Frequently Asked Questions
About Indonesia
Good To Know
Scuba Diving
Bookings
The Boat
About Indonesia
Visa Entries
Most citizens of the world can enter Indonesia without the necessity of a prior visa application using the Visa On Arrival (VOA) program provided by the government.
Post-corona entry requirements have changed but we are happy to provide accurate travel and visa assistance when necessary.
Climate
Climate is hot to very hot at approximately 35-39 Celsius / 95 – 102 F, often humid and sometimes dry at approximately 75-85%. It all depends on where we are and during which time of the year.
Generally Indonesia provides a hot and humid weather throughout and it is recommended for all travelers to pack exclusively summer clothing.
Those with allergies especially to pollen will find Indonesia the most pleasant place to be where their sensativities suddenly fade away.
Currency
Indonesia’s national currency is the Indonesian Rupiah known shortly as “Rp” or “IDR”.
Although ATMs are widely available within cities, it is recommended for travelers to carry small amounts of Indonesia Rupiah cash.
Example of calculation as of September 10th 2022:
100 USD = 1,480,000 IDR
Safety
Indonesia is considered a safe country with limited incidents involving tourists. Criminality is limited to basic pickpocketing or purse snatching on unaware bystanders.
It is recommended to practice common sense whenever visiting public places just like in any other city or country in the world.
Air Travel
Indonesia’s main airline carriers are: Garuda, Air Asia, Citilink (Garuda low cost), Batik, Wings Air, Lion Air.
Other carriers migh be noted but these are the most famous and noted above in line with their safety records.
Certain areas in Indonesia might only be available to certain carriers with very specific time frames.
What to do in case of emergency?
In case of emergency during your travel to or inside Indonesia in relation to a liveaboard with Neptune Liveaboards, you should urgently call our 24/7 available phone number: +62 813 4842 7901
You will receive immediate assistance, necessary information and instructions on any situation.
Good To Know
Check-In and Check-Out
Check-in time is dependent on the port of embarkation as certain areas in Indonesia can have limited flight schedules.
The check-in times are communicated in advance during or after the reservations process.
Check-out times are flexible on the day of disembarkation also dependent on flight schedules varying between early morning and late afternoon.
Internet on board
In Komodo and Raja Ampat, most areas are providing 4G data coverage for which we provide assistance to purchase, install and use.
However, in other areas of the traveled itineraries internet or cell phone connection can be limited or non-existent.
Feel free to check with us prior to confirming a reservation.
Flying drones in Indonesia
Flying drones in Indonesia is allowed in some areas and forbidden in others. In other places you are allowed to fly if you pay for a ticket. Here are the most important rules for flying drones in Indonesia:
- Drones cannot not fly above 150 meters (490 feet) without prior permission;
- Drones cannot not weigh more than 7 kilograms (15 pounds);
- Drones cannot be flown within 15 kilometers (9 miles) of any airport;
- Drones cannot be flown over crowds or highly populated areas;
- Drones are strictly prohibited from flying at night;
- Drones cannot be operated from any moving vehicle such as a car or motorcyle;
- Drone pilots are obligated to maintain a direct line of sight while flying a drone;
- Penalties can amount to fines up to 66,000 Euros or in some cases jail time.
In Komodo, drones can be flowing in dedicated areas such as Padar Island or Pink Beach with prior purchase of a drone flight ticket of approximately 1,000,000 IDR.
Hotel and airport transfers
Hotel and airport transfers are included in our liveaboard pricing in all of Indonesia’s dive destinations.
In all of the destinations we also provide travel assistance to book the necessary hotel reservations when needed.
Hotel and airport transfers are being organised during the reservations process.
What languages do you speak?
On board we speak the following languages: English, Indonesian, and Chinese. Primarily English is used while on board of our liveaboards.
Office languages are multiple and we can assist you in: English, Indonesian, Chinese, Romanian, French, Dutch, Spanish, and Italian.
Non-Divers & Children Policy
Non-divers as well as children are welcomed on board of Neptune Liveaboards. We provide entertainment facilities (nintendo switch, movies, board games) as well as activities specially dedicated to non-divers such as kayak / canoe, snorkeling, trekking, etc.
