how much to charter a yacht with crew

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How much does it cost to charter a yacht? review

Yacht Charter Fleet
Luxury Yacht Charter Advice

How much does it cost to charter a yacht?

A comprehensive breakdown of yacht charter costs and fees

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By Editorial Team 15 January 2024

Navigating the world of crewed yacht charters for the first time can be daunting, with numerous factors to consider. To clarify and assist, we have compiled a thorough guide on yacht charter costs, complete with a handy checklist so you can estimate the total cost for your vacation before you start searching for your ideal yacht.

Cost breakdown.

Charter fee of xxx

+ xxx % APA ( xxx )

+ xxx % Tax/VAT ( xxx )

Total = $ xxx

In this article:

Base charter fee

Why do charter fees differ between yachts?

Charter contracts

Advanced Provisioning Allowance (APA)

Crew gratuities

Fuel and dockage fees

Insurance: what does it cover, payment structure.

Planning a yacht charter is thrilling yet challenging, particularly when it comes to budgeting. The starting point is the yacht's base price, the weekly rental fee. But what about additional costs such as meals, beverages, local taxes, or fuel? How do these affect the overall cost? The encouraging part is that understanding yacht charter fees is straightforward. With guidance from our seasoned professionals, you can gain a clearer idea of the expenditure for your dream vacation. Yacht charter costs vary based on several elements: the yacht type, destination, local taxes, dates and the age of the yacht. Yacht charter prices span a broad spectrum. For instance, smaller sailing yachts and catamarans may start at around $10,000 per week, whereas more luxurious motor superyachts can exceed $100,000 per week. Wondering about other expenses? Our Charter Advice Guide, a key part of our planning resources, delves deep into the specifics of yacht charter costs.

After you have chosen your desired yacht, your yacht broker will prepare a legally binding contract; usually a standard agreement with conditions set by the terms applicable to the destination. Before you sign on the dotted line, it is important that you understand what it is that you are paying for and when it is due.

Base charter fee: All-Inclusive vs Plus Expenses

When it comes to crewed luxury yacht charters, you can choose from two types of vacations- "All-Inclusive" or "Plus Expenses" charter experiences. But what do these classifications entail? Let's briefly compare:

All-Inclusive Yacht Charters Certain charters, particularly small catamaran and monohull sailboat charters in the Virgin Islands, wooden Gulets in Turkey or Phinisis in Indonesia, offer different all-inclusive pricing packages. This means that the rates depend on the number of guests and cover some or all meals and beverages, water sports, and fuel expenses. However, dockage fees and taxes are typically billed as additional costs.
Plus Expenses Charters The rates for larger sailing or motor yachts are exclusive of operational costs, which are to be paid additionally. With these high-end charters, the base rate covers only the yacht rental. Extra charges, such as for food, beverages, fuel, dockage, port taxes, and other expenses, are billed separately. These running costs are usually covered by an Advance Provisioning Allowance (APA) payment, generally set at 20-35% of the base charter rate depending on the size and location of the yacht. This amount is paid before the start of the charter.

The table below gives a quick comparision of what is generally included in the price for both charter types.

	All Inclusive	Plus Expenses









	Check Package

Plus Expenses Charter Costs

In essence the base charter fee refers to the hire cost of the yacht itself, and implies that the yacht will be provided to you in full commission, with all equipment in working order and the yacht properly insured for marine risks.

In addition, the cost of the crew’s food, wages and clothing will be met by the owner for the entirety of the charter.

Charter rates are typically quoted per week (7 days), which in superyacht terms is generally accepted as the minimum period for yacht charters – although this is by no means set in stone.

The APA in Plus Expenses charters is typically about 25-40% of the yacht's base weekly charter rate (based on the size of yacht, location and yacht's fuel efficiency). This fee is collected before the start of the charter and acts like an expense fund that the captain can utilize during the trip to cover costs such as fuel, food and beverages, dockage fees and ad hoc incidental expenses. At the end of the charter the captain will prepare a detailed statement of the APA expenditures, along with any unspent APA funds returned in cash.

