Nassau Yacht Charter: Crewed Week or Day Boat?
A Nassau yacht charter is a day boat or a week aboard a crewed yacht. What the yachts based in Nassau charge, which day boats run, where you board and how far the Exumas are.
A Nassau yacht charter can mean two quite different bookings: a private day boat that has you back at the dock by evening, or a crewed yacht you live aboard for a week. Both leave from New Providence, and a search for one turns up the other. A day boat is priced by the day for the whole boat. A crewed yacht is priced by the week, and the captain and chef come with it.
This guide sticks to Nassau: what its day boats publish, what the crewed yachts based here charge, where you board, how far away the Exumas are and when to go. For the other island groups, start with our complete Bahamas charter guide; the Bahamas destination page introduces the islands themselves.
What is a Nassau yacht charter?
A Nassau yacht charter is a private yacht and its crew, booked by the day or by the week from New Providence, the island Nassau sits on. Nassau is also the Bahamas’ largest base for crewed yachts: 57 give it as their winter base, against 11 for every other named Bahamas island combined (Vital Charters listings analysis, October 2026).
Most visitors see Nassau from a cruise ship. The Bahamas had a record 12.5 million visitors in 2025, and 86.5% of them came as cruise passengers (Bahamas Ministry of Tourism, January 2026). A cruise passenger gets a day ashore, while a charter guest sleeps aboard and can wake up at anchor in the Exumas.
Every charter in this guide comes with its own captain, so nobody in your group sails the boat or handles the formalities. A bareboat charter, where you skipper the boat yourself, is a different booking and isn’t covered here.
Day boat or crewed week: which Nassau charter fits?
A Nassau private boat charter by the day fits a group that wants one day on the water and a hotel bed at night. A crewed week fits a group that wants the yacht to be the vacation. The two share a harbor and differ on almost everything else.
| What differs | Private day boat | Crewed yacht week |
|---|---|---|
| Time aboard | A half day, or a full day of about eight hours | A week, the unit the rates are quoted in |
| Where you sleep | Ashore, in your hotel | Aboard, in your own cabin |
| Who is aboard | Your group and a captain, sometimes a mate | Your group, a captain and a chef, and more crew on a motor yacht |
| How far you go | Rose Island and the cays near Nassau, or a long day to the Exumas | The Exuma Cays and beyond, at the pace you set |
| How it’s priced | By the day, for the boat | By the week, for the yacht |
| What sits outside the price | Extra guests, and tax, fuel or the tip on some boats | Bahamas tax and the crew gratuity |
Which companies run day boat charters from Nassau?
Born Free Charters, Seas N’ Cays and Atlantic Yacht Charters each run private day boat charters from Nassau on their own boats and publish a rate on their own website. Each prices the whole boat for a set number of hours, and every boat comes with a captain. They came up when we searched for Nassau boat and yacht charters in October 2026. They’re listed in no particular order, without ratings, and the table gives only what each operator publishes about itself. Agencies that resell other owners’ boats are left out, and so are sportfishing charters.
| Day boat operator | Departs from | Boats | Guest limit | Published private-charter rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Born Free Charters | Paradise Island | Power boats, 31 to 55 feet | 6 to 13, by boat | $1,650 for eight hours on the 31-foot boat, up to six guests; $2,750 on the 55-foot boat for up to ten, then $88 a guest; VAT included |
| Seas N’ Cays | Hurricane Hole Marina, Paradise Island | Power catamarans | 40 at the base rate | $5,175 plus tax for five to eight hours |
| Atlantic Yacht Charters | Bay Street Marina, or Hurricane Hole Marina | 70- and 80-foot catamarans, and a 44-foot Sea Ray | 55 on the catamarans, 12 on the Sea Ray | From $2,000 plus tax on the Sea Ray to from $6,000 on the 80-foot catamaran, for four, six or eight hours |
Each operator’s own website, read 19 October 2026. Rates change, so check before you book.
What does a private day on a Nassau crewed yacht cost?
