How Much Are Yacht Rentals?: The Cost of Luxury Vacations at Sea

Yacht charter pricing can range from $3,000-$15,000+ per person for a week out on the water. But that range is just the start. At the end of the day, you’re the one who is really in charge of how much your luxury yacht charter costs. 

We’re about to break down all the factors behind your yacht charter costs, including: 

• How to choose a luxury charter option that matches every detail on your wish list, while still staying within your chosen budget
• What to know about the difference between power and sailing yachts (and the price differences they bring)
• How “all inclusive” and “plus expense” price structures work — and what they mean for your final cost
• What an experienced yacht broker brings to the table, and how they can help match you to a dream vacation that cruises you toward bliss 

Why Is There So Much Variance When It Comes to How Much Yacht Rentals Cost?

Your luxury yacht charter isn’t just a spin around the bay or an hour out on the water for an afternoon of R&R. When you choose to take a luxury charter vacation, you should expect every detail of your experience to be finely tailored to suit your preferences and expectations. 

From your crew to your vessel accommodations, from the adventure toys on board to the destinations you’ll eagerly explore — every detail should add up to the adventure of a lifetime. 

Because everyone has a different vision of what “adventure of a lifetime” means to them, each luxury vacation will add up to a slightly different final cost.

It’s the job of your yacht broker to listen closely to your tastes and pair you with a vacation that checks all the right boxes, while still staying within your budget. 

You’ll know you have an experienced charter broker (one with a long list of repeat clients) when they begin asking questions the second you give them a call. Ones like: 

• What regions of the world are you most interested in exploring? 
• Do you imagine yourself cutting through the waves on a sailboat or cruising with power? 
• How many guests are you trying to accommodate, and will you be welcoming any children aboard? 
• What experiences do you dream of having — excursions through lush and untouched jungles? Sun-kissed days on quiet beaches along bright coasts? Snorkeling trips with brightly-colored coral clearly in sight of your goggles? 

When a yacht broker is good at what they do, they’ll take your answers and turn them into a perfect vacation pairing. At a price that fits your wallet right. 

Power or Sailing Yacht Charter: How Will Choices Affect Pricing?

Though both power yachts and sailing yachts will get you out on the water and making the kinds of memories with loved ones that you’ll talk about for a long time, they offer differing shades of adventure. 

Though power yachts account for about 70% of the charter market, they’re also the more expensive option. That’s largely in part to their higher fuel costs (as you’d probably guess, fueling becomes less of a concern when you’re largely relying on the wind for power).

Whether you do end up going with a motor or sailing yacht charter, the size of the vessel chosen (as well as the number of guests it accommodates) will also affect your final price. 

While a sailing yacht like GYPSY WIND welcomes 6 guests in the comfort of luxury for a little over $3,500 per person, the 125-ft famed MY SIENNA is a luxury superyacht that accommodates 12 crew members and 12 guests for over $22,000 per person. 

Meaning, like all things in the world of luxury charters, there’s an option to fit every budget, interest, and desire when it comes to spending your vacation in the lap of luxury. You just need to have a trusted yacht broker by your side who can help you find the charter that’s right for you. 

“All Inclusive” vs. “Plus Expenses” Charters: What’s the Difference? 

When selecting a crewed yacht charter, you’re likely to encounter one of two pricing structures: “all inclusive” and “plus expenses.” 

You’ll mainly find options for all inclusive charters when vacationing to the Virgin Islands, so don’t expect it to be too common. When yacht charter prices are all inclusive, they come with food, drink, and fuel costs already included in your up-front price. Though you should expect to pay certain dockage fees and taxes, most of the price of your charter will be included in the quoted price. 

Plus expense charters are the more commonly seen structure. You’ll get access to your chosen yacht’s full sweep of water toys and luxury accommodations, while paying separately for additional expenses like food, alcohol, fuel costs, dockage fees, and excursions. 

What to Know About an Advanced Provisioning Allowance 

Because nothing should interrupt your vacation — including any questions or concerns you may have about whether your crew has the up-front funds they need to cater to your every whim and want — you should expect to pay an Advanced Provisioning Allowance (often called an APA) before stepping aboard the vessel. 

Your APA typically represents 20-40% of the base price of your chosen charter. As you tour sights unseen on distant and clear-skied islands, snorkel into the depths of the world’s clearest waters, or find bliss among some of the sunniest beaches to be found, your crew will draw from your APA to fund your memory-making. 

Expect any unused funds from your APA to be returned to you at the end of your charter, ensuring that every dollar is used just as you’d like.

Are There Other Yacht Charter Cost Considerations I Should Know About? 

There are many logistics that go into crafting a dream yacht vacation. From dockage fees to seasonal price variances, from crew gratuity to fluctuating fuel prices — it’s near-impossible for vacationers to keep track of all the details that go into final pricing. 

But luckily, vacationers don’t have to. 

Because chartering a yacht means having all of your concerns whisked away while an experienced yacht broker takes over all the planning.

Your yacht broker will craft every moment of your yachting vacation to match your dreams and make your wish list possible. 

They’ll be the ones who respond to every question you have — including the most basic one: How much are yacht rentals, and how much will my dream vacation be? — with clear communication and an outline of costs. 

So that you don’t have to have anything on the mind except the bliss you’re about to experience on the water. 

Plan your dream yacht charter 

[Contact Steve Doyle]