Cost
How Much to Charter a Yacht: Rates, APA, and Extras
Weekly yacht charter rates by size
How much to charter a yacht depends on size, season, and one line item most people have never heard of. Weekly base rates run from about €15,000 for a small crewed yacht to over €500,000 for a superyacht. Then the Advance Provisioning Allowance, VAT, and crew gratuity add roughly 45% to 70% on top. This page shows exactly how that stacks up.
How much to charter a yacht: weekly base rates by size
Crewed yacht charter is priced by the week, and the base rate covers the yacht, the crew’s wages, insurance, and routine maintenance. It covers almost nothing you will consume.
| Yacht size | Typical weekly base rate (2026 estimate) | Usual guests |
|---|---|---|
| 40 – 60 ft sail or catamaran | €15,000 – €40,000 | 6 – 8 |
| 80 – 100 ft motor yacht | €80,000 – €150,000 | 8 – 10 |
| 100 – 130 ft motor yacht | €150,000 – €250,000 | 10 – 12 |
| 130 – 165 ft superyacht | €250,000 – €500,000 | 12 |
| 165 ft+ megayacht | €500,000 and up | 12 (more at anchor) |
These are mid-market estimates for the Mediterranean. The same length can vary by 50% depending on build year, last refit, builder reputation, crew-to-guest ratio, and how much of the season is already booked.
What “plus expenses” actually means
Most charter contracts are written on a “plus expenses” basis, and the standard document is the MYBA Charter Agreement published by MYBA, The Worldwide Yachting Association. Under that structure, the base fee buys the platform and the crew. Everything the yacht burns, docks at, or serves you is billed on top.
Included in the base fee:
- The yacht and its equipment, tenders, and water toys.
- Crew salaries, food, and uniforms.
- Hull, liability, and crew insurance.
- Routine maintenance and the yacht’s own consumables.
Not included, and paid through the APA:
- Fuel for the yacht and the tenders.
- Berthing, mooring, and anchorage fees.
- All food and beverage for guests.
- Shore power, water, laundry, and waste disposal.
- Port charges, agency fees, cruising permits, and customs clearance.
- Satellite communications and onboard Wi-Fi.
- Special requests: a chef’s ingredient list, a jet ski rental, a florist, a shore excursion.
Not included and not in the APA: VAT, crew gratuity, and your travel to and from the yacht.
APA: the 25% to 40% nobody quotes you
The Advance Provisioning Allowance is a cash float you wire to the yacht before the charter so the crew can pay for everything above on your behalf. It is not a fee and it is not the broker’s money. It is your money, held and spent by the captain, and reconciled at the end.
Typical APA levels by yacht type:
- Sailing yachts and catamarans: 20% to 25% of the base charter fee. They burn far less fuel.
- Motor yachts: 30% to 35%, and 40% or more on large, fast, or long-itinerary charters.
The mechanics matter more than the percentage:
- Timing. The APA is normally due with the final balance, a few weeks before you board, so the crew can provision to your preferences before you arrive.
- The preference sheet drives the spend. You submit dietary requirements, wine preferences, and itinerary wishes. A guest list that wants 2010 Bordeaux will burn APA faster than one that wants rosé.
- The purser tracks it live. On larger yachts the purser or captain keeps a running account and will show you the balance on request. Ask on day one, not day six.
- Top-ups happen. If spending outpaces the float, the captain will ask for more, typically when the balance falls to about 25% of the original amount. This is routine, not a warning sign.
- Settlement. At the end you receive a statement with receipts. Unspent APA is refunded in cash or back to your account. Overspend is settled before you disembark.
The single biggest driver of APA burn is how far you cruise. A yacht that moves ports every day can double its fuel line over one that anchors in the same bay for four nights. If your APA matters to you, say so before the itinerary is set. A captain given that instruction will plan shorter hops and more anchoring, and it costs you nothing in enjoyment.
Crew gratuity is separate
Crew gratuity is not part of the APA and not part of the base fee. MYBA guidance puts it at 5% to 15% of the charter fee, with around 10% treated as the norm for good service. It is paid directly to the captain at the end of the charter and distributed among the crew.
Two practical notes. Some yachts will let you draw the gratuity from the APA if you ask, but the default under the MYBA agreement is a separate payment, so budget it separately. And gratuity is calculated on the base charter fee, not on the base plus APA plus VAT — a mistake that costs people thousands.
The arithmetic: €150,000 becomes €247,500
Here is a full worked example. A 40-metre (130 ft) motor yacht, French Riviera, one week in July, 10 guests.
| Line item | Amount |
|---|---|
| Base charter fee, one week | €150,000 |
| APA at 35% (motor yacht, active itinerary) | €52,500 |
| French VAT at 20% on the charter fee | €30,000 |
| Crew gratuity at 10% of the base fee | €15,000 |
| Total committed before boarding | €247,500 |
The headline rate was €150,000. The commitment is €247,500, or 65% more.
Now the settlement. Actual APA spend over the week:
| APA expense | Amount |
|---|---|
| Fuel, yacht and tenders | €18,500 |
| Berthing at Antibes, Monaco, and Saint-Tropez | €11,200 |
| Food and beverage provisioning | €7,800 |
| Shore power, water, laundry, waste, agent fees | €3,400 |
| Port charges and cruising permits | €1,900 |
| Satellite communications | €1,500 |
| APA actually spent | €44,300 |
| Refunded to you | €8,200 |
Final all-in cost: €239,300 against a €150,000 advertised rate. Budget the full €247,500 anyway, because a fuller itinerary or a heavier wine list turns that €8,200 refund into a €6,000 top-up request without anything going wrong.