A private day aboard a Nassau-based crewed yacht costs from $4,800 for five hours on a sailing catamaran to $45,000 for a full day on a motor yacht (Vital Charters listings analysis, October 2026). Twenty-one of the crewed yachts based in Nassau take day guests, and nineteen publish a day rate. The catamarans top out at $9,500 for a day with six to 12 guests. On the motor yachts, which run 65 to 185 feet, a full day (usually eight hours) starts at $10,000, and ten of the twelve ask $15,000 or less.
Most add Bahamas tax, and most of the motor yachts add a crew gratuity too. Five of these day-charter yachts name Rose Island as where they go.
Before getting to costs, see which crewed yachts cruise the Bahamas for a group your size.
What does a crewed yacht charter from Nassau cost?
A crewed yacht charter from Nassau costs about $585 per guest per night on a sailing catamaran and about $1,630 on a motor yacht for a 2026-27 high-season week, provisioning included but before tax and gratuity (Vital Charters rate analysis, October 2026). Power catamarans fall in between, at about $1,040. The hull sets the price.
Most of the catamarans based here are all-inclusive, so the rate covers meals, drinks and fuel for a normal week. The motor yachts quote plus expenses: you pay an advance provisioning allowance on top, and it goes on food, fuel and dockage. The figures here add it in so the two can be compared. Our Bahamas yacht charter prices guide sets every Bahamas cruising ground side by side.
View data table
| Nassau-based crewed yacht | Yachts with a rate | Middle half of weekly rates | Lowest rate | Highest rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sailing catamaran | 10 | $24,625 to $33,725 | $20,000 | $58,013 |
| Power catamaran | 6 | $45,875 to $54,375 | $26,000 | $66,150 |
| Motor yacht | 19 | $79,313 to $167,400 | $74,115 | $371,250 |
Nassau-based crewed yachts with a 2026-27 high-season rate, by hull. All-in asking rates; plus-expenses rates include the provisioning allowance, refunded where unspent. Excludes taxes and crew gratuity. Vital Charters rate analysis, October 2026.
Among the motor yachts, length drives the spread: the four of 130 feet or more that publish a rate all ask over $185,000 a week. At the other end, the smallest Nassau-based catamaran sleeps four, and a couple still charters the whole yacht.
On top of a weekly charter rate, the Bahamas adds its own charges:
What lands on a Bahamas charter invoice in 2026
A Bahamas charter invoice adds 14 percent to the charter fee, 10 percent VAT plus a 4 percent charter tax, and no charter rate includes it. Cruising permits and Exuma park fees come out of the rate or the APA in the vast majority of cases. Budget a customary 15 to 20 percent crew gratuity on top.
| Line item | Typical amount | Who sets it | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| APA (Advance Provisioning Allowance) | None mandatory on all-inclusive catamarans, except a small allowance, usually 5 percent, on about 1 rate in 50. Plus-expenses charters add an APA, typically 30 to 35 percent of the base rate, intended to cover every running fee except government taxes, refunded where unspent | Each yacht’s own charter terms; MYBA publishes the mechanics, not a percentage | Vital Charters APA listings analysis |
| Charter taxes (VAT + charter tax) | 14 percent of the charter fee: 10 percent VAT plus a 4 percent charter tax, billed on top of any rate | Government of The Bahamas | S.I. No. 57 of 2025 |
| Cruising permit and arrival tax | Paid by the yacht from the rate or the APA in the vast majority of cases: its cruising permit, and the per-guest arrival tax if you board in Florida. Bring your passport; the crew handles clearance | Bahamas Customs | Bahamas Customs, Pleasure Vessel Clearance |
| Exuma Cays Land and Sea Park fees | Inside the rate or the APA in the vast majority of cases: $12.73 per extra guest per day, and park entrance at $15 per adult from July 1, 2026 | Bahamas National Trust | BNT, Exuma Park fees |
| Crew gratuity | Customarily 15 to 20 percent of the charter fee in the Caribbean crewed fleet, the band CYBA’s Inclusive Agreement (Clause 2.B) calls the customary rate; MYBA’s 2026 guidelines publish no percentage, and both leave it at your discretion | Custom, written into the CYBA form | CYBA Inclusive Agreement, Clause 2.B (2020) |
Fees verified September 2026.
