Chartering a luxury yacht has become increasingly popular thanks to a renewed desire to seek out the ultimate private and luxurious vacation that allows you unfettered access to some of the world’s most beautiful beaches, ports, and unspoiled waters. If you’re curious how much it costs to charter your own private yacht, please read on.
Yacht Charter Price FAQ
How much is it to charter a yacht?
The yacht charter cost depends on a few things. We will explore these in more detail below:
- Length of charter – will you be going for a week, or just for the weekend? Or for three days mid-week? Most charters will run weekly on a seven-night rate, with their own preferred start and end dates. However, during low seasons or even those that specialize in shorter term charters, will have different rates if your dates fall over a weekend, or for three random days to fill a gap.
- Location – Will your yacht charter be in Greece? In the Caribbean? In some of the most popular spots like Florida or the South of France? These can affect your overall charter price.
- Size of yacht – The larger the yacht, the higher the weekly charter rates will be.
One thing to bear in mind is most yachts will only list the base charter rate for a week. Shorter term charters like those for a weekend will be prorated.
In addition to this base rate, we recommend budgeting an additional 50-55% of the base charter rate to get an idea of what your Advanced Provisioning Allowance (APA), fuel, taxes, and tip will cost and add this to the base price to get a more all-inclusive rate. For example, if your yacht is going to cost $50,000 a week for the base rate, you’ll need to add roughly $27,500 (55%) to that to get a grand total of $77,500 for a week stay onboard.
What is the yacht charter cost per day?
As mentioned above, most yachts will work on a weekly basis, however, some do offer day charters as well (or some may specialize in only offering day charters). Like the above, the location of your charter (will you be in the Mediterranean? Australia?), number of guests, and length of time (is it a half day charter, or full day charter?), will impact the price.
It also depends on where you are chartering as in some places, it may be much more common to offer day charters. Places in the Caribbean or even in the Adriatic may offer exploratory day charters to go out and do some diving, or light cruising around the islands.
What is the last-minute yacht charter cost?
Last-minute charter costs can be tricky to budget for. Some owners may reduce the price of their weekly rate if they want to “fill a gap” between two other charters. Sometimes, if you aren’t picky about when you go, or for how many days, you may be able to find some good deals for your last-minute yacht charter booking. Again, this can depend on a few factors:
- Location – In the busier ports like those found in Greece and the Greek isles and in Croatia, you may be able to find an abundance of charter yachts that may have gaps you can fill at a reduced rate.
- Type of charter – Sailing charters and boat charters vary in price due to what is possible onboard. Sailing charters usually cruise around islands in close proximity, and some even offer bare boat charters for those who want to captain their own yacht. If you also aren’t too choosy about what type of vessel you’d like to charter, you may be able to find some good deals on sailing charters and boat charters in the location you’d like.
- Time of year – The off season for yachts varies on the location (ex. The Northern Hemisphere’s winter will be low season, while it will be the reverse for those in the Southern Hemisphere). However, if a yacht isn’t in the yard for a refit, and it’s still the norm to cruise that time of year, you can likely find off-peak rates offering a good deal for those looking.
What is the yacht captain for hire rates?
Yacht captain hire rates (or alternatively called yacht skipper for hire rates), will depend on the location you are chartering, the size of the vessel, and the length of period you’ll be chartering. On average, these rates can be anywhere from $100 an hour, to over $1,000 for the day. Let’s explore what can affect this price:
- Location – Are you chartering in a busy hub like Miami, Florida? Or for a gentler cruise around one of the Great Lakes in a city like Chicago?
- Role of Captain – Is the captain’s only duty to navigate the vessel? Or will you be requiring them to tour you around, suggest an itinerary, plan stops, operate any water toys for guests, etc.? This will all be added to the yacht skipper for hire rates.
- Experience – In some of the hubs like Florida, there will be no shortage of experienced captains for hire. In the quieter superyacht grounds, you may have less choice, and therefore not as much competition in pricing.
It’s important to note here that most of the yacht charters we discuss will be for those already with a captain and crew onboard. Unless you are researching bare boat charters, a captain and full-time crew are always included in the base price we discussed above and not your responsibility to source.
What does a yacht honeymoon cost?
