If your Gili ferry is cancelled
First obtain the carrier’s cancellation notice and the options attached to your booking. Do not cancel the ticket yourself or buy another boat assuming the first operator will repay it. A weather cancellation, a voluntary cancellation and a missed check-in can have different outcomes.
Before each Eka Jaya departure, the harbour master must grant clearance based on weather and sea conditions. The operator says that clearance is normally issued 30 minutes to an hour before departure. A ticket confirmation or an early morning message cannot guarantee that the boat will sail.
Eka Jaya cancellation and clearance guidanceWhat BlueWater and Eka Jaya say they offer
BlueWater’s weather-cancellation FAQ lists moving to another day subject to availability, cancelling for a full ticket refund and making your own arrangements, or taking an organised slow-ferry alternative with a partial refund depending on costs. It says the alternative includes land transport in Lombok and staff assistance.
Eka Jaya’s FAQ describes similar cancellation options: rescheduling, a full refund, or alternative transport such as a slow ferry with a cost-dependent partial refund and Lombok land transport. These are operator policies, not a promise that a replacement vessel has clearance or seats. Get the actual itinerary and payment/refund breakdown in writing before accepting.
BlueWater weather-cancellation optionsA ticket refund does not cover the rest of the trip
Eka Jaya’s formal terms exclude liability for accommodation, connecting flights and alternative arrangements caused by delays or cancellations. BlueWater’s schedule terms likewise exclude additional accommodation or replacement-travel costs and describe it as a point-to-point carrier. Keep receipts for an insurance claim, but do not assume either the carrier or insurer will pay them.
Eka Jaya’s FAQ and formal terms publish different voluntary-cancellation bands. Its formal terms also distinguish add-on Flex Fare tickets from ordinary tickets. For a cancellation you initiate, request the applicable written conditions from the seller shown on your receipt instead of applying a universal refund percentage.
Eka Jaya formal cancellation and liability termsChoose a fallback that can actually operate
Swipe or scroll sideways to compare every column.
| Your decision | When it may help | What it does not solve |
|---|---|---|
| Wait for the next cleared Gili–Bali departure | You can move hotel nights and have no urgent onward connection. | A new departure remains subject to clearance and seats. |
| Operator-arranged slow-ferry reroute | The operator confirms an operating alternative, the land legs and final arrival port. | It is not a direct fast boat and does not preserve the original arrival time. |
| Local boat to Lombok, car and flight | The local crossing has clearance and a suitable flight has seats. | There is still a sea leg from the Gilis, plus airport transfer and flight check-in. |
Using Lombok airport instead of crossing to Bali
Lombok airport is on the mainland, so leaving a Gili still requires an operating local boat before the car journey. Do not treat a private speedboat as a way around a harbour closure. Compare the confirmed boat, driver, airport reporting time and flight inventory as one journey before paying for any part.
Our Lombok-airport guide explains the transfer sequence. It is an alternative to investigate when services permit, not a same-day rescue guarantee. If the local sea leg is also suspended, stay put until an authorised service resumes.
Gili Islands to Lombok airportLeave a buffer before a flight from Bali
Both BlueWater’s FAQ and Eka Jaya’s travel guidance recommend reaching Bali the day before a homebound flight. Eka Jaya’s formal terms advise at least 24 hours before onward travel. Build that time into the original plan rather than expecting an early fast boat to protect an evening flight.
One night is not insurance against a multi-day closure. If the flight is expensive or inflexible, keep additional flexibility in your island dates and read your insurance cover for missed departures and weather disruption. A short flight connection does not make the harbour master’s decision happen earlier.
Plan the Gili-to-Bali returnWeather warnings are not sailing clearance
BMKG’s maritime site provides forecasts and high-wave warnings. For Bali–Gili travel, use the forecast area covering your actual crossing and its stated validity period; an app forecast for sunshine at your hotel does not describe the open-water journey. The harbour master and operator still determine whether the sailing proceeds.
This guide is a disruption procedure, not a live notice that today’s boats are cancelled. Save the carrier’s contact details, ticket, seller receipt and any revised arrival port before setting out for the harbour.
BMKG maritime forecasts and high-wave warnings