VAT depends on where you cruise, not where you book
VAT is charged on the charter fee at the rate of the country where the charter starts, and it moves the total more than most people expect. Some countries apply their standard rate to yacht charter; others apply a reduced rate to charter services specifically.
| Cruising ground | Typical VAT applied to the charter fee (2026 estimate) |
|---|---|
| Italy | ~22% |
| Spain | ~21% |
| France | ~20% |
| Croatia | ~13% (reduced charter rate) |
| Greece | ~13% (reduced charter rate) |
On a €150,000 week, starting in Croatia instead of Italy is worth roughly €13,500 in tax alone. Rates and the rules on reductions for time spent in international waters change often; the European Commission’s VAT rates guidance sets the framework, but confirm the current figure for your specific start port with your broker before you budget it.
Season moves the price 20% to 35%
Peak weeks in the Mediterranean are July and August, and the highest-demand yachts are booked a year ahead. May, June, and September commonly price 20% to 35% below peak, with warmer sea in September than in June and far less traffic in the marinas.
The Caribbean season inverts. Mid-December to mid-April is peak, with a separate and higher tier for Christmas and New Year weeks. Those festive weeks also carry 10 to 14 night minimums, so the “week” you were budgeting can become ten nights before you start.
Two smaller timing effects are worth knowing. Charters that overlap the Monaco Grand Prix or the Cannes Film Festival carry event pricing and berthing fees several times the normal rate. And a yacht repositioning between the Mediterranean and Caribbean seasons will sometimes discount a shoulder-season week heavily to help cover the crossing. That is the yachting equivalent of an empty-leg flight.
When APA does not apply at all
APA is a Mediterranean and MYBA convention. It is not a universal law of yacht charter, and assuming it is will make you overbudget a Caribbean trip by a third.
Crewed yachts under roughly 100 feet in the Caribbean are usually sold on all-inclusive terms. The weekly rate covers food, standard bar, fuel for normal cruising, and berthing for a set number of nights. There is no APA. You still pay gratuity, plus a modest list of extras such as premium spirits, dockage beyond the included nights, and any tax the island charges.
| MYBA “plus expenses” | Caribbean all-inclusive | Western Med Terms | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Where it applies | Mediterranean, most yachts over 100 ft | Caribbean, mostly under 100 ft | Western Mediterranean, mid-size yachts |
| APA required | Yes, 20% – 40% | No | Reduced or none |
| Fuel | Charged at cost from APA | Included for normal cruising | Included up to a stated number of hours |
| Food and beverage | Charged at cost from APA | Included, premium drinks extra | Usually included |
| Berthing | Charged at cost from APA | Set number of nights included | Base port included |
| Gratuity | Separate, 5% – 15% | Separate, 10% – 15% | Separate |
| Best for | Bespoke itineraries and large yachts | Predictable budgets | A middle ground |
The tradeoff is real and cuts both ways. All-inclusive is a fixed price and a shorter itinerary, because the operator has priced a normal cruising pattern and will not fund an ambitious one. Plus-expenses is unpredictable and buys you a yacht that will go where you want. If you want a firm number more than a flexible route, ask your broker specifically for all-inclusive or Western Med Terms yachts. Most brokers default to plus-expenses listings and will not mention the alternative unless asked.
How to budget a yacht charter properly
Take the advertised weekly rate and multiply by 1.65 for a Mediterranean motor yacht on plus-expenses terms. That gets you to a realistic committed number covering APA, VAT, and gratuity. For a Caribbean all-inclusive under 100 feet, multiply by about 1.20.
Then add travel. Getting 10 guests to Nice or Saint Martin is its own line item, and it is often the difference between a charter starting well and starting badly. Our private jet charter cost breakdown covers the same headline-versus-invoice gap on the flying side, and the luxury travel guides cover the destinations these charters actually run to.
How much to charter a yacht comes down to one habit: never budget from the base rate. Budget from the base rate plus APA plus VAT plus gratuity, ask which terms the yacht is offered on, and ask what the captain expects to burn on your itinerary before you sign.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is APA in a yacht charter?
APA stands for Advance Provisioning Allowance, a cash float of roughly 20% to 40% of the base charter fee that you pay before boarding so the crew can cover fuel, dockage, food, drink, port fees, and communications on your behalf. It is your money held by the captain, itemised with receipts, and any unspent balance is refunded at the end of the charter.
Is crew gratuity included in the APA?
No. Under the MYBA Charter Agreement, crew gratuity is a separate payment made directly to the captain at the end of the charter, guided at 5% to 15% of the base charter fee with about 10% treated as standard. It is calculated on the base fee only, not on the base fee plus APA and VAT.
How much does a yacht charter cost all in?
Budget roughly 1.65 times the advertised weekly rate for a Mediterranean motor yacht on plus-expenses terms. A €150,000 base week becomes about €247,500 once you add 35% APA, 20% VAT, and 10% gratuity, before any unspent APA is refunded.
When is the cheapest time to charter a yacht?
May, June, and September in the Mediterranean price 20% to 35% below the July and August peak, with warmer water in September and far less marina congestion. In the Caribbean the peak runs mid-December to mid-April, so the cheapest weeks there are late spring and autumn.
What does "plus expenses" mean on a yacht charter quote?
It means the quoted weekly fee covers only the yacht, the crew, insurance, and routine maintenance. Fuel, berthing, food, beverages, port fees, and communications are billed at cost through the APA, and VAT and gratuity are added separately on top.
We update this guide as aircraft, program, and route pricing changes. Spotted something out of date? Tell us and we'll check it.