Six facts to check before you trust any boat's label

A label is a claim; a crew is a number. Start with the number. Navila has a crew of six, led by a cruise director, for 12 guests on standard beds, or 14 with the extra-guest fee. With the boat full, that is about one crew member for every two guests.

Put the same question to any phinisi you are comparing: how many crew, for how many guests? The ratio tells you more about the attention you will receive than any adjective.

The crew belongs to the boat. We do not print names or a list of roles, and we do not promise any particular person. We print the number, because the number is what the boat can show you.

Size matters as well. At 28 m, Navila is small on purpose. Fewer guests means fewer people at the table, less waiting for the tender and a quieter deck.

Three plain questions tell you most of what you need about a room. Does it have its own bathroom? Does it have a window? Is there somewhere safe for your papers?

On Navila the answer is yes to all three, in every one of the six cabins. Each comes with a bathroom of its own and a hot shower, plus air conditioning and a safety box. The two Master cabins have an ocean view and a wide window; the four Private cabins have an ocean view. Every cabin has one double bed.

There is also a public bathroom by the dining area, for when you are away from your cabin.

Navila serves three meals a day, with snacks and fruit in between and coffee, tea and water whenever you want them. Tell us about any dietary need before sailing; our written answer says what the kitchen can manage. No dish is promised before we have confirmed it in writing.

Three requests come up most. If you eat vegetarian, ask us at booking, and we pass the request to the kitchen in writing. For halal meals, do the same; we ask the kitchen and confirm in writing what it can do, as an arrangement for your trip rather than a certified kitchen. For an allergy, tell us in writing before departure, and ask us to confirm with the boat before you pay.

A boat's kitchen is shared, so we never promise that no trace of an allergen passes from one dish to another. If your allergy is severe, do not rely on us alone, and bring your own medication.

Alcohol is excluded from the fare; the FAQ below sets out what we know.

On deck Navila has a jacuzzi, relax areas at the bow, middle and stern, and an indoor dining room. There is karaoke, a home theatre with a smart TV, a paddleboard and snorkelling sets.

If you have your heart set on it at a certain hour, ask the cruise director on the day.

Shade depends on where you sit, and between the relax areas and the dining room there is a choice of seats.

Starlink internet is on board. Reception rises and falls with the boat's position, and we promise no speed.

No label can guarantee the sea. The captain and the harbour set the route by the weather, and a boat's class tells you nothing about the swell on a given afternoon. Nor can it guarantee wildlife: Komodo dragons are wild, rangers lead the walks, and a sighting is never promised. Mantas are no different.

The signal is the third thing. Starlink is on board, but reception follows the boat's position, and nobody can promise you a call from a quiet anchorage.

VVIP is our class label for Navila, and it rests on the facts above: six crew, six bathrooms, a jacuzzi, an indoor dining room, karaoke, a home theatre and a paddleboard. It is not a star rating, and nobody audits it.

What we can offer is the list itself. Set it beside any other boat's and read them line by line.