Should expenses exceed the initial APA, you might need to top up the fund during the charter. This replenishment can be done in cash, but many opt to establish accounts with their charter brokers. These accounts can then be accessed upon the captain's request for additional funds.

Taxes & Value Added Tax (VAT)

For most yachts, regardless of being All-Inclusive or Plus Expenses , local taxes or Value Added Tax are NOT incorporated into their charter rate. It falls upon the charterer to pay these tax expenses before the charter commences. Tax rates can vary greatly depending on the destination; here's an brief overview of tax rates in some of the most sought-after yachting locations:

In the European Union (EU) recent harmonising changes to tax laws have affected VAT rates across most of the Mediterranean region. EU tax laws state that VAT will apply to vessels embarking or disembarking within their waters, although rates for VAT vary depending on the European destination. In France the current rate is 20% and in Italy it is 22%, whilst Turkey and Montenegro both charge 0% for EU-flagged yachts cruising their waters.

VAT also applies to yacht charters cruising The Bahamas , plus may also apply in some Caribbean islands.

Please consult your yacht charter broker for further personalized advice if considering chartering in any of these areas.

Charter Free: £100,000 p/w +30% APA + 14% TAX/VAT

Crew Gratuities

Although tipping is optional, it's customary to leave a gratuity for the crew. The typical range for tips is between 10-20%, and it should reflect the quality of service you and your guests experienced during your yacht charter.

It's best practice to hand over crew gratuities to the captain for distribution, ensuring that every crew member is fairly recognized. This approach is important because there are often less visible crew members, like the engineer and sous chef, working diligently behind the scenes to guarantee the success of your charter. It would be unfair for their contributions to go unrecognized.

Captain & Crew Gratuities (Tips): How much?

Cancellation Insurance

Charterers have the option to buy cancellation and curtailment insurance, akin to travel insurance. This insurance can provide coverage for costs in case the charter needs to be canceled or shortened. Charter brokers are equipped to assist in evaluating different insurance choices and typically offer a variety of options.

Delivery Fees

These fees are not typical for most charters, but if your charter takes place outside the yacht's regular cruising territory or a significant distance from its homeport, you might need to pay delivery fees. Usually, this will just involve covering the fuel costs for the journey.

The charter fee varies from one yacht to another for a number of reasons, such as its size, age, onboard amenities and time of year the yacht is chartered. We've listed below some of the most common factors that affect the base rate of a rental yacht.

Charter seasons

A yacht charter season can refer to the weather patterns of a particular destination or the peak times when demand for charter yachts is at its highest. Yacht charter seasons, therefore, are broken down into two distinct categories: Summer/Winter, and High/Low season.

In terms of the yacht's base charter fee, high season rates will apply to the most popular periods for yacht charters – such as July and August in the Mediterranean or Christmas and New Year in the Caribbean . Low season rates will generally apply to all other periods.

Event pricing

A car races by yachts at the Monaco Grand Prix

Major events such as the Monaco Grand Prix and Cannes Film Festival are generally categorised as high season events , regardless of where they fall in the season, with yacht prices generally higher around these dates due to popular demand.

Unless you are keen to charter a yacht for a particular high season event, it is worth considering your dates carefully.

Shoulder seasons

The months straddling the high and low seasons are known as shoulder months, for example April and September for yacht charters around the Mediterranean, and can share much of the same weather and beautiful cruising conditions as the peak season whilst charter rates tend to be lower, making these months a great time for chartering a yacht.

Onboard amenities

Aside from seasons and events, yachts of the same size can often differ in price based on their onboard amenities. A yacht which boasts a cinema or lavish water toys may have a higher base rate compared with a yacht with minimal amenities of the same size.

If the pricing is unclear, be sure to ask your yacht broker to explain any disparities.

