How Much Does a Yacht Charter Cost Per Day?
Crewed catamarans cost $2,400–$18,600/day while motor yachts run $3,700–$30,000+/day. See real daily rates by size and market, and why destination barely moves the rate.
Last Updated: September 7, 2026
A crewed catamaran charter in the Caribbean costs $2,400–$18,600 per day depending on size, while a crewed motor yacht runs $3,700–$30,000+ per day.
Every charter site quotes weekly rates. Nobody breaks it down by day. That’s a problem, because the yacht charter cost per day is the number that actually helps you compare chartering to other luxury vacations, and it reveals how different catamarans and motor yachts really are.
If you’re exploring charter costs for the first time, the weekly numbers can feel abstract. This guide converts everything to daily rates, separates catamarans from motor yachts at every price point, and shows you the true all-in cost, including the expenses most sites leave out.
What Does a Crewed Catamaran Cost Per Day?
A crewed catamaran costs $2,400 to $3,400 a day at 45 to 50 feet, $4,300 to $6,400 at 55 to 62 feet, and $9,300 to $18,600 above 65 feet, all-inclusive (Vital Charters rate analysis, September 2026). It is the most accessible price point in crewed charter, and the segment is growing: Caribbean catamaran bookings rose 15% year-over-year in 2024 (Mordor Intelligence, 2025). Here’s what the daily numbers look like across three size tiers, all based on current BVI market rates. For most groups of eight, it costs less to charter a yacht in the BVI on a catamaran than on a comparable motor yacht.
| Yacht Type | Size | Daily Cost (Base ÷ 7) | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Catamaran | 45–50 ft | $2,400–$3,400 | Vital Charters rate analysis, 2026 |
| Catamaran | 55–62 ft | $4,300–$6,400 | Vital Charters rate analysis, 2026 |
| Catamaran | 65 ft+ (luxury) | $9,300–$18,600 | Vital Charters rate analysis, 2026 |
| Motor Yacht | 60–80 ft | $3,700–$5,000 | Vital Charters rate analysis, 2026 |
| Motor Yacht | 80–100 ft | $6,500–$16,000 | Vital Charters rate analysis, 2026 |
| Motor Yacht | 100 ft+ | $15,000–$30,000+ | Vital Charters rate analysis, 2026 |
45–50 ft catamaran: $17,000–$24,000/week = $2,400–$3,400/day. These are typically Lagoon 42s, Bali 4.4s, or Leopard 45s with a crew of two. Four cabins, comfortable for 6–8 guests. At $425/person/day for a group of 8, this is the entry point for crewed Caribbean chartering, and it’s already cheaper per-person than most luxury all-inclusive resorts.
55–62 ft catamaran: $30,000–$45,000/week = $4,300–$6,400/day. The sweet spot of the market. Lagoon 55s, Fountaine Pajot 59s, and Leopard 50s. Larger cabins, more deck space, often a crew of three including a dedicated chef. At $540–$800/person/day for 8 guests, you’re getting a private chef, premium provisioning, and a genuinely spacious yacht. For more on what each tier includes, see our luxury catamaran price guide.
65 ft+ luxury catamaran: $65,000–$130,000/week = $9,300–$18,600/day. These are Sunreef 80s, HH Catamarans, and custom builds. Crew of four or more. Stabilization systems, hot tubs, extensive water toy inventories. For a comparison of the top catamaran brands, check our Charter Kings series.
What Does a Crewed Motor Yacht Cost Per Day?
A crewed motor yacht costs $3,700 to $5,000 a day at 60 to 80 feet and $15,000 to $30,000 or more above 100 feet, before expenses (Vital Charters rate analysis, September 2026). Motor yachts take 57.5% of global charter revenue (Mordor Intelligence, 2025), though in the Caribbean it is catamarans that dominate crewed charter. The pricing model differs too. Motor yachts here almost always use the MYBA plus-expenses model rather than the all-inclusive model common on catamarans.
That distinction drives the daily cost. A motor yacht’s base rate is only part of the story. You’ll add 30–40% for APA (Advance Provisioning Allowance), plus 15–20% for crew gratuity, plus destination taxes. A catamaran’s all-inclusive rate, by contrast, typically bundles food, fuel, and standard bar into the base price.
60–80 ft motor yacht: $20,000–$25,000/week base = $2,857–$3,571/day before APA and gratuity. Add 35% APA and 17.5% gratuity and you’re at roughly $4,400–$5,500/day true all-in (Vital Charters rate analysis, 2026). Crew of 3–4. These compete head-to-head with large catamarans on price but offer a different experience, air-conditioned interior living vs. outdoor deck life.