Which yachts are based in Nassau?
Most crewed yachts based in Nassau are motor yachts: 36 of them, against 12 sailing catamarans and 8 power catamarans, plus one other sailing yacht (Vital Charters listings analysis, October 2026). A private yacht charter from Nassau therefore usually means a motor yacht with four or more crew.
The motor yachts are big: twenty-six of them are 100 feet or longer, and the builders that keep turning up are Azimut, Hargrave, Benetti, Princess and Sunseeker. Eight guests is the most common layout, though many take ten or twelve, and none takes more than 12; the 12-guest rule explains why. Most carry a crew of four to seven.
The catamarans are smaller and newer. Bali built seven of the sailing catamarans, and half the sailing catamarans here date from 2022 or later; every one lists a crew of two, typically a captain and a chef. Power catamarans from Leopard, Lagoon and Horizon sit in the middle, most with three crew.
If you’d rather start from a ready-made list, our ten best crewed yachts in the Bahamas page gives the rates and crew for each one.
Where do Nassau charters leave from?
Nassau charters leave from marinas on both sides of the harbor: Nassau Yacht Haven and Bay Street Marina in Nassau, and Hurricane Hole and Atlantis Marina on Paradise Island (each marina’s own website, October 2026). Bay Street Marina takes yachts up to 500 feet and Hurricane Hole up to 420, so the largest yachts board here too.
Two more marinas sit toward the ends of the island: Albany, on the southwestern end of New Providence, and Palm Cay, on the southeastern side. Palm Cay takes yachts up to 100 feet, so only the smaller yachts board there (each marina’s own website).
Lynden Pindling International Airport is on the western end of New Providence, about 10 miles west of downtown Nassau. Set taxi fares from the airport are $36 to downtown and $45 to Paradise Island, plus a $2 bridge toll (Lynden Pindling International Airport).
The yacht picks the boarding dock and few listings name it, so ask which one when you book and plan your flights around the answer. If you fly in the day before, our guide to the best hotels in Nassau covers where to stay.
Can you charter a yacht from Nassau to the Exumas?
Yes. A boat charter from Nassau to the Exuma Cays and back fits in a crewed week. Highbourne Cay, near the top of the Exuma chain, lies about 35 miles southeast of New Providence (Association of Bahamas Marinas). The crossing takes the first morning, and the days that follow go to the cays.
Sixteen of the Nassau-based yachts name the Exumas in their rate notes (Vital Charters listings analysis, October 2026). The centerpiece is the Exuma Cays Land and Sea Park. “Established in 1958, the Exuma Cays Land and Sea Park is the first marine reserve in The Bahamas and the wider Caribbean” (Bahamas National Trust). Our Exuma Cays charter guide takes the cays stop by stop.
A day boat can reach the Exumas too, but it’s a long day. Born Free Charters publishes a private northern Exumas day from $5,500, VAT included, and one 78-foot Nassau motor yacht prices an eight-hour Exumas day at $12,500 plus a $6,800 delivery fee and expenses. A week aboard spreads the same crossing over seven days. If you’d rather start the week in the middle of the cays, some Nassau-based yachts will meet you farther south for a delivery fee.
The Abacos lie in the other direction, and five of the Nassau-based yachts mention them. A week in the Abacos takes that route instead.
When is the best time for a Nassau yacht charter?
The best time for a Nassau yacht charter is December through February, the driest months: Nassau’s airport station averages 1.70 inches of rain in December, 1.76 in January and 1.90 in February, against 8.66 in June, its wettest month (Bahamas Department of Meteorology, 1991-2020 normals). The Atlantic hurricane season runs from June 1 to November 30 (National Hurricane Center).
Crewed yacht rates in Nassau don’t follow the calendar much. Of the 33 Nassau-based yachts that publish both a high-season and a low-season rate, 23 charge the same for each (Vital Charters rate analysis, October 2026), so choose your weeks by the weather. Christmas and New Year are the exception: several yachts publish a separate, higher holiday rate. For the rest of the region, see how the Caribbean months compare.