Once you are clear on the base charter fee of your chosen yacht, it is important to learn about the additional costs that will be applied on top, depending on the type of charter contract used.

MYBA Charter Agreement

The most widely used contract for yacht charters is a MYBA agreement (Worldwide Yachting Association, formerly known as Mediterranean Yacht Brokers Association), which operates under Western Mediterranean Terms (WMT) .

This contract, often referred to as a "plus all expenses" contract, requires that you pay for items, such as fuel, delivery fees, food and drink, local taxes and dockage fees, as an additional expense applied over the base charter fee.

Typically, a charter party (this is the collective term for the total number of guests on a charter) will accumulate additional costs of between 25% to 30% of the base charter fee, depending on what is consumed. These expenses can be tracked through the use of an Advance Provisioning Allowance (APA) which we will cover in the next section.

Other charter contracts

Caribbean Terms Inclusive (CTI) – sometimes referred to as Standard Caribbean Terms (SCT) – is another contract regularly used by the yachting industry, the terms of which are generally employed by smaller yacht charters in the Caribbean.

Otherwise known as a "mostly all-inclusive" agreement, CTI differs from Western Mediterranean Terms as it includes three meals, plus up to four hours cruising, per day.

In addition to the commonly used MYBA terms and Caribbean Terms Inclusive, there are also less frequently used terms such as Standard Eastern Mediterranean Terms (SEMT) and Greek Terms (GT).

SEMT operates much in the same way as CTI, except it includes only two meals per day for guests instead of three, as it is assumed guests will dine ashore in the evenings. Greek Terms are similar to the MYBA terms apart from harbour and berthing fees, which are included under GT terms so long as they are within Greek waters.

If you are unsure what is included under the terms of your contract, be sure to ask your yacht charter broker .

For more in-depth information, please see our guide on yacht charter contracts below.

Typically, the APA accrues to approximately 25% to 30% of the base charter fee, though this does of course depend on your charter party’s tastes and requirements and could be far less or far greater than this estimation. For instance, charter guests who intend to regularly dine on caviar and vintage wine can expect to pay more, whereas guests on a sailing yacht charter that is anchored at sea for most nights can expect to save on fuel costs and hefty marina fees.

You can request an APA estimate from your yacht broker based on your charter party's onboard expectations.

What happens next?

The APA is payable one month prior to boarding the charter yacht (see 'Payment Structure' below), and is generally paid direct to the Captain.

Once the APA has been paid it will then be retained as a bank account of sorts, from which the Chef can provision the yacht ready for your charter and the Captain can make expenditures while keeping a strict record of what has been spent. It is important to note that all additional costs incurred throughout the charter are charged at cost with no mark-up.

At any point during the vacation you can request an up-to-date summary of the accounts as a way of keeping track of expenditures.

When you think of fuel costs, you may think of what is consumed by the yacht over the course of your charter.

However, there are further fuel costs to take into account that you may not have considered. These include;

Personal watercraft toys, such as jet skis
Tender boats used for transporting guests to and from the yacht, or for water sports activities
A yacht's generators whilst at anchor (shore-side electricty is used when docked at a marina)

Furthermore, the distance travelled and the speed at which the yacht cruises also affects the overall fuel costs, so it is important to bear these factors in mind when settling on your itinerary.

Dockage fees

These may vary widely depending on the destination and time of year from minimal to extravagant (think Port Hercule in Monaco during the Grand Prix).

If you are interested in booking any nights in marinas during your yacht charter, you should liaise with your broker who can advise on the various options available, including prices, around your chosen location and dates.

In general, the base charter fee of a yacht will include insurance for marine risk and third party liability insurance, which covers accidental damage and personal injury. It will also cover use of the yacht's watertoys and equipment.