80–100 ft motor yacht: $35,000–$80,000/week base = $5,000–$11,429/day before extras. True all-in runs $7,600–$17,400/day. Crew of 5–7. This is where the motor yacht experience separates from catamarans entirely, multiple living zones, formal dining, professional service crew, stabilizers for open-water comfort.
100 ft+ superyacht: $80,000–$500,000+/week base = $11,400–$71,400+/day before extras. At this level, the per-day number becomes less about comparison and more about what experience you want. Jacuzzis, beach clubs, tenders, jet skis, and a crew-to-guest ratio that approaches 1:1. For a size-by-size breakdown, see our charter cost by size guide.
Our observation: First-time charterers almost always underestimate the cost gap between a catamaran and a motor yacht of similar length. A 60-foot catamaran and a 60-foot motor yacht are not comparable experiences, and they’re not comparable prices. The catamaran costs roughly half, runs all-inclusive, and burns a fraction of the fuel. If you’re choosing between the two, start with our catamaran vs. motor yacht comparison.
Want a daily rate on a specific boat? Search crewed yachts by destination, guests, and yacht type, then request an exact quote.
What’s the True All-In Daily Cost?
The base charter fee is only 65–80% of what you’ll actually spend, depending on whether your yacht uses an all-inclusive or plus-expenses (MYBA) pricing model (MYBA). Here’s what the real daily numbers look like when you add everything.
Example 1: 55 ft crewed catamaran, BVI, all-inclusive
- Base: $35,000/week = $5,000/day
- Gratuity (17.5%): $6,125/week = $875/day
- BVI taxes: 0%
- True daily cost: $5,875 ($734/person/day for 8 guests)
Example 2: 90 ft motor yacht, Bahamas, plus-expenses
- Base: $55,000/week = $7,857/day
- APA (35%): $19,250/week = $2,750/day
- Gratuity (20%): $11,000/week = $1,571/day
- Bahamas taxes (14%): $7,700/week = $1,100/day
- True daily cost: $13,278 ($1,660/person/day for 8 guests)
The catamaran costs 56% less per day: and that gap comes from three factors: smaller vessel (lower base rate), all-inclusive pricing (no APA surprise), and dramatically lower fuel consumption under sail. For a deeper look at all-inclusive vs. plus-expenses pricing, see our all-inclusive vs. bareboat pricing guide.
How Does Destination Affect Daily Cost?
Barely at all, on the rate itself. The median high-season week for a crewed catamaran lands within about 5 percent of the same number in every Caribbean market we list: $32,000 in the BVI (n=252), $32,463 in the Windwards (n=108), $32,000 in the Leewards (n=118), $31,000 in the USVI (n=129) and $31,000 in the Bahamas (n=34) (Vital Charters rate analysis, September 2026). What moves your daily cost between destinations is tax, not the charter rate.
The Bahamas is the clearest case. Its base rate is the lowest of the five and its landed cost is the highest, because 14 percent in charter taxes is added on top (Government of The Bahamas). The BVI and the USVI add no charter tax at all.
Here is that median week carried through to a true daily figure, with a 17.5 percent crew gratuity:
| Destination | Weekly Rate | Daily Rate | Taxes | True Daily (with gratuity) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| USVI | $31,000 | $4,429 | None | $5,204 |
| BVI | $32,000 | $4,571 | None | $5,371 |
| Windwards / Grenadines | $32,463 | $4,638 | Varies by island | $5,449 before island tax |
| Bahamas | $31,000 | $4,429 | 14% | $5,824 |
Median weekly rate, the daily figure derived from it, and the true daily with gratuity and any charter tax added (Vital Charters rate analysis, September 2026). The cheapest landed week in the region is the USVI, not the BVI, and the gap between them is $167 a day. The Bahamas runs about 8 percent above the BVI, not the 20 to 30 percent this comparison is usually given as. The BVI’s real advantage is inventory: it holds the largest concentration of crewed yachts anywhere in the Caribbean, which buys you a choice of boat rather than a lower price.
Our observation: Clients who price the Bahamas against the BVI usually expect the gap to decide it, and it rarely does. On a median catamaran week the landed difference is about $3,165, which is less than the airfare difference for most groups flying from the US. Choose the Exumas because you want the Exumas.
Bottom line: Destination barely moves the charter rate. Median high-season catamaran weeks sit between $31,000 and $32,463 across all five Caribbean markets, a spread under 5 percent (Vital Charters rate analysis, September 2026). The Bahamas lands about 8 percent higher because it charges 14 percent in charter tax, and the USVI lands cheapest because it charges none.
How Does Season Affect Daily Cost?
Less than almost anyone expects. Of 522 Caribbean yachts publishing both a high-season and a low-season rate, 280 quote the identical number in both, and catamarans are the least likely of any hull to move at 74 percent flat (Vital Charters rate analysis, September 2026). The daily cost of a given catamaran in June is usually the daily cost of that same catamaran in February.
