Crewed sailing yacht with captain at the helm passing The Baths at Virgin Gorda in the BVI, the chef preparing lunch on the aft deck, Borrow A Boat Caribbean captained yacht charter

Caribbean yacht charter with crew

Charter a yacht in the Caribbean and the crew comes with it. The captain runs the boat, the chef and hostess handle meals and provisioning, and you and your group spend the week on Painkillers at the Soggy Dollar, beach lunches in Anegada and slow drifts down the Sir Francis Drake Channel. Sailboats, catamarans and motor yachts across the BVI, USVI, Bahamas, Grenadines, Antigua and Belize.

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Frequently asked questions about Caribbean yacht charter with crew

How does a Caribbean yacht charter with crew work for a US-based group?
You book the yacht and the crew together for a Saturday-to-Saturday week. You fly into the home port (Tortola via Beef Island airport for the BVI, St Thomas for the USVI, Nassau for the Bahamas, Antigua for Antigua, St Lucia for the southern arc), meet the captain at the marina on Saturday afternoon, agree a rough route, and sail. The captain runs the boat, the chef cooks breakfast and lunch on board, the hostess handles provisioning and books dinner reservations ashore. The captain handles customs and immigration on inter-island legs.
How much does a Caribbean yacht charter with crew cost in USD?
A crewed sailing catamaran for 4 to 6 guests starts around USD 12,000 to 22,000 per week. A crewed sailboat runs slightly less; a 60 to 80ft motor yacht runs USD 35,000 plus per week. On top of the boat fee, the APA (advance provisioning allowance) is 25 to 35 percent of the boat price and covers fuel, food, drinks, dockage and customs fees during the week. A captain and crew tip of 5 to 10 percent at the end of the charter is customary in the Caribbean.
When should a US group book a Caribbean crewed yacht charter?
For Christmas and New Year dates, book at least a year ahead; the most popular boats sell out 12 to 18 months out. For Spring Break in March, book by the prior summer. For December (the quietest sweet spot) and April (the gentlest sailing window), 6 to 9 months ahead is usually fine. The Caribbean charter season runs roughly mid-November to late April; outside that window most of the fleet relocates or hauls out for hurricane season.
Do guests need a US sailing license, USCG endorsement or boater card for a Caribbean crewed charter?
No, guests do not need any sailing license, US Coast Guard endorsement, state boater card, ICC or local equivalent. The captain is the licensed master of the vessel for the entire charter and carries every certificate the local maritime authority requires.
How is the BVI different from the USVI for a US charter group?
The USVI is US territory: no passport check returning to the US, USD as currency, US cell coverage. The BVI is a separate British Overseas Territory: passport required, separate customs and immigration on entry and exit, but the cruising grounds are the gold standard for crewed charter in the Caribbean (largest fleet, shortest passages, the densest concentration of beach bars and restaurants). Many groups split the week BVI and USVI, depending on flight routing and passport preferences.
What about hurricane season in the Caribbean?
The official Atlantic hurricane season runs June 1 to November 30. Most of the Caribbean crewed fleet relocates south or hauls out, and we do not run charters in hurricane-exposed islands during that window. Grenada and Trinidad sit south of the historical hurricane track and run a shoulder-season schedule. The main Caribbean charter season (mid-November to late April) is outside hurricane season.
How big a group can a Caribbean crewed yacht charter take?
Crewed catamarans typically take 4 to 10 guests in 3 to 5 cabins. Crewed sailboats take 4 to 8. Motor yachts in the 60 to 80ft range take 8 to 12 guests. Larger motor yachts (90ft plus) take more, with additional crew. For groups above 12, get in touch and we will quote larger crewed motor yachts; the Caribbean does not have a gulet equivalent of the Mediterranean for that group size.
What is the APA and why is it different from how cruise ships and all-inclusives work?
APA stands for advance provisioning allowance. Unlike a cruise or all-inclusive where everything is rolled into one price, the APA is a Caribbean-standard practice: you pay 25 to 35 percent of the boat price up front, the captain and chef spend it during the week on fuel, food, drinks, dockage and customs fees, and you settle the balance (back to you or owed) on the last day. It works well in practice and gives the captain flexibility to adjust the route without prepaying every line item. Your country specialist can walk through the math before booking.

Caribbean yacht charter with crew: a week in the islands, USD pricing, the boat and crew handle the rest

American charter guests who have done the Caribbean by cruise ship or all-inclusive tend to be surprised by how different the private-yacht version is. A Caribbean yacht charter with crew is a private boat with a captain, a chef and a hostess on board for the week, anchored in a different bay every night, with the dinghy as your shore vehicle. The captain runs the boat and the inter-island customs paperwork. The chef cooks breakfasts and lunches on board (Caribbean fish, local produce, no shortage of rum punch); dinners ashore are the cultural pattern, and the hostess handles reservations. You pick the country and the boat. We cover the British Virgin Islands, the US Virgin Islands, the Bahamas, Antigua, St Lucia, the Grenadines, Martinique, Guadeloupe, Grenada and Belize. The BVI is by a wide margin the largest fleet and the easiest first Caribbean charter for a US group.

