KLM Moana

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Photos: Moana Cruising, selected from its current boat and trip gallery.

Cabins · Komodo route · Total cruise budget · Guest feedback · FAQ

Five cabins, and a genuinely small group

Moana is a 30 m by 6.5 m traditional wooden liveaboard, built in 2004, with space for ten guests in five cabins. The current operator listing records a 2026 refit, without describing its full scope. The boat has been under the same hands-on management since 2014.

Solo guests can request a same-sex twin share. Sole occupancy is a different proposition: the published supplement is €249 per night, or €1,245 for five nights. Cabin availability and the sharing arrangement need to be explicit in the quotation. This is an intimate wooden boat rather than a floating resort; the charm comes from its scale and setting.

Life between the reefs

The main deck has shaded seating, a bar area and room to stretch out on sun chairs. Inside, the air-conditioned lounge gives a welcome change of temperature. A charging and camera station keeps small equipment together, while the dedicated dive and snorkel deck and two tenders support the water activities.

The operator currently describes eight full-time crew plus three dive and snorkel guides. With only ten guests, that makes a personal approach plausible, though a small group is never a guarantee that everyone will want exactly the same pace. The route balances underwater time with island scenery, beach stops and walking opportunities when conditions allow.

Meals bring local and Western cooking to the shaded deck, with family-style service described by the operator. Drinking water, soft drinks, coffee and tea are included; alcohol costs extra. Vegetarian and gluten-free requests can be arranged ahead of the trip, and vegan meals are possible in the shared kitchen. Food repeatedly appears in guest feedback, which is reassuring on a boat where the next restaurant is a long way away.

A five-night Komodo cruise from Labuan Bajo

Moana’s advertised six-day programme starts and finishes in Labuan Bajo, Flores. A useful example is the 24–29 April 2027 departure. Its outline includes central and northern Komodo, Padar and Rinca, with approximately 14–16 dives across five diving days. The order and sites remain subject to tides, weather and the group.

The appeal is the variety: manta habitat, busy reefs, small creatures and dry-land views in one journey. None of the wildlife is guaranteed, and a named site is an option rather than a promise. Our Komodo diving guide gives the wider regional context.

Moana itinerary overview

Indicative regional connections, not navigation tracks or a guide for use underwater. Numbering shows the illustrated direction; the boat returns to Labuan Bajo. Markers represent regions, not precise dive entries.

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The cruise budget, including the park charge

The operator’s published six-day / five-night rates, checked in November 2026 and also shown for 24–29 April 2027, distinguish divers from cruising guests. These are per-person shared-cabin fares, not a guarantee of remaining spaces.

The operator describes the €150 contribution as including the local park taxes and fees. Accommodation, meals, soft drinks, guided activities and specified Labuan Bajo airport or town-hotel transfers are included. Flights, insurance, extra hotels, alcohol, equipment rental, tips and sole occupancy are outside the totals above. Rental BCD, regulator, wetsuit and computer are listed separately at €60 each per trip on the example booking.

A cruising guest who wants occasional dives can pay €40 per dive with their own equipment or €55 with rental gear. The operator’s Fair Play pricing caps the diving upgrade at the difference to the diver package, plus applicable equipment rental. Certification and suitability still apply.

Compare Moana dates and cabins

Affiliate link: Divezone may earn a commission if you book. The final departure quotation takes precedence over this dated example.

The diving fit—and one important equipment detail

Moana does not offer Nitrox. That is a meaningful difference for anyone choosing a liveaboard around enriched-air diving. Advanced Open Water certification is helpful but is not stated as compulsory by the operator; recent experience, comfort in currents and the actual sites matter too.

Komodo’s moving water can be part of the magic and part of the challenge. The guides adapt the programme to conditions and ability, so a sheltered check dive does not mean every later site is equally gentle. Any experience or equipment concerns are best settled with the operator before the cabin is booked.

For the sample programme, the operator asks guests flying in on embarkation day to reach Labuan Bajo by 10:00, and recommends return flights from 13:00 on the final day. Those are transfer timings, not a medical recommendation about flying after diving. The final dive schedule and appropriate no-fly interval need separate consideration.

A real option for non-diving companions

Non-divers are explicitly welcomed. The dated five-night example above gives them a €300 lower fare; a different amount appears on the operator’s general snorkelling page, so the departure quotation is the relevant basis for booking. They share the same cabin accommodation, meals and island programme, and can join guided snorkelling with included equipment. Stand-up paddleboards, suitable beach stops, scenic walks and ranger-led dragon excursions add variety when the route and conditions permit.

This makes Moana particularly interesting for a diver travelling with a keen snorkeller. Someone expecting unlimited independent shore time may find a land-based stay more flexible: the boat’s movements still follow a shared itinerary, and not every dive site is suitable for snorkelling.

What the guest reviews actually suggest

LiveAboard.com displayed 9.5/10 from 87 verified reviews when checked in November 2026. That is separate from Divezone’s visitor votes.

When another boat might suit you better

Nitrox availability, a longer Indonesian crossing or a larger choice of cabin categories may point elsewhere. Moana’s strongest case is a small, sociable Komodo trip with a credible place for non-divers. The Indonesia liveaboard guide helps compare that style with other regional options.

A glimpse of the Komodo journey

Play Komodo video

Film selected on Moana’s current trip page; filming date not specified. Watch on YouTube

Editorial checks: November 2026. Technical booking specifications and dated guest feedback: LiveAboard.com. Current operations, photos and policies: Moana Cruising, its price page and dated trip listing. Your cabin, month and experience aboard Moana would be useful additions to the comments below.