Two parts of the calendar genuinely do move:
- Christmas and New Year. Of the 27 yachts publishing a separate festive rate, every one prices it above its own high season, by a median of 12 percent, with the middle half between 9 and 15 percent. The window runs roughly December 20 to January 3.
- Promotional specials. These sit outside the rate card entirely. At the time of writing 65 of 635 Caribbean and Bahamas yachts carry a live offer, a median of 10 percent off, clustered in the April-to-August and November-to-December windows (Vital Charters listings analysis, September 2026).
So flexible dates are still worth having, just for a different reason than the one usually given. They let you take whichever boat is running an offer that month, rather than moving a fixed boat to a cheaper week that does not exist.
Our observation: The first two weeks of December are the most underrated slot on the Caribbean calendar. The trade winds have settled, the festive premium has not started, and the boats that discount at all are still holding their autumn number. It is the one date change that reliably pays, and it costs you nothing in weather.
How Does Yacht Charter Cost Per Day Compare to Other Luxury Vacations?
A crewed catamaran costs $425–$625 per person per day for a group of 8, roughly the same as a mid-tier all-inclusive resort, but with a private vessel, personal crew, and a new anchorage every morning. Here’s how it stacks up:
| Vacation Type | Per Person / Day | Includes |
|---|---|---|
| Crewed 50 ft catamaran (BVI) | $425–$625 | Yacht, crew, meals, drinks, water toys, itinerary |
| Luxury all-inclusive resort | $500–$1,200 | Room, meals, drinks, pool, beach |
| Villa rental + private chef | $400–$800 | Villa, chef, groceries (no activities) |
| Small ship luxury cruise | $800–$2,000 | Cabin, meals, port stops (shared vessel) |
| Crewed 90 ft motor yacht | $1,250–$1,900 | Yacht, crew, meals, drinks, water toys, all expenses |
A crewed catamaran charter for 8 guests costs roughly the same per person as a mid-tier all-inclusive resort, but you get a private vessel, a personal crew, a custom itinerary, and a new anchorage every morning. No shared pool. No buffet line. For a deeper comparison, see our charter vs. luxury resort breakdown, or price a week yourself.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is it cheaper to charter a catamaran or a motor yacht?
Catamarans are cheaper at every comparable size, and the gap widens once expenses are counted. A 55 to 62 ft crewed catamaran costs roughly $4,300–$6,400 a day all-inclusive, with nothing further to add but the crew gratuity. A 60 to 80 ft motor yacht lists at $3,700–$5,000 a day, but that is before a 30 to 40 percent advance provisioning allowance and gratuity, which is what turns a lower headline number into a higher final one.
What’s included in the daily charter cost?
On an all-inclusive catamaran: the yacht, captain, chef, meals, standard bar, fuel, mooring fees, and water toys. On a plus-expenses motor yacht: only the yacht and crew, food, fuel, marina fees, and extras are billed through APA. Crew gratuity (15–20%) is separate on both models.
Can I charter for less than a full week?
Some yachts offer 3–5 day charters, typically during shoulder season or for repositioning trips. The daily rate on a short charter is usually 10–20% higher than the weekly rate divided by 7. Ask your broker about availability: shorter trips are becoming more common, especially in the BVI.
Is a Bahamas charter more expensive than the BVI?
Yes, but not for the reason usually given, and by less. Base rates are not higher: the median Bahamas catamaran week is $31,000 against $32,000 in the BVI (Vital Charters rate analysis, September 2026). The whole difference is the 14 percent charter tax the Bahamas applies and the BVI does not (Government of The Bahamas). On a $35,000 charter that is $41,125 all-in in the BVI against $46,025 in the Bahamas, a gap of about 12 percent on that week.
How much should I budget total for a week-long charter?
For a crewed catamaran in the BVI: budget your base rate + 17.5% gratuity. For a motor yacht in the Bahamas: budget base rate + 35% APA + 20% gratuity + 14% taxes. Our hidden fees guide covers every line item you might encounter.
Bottom line: The yacht charter cost per day for a crewed Caribbean catamaran runs $2,400–$18,600 depending on size, while a motor yacht runs $3,700–$30,000+ per day before APA and gratuity. Per person for a group of 8, that is $425–$625 a day on a catamaran, comparable to a luxury all-inclusive resort but with a private vessel, personal crew and a new anchorage every morning. Destination barely changes the rate: the five Caribbean markets sit within 5 percent of each other, and the Bahamas lands about 8 percent higher only because of its 14 percent charter tax (Vital Charters rate analysis, September 2026).
Rates sourced from published 2025–2026 charter listings and verified March 2026. Contact Vital Charters for current availability and pricing.
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