Which Maheswari cabin for which family member, written before boarding

Written before boarding, not from a walk on the deck.

My name is Jewel, and for Komodo Explorer I guide guests and survey the vessels they sail on. My own inspection notes for Maheswari are not in the company file yet, so this page keeps to the stated classes, decks, beds and balconies. The feel of a cabin waits for my visit.

When my notes are added, this page will be rewritten from the deck and the label above will change.

Maheswari has 8 cabins in four pairs, and each cabin has air conditioning and its own bathroom. The pairs differ in deck, bed and the third place.

• Superior, 2 cabins, lower deck. A queen bed, 2 guests, no balcony.
• Signature Ocean, 2 cabins, main deck. A queen bed plus an extra bed, up to 3 guests, a private balcony.
• Deluxe Ocean, 2 cabins, upper deck. A queen bed, 2 guests, no balcony.
• Master Ocean, 2 cabins, upper deck. A queen bed plus an extra bed, up to 3 guests, a private balcony.

One caution: cabins are identified by class and deck, never by number. Ask for "Master Ocean, upper deck" in words in your confirmation, so the deck is settled before you sail.

The couple, or the parents of the party

A balcony cabin is the natural answer: Master Ocean on the upper deck or Signature Ocean on the main deck. Both have the queen bed and the private balcony, so the choice between them is the deck. The upper deck puts you beside the Deluxe Ocean pair; the main deck sits below it.

A child of three or over with two parents

Signature Ocean or Master Ocean, because they are the only classes with a third place. That place is an extra bed, so tell us who will sleep in it. A child of up to 2 years sails free; from age 3 the full fare is charged.

A grandparent

The cabins are on three decks, lower, main and upper. I would tell the team who is coming, so the cabin plan is drawn around them. If anyone in your party finds steps difficult, tell us before you book.

Teenagers or adult children

Superior or Deluxe Ocean, at 2 guests each. A family that wants them close should ask for cabins side by side by name. It is a request we pass to the boat, with no promise.

The arithmetic is short, and it matches the stated figure. Eight cabins with a queen bed each sleep 16. Each of the four balcony cabins takes one extra bed, which makes 20. The per-cabin maxima add up the same way: 2, 2, 2, 2, 3, 3, 3 and 3. The stated capacity is 16 to 20, so the sum and the boat agree.

For any trip I stop at 20, and so does this site.

For a private charter, the 3-day, 2-night charter prices the whole boat for up to 10 guests at IDR 58,000,000 (≈ USD 3,558), then IDR 2,500,000 (≈ USD 153) for each further guest. A party of 16 pays IDR 73,000,000 (≈ USD 4,479) in all. Guide and photo documentation are not in that figure, and park tickets never are. Open-trip places are priced per person, and each cabin needs at least 2 paying guests. Superior is IDR 4,550,000 (≈ USD 279) a head, Deluxe Ocean IDR 5,250,000 (≈ USD 322), Signature Ocean IDR 5,750,000 (≈ USD 353), and Master Ocean IDR 6,250,000 (≈ USD 383).

When I board Maheswari, I will walk the boat in the order a family lives it: the cabins first, then the dining room, the sun deck and the jacuzzi. I will note the shade at midday, and the life jackets in the smaller sizes.

Those notes will replace this paragraph, with photographs of each space.

Before any deposit, I would ask for these two things in your confirmation, in this order.

• The class name and the deck of every cabin you are given. Ask for "Master Ocean, upper deck" in words, so the deck is fixed in your confirmation.
• Who is not covered. A guide and photo or video coverage sit outside a private charter fare; we quote them on request, and park tickets are always paid apart from the price. Soft drinks and alcohol are brought by you. Send dietary needs when you book.

None of these is a reason to look elsewhere. They are the lines a family cannot check from a distance, and each one has a short answer from the people who run the boat.