How a Refit Took Aliikai Voyage Into Harper's Bazaar and the Financial Times

Admin|09/11/2026

Aliikai Voyage had her keel laid in 2005. A complete redesign and refit in 2019 and 2020 turned that traditional phinisi into a yacht that travel editors wanted to write about. The work kept her hand-built character and rebuilt what guests actually use: seven cabins for up to 15 guests, two master suites at the stern, and a dive centre with nitrox and a dedicated camera room. Harper's Bazaar featured her after the refit. The Financial Times named her in its "50 Holidays to Take in 2026" list.

The Yacht Club Indonesia books Aliikai Voyage across Raja Ampat, Komodo, Alor and the Banda Sea. Her story carries a lesson for anyone weighing a luxury yacht charter in Indonesia: the year a hull was built tells you far less than what has been rebuilt inside it.

What Did the Aliikai Voyage Refit Change?

Her press coverage starts with the scope of the work. The 2019 to 2020 project was a redesign, not a cosmetic refresh. Her keel was laid in Bulukumba, the South Sulawesi district where phinisi have been built by hand for generations.

The project blended modern yacht comfort with the original phinisi form. Today the yacht offers seven cabins for up to 15 guests, including two master suites at the stern. For diving there is a dive centre, nitrox for certified divers, and a dedicated camera room for underwater photographers. A crew of 14 looks after guests, close to one crew member per guest, as reported by The Yacht Club, and children can join a "Captain for a Day" programme.

How a refit works can be explained with a historic townhouse. Its stone walls and timber frame can stand for a century. The wiring, plumbing and room layout wear out or date within a generation. Restoring the building means keeping the long-lived shell and replacing the short-lived systems and spaces inside it.

A phinisi works the same way. A well-built hull and rig age slowly. Cabins, bathrooms, air conditioning and dive infrastructure age quickly. A thorough refit resets the part of the yacht guests touch every hour, so a 2005 keel and a contemporary guest experience can sit in the same vessel.

Why Did a Refit Earn Coverage in Harper's Bazaar and the Financial Times?

A refit gives a travel editor what a specification sheet cannot: a story and a reason to go. Lists such as the Financial Times' "50 Holidays to Take in 2026" recommend holidays, not boats. A yacht reaches them when it changes how a traveller would spend a week.

Aliikai Voyage offers both halves of that story:

The narrative: a traditional phinisi given the comfort of a modern yacht while keeping the soul of a traditional one.
The reason to travel: a working dive operation with a camera room, sailing some of the most biodiverse reefs on earth.

The wider yachting world treats refit as its own discipline.

The editorial view of The Yacht Club is that a new build is news once. A refit that changes how guests dive, dine and sleep keeps a yacht relevant for years. It is the stronger signal for a buyer to follow.

How Should You Judge a Refitted Phinisi Against a Newer Yacht?

Building on that argument, the useful comparison is not old against new. It is what each yacht offers today. Launch year is a weak proxy for that. Refit scope, layout, dive setup and crew ratio are strong ones.

The questions below are the ones The Yacht Club's consultants work through at the selection stage.

Question to ask	Why it matters	Aliikai Voyage
When was the last major refit, and what did it cover?	Hull age and guest experience can differ by decades	Complete redesign and refit, 2019 to 2020
How is the dive operation set up?	Shapes how smoothly kit, tenders and dive briefings run	Dive centre, nitrox, dedicated camera room
What is the crew-to-guest ratio?	Sets the pace of service at meals, tender runs and dives	Crew of 14 for up to 15 guests
How are the cabins arranged?	Decides privacy for couples and how families can split up	Seven cabins, two stern master suites
Can compliance documents be reviewed?	Gives assurance on the specific yacht you are booking	Can be requested at quotation stage

On that last row, compliance is a contractual requirement for every yacht in The Yacht Club's collection. Seaworthiness certificates, crew STCW qualifications and other documents for a specific yacht can be requested at the quotation stage. A refit is best judged with those papers alongside the brochure.

