Yacht charter guide: prices, inclusions and booking

In Dubai, yachts are usually hired by the hour. Indicative market prices start from about €150 per hour, or around €1,000 for a full day, for a small boat such as an 11-metre Silvercraft 36 that takes up to 10 guests. Most marinas, including Dubai Marina, Dubai Harbour and Bluewaters, work with a minimum booking of two or three hours.

Price rises mainly with size. A 17–19 m motor yacht such as the Gulf Craft Majesty 56 or Azimut 62 typically starts from €250–300 per hour, a Sunseeker Manhattan 66 from about €400, and large yachts like the Princess 88 or Majesty 100 from €900–1,300 per hour, with three-hour minimums. Full days on those larger yachts start from roughly €6,500–9,500.

Within one size, the final figure depends on the season (October to April is the busiest), weekends and public holidays, and the time slot: sunset cruises are the most requested and are often priced higher. Route length, catering and extras also change the total.

All figures on this site are indicative “from” prices in EUR. Operators in Dubai usually quote in AED, and the exact price, minimum hours and inclusions are set out in the written offer for your date. Use the figures here to set a budget and compare yacht sizes, not as a final quote.

A private charter means the whole yacht is reserved for your group for the agreed time: no other passengers join. On every yacht we offer, a professional captain is part of the charter, and on larger yachts a deckhand or host is usually on board too. Use of the deck areas, cabins, bathrooms and the standard safety equipment is part of the hire.

Beyond that, inclusions differ by yacht and destination. Short hourly cruises often include fuel for a standard route, water and soft drinks, and sometimes basic snorkelling gear or a paddleboard. Full-day and weekly charters more often treat fuel, food, drinks, water toys and marina fees as separate items.

Because there is no single standard, we do not assume anything is included. Every offer we pass on states what the price covers and what is charged separately, so you can compare options on the same basis before you decide.

Yes. Every yacht we offer is chartered with a professional captain, and the captain is included in the charter price. You do not need a licence or any sailing experience. The captain is responsible for navigation and safety, knows the local anchorages and rules, and has the final word on route and weather decisions.

Crew size grows with the yacht. A small boat may have the captain alone, a 15–20 m motor yacht or catamaran usually has one or two crew, and large yachts can carry a host, a deckhand and a cook. Crew wages are normally part of the price, but crew meals on weekly charters and a separate chef can be extra items.

Tips are not usually included. In many destinations a gratuity for good service is customary, especially on weekly charters, but it is always at your discretion and never a condition of the charter. The offer will say clearly if anything crew-related, such as crew meals or a chef, is charged on top.

The most common extra is fuel. On short cruises it is often included for a standard route, but on full days, longer routes and fast motor yachts it may be charged by consumption or as a fixed supplement. Marina, mooring and port fees can also be added, particularly when the route ends in a different harbour.

Weekly charters in the Mediterranean usually add an Advance Provisioning Allowance (APA), often around 25–35% of the charter fee. It is paid in advance and covers fuel, food, drinks and port fees during the trip; the captain keeps receipts, and any unspent balance is normally returned at the end.

Taxes depend on the country. VAT or local charter taxes may be included in the quoted price or added on top; in the UAE, for example, VAT is 5%. Catering, alcohol, decorations, water toys such as jet skis or a Seabob, and transfers are typically priced separately.

Gratuity for the crew is customary in many places and is at your discretion. Because all of this varies by yacht and destination, each offer lists exactly which items are included and which are extra, so you can compare the real total of different yachts rather than only their headline prices.

Start with the guest list. Choose a yacht whose licensed capacity is comfortably above your number, so people can move between the deck, the saloon and the swim platform. For 6–8 guests a 12–15 m motor yacht or catamaran is usually enough; for 15–20 guests look at 17–20 m yachts, and above that at larger motor yachts or gulets.

Then decide on the format. A two- to four-hour sunset cruise suits drinks, cake and photos; a full day leaves time for swimming stops and a proper lunch. If music and dancing matter, a flybridge motor yacht with a good sound system works well; if relaxing and swimming matter more, a catamaran gives more deck space and a steadier ride.

Mention the occasion in your request. Many operators can arrange a cake, decorations, a photographer or catering on request, at extra cost. Ask in advance about rules on alcohol, music volume, confetti and balloons, which differ by marina and yacht.

Every yacht has a licensed maximum number of passengers, and that limit cannot be exceeded. It is not the same as comfort: a boat licensed for 10 will feel full with 10 on board. For a group of 10, a yacht licensed for 12–20 guests, typically a 15–20 m motor yacht or a catamaran, gives everyone space to sit, sunbathe and move around.

Some real examples from our listings: in Dubai, the Gulf Craft Majesty 56 (17.1 m) and Azimut 62 (19.2 m) take up to 20 guests on a day charter. In Phuket, the Sunreef 60 catamaran (18.3 m) takes up to 20 and the Princess 65 (20.2 m) up to 15. In the Maldives, the Lagoon 620 catamaran (18.9 m) takes up to 12.

In much of the Mediterranean, the yachts we list are licensed for up to 12 guests on day charters, so 10 people fit on a Lagoon 42 or 46 catamaran or a 17 m motor yacht such as the Azimut 55. For an overnight trip, sleeping capacity is lower than day capacity, so check the number of cabins.

It depends on the season and the type of charter. In the Mediterranean, the season runs from May to October, with July and August the busiest. Weekly charters on popular yachts for those months are often booked several months ahead, so starting three to six months in advance gives the widest choice.

Day and hourly charters need less notice. Outside peak dates, one to four weeks is usually enough. Weekends, public holidays and sunset slots fill first, as do the high seasons elsewhere: October to April in Dubai, November to April in Phuket and December to April in the Maldives.

Last-minute charters are sometimes possible, especially on weekdays or outside peak season, but availability is never guaranteed. If your dates are fixed, for example for a birthday or a proposal, send the request as early as you can and mention whether the dates are flexible.

Sending a request through our website does not reserve or confirm anything. A booking is confirmed only after you accept a written offer and pay the deposit set by the yacht owner or operator. The charter contract is between you and that operator, and payment goes to them; our website does not take payments.

Deposit size and the balance schedule are the operator's terms. For short charters the deposit is often a large share of the price or the full amount; for weekly charters a common pattern is part at booking and the balance some weeks before departure. Some yachts also ask for a refundable security deposit.

Cancellation rules also come from the operator and are stated in the offer and contract. Usually, the later you cancel, the less is refundable. If the captain or port authority cancels a trip for weather or safety reasons, operators typically offer a new date or a refund, but the exact terms vary, so read them before paying.