The Bahamas Charter Yacht Show, where crews present their yachts to brokers, is set for February 24 to 28, 2027 at four Nassau and Paradise Island marinas, according to the Association of Bahamas Marinas, which runs it. The 2026 show was cancelled (The Tribune, December 2025). If you’re booking the last week of February 2027, ask whether your yacht is showing that week.
How do you book a crewed charter from Nassau?
Booking a crewed charter from Nassau takes five decisions, in this order: group and cabins, dates, a day or a week, yacht and crew, then what the rate includes. Group size and dates rule yachts in or out before price does, so they come first.
- Count guests and cabins. Decide who shares before you look at yachts. Our guide to choosing a yacht size for your group works through it.
- Fix the dates, or a window. A flexible week opens more yachts than a fixed one.
- Choose a day or a week. A day boat needs a hotel; a week aboard needs a route, usually the Exumas.
- Shortlist by crew. Ask for the captain and chef named in each proposal, and confirm they’ll be aboard for your dates.
- Read what the rate includes. Check whether the quote is all-inclusive or plus expenses, and what sits outside it.
Bring a passport for every guest. The Bahamas requires “a valid passport with a minimum of six months validity” and doesn’t accept passport cards (Bahamas Department of Immigration). Our guide to charter entry requirements covers the rest of the paperwork.
A broker can take your shortlist to the agencies that list Nassau’s crewed yachts and quote from the same published rates.
The bottom line
A Nassau yacht charter is either a day on a private boat or a week aboard a crewed yacht, and Nassau stands out for the week. It has more crewed yachts than any other Bahamas base, most of them motor yachts, and the Exumas are a morning’s run away.
Work out your group size, your dates and whether you want a day or a week, then start a yacht search at Vital Charters and we’ll shortlist crewed yachts that fit.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can you charter a yacht in Nassau for one day?
Yes. Private day boats in Nassau take your group out for a half or a full day with a captain, and you sleep ashore. Several of the crewed yachts based in Nassau sell a single day too, with their own crew aboard. For the wider Caribbean, see our answer on chartering a yacht for one day.
Who offers yacht charters in Nassau?
Two kinds of firm. Day charters come from operators that run their own boats, like the three in the day-boat table above. Crewed weeks come through the 28 firms that list the crewed yachts based in Nassau, and none lists more than 12 of them (Vital Charters listings analysis, October 2026). The Bahamas yacht charter companies directory names the firms that run crewed charters across the islands, and a broker can quote across all of them at once.
Do you need a passport for a yacht charter from Nassau?
Yes. Every guest flying into Nassau needs a passport book, US citizens included, and a US passport card won’t get you back into the United States by air (US Customs and Border Protection). You clear immigration at the airport, and a week that stays in the Bahamas has no border to cross after that.
Do you need a boating license to charter a yacht in Nassau?
No. Every day boat and crewed yacht in this guide comes with its own captain, so you don’t need a boating license or any experience at the helm. You choose the beaches and the pace, and the captain and crew run the boat.
Is a yacht charter from Nassau all-inclusive?
Most catamaran charters from Nassau are all-inclusive, and most motor yacht charters quote plus expenses. On a plus-expenses yacht the captain spends the provisioning allowance as the week goes and refunds whatever is left, so the final bill follows how your group eats, drinks and cruises. Bahamas tax and the crew gratuity sit outside both.
Can you charter a yacht from Nassau for three days?
Yes, though it isn’t offered on every yacht. Some Nassau-based catamarans publish rates by the night; one 56-foot catamaran prices three nights for two guests at $18,000, all-inclusive before tax and gratuity. Others take a short charter at a prorated share of the weekly rate. Our answer on what a 3-day yacht charter costs covers the arithmetic.
A crewed week from Nassau, Exumas and all
Tell us your group size and dates, and we’ll shortlist crewed yachts based in Nassau that fit, with what each week includes.
