Cheap Raja Ampat Liveaboards: Deals & Real Costs
Raja Ampat is a dream trip, and a well-timed offer can make the numbers feel less daunting. The best saving is one that still gives you the places, cabin and diving pace you came for. A discount percentage tells only the first part of that story.
A real offer, with a date attached
| Mermaid II · 17–25 January 2027 | Listed fare | Discounted fare | Saving |
|---|---|---|---|
| Budget cabin, per person sharing | €4,200 | €3,360 | €840 / 20% |
| Deluxe cabin, per person sharing | €5,000 | €4,000 | €1,000 / 20% |
These eight-night fares were displayed in the operator’s schedule on 12 November 2026. They exclude the rest of the holiday bill; park/port fees and any applicable fuel supplement still need adding. Availability and the offer can change.
The Budget-to-Deluxe difference is €640 on this departure. That is a cleaner comparison than putting unrelated boats, currencies or trip lengths into a cheapest-first list. The fuel policy must be checked for the actual travel year; a 2026 supplement should not simply be copied onto a 2027 quote.
What the saving feels like aboard
Mermaid II has lower-deck Budget cabins with twin bunks and a bathroom shared with one neighbouring cabin. Deluxe cabins have private bathrooms. Both sail on the same departure, so this choice changes your private space rather than the advertised route.
The Budget layout can suit divers who spend most waking hours on deck. Someone who values an ensuite bathroom may find the extra €640 more worthwhile than another optional upgrade. Sole occupancy needs its own quote; a sharing fare is not the cost of a cabin to yourself.
A cheaper itinerary can be a different holiday
A Sorong return trip visiting Misool and the Dampier Strait is not interchangeable with a one-way expedition to Ambon or Lembeh. Those longer routes add regions and passage time, as well as different flights. The map below separates the route families so the fare has a geographic meaning.
The most useful comparison puts the same nights, cabin occupancy and compulsory charges side by side. For a traveller who mainly wants the Dampier Strait, a shore stay can also be worth comparing; it offers a different range and daily rhythm from a moving boat. The main Raja Ampat guide explains that choice.
Where a bargain can lose its advantage
Domestic flights, checked diving equipment, a hotel before boarding, transfers and park charges all belong in the total. Rental gear, Nitrox and alcohol depend on the boat’s package. A low cruise fare can be outweighed by expensive connections or a cabin arrangement you would rather avoid.
Keeping some flexibility over dates is helpful, but a missed embarkation is a costly way to save one hotel night. The flight home also needs appropriate time after the final dive.
Sharing the trip with a non-diver
Mermaid charges non-divers the same cruise fare. Suitable guided snorkelling and other activities depend on the route and conditions. A sale therefore does not create an extra companion discount unless the offer explicitly says so.
A non-diver who enjoys boat life, remote scenery and organised activities may love the rhythm. Someone hoping to go ashore independently each day may be happier with a land stay.
Routes and ports on the map
Raja Ampat cruise itinerary map
Three published route families show why the arrival airport matters. Numbered connections are simplified regional overviews, not navigational tracks or guaranteed stops. Reverse departures and weather changes can alter the plan.
Sorong–Misool–Dampier loop · 9–10 days
9 days / 8 nights on Mermaid II or 10 days / 9 nights on Mermaid I. A Raja Ampat return cruise combines the southern reefs with the Dampier Strait; intermediate islands vary.
- Sorong embarkation area
- Misool island region
- Dampier Strait
- Sorong embarkation area
Ambon–Banda–Raja Ampat · 12 days
12 days / 11 nights. The longer passage links Ambon and the Banda Islands with Raja Ampat. Manuk and Koon are intermediate stops in the operator’s sample programme; this overview groups the main regions.
- Ambon embarkation area
- Banda Neira region
- Misool island region
- Dampier Strait
- Sorong embarkation area
Raja Ampat–Halmahera–Lembeh · 12 days
12 days / 11 nights. The westbound example continues from Misool via Pisang, southern Halmahera, Goraici and Tifore to Lembeh. The Halmahera pin identifies the island region, not a dive or landing position.
- Sorong embarkation area
- Dampier Strait
- Misool island region
- Halmahera regional reference
- Lembeh Strait
Mermaid itinerary examples checked 12 November 2026. Sorong and Ambon pins represent embarkation areas; the operator supplies the actual harbour meeting point.
Raja Ampat questions
What cheap Raja Ampat offer is shown here?
Mermaid II’s 17–25 January 2027 eight-night sailing displayed €3,360 per person sharing a Budget cabin and €4,000 in Deluxe, checked 12 November 2026.
Is €3,360 the all-inclusive holiday price?
No. Park/port charges, any applicable fuel supplement, travel and personal extras are outside that cruise fare.
How large is the advertised discount?
Both examples show 20% off their listed fares: €840 in Budget and €1,000 in Deluxe.
What does the €640 cabin upgrade buy?
On that departure it changes Budget twin bunks with a shared bathroom to the Deluxe category with a private bathroom.
Can one person pay the sharing rate for a private cabin?
No such assumption is justified. Sole-use terms or a shared berth need confirmation.
Do non-divers pay less on Mermaid?
Mermaid’s policy uses the same cruise fare for non-divers; activities depend on conditions and the programme.
Is a Sorong loop the same as an Ambon expedition?
No. Ports, regions visited, passage time and flights differ, even when both trips include Raja Ampat.
Are the old lowest-price guarantees still valid?
This guide makes no reimbursement or price-match promise. Only the booking provider’s current written terms establish any such offer.
Editorial review: 12 November 2026. Dated fares and specifications use the linked operator sources.
Hello!
We are two advanced divers looking for last minute liveaboards in Raja Ampat.
Where does the liveaboards leave from?
We can be in Sorong earliest on December 11th and be back latest January 4th.
The duration can be from 3 to 10 nights.
Please send us information of all packages(specially good deals)!
Thanks for your attention!
Best regards,
Karin
hi
I look for the same like Karin. But we are there on the 11th of december (evening) and it’s not be possible later. And one of us will make the open water on the liveaboards. I have the open water advanced.
Best ragars,
hi from spain
we are 3 friends from spain. with a cwe are going to visit lombok komodo and sulawesi and we wanna finish our trip with a diving cruise at raja ampat.
so i beg u to inform me about departures days in february and march to fit it with our trip, and also the routr , price and all the details, please
and also we are looking for a lve on board tour from lombok to labuan bajo . ( 2 or 3 Nights)
we would like to dive is f+posiible ( or snorkel) and also do some treekings in comodo and rinca island. we wolud like to vist moy if possible , but we are open to all opcions.
so i beg u to inform me about all option u think can fit us. and the departure dates. in order to organize our trip,
thanks a lot in advance
we are looking for budget options only
aimar sanchez
aimarsr@yahoo.es