How to rent a yacht? A step by step guide
Step 1: Choose a destination to rent a yacht
The most important part when renting a yacht is to pick the right destination. I can say that this is even more important than the yacht itself.
So the big question is, where can I rent a yacht?
The answer is simply everywhere :) There is yacht available for private charter even in the north pole. Here are the main yacht charter destinations:
- The Mediterranean
- The Caribbean, Central America & The Bahamas
- South Asia
- Australia & South Pacific
- Other places such as the north or south pole
Want to know which one of these destinations is the best for you?
Here is a brief overview of each of them.
The Mediterranean
When it comes to yacht rentals, the Mediterranean is the most popular place on earth. You can easily spot a yacht when walking anywhere in Monaco, Ibiza, or Santorini. Most of the yachts are located of course, on the European side of the Mediterranean. Here are some of the best countries to consider:
Main highlights in France
- French Riviera coastline
- Monaco
- Pine-edged coves of Porquerolles
- The Côte D’Azur
Top Highlights in Italy
- Italian Riviera
- The Italian coast
- Beautiful fishing villages
- Rome
- The coast of Puglia
- Venice
- Sicily
- Sardinia
- Capri
Things to see in Spain
- The Balearic islands
- Medieval villages
- Tapas bars
- Michelin star restaurants
- Barcelona
Places to visit in Greece
- Volcanic islands of Santorini and Mykonos
- Kefalonia’s limestone coast
- The Byzantine and Venetian architecture of Corfu
- Zakynthos
- The Dodecanese Islands
- The Aegean Islands and the Northern Sporades
- Ionian Islands
- Cyclades Islands
- Dodecanese Islands
Places to see in Turkey
- Private beach of Cleopatra
- Bodrum
- Marmaris
- Bay of Ekincek
- Kekova
- Kas
- Turkbuku
- Yalikavak
- Datca
- Knidos
- Gokova
- Gocek
- Fethiye
- Kalkan
Top places in Montenegro
- Kotor
- Tivat
- Marina Porto Montenegro
The Caribbean and Central America
Best places to visit in Caribbean
- Leeward Islands
- Havana
- Virgin Islands
- Barbados
- Jamaica
- Volcanic Martinique
- St. Barths
- The Grenadine Islands
- The Bahamas
- Windward Islands
- Greater Antilles
There are yachts available in Central America
- Mexico
- Costa Rica
- Panama
South East Asia
Thailand
- Dive spots of Koh Samui and Koh Tao
- Koh Phangan
- Phuket
- The emerald islands of the Ang Thong National Marine Park
- Koh Tao
- Forests of Krabi
Indonesia
- Bali
- Sumatra
- Kalimantan and Sulawesi
- Raja Ampat
- Komod National Park
- Anambas Islands
- The Maluku islands
- Flores islands
South Pacific, Australia & New Zealand
South Pacific
- French Polynesia
- Fiji
- Bora Bora
- Cook Islands
- Tahiti
- Tonga Vanuatu
Australia
- The Kimberley region
- Sydney
- The Gold coast
- The Great Barrier Reef
- Perth
- The Whitsunday island
New Zealand
- Rotoroa
- Maori culture
- Marlborough Sounds region
The Indian Ocean
Seychelles
- Mahé
- St. Anne on Praslin island
- Lively coral reefs La Digue and Silhouette
- Valée De Mai
- La Digue island
Maldives
- Africa Banks
- Dhigurah island
- Kuda Bando’s tropical forest
North America
New England
- Newport
- Nantucket and Martha’s Vineyard gallery
- Great history
Alaska
- Alaska’s Inside Passage
- Majestic mountains
- The Mendenhall Glacier near Juneau
- Frederick Sound (where you can see whales)
Northern Europe
The Baltic
United Kingdom
Arctica & Antarctica
Arctic
- Norway
- Finland
- Greenland
- Iceland
- Alaska
- Arctic Canada
- Northwest Passage
Antarctica
- King George Island
- The Antarctic Peninsula
- South Georgia
- Port Lockroy
- Deception Island
Step 2: Define your rental budget - How much does it cost to rent a yacht?
Yacht charter vacation is more known for the ultra-wealthy people. Some charter prices are extremely high. But also, the charter prices can be cheaper than a week on a cruise ship for a family of four.
Type of yacht charters to consider
Bareboat
It is also renting a boat but without the crew. So you need to hire a skipper or a crew. And pay for everything needed for the cruise including the fuel, food, and other expenses.
The charter price for a bareboat start from around € 1.500 per week in some places even less.
Cabin charter
This option is very similar to cruising. You just rent a cabin and share the yacht with other people on board for a week. Usually, cabin charter prices include the half board and some even the drinks. The price ranges from € 800 up to € 5.000 per person.
Crewed yacht charter
This is what most people want when they are searching for a yacht to rent. Here you get a yacht with the crew. There is usually a captain, chef de cuisine, hand deck, waiter, sailor, housekeeping, and more. Usually, you get at least 3 members (captain, deckhand, and chef). Some ultra-luxury yachts can even have 16 members. The charter price includes the fuel, the crew service, and most of the amenities onboard. You pay as extra the meals, drinks, and ports taxes. The price starts from € 5.000 per week for a small yacht and it can get up to € 1M per week for mega-yachts.