Where Does Aliikai Voyage Sail, and What Does a Charter Include?

With the vessel understood, the next decision is the cruising ground. Aliikai Voyage sails four regions. Each is its own voyage, reached by commercial flight.

Raja Ampat

- A Raja Ampat yacht charter runs best from November to April.

- Plan for seven nights at minimum; seven to 12 nights is typical.

- Guests fly into Sorong. Around 70 percent of charters run Sorong to Sorong, and one-way routes such as Sorong to Ambon are also offered.

- The camera room earns its place here.

Komodo

- Komodo sails in the opposite half of the year.

- Charters typically run three to six nights from Labuan Bajo, where most begin and end.

Alor

- Hammerhead sharks, Mola-Mola, traditional villages and weaving.

- Reachable one way from Labuan Bajo.

Banda Sea

- Opens the Spice Islands, a voyage in its own right.

Komodo and Raja Ampat are never combined in one trip. For time on the water beyond either, the answer is Alor or the Banda Sea.

What the rate covers. The rate is a single, all-inclusive price per night. There is no provisioning allowance and no end-of-charter reconciliation. It covers:

the yacht and full crew;
chef-prepared meals and snacks;
soft drinks, tea and coffee;
fuel for the agreed itinerary;
water toys and planned excursions;
dive equipment, divemasters, and nitrox for certified divers.

What it excludes:

alcohol (some yachts offer local beer and wine);
travel and dive insurance;
crew gratuities;
hotels before and after the cruise;
dive certifications and dive computers.

Confirmed per vessel at quotation:

National park fees, which are included on most yachts but not all.
Massage, which on Aliikai Voyage is listed for private charters when a guest cabin is available.
Whether the itinerary triggers a fuel surcharge or relocation fee.

The nightly rate does not fall for longer charters. A relocation fee applies only when guests ask to start or finish where the yacht is not positioned.

Frequently Asked Questions

When was Aliikai Voyage refitted?

She underwent a complete redesign and refit between 2019 and 2020. Her keel was laid in Bulukumba, South Sulawesi, in 2005.

Which publications have featured Aliikai Voyage?

She has been featured in the Financial Times, including its "50 Holidays to Take in 2026" list. She has also appeared in Harper's Bazaar and Travel + Leisure.

How many guests does Aliikai Voyage accommodate?

She has seven cabins for up to 15 guests, served by a crew of 14.

Can one charter cover both Raja Ampat and Komodo?

No. They are separate trips in opposite seasons, each with its own gateway airport. For more time at sea, Alor or the Banda Sea are voyages in their own right.

How long should a Raja Ampat charter be?

Seven nights at minimum. Seven to 12 nights is typical.

Is diving included on Aliikai Voyage?

Yes. Dive equipment, divemasters and nitrox for certified divers are included. Certifications and dive computers are not, and valid dive insurance is mandatory.

About The Yacht Club Indonesia

The Yacht Club Indonesia is a Bali-based charter platform and part of the YMA Yachting group. It curates luxury and ultra-luxury yachts and phinisi across Raja Ampat, Komodo, Alor, Sumbawa and the Spice Islands.

Its collection is organised into Explorer, Luxury and Ultimate tiers. The tier is set by cabin standard, tenders, dive setup, crew-to-guest ratio and dining style rather than by destination.

Each enquiry is handled by a named yacht charter expert through five steps: consultation, selection, quotation, booking and the experience itself. A Voyage Planner team arranges flights, transfers and hotels around the charter.

To check Aliikai Voyage's availability for the coming Raja Ampat season, or to set her alongside other phinisi in the collection, speak with a charter consultant at https://www.theyachtclub-indonesia.com/.

References

A new event is putting superyacht refit firmly in the spotlight... The Future of Refit, launched by Informa Prestige, will bring together the global refit and maintenance sector in Monaco from 31… | B (google.com)