What is the difference between a yacht charter and a cruise?

A yacht charter is a private boat with a private crew; a cruise is a hotel with 2,000 strangers. On a charter, the guest list is the people who booked. The menu is built from the preference sheet sent six weeks ahead. The itinerary changes on the morning the guests ask the captain to change it. There are no buffet lines, no muster drills, no overhead announcements, no formal-night dress codes. Costs land in different brackets: a Caribbean cruise averages $200–$400 per person per night, all-in. A charter catamaran for eight runs roughly $700–$1,200 per person per night, all-in. Charter buys privacy, custom food, and a short list of anchorages. Cruises buy capacity. Caribbean charter options sit on the opposite end of the travel spectrum from cruise ships.