happy to help with local flights.
Sumbawa sailings start and finish at Sumbawa Besar (SWQ), and Banda Sea expeditions at Alor (Kalabahi), Saumlaki, Ambon or Maumere, as stated on your booking. At least 30 days before departure, please send us your flight numbers and arrival and departure times, any pre- or post-trip hotel, and complete the guest form we send you.
The questions guests ask us most, answered plainly. Nothing here is compulsory reading — open the ones that matter to you.
From May to October Tiger Blue is based in Komodo National Park, sailing from Labuan Bajo and ranging across the Flores Sea to Sumbawa and Alor. From November to February she sails from Sorong through Raja Ampat and Triton Bay. Twice a year she makes the passage between the two: in March, south from Sorong through the Banda Sea to Komodo, and in early November north again from Flores to Sorong — Journeys of Discovery through islands few boats ever reach, sold as expeditions in their own right. April is the quiet month between seasons, when she is in the yard or available for charter from Labuan Bajo. The whole boat is available for private charter year-round, and a few sailings each year are sold by the cabin.
A private charter gives you the whole boat for up to ten guests (twelve with a third guest in each Superior cabin), with the route shaped around you. On a set-date departure you book one of five cabins and sail with a small group of like-minded guests on a fixed itinerary. Prices for both are on the Rates page, and the live availability calendar shows what is open.
Yes. Tiger Blue was built with families and friends in mind, and most private charters are exactly that. The main deck is one big outdoor living space, the water sports suit every age, and the crew are used to looking after younger guests — kayaks, paddle boards, beach days and snorkelling in calm bays. There is no minimum age; we simply ask that children can swim. Children count as guests for cabin space — tell us their ages when you enquire and we will plan the days around them.
Early risers snorkel or dive before breakfast; the boat moves while you eat. A mid-morning dive or a beach, lunch on deck, a quiet hour, an afternoon in the water or a walk ashore (Padar, Wayag), then sunset drinks and dinner under the stars. Nothing is compulsory — the crew will tell you the plan each evening and change it if you would rather do something else.
Private charters in July–August and over Christmas usually go nine to twelve months ahead; other months three to six. Set-date cabins sell cabin by cabin, so earlier is better for the Master cabin. The calendar is live, so what you see is what is free.
Komodo sailings start in Labuan Bajo (about 75 minutes from Bali); Raja Ampat sailings in Sorong, which is around four to five hours direct from Jakarta, or via Makassar. A Tiger Blue crew member in a dark-blue polo meets you at the airport or your hotel and takes you to the boat by car and tender — transfers are included. Arriving the day before, or need help with internal flights? Contact us and we will recommend hotels and help you plan the connections.
Your passport must be valid for six months from entry. Most nationalities can use the e-Visa on Arrival at evisa.imigrasi.go.id and must complete the All Indonesia Arrival Card online before flying; check the rules for your passport before you travel.
See your doctor or a travel clinic. Malaria is present in the areas we sail, so anti-malarials are recommended — ask for a regime that is suitable for diving (Lariam is not). Bring labelled prescription medicines.
A crew of twelve: captain, chief officer, head and second engineers, deck crew, two chefs and a two-person service team, a PADI divemaster and instructor, and a dedicated snorkel guide. Most have been with the boat for years.
Freshly prepared Asian and Western food from the onboard chefs, with fish and produce bought along the way; beach barbecues and sunset cocktails ashore are part of most trips. Vegetarian, vegan, gluten-free, halal and allergy-aware menus are all fine — tell us on the guest form before you travel and we will cater for you. One honest note: Tiger Blue has a single galley, so we cannot guarantee a kitchen completely free of any ingredient; if you have a severe allergy, please tell us so we can plan around it.
Water, tea, coffee, juices, soft drinks and local beer are included. Spirits, cocktails and wine by the bottle are charged on board, or take the all-inclusive drinks package at US$65 per person per day for the whole sailing. You are welcome to bring your own wine or champagne for a special occasion — just note that Indonesian domestic airlines allow one bottle per person in checked luggage.
