WRITTEN BY
Libby Megson
CATEGORY
Insights
READ TIME
7 min read
EXPERIENCE LEVEL
First-time charterers
Chartering a private yacht is one of the most extraordinary holidays you can take but if you’ve never done it before, the process can feel opaque. Here’s everything you need to know, from picking the right yacht to what actually happens on the day.
A private crew, an ever-changing view from the deck, anchorages that no hotel could ever replicate, a yacht charter is a genuinely different way of seeing the world. But the market is complex, the terminology unfamiliar, and the price structures unlike anything you’ll have encountered before. Here’s how to navigate it.
01
Understand what you’re actually paying for
The headline charter rate covers the yacht and crew only. You’ll also pay an APA (Advance Provisioning Allowance) of around 25–35% for fuel, food, drinks and harbour fees – plus VAT and a crew gratuity of 10–15%. A good broker makes all of this transparent from day one.
Life aboard – what to expect on a crewed charter
Arriving at an anchorage by tender
02
Choose the right type of yacht
Motor or sailing? Size? Layout? This is where a broker’s expertise is worth its weight. The right yacht depends on your group, your destination, and how you like to holiday. Don’t get fixated on size, a well-run smaller yacht with exceptional crew will always outperform a larger one with a mediocre team.
03
Always use a broker
The charter market has thousands of yachts at any price point across dozens of destinations. A broker navigates this on your behalf and crucially, their fee is paid by the yacht owner, not you. Expert advice at no extra cost. There’s genuinely no reason not to use one.
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The best charters are the ones where you stop checking the clock entirely and trust that everything is already taken care of.
04
Plan your itinerary – but stay flexible
Your captain will build a route around your interests, the weather, and the time of year. But the real joy of a charter is the freedom to change it. If you want to stay in a bay another night, you stay. The itinerary is a starting point, not a schedule.
The kind of anchorage you simply can’t reach any other way
05
Pack far less than you think
Light layers, swimwear, good sunscreen, a sun hat, and non-marking deck shoes. Cabins are comfortable but compact. Most yachts provide towels and basic toiletries. Leave the formal wear at home, the Riviera doesn’t do overdressed, it does effortless.
06
Let go of the schedule
First-time charterers frequently tell us the reality exceeded everything they’d imagined. What catches people off guard is how quickly it becomes the only way they want to holiday. Come with an open mind, trust your crew, and let go of the schedule. That’s the whole point.