How Much Does It Cost to Charter a Yacht?
Updated: September 2026 A yacht's advertised weekly rate is only the first line of the bill. Fuel, food, dockage, taxes, delivery fees and crew gratuity sit outside it, and the contract framework changes between the Med…
Updated: September 2026
A yacht's advertised weekly rate is only the first line of the bill. Fuel, food, dockage, taxes, delivery fees and crew gratuity sit outside it, and the contract framework changes between the Mediterranean, the Caribbean and the Bahamas. This guide breaks down the real yacht charter cost — base fee versus all-in budget — with three fully calculated weekly scenarios.
Every percentage below is a published broker convention with its source and date, and every scenario shows its arithmetic. Base fees are round YachtMetric planning assumptions, not market quotes. For the own-versus-charter picture, see our guide to the total cost of owning a yacht and our yacht depreciation guide.
Yacht Charter Cost: Quick Answer
Under Mediterranean MYBA-style plus-expenses terms, plan on the base rate plus roughly 35–45% for APA and gratuity combined, before VAT — broker-published planning guidance from Balthazar Yachting (May 2026). Three illustrative one-week budgets calculated in September 2026:
- 40–50 ft sailing catamaran, Greece: around €26,370 for the week all-in.
- 70 ft motor yacht, Croatia: around €139,500 for the week all-in.
- 110 ft+ superyacht, Bahamas: around $397,500 for the week all-in.
The full line-by-line maths follows below. Caribbean all-inclusive contracts price differently — one weekly rate covering most costs — so compare all-in totals, never headline rates.
Base Rate Versus All-In Budget
The published weekly rate — the "from" price on a brokerage listing — is the rate line only. Under MYBA terms it covers the yacht, the crew's wages and food, basic consumables, laundry and the owner's hull, liability and crew insurance (Hellas Yachting charter terms, 2023). Everything variable — fuel, guest food and drink, dockage, communications, guest laundry and local taxes — is charged at cost on top. Balthazar Yachting's May 2026 charter toolkit puts the all-in reality at the rate plus 35–45%, and offers a planning multiplier of rate plus 40%: a €250,000 headline week plans at roughly €350,000 with typical APA spend and a 15% gratuity (250,000 × 1.40 = 350,000).
| Budget line | Typical shape | Source and date |
|---|---|---|
| Base charter fee | Fixed weekly rate for yacht + crew + owner's insurance | Hellas Yachting terms, 2023 (MYBA/WMT inclusions) |
| APA float | 25–35% of base (sail); 35–40% (motor); up to 40–50% peak Côte d'Azur weeks | Hellas 2023; Balthazar May 2026; Frontier Aug 2026 |
| VAT / local tax | Charged on the fee (never the APA): France 20%, Italy 22%, Spain 21%, Croatia 13%, Greece ~5–13% effective, Bahamas 10% + 4% port tax, most of Caribbean 0% | Frontier Aug 2026; Ocean Independence Nov 2025 |
| Crew gratuity | Discretionary: ~10–15% Med, ~15–20% Caribbean/high-end; never a contractual obligation | Frontier Aug 2026; Balthazar May 2026; Hellas 2023 |
| Delivery / repositioning | Separate line when embarking away from home port; fuel + crew time, agreed in advance | Frontier Aug 2026 |
Base Charter Fee: What It Covers
The fee buys the yacht for the week with its permanent crew, equipment and toys, plus the owner's insurance stack. It does not buy fuel, food, dockage or the crew's tip. On smaller yachts in Greece, check whether the quote is genuinely crewed or a bareboat price with skipper and hostess added per day — Frontier's August 2026 guide shows a €13,500 bareboat listing becoming a €16,300 effective price once crew days are added (13,500 + 1,470 + 1,330 = 16,300). Compare like with like.
APA: The Float That Is Not a Fee
The Advance Provisioning Allowance is the guests' own money, paid before embarkation so the captain can run the week — fuel for yacht and tenders, provisioning, drinks, port fees, communications and anything the crew arranges on the guests' behalf — spent at cost with receipts. Broker convention is 25–35% of base for sailing yachts and catamarans and 35–40% for motor yachts (Frontier, August 2026; Hellas quotes 20–35% estimated). At trip end the captain reconciles: unspent APA is refunded, overspend is invoiced. A lower APA never means a cheaper week — only a smaller deposit against the same running costs.
Fuel, Food, Marinas and Toys
All four flow through the APA at cost on plus-expenses terms. Fuel is charged on consumption, food and drink are custom-ordered to the guests' preference list, dockage is whatever the itinerary's ports charge, and extras the crew arranges — beach clubs, transfers, helicopter moves — settle through the same float (Balthazar, May 2026). Heavy cruising, premium ports and fine wine are what push a week from 25% APA toward 40%+. For burn-rate context see our yacht fuel cost guide; for berth pricing see our marina fees guide. Crew wages themselves sit inside the base fee — see our crew cost guide for what crews earn.
Crew Gratuity: Custom, Not Contract
The gratuity is a separate, discretionary line — never part of the contract and never to be solicited. Reported broker conventions span roughly 10–15% of the base fee in the Mediterranean and 15–20% in the Caribbean and at the high end (Frontier, August 2026; Balthazar, May 2026; Hellas terms give 5–20% by region and service). It is calculated on the base fee alone, shared across the whole crew, and handed to the captain at disembarkation. Falling far below the local range signals dissatisfaction — but it remains the guests' decision, not an obligation.
