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Luxury Yacht Charters with a Full Crew

Charter a crewed luxury yacht 100 feet or longer, with a professional captain, chef, and full service crew. Sail the Caribbean, the Mediterranean, or farther afield, and book the vessel that matches the trip you've been picturing.

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Frequently Asked Questions about Luxury Yacht Charters

What's the difference between a crewed luxury yacht charter and a bareboat charter?
A crewed luxury yacht charter comes with a professional captain plus a full service crew (chef, steward, deckhands). You need no boat license and no experience. A bareboat charter means you run the yacht yourself, which requires a recognized sailing license and logged sea miles. For most American travelers, crewed is the right call unless you've already done sail school and coastal cruising.
What's included in the price of a crewed luxury yacht charter?
The base rate covers the yacht, the full crew wages, and standard insurance. Food, drinks, fuel, dockage, and usually water-sport equipment are billed separately through the APA (Advance Provisioning Allowance, about 25-30% of the base). Crew gratuity (10-20% of the base) is additional, paid at the end of the trip.
How much does APA typically add to the cost of a luxury yacht charter?
Plan on 25-30% of the base charter rate as APA for a normal week. Heavy provisioning (dinner parties, premium wine, tender fuel for daily excursions) pushes it higher; a low-key week with simple meals and short hops can come in under. The captain reconciles exact spend at the end of the charter and refunds any unspent balance.
How far in advance should I book a luxury yacht charter?
Peak weeks (Christmas-New Year in the Caribbean, July-August in the Mediterranean) need 9-12 months of lead time. These yachts sell out a year ahead. For shoulder season, 3-6 months is usually enough.
How many guests can a luxury yacht charter accommodate?
Luxury yachts 100 feet and up typically sleep 6-12 guests in 3-6 cabins, each with a private head. International charter regulations cap paying guests at 12 on most yachts. Some charters allow additional children depending on the cabin layout.
How long does a luxury yacht charter usually last?
Most charters are 7 nights, typically Saturday to Saturday. Some yachts offer 5-night trips in shoulder season. For marquee events (Monaco Grand Prix, Cannes Film Festival), fixed-week pricing and longer minimums often apply.
Where are the best destinations for a luxury yacht charter from the United States?
The Caribbean is the closest winter option (BVI, USVI, Bahamas, all short flights from the eastern US). The Mediterranean is the summer standard (fly into Nice, Rome, Athens). For bucket-list trips, the Seychelles or Indonesia each deserve a dedicated 10-14 day schedule given the travel time.
Can I bring my own chef or staff on a luxury yacht charter?
The professional crew on each yacht is permanently assigned and owns the yacht's operations and safety. Your own chef or personal staff can travel as guests but can't work onboard. The onboard chef is typically an elite-level cook; use the preference sheet to dial the menu exactly to your family's preferences.

Luxury Yacht Charters with Crew: A Better Kind of Vacation

Americans used to chartered villas and five-star resorts often underestimate how different a crewed luxury yacht charter feels. The captain plans your daily route, the chef cooks on request, the stewards set up your morning espresso on whichever bay you dropped anchor in overnight, and the deck team rigs the jet skis, paddleboards, and seabobs before breakfast. Every yacht on this page is 100 feet or longer and comes with a full professional crew.

Captain's 3 Tips for American First-Timers:

1. APA plus gratuity changes the price tag. The charter rate you see is the base. Plan on adding roughly 25-30% as an APA (Advance Provisioning Allowance) that your captain spends on food, fuel, dockage, and your group's drinks, plus 10-20% gratuity at the end of a great trip. This is industry standard and trips up almost every first-timer; your broker should spell it out before you sign.

2. Book the peak weeks close to a year out. Caribbean peak runs Christmas through New Year's (December 20 to January 5 especially), and Mediterranean peak is July and August. The best yachts sell out 9 to 12 months ahead at a 2-3x premium. If you have flexibility, early December in the Caribbean and early June or late September in the Med give you the same boat for meaningfully less.

3. Fill out the preference sheet like it's a restaurant order, not a form. Before you board, you will get a detailed preference sheet: food allergies, sleep schedules, favorite wines, activities, music, even how your family takes their coffee. Be specific. Everything onboard, from the provisioning run to the playlist in the main saloon, is built from your answers.

Luxury Yacht Charter: What to Know

Detail What to Expect
Minimum Size 100 feet (30 m) and larger
Crew Captain, chief stew, chef, deckhands, often an engineer
Guest Capacity 6 to 12 guests (max 12 under international charter rules)
Trip Length Usually 7 nights; some yachts offer 5-night options in shoulder season
Where You Sail Caribbean (winter), Mediterranean (summer), Bahamas, and beyond
What's Included The yacht, the crew, standard insurance. Food, fuel, dockage: APA.
Ideal For Milestone birthdays, multi-generational family trips, small corporate retreats

What Makes a Crewed Luxury Charter Different

  • The yacht is a moving villa, not a hotel suite. Each morning you wake up in a different bay. Each afternoon you anchor somewhere inaccessible by road.
  • The chef is yours alone. Tell the chef you want lobster tonight and grouper tomorrow; they run to market in port and make it happen.
  • No license required, no navigation to plan. You don't have to sail the boat, dock the tender, or check the weather. You're a guest, start to finish.
  • Private water toys all week. Jet skis, paddleboards, seabobs, water slides, tenders, often all included.
  • Bring the group. Two families, five friends, three generations, everyone's under one roof, and the logistics disappear.

Where Americans Usually Sail

  • The Caribbean, December to April: US Virgin Islands, British Virgin Islands, St. Barts, Turks and Caicos, the Bahamas. Short flights from Miami, San Juan, or St. Thomas.
  • The Mediterranean, May to October: French Riviera, Amalfi Coast, Sardinia, Greek islands, Turkish coast. Direct flights to Nice, Rome, or Athens.
  • The road less traveled: Croatia and Montenegro in shoulder season. The Seychelles for winter sun. Indonesia (Raja Ampat) for the serious diver.

Booking, Simplified

  1. Pick your region, dates, and group size above.
  2. Browse crewed yachts 100 feet or longer that match.
  3. Request availability. We send back itinerary proposals.
  4. Complete the preference sheet thoroughly.
  5. Fly in, board, and enjoy.