Fuel surcharges on Sulawesi liveaboards: how three operators handle them

By Sulawesi Liveaboard Editorial Desk

Sourced figures: prices in the table carry their source and check month. Published fares are not our offers, and fees change.

Yes, all three Sulawesi operators we compared publish a fuel charge, each in a different way. Mermaid fixes it by trip length for 2026 and warns of changes from 2027. La Galigo may ask for a capped daily amount as late as 30 days out. White Manta raised its charge in March 2026, including on existing bookings. For a 2027 trip, get the figure in writing.

Do Sulawesi boats charge a fuel surcharge?

Mermaid, La Galigo and White Manta do, or reserve the right to, each with a published fuel term, and Neptune Liveaboards' guide counts some fuel surcharges among the things its Wakatobi fares leave out. Mermaid's published 2027 fare for its Togian trip is also labelled as excluding the charge, so it sits on top of the headline number.

That does not settle every boat. Other boats' fuel terms are not covered here, and a silent page is not proof that no charge applies. Ask, and ask early.

This page's price table holds the figures, each with its source and checked month. The sections below deal with something the numbers alone do not show: how each operator's method exposes you to change.

How do the three approaches differ?

Three methods, three different kinds of risk:

Mermaid's method is the easiest to plan around within its stated period. You look up the trip length and read off the figure. The catch is the period itself. Mermaid publishes Togian departures in February 2027, February 2028 and February 2029, and all of those fall after the 2026 fix runs out. Mermaid's term does not say whether the applicable figure follows the date you book or the date you sail. That is the first thing to ask.

La Galigo's method gives you a ceiling instead of a figure. It says a fuel allowance may be requested, so on a given trip it might not be charged, and it gives the most it can be. Your planning number is therefore the maximum, not the likely amount. The word "may" also means you could reach the final month before your trip without knowing the final cost.

White Manta's method looks the simplest, a single figure on the trip page, but it is the one with a recorded rise. Two of its pages need reading together. The trip page lists the amount for the Lembeh and North Manado trip. The booking page records the March 2026 increase. Ask White Manta whether the trip page figure already includes that rise. Its figure is also published for one trip, and you should not assume it carries over to White Manta's longer crossings.

Can it change after you book?

Yes. White Manta shows it has happened: on 20 March 2026 it says it raised the charge for new bookings and added an amount for existing ones too. A booking made before that date did not escape the change.

La Galigo's wording allows the same effect by design, since a request can arrive as late as 30 days before departure, after you may already have fixed flights and leave. Mermaid limits the risk for 2026 and openly leaves 2027 open.

Whether you can refuse a late charge, or cancel without penalty because of one, is not something these fuel terms answer. A cancellation made at that stage would normally fall under the operator's general booking terms, so read the fuel clause beside the cancellation clause. Our page on deposits and cancellation lays out what operators publish on that side.

How should you budget for it?

Keep fuel as its own line, separate from the fare and from park fees. Then handle it according to the method:

• Fixed by trip length. Use the row for your exact length. If you sail outside the fixed period, mark the number as provisional until the operator confirms it for your date.
• Capped per day. Multiply the daily ceiling by the number of days on your trip and hold that total in reserve. Ask whether the operator counts all calendar days or only diving days.
• Flat per trip, with a history of rises. Use the trip page figure, ask whether the last rise is already included, and keep a margin about the size of that last rise. This is a stress test, not a forecast.

Three more habits help:

• Watch the currency. Mermaid's figures are in euros, while La Galigo and White Manta publish in US dollars. Convert before comparing, and use one rate for the whole budget.
• Do not compare fuel charges alone. A boat with a higher surcharge and a lower fare can cost more or less overall than a rival, depending on the rest. Our cost guide shows how to build the full figure.
• Do not stop at fuel. It is one of several lines that sit outside a headline fare, and our page on charges that sit outside the fare covers the others.

None of the three publishes a figure labelled for 2027, so a 2027 budget is a dated estimate plus a margin, updated when the operator publishes.

What should a fuel line say in a written offer?

A good fuel line can be checked by someone who was not part of the conversation. Ask for these five points in the same document as the fare:

1. The amount, the currency, and whether it is per person, per trip or per day.
2. Whether that amount is final, or the most it can become.
3. The last date on which it can change, and how you would be told.
4. Whether a later rise applies to you once you have paid a deposit.
5. What your choices are if it rises, including cancellation terms.

Apply the same five points to an offer from us. It may end in a contract with one of our own companies, so it has no claim to easier treatment. If any point is left blank, ask for it before paying.

What other questions come up about fuel surcharges?

Do all Sulawesi liveaboards add a fuel surcharge?

Not that any source shows. Mermaid, La Galigo and White Manta publish fuel terms, and Neptune says some apply on its Wakatobi trips. Ask any other operator directly.

Is the fuel surcharge included in the published fare?

Not on the published examples here. Mermaid labels its Togian fare as excluding it, and White Manta lists its charge as a separate amount settled before the trip. Check the wording on the fare you are quoting.

Can an operator raise the fuel charge after I have paid a deposit?

Yes, it can happen. White Manta says that its March 2026 rise included an added amount for existing bookings, and La Galigo may request an allowance up to 30 days before departure. Ask how your booking would be treated.

How much should I allow for fuel on a 2027 trip?

Use the operator's latest published figure as a starting point and add a margin. The price table on this page shows the latest published amounts with their sources, but none of them is labelled for 2027, so treat your number as provisional.

Does the White Manta figure apply to all its trips?

Not necessarily. The figure is published on its Lembeh and North Manado trip page, and no matching figure appears for its other routes. Ask White Manta for the charge on the exact trip you want.

Which sources support this page?

• Mermaid fuel surcharge
• Mermaid Liveaboards: Mermaid II schedule and rates
• Mermaid Liveaboards: Mermaid I schedule and rates
• La Galigo: Bangka, Lembeh and Sangihe trip
• White Manta: Lembeh and North Manado trip
• White Manta: booking information
• Neptune Liveaboards: Wakatobi liveaboard guide

How do I reach the desk?

Paste the fuel wording you were given into a message to the desk: WhatsApp +62 811-3941-4563 or bd@juaraholding.com. Include the boat, the trip date and the date you received it.