On a phinisi, cabin choice decides how well you sleep for a week. Upper-deck cabins are quieter, cooler and better ventilated but move more in a swell. Lower-deck cabins are steadier and darker, with the stern lower cabins closest to the engine and generator. If anyone in your party is prone to seasickness, put them amidships and low. If anyone is a light sleeper, keep them off the stern. Ask for the deck plan before you book — any boat worth chartering has one.
What is on each deck?
Charter phinisi of 30–50 metres follow a broadly consistent layout, which makes deck plans comparable across boats.
| Deck | What lives there | Character |
|---|---|---|
| Lower deck | Engine room, fuel and water tanks, most guest cabins, crew quarters | Steadiest motion, least natural light, closest to machinery noise |
| Main deck | Saloon, dining, shaded outdoor seating, galley, stern dive deck with compressor and tender access | The social centre of the boat; where you spend waking hours |
| Upper deck | Wheelhouse, often a master suite, open sun deck | Best views and ventilation, most motion, most privacy |
The stern of the main deck is the working end: tanks, compressor, rinse tanks, tender boarding. It is busy from before dawn on a dive charter. The bow is the quiet end. That single fact explains most of what follows.
Which cabin should you actually choose?
| Position | Motion | Noise | Heat and light | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Upper deck master | Most | Low, except wheelhouse footfall | Best ventilation, real windows | Couples, good sailors, anyone who values light and privacy |
| Main deck cabin | Moderate | Moderate — saloon traffic nearby | Good, with portholes or windows | The all-round compromise; older guests who dislike stairs |
| Lower deck amidships | Least | Moderate | Darker, air-conditioned | Seasickness-prone guests; the single best cabin for sleeping |
| Lower deck forward | Pitching in a head sea — can slam | Low | Darker | Sheltered-water itineraries; not for open crossings |
| Lower deck aft | Low | Highest — engine and generator | Darker, sometimes warmer | Heavy sleepers; often the lowest price for a reason |
Two rules that cover most cases. Amidships and low for motion. The centre of a hull’s pitch and roll is the quietest place on the boat in a seaway. Away from the stern for noise. Generators run at night to power air conditioning, and their sound arrives in the aft lower cabins first.
Who should never take a stern lower cabin?
Light sleepers. Anyone who wakes at a change in engine note. Anyone travelling on an itinerary with overnight passages — the Bali–Komodo crossing, the Sorong–Misool run, a Banda Sea leg — where the engines will be turning all night, every night. And anyone who is going to be irritated by the compressor starting at 05:30 above their head on a dive charter.
It is not a bad cabin. It is a cabin with a specific trade-off, usually reflected in price, and it suits people who sleep through anything.
What cabin types will you be offered?
- Master suite. Usually upper deck, king berth, largest ensuite, often a private deck area. One per boat, occasionally two.
- Double cabin. One large berth, ensuite. The standard couple’s cabin.
- Twin cabin. Two single berths, sometimes convertible to a double. The most flexible for mixed groups.
- Bunk cabin. Upper and lower berths, tighter, most common on dive-focused boats and the usual choice for teenagers or budget sharing.
Typical charter phinisi carry three to eight guest cabins and six to twenty guests, with crew of roughly eight to eighteen. On many boats the crew outnumber the guests — who those crew are and what they do is set out in our guide to phinisi crew roles.
How do you read a deck plan before you book?
Six checks, in order:
- Where is the engine room? Everything aft and below it is the noise zone.
- Where is the master? If it is upper deck, the boat has an obvious “best cabin” — useful for allocating within a group.
- How many cabins share the same passageway? Traffic past your door matters at 05:30.
- Portholes or windows? Windows mean upper or main deck. Portholes mean lower. Neither is bad; both are information.
- Where is the dive deck? Directly above a cabin means gear noise early.
- Where are the stairs? Grandparents and steep companionway ladders do not mix. This is the single most common oversight in family bookings, and we cover it in our multigenerational charter guide.
Does the itinerary change the answer?
Yes. On a sheltered Komodo itinerary with short daylight hops and calm anchorages, cabin position barely matters — take the one with the best light. On a Raja Ampat 7-night charter with overnight passages, or a Banda Sea crossing in open water, position matters a great deal and the seasickness-prone should be amidships. The 4D3N Komodo itinerary is the gentle end of that spectrum; how the hull actually moves, and what to do about it, is covered in our piece on seasickness and open-water comfort.
Frequently asked questions
Which is the best cabin on a phinisi?
For views and air, the upper-deck master. For sleeping through a rough night, lower deck amidships. They are rarely the same cabin.
Are all cabins air-conditioned?
On mid-range and above, yes. Air conditioning normally runs on generator power, which is why generator hours and cabin position interact.
Do phinisi cabins have private bathrooms?
On charter vessels, almost always ensuite. Some budget dive boats still have shared facilities — check the deck plan.
Can I see the deck plan before booking?
You should insist on it. A boat that will not show you where you are sleeping is telling you something.
Which cabin is best for seasickness?
Lower deck, amidships, as close to the centre of the hull as possible. Avoid the bow.
Is there storage in the cabins?
Under-berth drawers and a low locker, typically. Pack a soft duffel — hard cases do not fit and end up in the passageway.
Can we book the whole boat and choose cabins ourselves?
Yes. On a private charter the allocation is entirely yours. We will send the plan so you can do it fairly before anyone boards.
How many people fit on a typical phinisi?
Three to eight cabins, six to twenty guests. Sleeping capacity, not deck space, is the constraint on group size.
Get the deck plan first
Charters are operated by Komodo Luxury, part of Juara Holding Group, chartering Indonesian vessels since 2015. Tell us your group and who sleeps badly, and we will send the deck plans of two or three suitable boats with an honest recommendation on which cabin goes to whom.
WhatsApp: +62 811 3823 875 · Email: sales@komodoluxury.com