How to read an island quotation line by line

Take a quotation one line at a time. Ask the same question of each line: what exactly is this, who provides it, and is it already in the total? Start at the top and finish at the validity date, because a quote that is complete but expired still cannot be relied on.

This guide follows the order most island quotes use. It sits inside our wider island booking checklist, and you can test any total against your own numbers with the island trip cost calculator.

What does each line of a quote tell you?

Read the quote in this order and tick each line as you go:

1. Dates: check-in, check-out and number of nights. Confirm the day of the week, not only the date.
2. People: how many adults and how many children, with ages if children are listed.
3. Room: the room type and how many people it sleeps.
4. Meals: which meals, on which days, and whether drinks are in or out.
5. Boat and transfers: which jetty, which direction, and whether both ways are included.
6. Fees: marine park fee, jetty fee, taxes and service charge.
7. Total and validity: the amount, the currency and the date the price stops holding.

Each of these has its own page if you want more depth. Our guide on spotting missing items in a package quote covers what tends to go absent, and quote validity dates and price holds covers the last line.

Is the quote complete?

A complete quote answers every line above without a gap. Count how many of the seven lines you can fill in from the document alone, without guessing.

If you can fill in fewer than seven, the quote is a starting point and not an offer. Send the missing lines back as questions and wait for a written reply. Saying “I will check” is not an answer you can hold anyone to.

How do you turn a total into a figure you can compare?

Divide before you compare. Take the total, divide it by the number of people, then by the number of nights.

Here is the maths with made-up round numbers, not a real price. A total of 2,400 for two adults over three nights is 1,200 each, and 400 per person per night.

Now suppose a second quote says 2,100 but leaves out the boat and the marine park fee. Add those two lines back from your own research and the second quote may no longer be the lower one.

This is why the same sum must be done on both quotes with the same lines included. Our per-person or per-room pricing guide shows how a “per person” figure can hide a room minimum.

Which lines are easy to miss?

These are small lines that change the total, so look for them on purpose:

• A single-occupancy or extra-bed charge.
• A peak-season or school-holiday surcharge.
• A boat transfer listed for one direction only.
• A marine park or jetty fee marked “payable on arrival”.
• A service charge or tax added after the subtotal.

Marine park fees in particular vary by island and by whether you hold a MyKad, so ask whether the fee is in the price or paid separately. Our guide to hidden costs on island holidays lists more.

Who is the quote from?

Check the name on the quote against the name that will receive your payment. A quote from a resort, a boat operator and a travel agent are three different promises, and you want to know which one you are holding.

If the seller says it is a licensed tour operator, you can look it up. Sabah Tourism and Bernama point travellers to the Ministry of Tourism, Arts and Culture (MOTAC) online check, which accepts a company name or licence number ^[1].

Confirm the current address on the MOTAC site before relying on it. Our guide on who is responsible explains why this matters.

A better fit if…

Reading line by line suits you if:

• you are comparing two or more quotes for the same dates.
• this is your first island booking and nothing feels familiar yet.
• you are paying for a group and need to explain the total to others.

If you only have a rough price from a friend, start with the resort inclusion comparator to see what usually needs asking.

What should you do next?

Mark each line as clear, unclear or missing. Send the unclear and missing ones back in one message, so the answer comes back in one piece. Keep the reply, the quote and your payment receipt together in a single folder on your phone.