What an island full-board package includes and excludes

A full-board package normally covers the meals the resort provides, and the room and boat transfers depend on the wording of your quotation. Everything else, such as fees, drinks, activities and insurance, needs its own yes or no. The surest way to read a package is line by line, with a written answer for each line.

Use this guide with our guide to choosing an island package, and the resort inclusion comparator when you have two quotations to line up.

What can a full-board package cover?

The table below gives each line, what to expect, and the question that settles it. “Often inside” and “often outside” describe how packages are commonly worded, not a promise about yours.

Line	Where it usually sits	Question to ask
Room	Inside	Which room type, and how many people may sleep in it?
Meals	Inside, in the meal plan	Which meals on arrival and departure day?
Drinks	Varies	Which drinks are included, and which are charged?
Boat transfer	Often inside	Both directions, and from which jetty?
Marine park fee	Varies	In the price, or paid on arrival?
Jetty and parking	Often outside	Who pays, and how much?
Activities	Varies	Which are included, and for how long?
Taxes and service charge	Check	Is the price final, with all taxes?
Insurance	Often outside	Is any cover included?
Travel to the jetty	Often outside	Is land transport included?

Which lines trip people up most?

Four lines cause most surprises: the boat, the marine park fee, drinks and taxes. They are small on their own and large together.

The marine park fee is a good example. A reported rate is RM5 for a Malaysian adult and RM2 for a child, with RM30 and RM15 for non-Malaysians ^[1]. The jetty can add a fee as well, and one operator reported RM2 for Malaysians and RM10 for non-Malaysians at the Semporna jetty, not included in some packages ^[2]. Confirm both with the agency.

Read more in marine park fee: included or paid on arrival, does full board include drinks and which boat legs count.

What does an outside line do to the price?

Take a quotation that says RM X per person for a family of four. Add the lines that might sit outside, using figures from your own agency: marine park fees for each person, jetty parking for the car, drinks over three days and any service charge. The total you will pay is the package price plus those lines.

The calculator on this site does that sum with your numbers. Never compare two packages until both include the same lines. Our guide on taxes and service charge shows where the last line often hides.

How do you ask without feeling awkward?

You can use one short message. Send the list below and ask the agency to reply line by line.

1. Please confirm the meals included for each day.
2. Please confirm whether boat transfers cover both directions.
3. Please confirm whether the marine park fee is included.
4. Please confirm any jetty, parking or service charges.
5. Please confirm what activities are included.

A clear reply is a good sign. A vague one is a reason to ask again before you pay.

A better fit if…

A full-board package may suit you if you prefer one price, one plan and few decisions on the island. Booking the room and boat separately may suit you better if you want to eat outside the resort or change plans on the day. Either way, the line-by-line check protects the budget you set.