Factors that affect the yacht rental prices
When the best to book a yacht Early booking vs last minute
It depends, sometimes it pays out if you book last minute and you can get an extremely good deal. But, this is very rare because the best yachts get booked very fast and early. So if you want to book a nice high-quality yacht, it is always recommended to book early. Some yachts get fully booked a year in advance.
The Destination
The destination can affect the charter price. Sometimes, you find some yachts that are available in different destinations for a different price. Some countries have higher VAT and expenses and this is also one of the main reasons why the price varies from one country to another.
Seasonality
Every area or destination has a higher and lower season. And the price varies according to the seasonalities. Here are the main seasons in some of the most popular destinations:
- Mediterranean:
High-season: July & August
Low-season: May, June, September, October
- Caribbean:
High season: December to April
Low season: May to December
Some countries the price depends also on the area where you want to cruise like Indonesia, the price is not the same if you cruise in the Raja Ampat area of the Komodo National park area.
Amenities on board
The amenities are a big factor when it comes to the price. It is normal that the yachts with a larger range of amenities are more popular and getting more inquiries then the others. Which directly affects the charter price. Some of the amenities onboard: water sports toys, water slider, and even sauna on some.
Step 3: Choosing the right yacht to charter
Here are the main types of yachts that you can rent with some examples:
Motor yachts
These are the most high-end types of yacht. They are the most popular and for the highest price.
Here are our 2 favourite motor yachts we recommend:
- Utopia
- Mustique
Expedition yachts
Designed to cruise all over the world. These types of boats go especially to more demanding areas such as the north or south pole.
Our recommendations:
- Highlander
- Sea Gull 2
- Romanca
- Cesarica
Classic yachts
These types of yachts are usually large and offer a lot of outdoor and indoor space. An authentic cruising experience.
Our recommended classic yachts:
Open yachts
The main characteristics are the performance and high speed.
Catamarans
Known with its two parallel hulls. Offers acceptable space compared to some sailing yachts.
Sport fisher
These motor yachts are built for fishing and long exploring.
Gulets
One of the most popular types of wooden yachts. A combination of sailing and cruising.
Our favorite gulets:
- Meira
- Mare Nostrum
- Lady Gita
- Halcon Del Mar
Step 4: Planning the yacht charter vacation
After picking the right boat to rent, it is time to start planning what you will do during the holiday. Usually, this is the work of the agent with whom you booked. But to have the most of your vacation you will need these things:
Things to do during your yachting vacation
There are 100s of things you can do every day during your holiday. All you need to do is, pick the right ones for you. Here are some of the best activities to consider during a yacht charter vacation:
- Swimming on secluded bays
- Spending the night anchoring away from it all
- Snorkeling on a crystal-clear sea
- Visit some national parks
- Explore small fishing villages
- Kayaking around isles
- Water skiing
- Explore under the water with a sea-bob
- Try some fishing activities
- Having a glass of champagne on the jacuzzi
- Jumping from the boat in the freshwater early in the morning
- Visit some charming coastal villages
Places to see and visit
After knowing what to do, you will need to know where you want to go. You don’t need a big knowledge of the destination. That you can let the agent since he is an expert. But you need to know if you are more for remote places such as small fishing villages and isles where there is almost no one. Or you are more for city exploring and want to visit the biggest cities on each destination. Some others prefer a culture tour where they visit the most important archeological sites. Or others they like partying every night so they want to go where it is the more vivid nightlife. Or you can have a mixture of it all. It is all up to you!
Handcrafting an itinerary
After knowing what to do and where you want to go, all you need to do is tell that to the agent and also if you have in mind from where you want to start the cruise and if you have some special places you want to visit.
The agent will take all that and with the captain, they will handcraft an itinerary tailored to all your wishes.
Step 5: Paperwork and payment of the vacation
The payment of the charter price is usually done on two parts:
You pay 50% of the charter price when you confirm your booking.
The other 50% + A.P.A. you pay a month and a half before your vacation.
What is A.P.A.: Advance Provisioning Allowance: It is calculated as 30% of the charter price.
This amount will be used to cover expenses during the cruise such as food and beverages, port and marina fees, fuel for tender and wave runner, transfers to/from the yacht, National Park entrances, and all other costs not specified as included.
A.P.A is paid by the Client in addition to the charter fee for all relevant costs for the vessel that are not included in the charter fee. If A.P.A does not cover complete costs, the Client will pay exceeding the amount on board in cash. If costs made on charter are less than the amount is given as A.P.A, the amount that was not spent will be returned to the Client at the end of the voyage.
A.P.A does not include a tip for the crew.
Before paying the first half, you should get the contract including all the details of the vacation.
After paying the second half, you get the official invoice and voucher and documents needed for the cruise.
There are a few things that need to be done as well, like the preference lists where you add your wishes about the food and drinks. And the passenger list where you add the name and surname and document number of all the passengers with you.
After all that it is just fun. More these 5 steps are done correctly more you will have a holiday of a lifetime.
