Grandparents, parents and children, each with a door of their own

The main deck holds the Master cabin, with a king bed and a balcony of its own. Two Deluxe cabins are on the upper deck with queen beds. The lower deck holds two Superior cabins, each with a queen bed and a porthole. The Family cabin takes four, on a double bed and two singles, and its deck is shown on your written cabin plan.

A common plan for three generations puts the grandparents in the Master cabin, the parents in a Deluxe cabin and the children in the Family cabin or a second Deluxe. Another gives the grandparents a Deluxe cabin beside the sundeck. Which works depends on who manages stairs easily.

Advisor's note. Three decks mean stairs. Tell us who finds steps difficult, and we describe the stairs with the cabin plan. We put the answer in writing.

The 3D2N route holds three climbs and a dragon walk, and none of them is compulsory. Kelor on the first afternoon is short and steep. Padar on the second morning is the early start. Komodo Island is a walk with a ranger, on a trail the ranger chooses.

With grandparents aboard, here is the plan we suggest. Climb Kelor together, as it is short. Let those who prefer a late breakfast skip Padar and wait on board. Take the Komodo walk on its shorter trail. Spend the afternoon at Pink Beach, where the water is shallow near the shore, and let the reef stops at Taka Makassar and Manta Point depend on the current.

Manta Point runs with a current that suits confident swimmers; others stay aboard or keep a life vest on. The captain decides which stops go ahead on the day.

Children up to age 2 travel free in the company of a parent or guardian. From age 3, the full fare applies. For a baby or a toddler, tell us the ages when you write, so that the cabin plan fits.

Young children need shade, a hat and water on every walk, and a life vest at every swim. Teenagers need little beyond a reason to get up for Padar. If you want the youngest and the oldest close to the parents, ask and we plan the cabins that way.

Passport details for every child are collected 7 days before sailing.

Life jackets are on board, and the snorkelling gear includes life vests. Children and weaker swimmers wear a vest in the water whenever the crew asks. The boat carries radar, GPS, an echo sounder, AIS Class A, and VHF and SSB radio.

Ashore, the paths are the main risk. Kelor and Padar are steep with loose ground, so sturdy shoes matter more than anything else you pack. At Komodo Island a ranger leads every walk and sets the rules for the group.

Each day the captain chooses the stops with weather and sea in mind. When a stop is dropped, conditions are the reason, and no one in your family is asked to go against the captain's judgement.