Jetty fees and boat tickets in a package

A package may include the boat, the jetty fee and the marine park fee, or only some of them. Ask for each line to be marked “included” or “extra” in writing. The charges that most commonly sit outside a quote are the marine park fee, a local council or jetty charge and the return boat.

Our island trip cost calculator adds them up with your own numbers. If you are still choosing, our guide on how to choose an island package puts the whole quote in context.

Which charges can sit outside a package?

Think of the journey in order and ask about each charge. The rates below come from the sources we checked, and some are second-hand.

Charge	What it is	What we found
Boat ticket	Your seat across	One blogger reported RM35 one way and RM70 return, date unknown [3]
Marine park fee	Conservation charge on marine park islands	Reported RM5 adult and RM2 child with MyKad, RM30 and RM15 without [1]
Local council charge	Extra charge at some jetties	Besut council reported an extra RM5 in 2022, current status unknown [2]
Jetty or terminal fee	Charge at the departure jetty	Semporna: RM2 Malaysian, RM10 non-Malaysian, not in some packages [4]
Park entrance (Sabah)	Daily entrance at Sabah Parks islands	Malaysian adult RM8 a day; children 12 and under free [5]

Treat every figure as a starting point. Rates change, and some of our sources are older or from third parties. Confirm each one with the operator before you budget.

How do you add up your own group?

Do the sum line by line. Here is one example using the reported MyKad marine park rates. Two adults and a child aged 8 would pay 2 x RM5 plus RM2, which is RM12, if those rates apply ^[1].

Now repeat it with your group. A family with a grandparent or a visitor without MyKad will see a different total. Add the boat for each person, in each direction, then the jetty fees.

Our guide on keeping receipts and screenshots for a transfer dispute shows what to save.

What should you ask the agent?

Send these questions, and keep the reply:

• Is the boat included both ways, and from which jetty?
• Is the marine park fee in the price, and for which nationalities and ages?
• Is there a jetty, terminal or council charge on the day?
• What happens to these charges if the boat cannot sail?
• Can you list every extra I may need to pay in cash?

If you are weighing two quotes, our resort inclusion comparator lines them up side by side. The guide on which jetty your booking uses helps you confirm the departure point.

A better fit if…

A fully included package is a better fit if you want a single payment and fewer surprises at the jetty. A package with the boat as an extra can be a better fit if you already have your own way to the jetty and want to compare boat prices. Either way, ask for the fees by name, so nothing appears for the first time on the day.