VAT, Taxes and Permits by Region
Tax is charged on the charter fee — never on the APA — and the rate follows where the charter starts and how it runs (Frontier, August 2026). Working figures from broker-published 2025–2026 tax guides: France 20%, Italy 22%, Spain 21%, Croatia 13% (delivery fees exempt; pro-rata for time in Croatian waters), Greece 13% statutory crewed rate with licence-based reductions to about 5.2–7.8% effective, Bahamas 10% VAT plus 4% port tax, most of the Caribbean 0% with local cruising permits, and no US VAT though state sales taxes may apply (Ocean Independence, November 2025). Regimes change regularly — confirm the exact rate for your yacht and itinerary with the broker, and take tax advice where sums are material. Trip cancellation cover is separate and worth having on an expensive week (Frontier). See also our insurance cost guide.
Three Weekly Budget Scenarios
Assumptions shared by all three: one week, home-port embarkation (delivery $0), private charter, September 2026 planning. Base fees are round YachtMetric scenario assumptions, not market quotes; percentages are the published conventions above.
| Weekly line | A: 40–50 ft cat, Greece | B: 70 ft motor yacht, Croatia | C: 110 ft+ superyacht, Bahamas |
|---|---|---|---|
| Base charter fee (assumption) | €18,000 | €90,000 | $250,000 |
| APA float (30% of base) | €5,400 | €27,000 | $75,000 |
| VAT / local tax on fee | €1,170 (6.5%, large-coastal licence basis) | €11,700 (13%) | $35,000 (10% + 4%) |
| Crew gratuity (discretionary) | €1,800 (10%) | €10,800 (12%) | $37,500 (15%) |
| Delivery / repositioning | €0 | €0 | $0 |
| All-in planning total (including discretionary gratuity) | €26,370 | €139,500 | $397,500 |
Line maths: A — 18,000 × 0.30 = 5,400; 18,000 × 0.065 = 1,170; 18,000 × 0.10 = 1,800; total 18,000 + 5,400 + 1,170 + 1,800 = 26,370. B — 90,000 × 0.30 = 27,000; 90,000 × 0.13 = 11,700; 90,000 × 0.12 = 10,800; total 90,000 + 27,000 + 11,700 + 10,800 = 139,500. C — 250,000 × 0.30 = 75,000; 250,000 × 0.10 = 25,000 VAT plus 250,000 × 0.04 = 10,000 port tax; 250,000 × 0.15 = 37,500; total 250,000 + 75,000 + 25,000 + 10,000 + 37,500 = 397,500. Unspent APA is refunded, so the APA lines are floats, not fixed costs. Flights, transfers, shore dining and trip insurance sit outside all three totals.
All-In Charter Budget Formula
All-in week ≈ base fee + APA% + VAT% on fee + gratuity% + delivery + travel ashore.
- Step 1 — fix the base: confirm the quote is genuinely crewed and compare base fees only against base fees.
- Step 2 — add the float: 25–35% APA for sail, 35–40% for motor, refined by itinerary intensity.
- Step 3 — add the tax: the exact VAT or local-tax rate for your yacht, waters and itinerary — on the fee, never the APA.
- Step 4 — allow the gratuity: ~10–15% Med, ~15–20% Caribbean/high-end, at your discretion.
- Step 5 — close the gaps: delivery fees, flights, transfers, shore spending and trip insurance on top.
Build the next part of your yacht budget
Next step: record your own quotes and assumptions for each expense, then total the annual budget.
Frequently Asked Questions
How much does it cost to charter a yacht for a week?
Illustrations in this September 2026 guide run from about €26,370 all-in for a 40–50 ft catamaran week in Greece to about $397,500 all-in for a 110 ft+ superyacht week in the Bahamas — base fee plus APA float, taxes and discretionary gratuity. The headline rate alone typically understates the week by 35–45%.
Is unspent APA refunded?
Yes. The APA is the guests' own money spent at cost with receipts; the captain reconciles at trip end, refunds the balance, and invoices any overspend. A smaller APA only changes the deposit size, never the week's running cost.
Is the crew gratuity mandatory?
No. It is discretionary and never contractual — roughly 10–15% of base in the Mediterranean and 15–20% in the Caribbean and high-end market, varying with service and region. Never let it be presented as a fixed charge.
How do Mediterranean, Caribbean and Bahamas charters differ on price structure?
The Med typically prices fee plus VAT plus APA under MYBA-style plus-expenses terms; the Caribbean mostly sells all-inclusive weekly rates covering yacht, crew, meals, bar, fuel and moorings with higher tip conventions; the Bahamas adds 10% VAT plus 4% port tax on the fee. Compare all-in per-person totals, never headline rates.
Sources
- Hellas Yachting — Yacht Charter Terms (APA 25–35%; unspent APA refunded; MYBA inclusions; gratuity 5–20% discretionary; 2023)
- Balthazar Yachting — The Charter Toolkit: APA, Gratuities (APA 25–35%; gratuity 15–20% convention; rate + 35–45% all-in; May 2026)
- Frontier Yachting — How to Read a Crewed Yacht Charter Quote (real €15,000 Greek quote; VAT mechanics; APA conventions; August 2026)
- Ocean Independence — Yacht VAT Explained (country VAT table 2025; Bahamas 10% + 4% port tax; November 2025)
- Dockwalk — How Much Do Yacht Crew Make in Tips? (MYBA gratuity guidance as reported in 2021)
