Lady Luna 3 review: the new Palau motor ship, prices, stops and the Lady Luna 2 question

Lady Luna 3 is the ship you will see boarding at Piazza del Molo in Palau at 10:30 every morning of the season, and most Lady Luna reviews from 2025 onward are about this hull rather than the one that carried the name before. The company behind it says it has run escursioni to the archipelago from Palau for more than 30 years; the vessel itself was built in 2024 and finished in 2025.

That gap between an old brand and a new boat is why search results are confusing: directories, ticket resellers and even a “private boat rental” phrase still carry the Lady Luna 2 name. We sort that out below, then cover the day itself. For the wider picture of who sails from this port, see our Palau departures guide and the operators hub.

What they offer

A single full-day tour with four stops, sold daily. The operator’s site and its Tripadvisor description list them as: Santa Maria island (about one hour, swim in the bay), Budelli (about half an hour, swim at the natural pools of Porto della Madonna and a photo pass along Spiaggia Rosa, which nobody may land on under park rules), Spargi at Cala Corsara (about one hour) and La Maddalena town (about one hour of free time). Order depends on wind.

Timetable, from the operator’s departure-times page: from Palau, meeting 09:45 to 10:00, departure 10:30, return around 17:30 to 17:45; from La Maddalena, meeting 08:30 to 08:40, departure 08:45, return around 16:00, with a technical stop in Palau between 09:10 and 10:30 to board the main group. The same page says the ship cannot wait for latecomers, and reviewers confirm it leaves on the dot.

Boats and comfort

Lady Luna 3 carries up to 150 passengers on two decks according to the company. The site lists a bar and restaurant on board and a “comfortable ladder” for climbing back aboard after swimming; a Tripadvisor reviewer describes a crew dinghy watching swimmers at the stops. We could not verify toilet numbers or snorkel gear; assume toilets exist on a ship this size and bring your own mask.

Shade is the practical issue. Reviewers say the open upper deck fills first and latecomers spend the day below; sun protection and an early check-in solve both.

Lady Luna 2 vs Lady Luna 3. A third-party listing describes Lady Luna 2 as a 24 m motor ship built in 2015; the operator’s site now mentions it only as the older vessel and directs private-charter enquiries to a separate rental page. That page lists two other boats (a 1950s sailing ship and an open speedboat) and states that rentals are temporarily suspended. So the phrase “Lady Luna 2 private boat rental” does not describe a product you can buy today; treat any page selling it as out of date until the operator says otherwise.

Prices and what’s included

Lady Luna 3 prices for 2026, as published on the operator’s site in September 2026: adults €55 in low season (6 May to 21 June and 17 September to 25 October), €60 in mid season (22 June to 5 July), €65 in high season (6 July to 3 August) and €70 in peak season (4 August to 16 September). Children aged 4 to 10 pay €35, €40, €50 and €60 in the same bands; infants 0 to 3 pay €10, €20, €25 and €40.

Included: the municipal landing tax (€2.50 per person in May and September, €5 in June, July and August, for passengers aged 7 and over; children up to 6 are exempt). Not included: food. The price page states that a first course of pasta with ragù or tomato sauce costs €13 and that you may bring your own food and drink on board. That is the honest way to read the fare: add €13 plus drinks if you eat on the boat, or pack a lunch and pay nothing more.

Insider tip: Bring more cash than you think. Several 2025 and 2026 reviews describe the on-board bar as cash-only and one describes staff walking a passenger to an ATM. A bottle of water per person from a Palau supermarket also beats bar prices.

What customers say

The Tripadvisor listing “Motonave Lady Luna 3” showed 4.5 out of 5 from 852 reviews at the time of writing, ranked 19th of 99 outdoor activities in Palau, with reviews running to July 2026. Recurring praise: a professional, multilingual crew; timing described as impeccable; fresh food from the galley; the safety dinghy at swim stops; and the newness of the ship.

Recurring complaints: crowding at the beaches (“hundreds of visitors” is a phrase that appears more than once), an itinerary that feels rushed on some days, the raised gangway that keeps you ashore until departure, cash-only purchases, expensive drinks, parking in Palau, and the Pink Beach looking underwhelming from the required distance. One reviewer called the fare a bit expensive. None of this is unique to Lady Luna; it is the big-ship day from Palau in August.

Departure logistics

Piazza del Molo is the square at the Palau waterfront next to the ferry landing; the tourist port piers are numbered and the company’s kiosk is on the square. Paid parking sits by the port and in the multi-storey car park; free spaces are gone by 09:30 in August, so arrive with time to spare because the boat does not wait.

From La Maddalena the ship boards at the port at 08:45. If you are staying in town this is the calmer option, and you are back by 16:00 with the afternoon free for Caprera by car or bus across the Passo della Moneta.

Who should book it, and who should not

Book Lady Luna 3 if you want the standard four-stop day from Palau with the landing tax included, a crew that keeps time and a ship that is younger than most. It is a fair choice for families with children over four who like structure.

Skip it if you want quiet anchorages, if you cannot manage without card payment, or if you need to get back on the boat mid-stop (pushchairs and toddlers can make the raised gangway a problem). Small boats and catamarans on our half-day guide and catamaran page solve the crowd problem at a higher price.

How to book

On giteinbarca.it (reservation without online payment, pay on board), by phone on +39 328 658 2193 or +39 339 387 7196, or at the Piazza del Molo kiosk. The site runs in Italian, English, Spanish, German and French. Third-party ticket sites also resell it. We did not find Lady Luna 3 on GetYourGuide.

Alternatives you can book online

For a Palau departure with free cancellation and a price shown up front, browse all La Maddalena boat tours on GetYourGuide. The Palau boat tour with four stops on a modern large boat is the direct equivalent; the full-day archipelago trip is the other classic motor ship; and the archipelago boat tour from La Maddalena or Palau on a vintage motorboat (€76 on GetYourGuide at the time of writing) adds a fortress walk. Prices are shown on each listing.