Children above 3 years old can enjoy age considerate board games and specially dedicated babysitting staff. For young babies and toddlers we will provide baby cots free of charge.
Travel Insurance
We kindly request all our passengers, guests and divers to purchase dedicated insurance simply because you never know when you need it. If you are a non-diver, basic travel insurance will suffice.
However, if you are a diver, travel and diving insurance is recommended.
We can assist with purchasing such travel or travel & diving insurance through our partner DiveAssure.
Do I need cash on board?
Not necessarily as we are prepared with a credit/debit card point of sale (POS). However, it is recommended to carry a certain amount of cash during your travel in Indonesia.
You might prefer to pay in cash your alcholic drinks consumed onboard.
What if I miss the departure of the boat?
We do our best to accommodate each and every diver and passenger joining Neptune Liveaboards. We will go above and beyond and that is a promise to be able to make sure that you will not miss our boat’s departure.
For your information, we plan ahead and use forward thinking strategies to predict potential issues that may occur based on our previous experiences.
In the rare occasion that you might actually miss the departure, the last resort is to charter a private speed boat to catch up to our liveaboard.
Private charters benefit of the freedom to decide their own itinerary and hence departure time in case of delayed guests.
Scuba Diving
Basics to bring during a liveaboard
Most important element to prepare and bring is your diving certification and logbook. You do not necessarily require the traditional plastic card because a simple e-mail or e-card will suffice.
Neptune Liveaboards is affiliated with PADI so PADI divers can be verified through the system.
The logbook is important but ultimately we understand that is sometimes unavailable. In such cases we rely on the check-dive to asses your dive experience.
Additionally, your personal diving equipment is third and most important on the list. Although we provide equipment rental, there is no better feeling than diving with your own gear.
Medical clearances
If for any reason you take any special medication but especially if you suffer of hypertension or you are systolic / diastolic, a special and recent medical clearance from your physician will be necessary to be permitted to dive with Neptune Liveaboards.
Additional medical clearances may be necessary for recent surgeries, or in case of active asthma, usage of anti-depressants, diabetes, etc.
Diver to guide ratios
We apply a standard 4 on 1 diver to guide ratio. Four equally experienced divers will accompany one divemaster / instructor.
In case of a full boat or charter of 16 divers, groups are divided in groups of 4 equally to 4 divemasters / instructors.
Do you provide emergency oxygen?
Yes, in case of emergencies, we hold a special O2 bottle of 50 liters that allows several divers to share the necessary oxygen until reaching the first available emergency services.
Additionally, our boat is connected to all emergency radio channels which will be signaled in case of any type of diving accident.
What types of tanks do you use for diving?
As a standard we provide 12 liter aluminium tanks. Additional 15 liter aluminium tanks are available upon request but which carry extra costs when used.
Our tanks are YOKE but DIN adaptors are available for free upon request.
Minimum diver experience
To be able to dive in a group, our minimum diver experience policy is focused on a standard that allows the majority of divers to enjoy equally proper dives.
As such, the minimum diver certification is Advanced Open Water Diver with a minimum of 20 logged dives.
Refreshers and Reactivate programs are available on day one check-ins for divers who did not dive in the past 6-12 months. Extra costs apply.
Private dive guides are available for open water or advanced open water divers who do not meet the minimum requirements. Extra costs apply.
Do you provide equipment rental?
Yes we do and its state of the art diving equipment. We use brands such as Aqua Lung, Scuba Pro, Mares and Gull.
Prices for equipment rental are available on our Price List.
You can also ask us directly for equipment rental prices during the reservation process.
Is the crew EFR trained?
Yes, our entire crew is EFR trained and certified. We regularly perform EFR trainings and review our First and Second Aid practices.
The EFR courses are provided by our EFR Instructors from Neptune Scuba Diving.
Is NITROX available?
Currently NITROX is not available. We are striving hard to install it within the year of 2023.
Bookings
How can I make a booking?
To be able to book one of multiple of our Neptune Liveaboards trips you can simply book and pay via our website or contact us through our website contact form, e-mail, WhatsApp, WeChat, Instagram, etc.
We are available on Liveaboard.com, PADI Travel, and multiple other online travel agents for liveaboard diving.
