How much does it cost to charter a yacht? It is an unusual question that is not easy to answer because it is the same as “how much does a watch cost” or “how much does a cell phone cost”?
Yachting has traditionally been the domain of the ultra-rich — and some rental fees are comparable to a mortgage on a house. Chartering a yacht, in contrast, can be less expensive than a week on a cruiser for a four-person family.
Few things can compare to the luxury of yacht cruising. The unlimited options for adventure in the most opulent of surroundings, as the breeze sweeps through your hair, seem even more tempting.
The cost for a yacht charter can range from around $250 per person, per week for sailing plus expenses or from $2,500 to $50,000 and as much as $100,000 per person, per week for all-inclusive deluxe yachts. In the end, the cost may be as cheap or as luxurious as you like, but the outcome is always the same – the best vacation in your life.
So let us dig deep and find out what are your options and how much does it cost to charter a yacht?
Factors Affecting Yacht Charter Cost
Prices for charter boats are established by the holder because they are private property. This aids in explaining the wide variety of pricing fluctuations across vessels of similar lengths, but still, there are some price guidelines.
Yacht
The cost of a yacht is heavily influenced by its size (length).
| Lower Rates | High Rates | |
| 65ft (20m) and 80ft (24m) | $20,000 | $40,000 |
| 80ft (24m) and 100ft (30m) | $40,000 | $80,000 |
| over 100ft (30m) | $80,000 | $200,000 |
| over 200ft (60m) | $350,000 | $1,000,000 |
| over 260ft (80m) | > $1,000,000 | – |
Further, the date of construction, the designer, or the number of cabins may all add to the cost of a yacht. Boats can also have a reputation, such as being the longest or most glamorous or having a well-known constructor or prior owner.
However, it is important to know that the cost of three identically sized charter yachts might vary dramatically. One vessel may have a bigger and more professional crew or a celebrity chef, while another might not be so well maintained or not in a desirable location.
Season
Yachting during the peak season is generally more expensive. Rates often rise during the peak season, such as summertime (from May to October, with a peak in July and August.) in Europe’s Mediterranean or wintertime in the Caribbean (from November to April, with a peak around Christmas and New Year’s Eve) and fall during the low season.
The idea is to pick your dates wisely. A one-week fluctuation (from low to high period) can dramatically vary the price while still delivering the same conditions compared to the more costly season.
Duration
Most companies charter their vessels for a week-long period, although the usual is ten days, nevertheless, a yacht agent may arrange your chosen rental period. Even so, many companies offer a five-day minimum stay.
Whereas most passengers charter for one or two weeks, individuals with extra time may choose to charter for longer durations, with some even remaining onboard for a whole season.
Destination
Destinations with significant yachting businesses are less pricey, whereas more isolated and difficult-to-access areas are more highly-priced.
Among the most obvious instances is the Galapagos Islands, because the yacht charters are smaller, costs are more expensive compared to other popular locations. Private yacht rental rates are much more appealing in locations with a big crewed yacht charter fleet, such as the Mediterranean or Bahamas, because there is more rivalry.
Cost Structure for Yacht Charter
All-Inclusive Charters
That is, charges are determined by the number of people and cover the yacht itself with the insurance, equipment, all meals and beverages, water activities, and gasoline expenditures (usually limited to x number of hours of sailing every day). However, dockage and taxes are often charged separately.
Taxi transportation, sailing and municipal taxes for accessing nature reserves, luxury meals and drinks, fishing permission, and ship agent, if applicable, may be added to your charter charge.
Plus Expenses Charters
Larger motorboat costs do not cover operating expenditures, which must be paid separately. The standard fee for these premium charters is solely for the boat (net charter price). Food, drink, gasoline, marinas, port taxes, and other expenditures are invoiced individually.
The majority of the time, the operational expenditures are covered by a Value-added tax or VAT and Advance Provisioning Allowance or APA, which is normally 35% of the basic price and is paid in advance.
Usually, companies emphasize: Net price + VAT + APA
| All-Inclusive Charters | Plus Expenses Charters | |
| Crew | Yes | Yes |
| Fuel / Electric/ Water | Yes | No |
| Food / Drinks | Yes | No |
| Dockage | No | No |
| Transportation | No | No |
| Tax / VAT | No | No |
Additional Expenses
It is always good to be insured, especially if you charter a yacht worth millions of dollars, therefore if you have to cancel or reduce the number of rental days, charter insurance can assist with the expenses. Charter agents can assist you in weighing insurance alternatives and frequently provide numerous solutions.
Crew gratuities are excluded from the fee including both all-inclusive and ‘plus expenses’ yacht charters, so it is highly encouraged, especially if you were really pleased with the charter experience. Crew gratuity is typically 15-20% of the standard charter charge and is paid to the skipper at the end of your trip.
Harbor fees or dockage, which you pay to retain your yacht in a marina overnight, may or may not be part of the price of your charter contract. These might vary substantially based on region, season, and boat size.
How Much Does It Cost To Charter A Yacht
What yacht can you rent for $25,000?
Fishing lovers may arrange a five-day and night trip on charter in southeast Alaska with sailing routes including whale watching and wildlife viewing with some of Alaska’s most spectacular fjords and glaciers. The sailboat, which can accommodate six people and three crew members, traverses around 10,000 square miles of Alaska coastline, for the price.
Catamarans of this category are bigger and provide significantly more room and comfort with quite luxurious cabins, a central lounge, and deck spaces. They are much more advanced and can transport a variety of equipment for water sports and diving.
This type of motor yacht often contains one or two big staterooms and one or two single-bed cabins. Efficiency is strong, most have high-speed capabilities, and the cost of fuel is much lower than in the following class.
What yacht can you rent for $80,000?
Catamarans in this price range provide luxurious accommodations for more than 10 people usually with one master, a big suite, and several two-bed guest cabins. Usually, you can expect to find a professional crew, tasty meals, and a lot of equipment for water sports.
Superyachts are the pinnacle of elite sailing and can carry a bare minimum of six people and a large staff, but they frequently carry more than ten guests and a large crew. Many superyachts have a range of luxury facilities such as tennis courts, swimming pools, helicopter pads, etc.
What yacht can you rent for $1 million and above?
If the previous boat class was named superyachts, vessels that can be afforded for this sum of money are super-superyachts i.e. mega-yachts. Every corner on this kind of yacht is bursting with luxury.
As a rule, superyachts may be found in the Caribbean or the Mediterranean regarding the season. Vessels in this category typically range in length from 130 feet (40m) to more than 590 feet (180m), while yachts as little as 79 feet can sometimes also be included (24m).
Extending over a number of decks, yachts this big create an incredible sense of space both inside and out. Apart from that, there will most certainly be a landing platform for helicopters.
Support (shadow) vehicle may accompany a superyacht to transport equipment such as watersports, helicopters, or other large objects that can not be held by the yacht itself. The length of such vessels ranges from 66-328 feet (20-100m).
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