Additional insurance

Although insurance is not generally connected to charter costs, it is useful to consider should you wish to take out additional insurance such as Cancellation and Curtailment cover which is calculated at 2.5% of the charter fee for the unforeseen cancellation of a charter, and can prove a worthwhile investment as well as providing peace of mind.

You should check with your broker about the level of insurance built into your charter contract before signing.

Other taxes

Local taxes may also apply in certain countries, therefore it is important to speak with your yacht charter broker to clarify what additional taxes are applicable to your chosen destination and itinerary.

Whilst the payment structure can vary depending on the contract, in general charter payments are made as follows;

50% of the charter fee is payable upon signing the charter agreement, which confirms the booking.
The remaining 50% of the charter fee, APA (usually between 25-30% of the base charter fee), delivery and/or re-delivery fees, applicable taxes, plus any additional agreed amounts are payable one month prior to commencement of the yacht charter.
Any balance of monies due are to be paid on the first working day prior to completion of the yacht charter.

For further clarification of the payment structure for your yacht charter, please speak with your broker.

The port side of a superyacht in a marina at sunset

The base charter fee for a yacht can differ for a number of reasons, including;

Size and age of the yacht
High/low seasons, and major events such as the Monaco Grand Prix

There will also be additional amounts to pay on top of the yacht's base charter fee, which can include;

Advanced Provisioning Allowance (roughly 25-30% of the yacht's base fee and includes all charter expenditure such as food, fuel and marina fees)
Additional insurance, such as Cancellation and Curtailment Insurance
VAT and other taxes

It is important for you to understand the entire payment structure to ensure no unpleasant surprises arise whilst enjoying your vacation.

If you wish to know more about costs relating to your yacht charter, please speak with your preferred yacht broker for more information.

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Cars, Jets & Yachts

How Much Does it Actually Cost to Charter a Yacht?

From tips to APAs, we steer you through all the costs associated with private yacht charters.

By Emma Al-Mousawi

The appeal of yacht travel is unmatched: complete privacy, round-the-clock service, stunning locations and the option to simply travel a new path if the weather forecast turns inclement – what could be better? But, benefits aside, one key questions remains on the minds of sea-farers to-be: how much does it actually cost to charter a yacht?

There is no denying it – yacht charter does not come cheap, with plenty of potentially hidden costs lurking among every decision. Fortunately, though, with proper advance planning, expert knowledge and the right professionals in your corner, chartering a yacht can be a breeze – and without any worrisome bills to round off your trip.

[See also: The World’s Most Expensive Yachts for Charter]

What will my yacht charter rate include?

There are generally two types of yacht charter: an all-inclusive charter and the more common ‘plus expenses’ charter. As the name suggests, the cost of an all-inclusive yacht charter will include (almost) everything such as crew, food, drinks, fuel and water sports equipment (though always check as this does vary between charter companies). However, some all-inclusive charters won’t include dockage or mooring fees, which can soon add up – but more on that later.

Hot tub and daybed on deck of superyacht

A ‘plus expenses’ or ‘separated charges’ charter is where a base price is charged for the ship and its crew, while everything else is paid for through an ‘Advance Provisioning Allowance’ (APA) before you step onboard. Prior to a voyage, guests will complete a preference sheet with their likes and dislikes, enabling the chef and service team to stock up on the guest’s favorite items. This tends to be the norm on superyacht charters as it allows for a much more tailored experience.

As well as covering food and beverages, an APA will also cover things like fuel and possibly dockage. It is usually charged at around 30% of the yacht’s base rate. According to luxury yacht brokers Northrop and Johnson, the average price paid by its customers for a week’s ‘plus expenses’ charter was around $152,000 in 2020, which would mean an APA of around $45,600 – not a small sum, so it’s something to be aware of when selecting your vessel.

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A third, less common charter is a ‘bareboat’ charter. This is a charter without a crew or provisions and only generally favored amongst experienced yachtsmen and women or those who can supply their own crew.

[See also: How to Charter a Superyacht]

Does size impact how much it will cost to charter a yacht?

