How much does it really cost to charter a superyacht?

While yachting is most likely the most prestigious way to travel, it isn’t reserved exclusively for billionaires. Owning large superyachts is a privilege reserved for only the very few but there is an opportunity to enjoy a week aboard one of these luxurious vessels. Chartering a yacht is far less expensive than owning one. Especially if your use of the yacht is scarce. So how much does it really cost to charter a superyacht for a week?

As an example, we will detail the expenses of a charter aboard Lady Carmen, a Hatteras 101′. She sleeps 10 guests, as most charter yachts, and features an on-deck full beam master suite with panoramic views. With a great array of toys and tender, a hot tub on the flybridge and an art deco interior she is one of the most popular charter yachts in the Carribean. 

The first expense when chartering a yacht is the charter fee of course. Lady Carmen is asking $53,000 a week for example. That first expense buys the yacht, the crew and the insurances for a week. Then comes the second major expense, the advance provisioning allowance (APA). Then advance is transferred to the yacht’s captain and will be spent on your docking fees, food, fuel used. That expense may vary depending on the yacht but is usually 30% of the charter fee. If it is not spent entirely by the captain because the guests simply do not engage in many expenses, it is restituted at the end of the charter. 

One of the last expense is the crew gratuity. Representing between 10% to 20% of the charter fee, it is a tip for the crew and the captain. On average that gratuity raises at 15% yet remains at the discretion of the charterer. The final expense is your travel to the yacht and plane tickets to the destination. 

If we recap these numbers, the total to charter a yacht as Lady Carmen in the Carribean raises to about $100,000 for a week for up to 10 guests. While owning a yacht such as Lady Carmen costs far more than the charter, there is a certain interest in chartering. If you are not sure you will be able to use the yacht extensively, chartering is probably your opportunity to enjoy the world of yachting. More than that chartering allows you to change destinations at will and explore the most remote area of the globe in the utmost comfort.