Caribbean yacht charter with crew, key facts

Detail What to expect
Crew on board Captain, chef and hostess on most yachts; deckhands and engineers on larger motor yachts
US sailing license required? No, the captain holds every certificate the local maritime authority requires
Top home ports Tortola (Road Town, Nanny Cay), Charlotte Amalie (USVI), Nassau, Le Marin (Martinique), Falmouth Harbour (Antigua), Marigot Bay (St Lucia)
Charter length Saturday to Saturday, with longer charters available on larger yachts
Boat options Catamarans (the dominant Caribbean crewed type), sailboats and motor yachts
Best season Mid-November through late April; busiest at Christmas, New Year and US Spring Break, quietest in December and after Easter
Group size 4 to 10 guests on most catamarans; 8 to 12 on motor yachts

Why book a Caribbean crewed yacht charter, especially as a US group

  • The BVI is the easiest first private-yacht week: short hops, every anchorage protected, English-speaking, US dollars accepted everywhere, no provisioning runs, no docking learning curve. The Sir Francis Drake Channel runs the length of the chain and most days you sail it on the beam.
  • The Caribbean season is your winter: December to April is when the Med fleet is hauled out and the Caribbean is at peak. Christmas through New Year is the most expensive week of the year and books a year ahead; Spring Break in March is the second peak.
  • USVI is the no-passport-hop option: St Thomas, St John and St Croix are US territory, no passport check returning from a charter that stays inside USVI waters. The cruising grounds overlap directly with the BVI for groups who want both.
  • The chef does the work the cruise-ship buffet pretends to do: a private chef builds the menu around the markets at every island, knows the local rum, and handles dietary restrictions without it being a thing.
  • No license required for any guest: the captain is the licensed master of the vessel for the week. Nobody on board needs a US Coast Guard endorsement, state boater card, ICC, or anything else.
Captain's Insider Tip: "If you have done the Caribbean only by cruise ship, the private-yacht week is a different product. Cruise ships dock in Charlotte Amalie or Bridgetown and unload three thousand people for six hours. A crewed yacht spends the night at anchor in White Bay or Cooper Island or Mayreau, and the only other boats in the bay are the same five you have been seeing all week. December and the first half of March are the quietest sweet spots. Christmas to New Year sells out a year ahead and is the most expensive week of the year. The Christmas winds in January and February are stronger trades, the boat sails great, but plan slightly shorter passages and pick anchorages with good lee shelter. After mid-April the season ends; from June 1 hurricane season closes the BVI, USVI, St Martin, Antigua and St Lucia until November. Grenada and Trinidad sit south of the hurricane track and run year-round."

Caribbean countries we cover for crewed yacht charter

  • British Virgin Islands (Tortola, Virgin Gorda, Jost Van Dyke, Anegada): the anchor of any Caribbean week. Largest fleet, shortest passages, every anchorage protected, the highest density of crewed catamarans in the world. The Soggy Dollar, Foxy's, the Baths, Anegada lobster. See our BVI yacht charter page.
  • US Virgin Islands (St Thomas, St John, St Croix): US-flag, no passport hop. Charlotte Amalie is the gateway. The cruising grounds connect directly to the BVI. See US Virgin Islands yacht charter.
  • Bahamas (Exumas, Abacos, Nassau): shallower, sandier, more remote than the Virgin Islands. Pig Beach, Thunderball Grotto, sand bars at low tide. Best for swimming-led weeks. See Bahamas yacht charter.
  • Antigua and Barbuda: 365 beaches, English Harbour and Falmouth Harbour as crewed-yacht hubs, the Antigua Charter Yacht Show in early December, race week in late April. See Antigua and Barbuda yacht charter.
  • St Lucia and the Grenadines: Marigot Bay, the Pitons, the Tobago Cays, Mustique. The southern arc, deeper-blue water and longer beam-reach passages than the BVI. See St Lucia yacht charter and St Vincent and the Grenadines yacht charter.
  • Belize: different ecosystem, the second-largest barrier reef in the world, mainland Mayan ruins one inland day-trip from the coast. See Belize yacht charter.
  • Grenada: south of the hurricane belt, year-round option, the Grenadines as a quick cruising ground to the north. See Grenada yacht charter.
  • French Caribbean (Martinique and Guadeloupe): French food, French culture, and a different cruising register from the BVI. Le Marin in Martinique is one of the largest charter bases in the islands. See Martinique yacht charter and Guadeloupe yacht charter.

How to book a Caribbean crewed yacht charter

  1. Pick country, dates and group size above.
  2. We confirm a boat plus the full crew for the week.
  3. Pay the deposit; you receive the captain's contact information and a draft itinerary.
  4. Meet the crew at the marina on Saturday afternoon for the safety brief and route confirmation.
  5. Sail Saturday to Saturday (longer charters possible on larger yachts).

What is included, what is extra (USD pricing on request)

Included: the yacht, the crew (captain, chef, hostess on most yachts), full third-party insurance and basic kit (linens, towels, water-sports gear on most yachts). Charged separately and bundled into the APA: an advance provisioning allowance of 25 to 35 percent of the boat price, paid up front, that covers fuel, food, drinks, dockage outside the home port, customs and cruising permits, and any national-park fees. A captain and crew tip of 5 to 10 percent at the end of the charter is customary in the Caribbean (and explicitly higher than the Mediterranean norm; budget for it). USD pricing available on request from any of our country specialists. Browse the full Caribbean crewed fleet on our Caribbean yacht charter regional page. If you want the May-to-October complement, see our Mediterranean yacht charter with crew page.