The reputation of the crew, the age of the yacht and its design will all influence the price of your charter. However, the single biggest factor that will impact cost is likely to be the size: the bigger the yacht, the more you’re likely to pay.

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For example, with leading yacht brokerage Burgess , a week’s charter in the Caribbean aboard the 163.3-ft Home starts at $245,000. If you opt for the larger Laurentia , at 180.5 ft, the price starts at $400,000. Both yachts were built in 2017 by leading Dutch shipyard Heesen and have capacity for 12 guests, but there is over $150,000 difference in the price. Naturally, you can also expect a higher APA for a bigger ship.

Novice charterers might be surprised to learn that a larger yacht doesn’t automatically translate into a larger guest capacity. Most superyachts are capped at a 12-guest limit due to International Maritime Organization safety regulations.

Does the type of yacht impact the price?

The answer is yes, but to a lesser extent than size. There’s something for everyone when it comes to yachts: classic yachts (built between the 1920s and 1970s) allow you to experience old-school glamour of a bygone era, whereas sportfishing yachts are nimble and offer a long-range to get you to the best fishing (or diving) spots.

Sailing yachts are a popular choice amongst boating enthusiasts, but by a long shot, the most popular charter yachts are motor yachts. These are typically what spring to mind when you picture a superyacht and, size-dependent, tend to be the most expensive type of yacht to charter, often being pricier to purchase, maintain and fuel. Explorer yachts are motor yachts designed to cope with the most extreme conditions – if you’re planning a luxury superyacht charter to Antarctica, for example, it’s likely to be aboard one of these.

Over the past decade, explorer yachts have skyrocketed in popularity amongst intrepid travelers looking for opulent adventure on the seven seas. A week onboard on of the world’s fastest explorer yacht, the 311.68-ft Bold , costs approximately $949,300. This also makes it one of the world’s most expensive yachts to charter, in line with what you’ll pay for chartering the crème de la crème of the more ‘conventional’ superyachts typically seen on the French Riviera, like the ultra-glamorous O’Pari . A week’s charter onboard the 312-ft O’Pari comes complete with custom artwork and DJ booth costs from $1.85m.

[See also: The Best Luxury Yacht Builders in the World]

Is chartering during certain months more expensive than others?

The time of year will impact your charter price. In yachting, there are two main seasons – summer and winter – and chartering during these peak times will push up the cost. The summer season runs from May to October, with peak rates in July and August. The winter season runs from November to April, with peak rates over the Thanksgiving and Christmas holidays and into New Year. Location also dictates the price of a charter; for example, Caribbean charters are costlier from December to March whereas Mediterranean charters are at their priciest during the summer months.

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How much do you tip on a yacht charter?

Not even a Mediterranean jellyfish has the power to sting an unassuming first-time sailor like end-of-trip expenses.

With ‘plus expenses’ charters, your APA is paid before you set sail. However, a detailed list of outgoings will be kept by the ship and if your expenses surpass the amount of your APA, you will be asked to cover the amount for the remaining charter. Saying this, it does work both ways – any unspent APA will be refunded to you.

On both all-inclusive and ‘plus expenses’ charters, crew gratuities are not included in the yacht charter price. If you were happy with the service, the going rate for tips is around 15 to 20% of the charter cost.

Depending on your charter agreement, docking fees, a charge you pay to keep your yacht in a marina or harbor overnight, may or may not be included in the cost. These can vary greatly depending on the location, time of year and the size of your yacht. Expect to pay the highest docking fees on the Mediterranean during high season with Capri and St Tropez commanding some of the steepest premiums.

Your itinerary can also affect the price, as traveling to places like Antarctica and the Arctic Circle requires expensive permits. Certain destinations will also charge tax and VAT, so it is sensible to check with your broker if you’re keen on getting a cost breakdown before your trip.

[See also: The Best Superyachts to Charter This Summer]