Category: Yacht Charters

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Booking your first yacht charter comes down to seven steps: pick the type of charter, choose where and when, set an all-in budget, find the yacht through a broker or booking site, sign the contract and pay, fill out your preference sheet, and pack light. Start three to six months ahead, and closer to a year for the most popular yachts and peak weeks.

Step 1: Choose the type of charter

Type	What it means	Choose it if
Bareboat	You rent the boat and sail it yourself	You hold a sailing qualification and want the lowest price
Skippered	A hired skipper runs the boat; you handle meals and the rest	You want to relax but keep costs moderate
Crewed	Captain, chef and crew handle everything	You want a true vacation with nothing to manage

For a first charter, most people are happiest on a skippered or crewed yacht. See what each one costs in our yacht charter cost guide.

Step 2: Pick your destination and season

• Mediterranean (Greece, Croatia, the French Riviera, Italy): best from May to October. June and September offer good weather, fewer crowds and better rates.
• Caribbean (the British Virgin Islands, the Bahamas): best in the winter months, when the Mediterranean season is over.
• Avoid school holidays and Christmas week if you want better prices and availability.

Step 3: Set an all-in budget

On a crewed charter, the advertised weekly rate covers the yacht and crew. Add an Advance Provisioning Allowance (APA) and taxes of roughly 25% to 50% of the charter fee for fuel, food, drinks, dockage and local taxes, plus a crew tip of 10% to 15%. Set a per-person budget first, then choose the boat to fit it.

Step 4: Find the yacht

• A charter broker is the easiest route for a crewed yacht. You describe your group and the trip you want, and the broker shortlists yachts by size, layout, availability and crew, then plans an itinerary with the captain.
• A booking platform like Boatbookings or Yachting.com lets you compare bareboat, skippered and crewed yachts by destination and price. Compare yachts and prices at Boatbookings →
• Want a trial run? A half-day or full-day charter is an easy way to test your sea legs before committing to a week. Find a half-day or full-day charter on GetMyBoat →

Step 5: Sign the contract and pay

• Crewed charters are usually booked on the MYBA charter agreement, the industry-standard contract.
• Expect a 50% deposit when you sign, with the balance and the APA typically due about a month before departure.
• Ask your broker exactly which taxes apply to your dates and destination before you sign.
• Buy travel insurance that specifically covers yacht charters.

Step 6: Fill out your preference sheet

A few weeks before the trip, you will get a preference sheet. This is where you tell the captain and chef about allergies, favorite foods and drinks, things you dislike, and the activities you care about, from snorkeling to a tee time ashore. The more detail you give, the better the week.

Step 7: Pack and go

• Pack in soft bags. Hard suitcases are hard to stow on a boat.
• Bring: reef-safe sunscreen, polarized sunglasses, a light layer for evenings, boat-friendly shoes and any medication you need.
• Leave room for golf clubs in a travel bag if your itinerary includes a round ashore.
• At the end, you get an itemized APA statement and a refund of anything unspent. Hand the crew tip to the captain on the last day.

FAQ

How far in advance should I book a yacht charter?

Three to six months ahead at minimum. For peak summer weeks or a specific yacht, book six months to a year out.

Do I need a license to charter a yacht?

Only for a bareboat charter, where you skipper the boat yourself. Skippered and crewed charters need no qualification at all.

What is a preference sheet?

A form you fill out before the trip that tells the captain and chef what you like to eat and drink and what you want to do, so the yacht is stocked and planned around you.

Next steps

• See what each type of charter really costs in our yacht charter cost guide.
• Compare yachts and prices by destination. Compare yachts and prices at Boatbookings →

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A week-long yacht charter costs anywhere from about €2,000 for a bareboat sailboat you skipper yourself to €30,000–€300,000+ for a fully crewed yacht, and superyachts can pass $1 million a week. For crewed charters, the advertised price is not the final price: plan on adding roughly 35% to 65% for running costs, taxes and the crew tip.

Here is what each type of charter costs, what is included, and how to budget so there are no surprises.

Cost by charter type

Charter type	Typical weekly base price	Who runs the boat	Best for
Bareboat	€2,000–€10,000	You (sailing qualification required)	Experienced sailors on a budget
Skippered	€5,000–€20,000	A hired skipper; you handle the rest	Groups who want to relax without a full crew
Crewed	€30,000–€300,000+	Captain, chef and crew	Full-service luxury
Superyacht (Ultra-luxury)	$100,000 to $1 million+	Large professional crew	Once-in-a-lifetime trips and big celebrations

Price ranges from HELM and YachtWay. Size, destination and season move the price more than anything else.

What the base price covers, and what it does not

On a crewed charter, the base price covers the yacht and the crew. Most everything else is paid separately:

• APA (Advance Provisioning Allowance). A float you pay before the trip. The captain uses it for fuel, food and drink, dockage and other running costs, gives you an itemized statement and refunds whatever is left.
• Taxes. VAT or charter tax depends on the country and is often charged on the base price.
• Crew gratuity. Typically starts at 10% of the charter fee, and many guests give 15% or more for excellent service.

As a rule of thumb, brokers advise budgeting 25% to 50% of the charter fee for those running expenses, plus the tip (Northrop & Johnson).

A sample crewed budget

Here is how a $50,000-a-week crewed yacht adds up:

Line item	Low	High
Base charter fee	$50,000	$50,000
Running costs and taxes (25%–50%)	$12,500	$25,000
Crew gratuity (10%–15%)	$5,000	$7,500
Estimated total	$67,500	$82,500

Extra costs on a bareboat charter

• Damage deposit: about €3,000 held on a credit card; deposit insurance can cut that to around €500.
• Final cleaning: €80–€250.
• Mooring: about €300 a week in Croatia and €400 in Italy; often only a few euros a night in Greece and Turkey.
• Small extras: outboard engine €80–€120 a week, Wi-Fi about €30 a week, linens and towels, park fees and local tourist taxes.

How to save on a yacht charter

• Go in shoulder season. June and September in the Mediterranean bring good weather, fewer crowds and better rates.
• Avoid school holidays and Christmas, especially in the Caribbean.
• Anchor out. Dropping anchor in a bay and taking the dinghy to town avoids marina fees.
• Set a per-person budget first, then pick the boat type and size to fit it.
• Buy travel insurance that specifically covers sailing.

FAQ

What is the cheapest way to charter a yacht?

A bareboat sailboat or catamaran you skipper yourself, starting around €2,000 a week. You need a sailing qualification. If you do not have one, a skippered charter is the next step up.

How much should I tip the crew?

Plan on 10% to 15% of the charter fee, given to the captain at the end of the trip to share with the crew.

Is APA refundable?

Yes. The captain tracks every expense, and any unused APA is returned at the end of the charter.

Next steps

• New to chartering? Read our step-by-step guide to booking your first yacht charter.
• Compare crewed and bareboat yachts. Compare yachts and prices at Boatbookings →
• Browse rental yachts by destination. Browse yachts by destination at Yachting.com →