What’s the Difference Between a Bareboat, Skippered, and Crewed Catamaran Charter?

A bareboat catamaran charter rents you the boat alone, a skippered charter adds a professional captain, and a crewed charter adds a full team of captain and private chef, who run the entire trip. Bareboat means proving competence first. Charter companies want an ICC, an ASA 104, or a convincing sailing resume, and the client handles all navigation, anchoring, and cooking. A skippered charter puts a licensed pro at the helm while guests still provision and cook for themselves. Crewed is the hands-off tier: meals, bar, water toys, and the day-to-day itinerary are managed for you, typically at $25,000 to $65,000 per week all-inclusive in the Caribbean. The money works differently too. All-inclusive and bareboat pricing follow very different rules.