Gladly: birthdays, anniversaries, honeymoons, a proposal on a sandbank. Tell us when you book and the crew will take care of the cake, the decorations and the timing.
Tiger Blue has Starlink satellite internet, available as an optional package: US$150 a day for a private charter, or a per-cabin rate on a set-date departure, bookable online or on board. Mobile signal comes and goes in Komodo and near Sorong and is mostly absent elsewhere; a Telkomsel SIM is the best local option, but don’t expect much signal in most places — Starlink is the reliable choice.
The generator runs 24 hours. Every cabin has 220 V two-pin round sockets (European style), we keep adapters on board, and there is a camera-charging station on the main deck — charge there rather than in the air-conditioned cabins to avoid condensation.
Laundry is complimentary throughout your stay (washer and dryer on board). Cabins are stocked with phosphate-free soap, shampoo, shower gel and body lotion, plus a coconut-based reef-safe sunscreen.
Most guests never notice the motion: we anchor in sheltered bays every night and move mostly in the mornings over short distances. The longer crossings on Journeys of Discovery are planned around the weather. If you are prone to seasickness, tell the crew — we carry seasickness tablets on board, and the main deck amidships is the steadiest place to be.
No. Half of our guests only snorkel, with a dedicated guide and some of the best reefs in the world within a tender ride. For non-divers there are two sea kayaks, paddle boards, wakeboard, water-skis, kneeboard and fishing gear (outside the national parks).
Yes. Discovery dives with the divemaster are included, and you can complete your PADI Open Water on board for US$400 per person (finish the e-learning theory before you travel) or add the Advanced course for US$300.
Up to three guided dives a day, two compressors, full sets of Scubapro equipment (new in June 2026), tanks, weights and all fills — all included. Bring your certification (a digital card is fine) and log book; if it has been a while, the divemaster will start with an easy check dive. Tank fills are air only (no nitrox).
Every guest must hold medical-evacuation cover, and we highly recommend Global Rescue for it. Divers must also hold active dive insurance (DAN is the usual choice). We strongly advise comprehensive travel insurance covering cancellation, weather disruption and water sports — DAN, Allianz Travel and TravelGuard are all suitable. The guest form asks for your policy details.
No fishing in any national park, and no motorised water sports inside Komodo National Park. Marine park fees are US$150 per person per trip and are not included in the charter price; they are added to your booking.
Tiger Blue carries Garmin plotters and radar, AIS, VHF and HF radio, an EPIRB, two liferafts, lifejackets and life-rings, oxygen and a full first-aid kit, and every trip starts with a safety briefing. Two RIB tenders handle all transfers and dive drops.
There is no doctor on board, which is why evacuation insurance is required. Every crew member is first-aid trained (most recently in September 2026), oxygen is carried, and we have a 24-hour phone line to a doctor service for emergencies or advice. The captain and cruise director keep contacts for clinics and air-ambulance services in each region. Tell us about any condition or medication on the guest form.
The live availability calendar shows every open date and, for set-date sailings, every cabin and price. Book a cabin online, or send an enquiry for a private charter and we reply within a working day with a route and a quote.
30% deposit to confirm, 30% six months before departure, and the final 40% sixty days before. Bookings made inside those windows pay the earlier instalments on booking. We invoice you and you pay by bank transfer in US dollars.
Our cancellation terms are set out in the Terms & Conditions you receive with your booking, and we strongly recommend cancellation insurance. If you need to move your dates, talk to us first — rescheduling to a later sailing is possible, subject to availability. If we ever have to cancel a set-date sailing with fewer than two cabins booked, you choose an alternative date or a full credit.
All fuel; all meals, snacks, tea, coffee, soft drinks, juices and local beer; guided diving, snorkelling and water sports with every piece of equipment; laundry; bathroom amenities; airport transfers on arrival and departure days. Not included: marine park fees, flights, hotels, insurance, the drinks package, Starlink, PADI courses and crew gratuities.
Tips are welcome but never expected. Guests who wish to usually leave around 10% of the charter or cabin rate, which is shared equally among the whole crew.
Tell us about your trip and we will come back within a working day with a route, dates and a quote.