As soon as we establish contact, we will guide you quickly through the entire process of the booking.
How can I pay for the liveaboard?
We have multiple options for payment and they are all designed to provide comfortable solutions to all of our guests:
1. On-line Credit / Debit Card – 3% transaction fees apply
2. Multi Currency bank transfer – USD, EUR, GBP, AUD, NZD, SGD, RON – 1% transaction fees apply
3. WeChat
4. AliPay
Group bookings
Group bookings benefit of special logistics as well as special prices. Our Terms and Conditions page provides a lot of information for how we would like to handle group bookings.
Of course, we stand available as soon as we are needed for any group booking inquiries.
Private charters
Charters are treated privately. Logistics and details are flexible and often adapted depending on the charter details such as diver’s experience, dive site preferences, etc.
We are sincerely looking forward to discussing regarding private charter arrangements.
What is included in the price ?
For individual liveaboard bookings (FIT) our liveaboard prices are all-inclusive simply because we don’t want you to think about anything else besides diving.
- actual liveaboard trip
- standard liveaboard diving ( 3 or 4 dives per day )
- Nautilus Lifeline Diver GPS
- dive guides ( 4 on 1 group ratios )
- hotel/airport transfers
- daily meals & snacks ( 3 main meals per day, one self service breakfast and specially prepared snacks )
- daily refreshments
- travel & visa assistance
Exclusions apply such as:
- equipment rental
- night dive torches
- private dive guide
- National Park Fees
- Fuel Surcharges (if applied)
- Gratuities
What are national park fees ?
Not only in Indonesia, but all around the world, certain dive locations charge what is called National Park Fees.
These fees are related to conservation efforts organised by the local operators and government to maintain and improve diving operations and diving sites.
Currently the National Park Fees charged by Neptune Liveaboards are:
- Komodo Park Fee and Dock Fee 200 USD per person per trip
- Banda sea Park Fee and dock fee 200 USD per person per trip
- Raja Ampat Park fee and dock fee 200 USD per person per trip
- Triton Bay – Raja Ampat fee and dock fee 250 USD per person per trip
Can I get a discount?
That’s not how we work. Yes we organise regular discounts but we do not provide a discount without a reason.
Different liveaboards provide different services and we take a lot of pride in our service. But with high service comes great cost. As such, our discounts are always very carefully selected and decided.
I have to cancel my booking
Cancellation of a booking is the last thing we ever want to happen but it does happen. In these cases we exclusively follow our Term and Conditions where our cancellation policy is detailed.
For individual bookings (FIT) we do our best to be sympathetic depending on various circumstances and we do our best to reschedule. Being forced to cancel on last minute or within the last 90 days before the travel date, we are always forced to politely and gently decline refunds.
The Boat
What type of food do you serve on board?
We serve three different types of cuisines: Indonesian, Chinese and Western. On a daily basis we prepare various meals consisting of meat, pescatarian and vegetarian dishes complimented by fresh fruit platers and freshly baked snacks.
Dietary restrictions can be honoured with special preparations which must be communicated during the reservation process.
Do you serve alcohol on board?
Yes we do. The following alcoholic beverages are available:
- Beers ( Bintang )
- Red Wine ( local selection )
- White Wine ( local selection )
- Spirits ( Whiskey, Vodka )
Additional beverages can be prepared if requested in advance. Extra costs apply.
Does the boat have a sun deck?
Yes, the boat has a sun deck where everyone can relax on specially designed sun loungers.
Additionally, our outdoor lounge is always available on the main deck.
Do non-divers have things to do?
We have prepared activities for non-divers such as: snorkeling, kayak, on-board entertainment such as Nintendo, board games, cookies classes and other activities.
Do you provide laundry service?
Yes we do. Our laundry and pressing service is available on a daily basis at an additional charge.
Are all cabins air conditioned ?
Yes, all in-door areas of the boat are properly air conditioned starting from the restaurant area and each and every guest cabin.
Is there hot water shower ?
Yes, all guest cabins are equipped with hot water showers. Although we have the luxury of a large fresh water tank and a water maker, we recommended to be considerate of wasting water during showers.
Additionally, the boat is equipped with outdoor showers on the dive deck which we recommend to be used during the day dives.