If you’re looking for the ultimate honeymoon, you can’t beat the private luxury yacht option. From the romantic settings of Italy and Greece to the sun-soaked islands of Southeast Asia, or the Caribbean – a honeymoon aboard your own luxury yacht is unlike any other vacation you’ll ever take. And isn’t your honeymoon meant to be the most private celebration of your love and journey into marriage?
Like the first question of what you can expect to pay for a yacht charter, a honeymoon will take all of these same questions into consideration. Whether you’re looking for the history and culture dotted around the many islands of Greece or want to explore some of the hottest Caribbean islands, you can usually find a yacht for every budget.
What is the cost to charter a yacht in Virgin Islands?
Chartering a yacht in the Virgin Islands is very popular and it’s no wonder why. With plenty of beautiful bays, stunning weather, and excellent diving and snorkeling, not to mention easy travel connections from the U.S., the Virgin Islands are an excellent place to book your superyacht charter.
On average, you’ll likely be looking at a base price to charter yachts of around $20,000 for a week long superyacht charter, however, shorter charters for three days, or those for a smaller amount of guests, will cost less than this.
As your group increases in size, (and so too does the yacht), or if you’re looking for something longer than for three days, say a week or even two weeks, the costs can increase quite quickly.
What are the yacht rentals in St. Thomas?
Many of the industry’s most respected and widely used brokerage houses will offer yacht charters in and around St. Thomas. Your best bet is to contact your trusted yacht broker who will help you find the perfect charter yacht for your time in St. Thomas.
What is the yacht charter Mediterranean cost?
Like the above scenarios, a yacht charter in the Mediterranean will come in a wide range of prices and packages.
If you’re looking for a fully crewed yacht with your own captain, you will be looking at yachts that charge a base rate (as explained above) and need to factor in the additional 50-55% for your expenses to get an all-inclusive cost.
Sailboat charters will likely cost less (and are more common to offer bareboat options) than motor yachts.
However, regardless of which country you choose to charter in the Mediterranean (or around the world), be advised that every country will charge its own VAT. This can be quite high in some places (for example, Greece’s is 24%) however, they do also offer tax breaks when cruising in international waters.
What is the yacht charter cost for Greece?
Like the other locations we have reviewed, prices for an all inclusive yacht charter in Greece will depend on the number of people in your group, what size of yacht you’ll require, how long you are going for, what time of year you’re going (high or low season) and any extras you may request for your trip.
On average, you’ll find yacht charters in Greece at a base price of around $20,000 for the week, and if we do our calculation of adding an additional 55% for the APA and all of your extras, you’ll be looking at around an all inclusive price of $31,000. Prices can be lower than this, of course, and up to the $1 million a week mark for truly luxurious superyachts.
What is the catamaran rentals price?
Catamarans are often cheaper than motor yachts to charter for a week. Sometimes they’ll come with fewer crew members (down to space available on board) and may even offer bareboat charters if you’d like to captain your own yacht.
Depending on where the yacht is located, the price of a catamaran rental for a week will vary. Say you want to charter a catamaran in Miami, you might be able to find small catamarans at a rate of $1,000 for the day, so around $7 – 10,000 for a week.
Wondering what it costs to rent a catamaran near me? Start your yacht charter search with YATCO here.
What does it cost to hire a sailboat?
Again, the price of hiring a sailboat will depend on the various factors we have discussed already. Where will you be chartering the sailboat? How long will you be gone for? What size sailboat will you require? How many guests will be onboard? What time of year are you going? Peak season will always cost the most, regardless of where you are chartering in the world.
Sailboats will usually cost less than motor yachts again, and it will be a different style of charter so be sure to discuss your needs with a broker to narrow your choices down.
There are a number of factors to consider when finding the right superyacht to charter for your budget. If you’re new to the world of yacht charter, check out this link to learn more about yacht charters and explore the destinations available.
Here are a number of excellent resources to help you start your search:
- A Charter Guide to the South Pacific
- A Guide to Yacht Charter Toys
- The Best Places to Stay on a Charter Yacht in the Winter
- Learn About the Different Charter Seasons
- Important Things to Consider When Choosing Your Yacht Charter
- Some of Our Favorite Off the Beaten Path Charter Destinations
- What to Do Before Your First Yacht Charter
- Should You Charter or Buy a Boat?
- The Top 10 Popular Yacht Charter Destinations in the Mediterranean
- The Best Restaurants to Visit When on a Yacht Charter in Capri
