Secondary keywords: yacht rental cost, daily yacht hire rates, best charter deals Cyprus
Long-tail queries: How much does it cost to charter a yacht for a day or a week, What factors determine the price, Are food and fuel included
You came here for a number, and I will tell you straight why there isn't one. Any rate printed in an article is out of date before the page reaches search, and "from X euros a day" on other sites almost always means a boat you will not be offered on a day you will not be sailing. What follows instead is what genuinely helps: what the total is made of, and what moves it. With that you can compare any two quotes and see where you are being short-changed.
What the total is made of
The base charter fee. The cost of the vessel itself, per day or per week. On a crewed charter it usually includes the crew. This is the number everyone quotes, and it is almost never the number you pay.
APA — Advance Provisioning Allowance. On a weekly crewed charter it is standard to pay, on top of the fee, an advance from which the captain covers fuel, food, drinks and port fees. It is typically a substantial fraction of the fee. What is not spent is returned; overspend is settled at the end. If a quote gives you a fee and says nothing about APA, ask.
VAT. VAT applies to charters in Cyprus. The rate and the rules for how it applies to yachts have changed before and can change again, so confirm at booking whether the price you were given includes it. "Plus VAT" at the end of the conversation is the most common unpleasant surprise.
Fuel. On a day charter often billed separately on consumption. Significant on a motor yacht, minor on a sailing boat.
Berthing fees in other marinas on a route with overnight stops.
Crew gratuity. At the guest's discretion, but in charter practice it is customary to thank the crew with a percentage of the fee — the industry usually talks about ten to fifteen. It is not an obligation; it is the norm, and it is better known in advance.
Security deposit for a bareboat — blocked and returned, but you need the sum.
Cleaning after the charter — sometimes in the fee, sometimes separate.
Five things that move the price
- Season. July and August are the peak. September can cost noticeably less with better water. Winter is cheapest. The difference between neighbouring months is sometimes larger than the difference between boats.
- The vessel. Length, age, class, motor or sail, catamaran or monohull. A catamaran costs more than a yacht of the same length, but not more per square metre of living space.
- Duration. A week works out cheaper per day than a day. Half a day is not half the price of a day.
- Crew. Skipper only; skipper and steward; add a chef. Every person aboard is a line on the bill, and worth it exactly when you need them.
- Day and time. A Saturday sunset departure in season is the most expensive thing on the water. A weekday morning is the cheapest for the same boat.
How to compare quotes
By the total, not the rate. Put one column together: fee, APA or expected running costs, VAT, fuel, fees, cleaning. Two quotes that differ by a quarter on the headline rate quite often swap places after that column.
And ask about cancellation. A cheap offer with a non-refundable deposit, in a season when weather rescheduling is possible, is not cheap.
"Deals"
They exist, but not where people look for them. Real savings are not discounts but shifts: two weeks after the peak, a weekday instead of a Saturday, a morning instead of a sunset. Same boat, same water, different bill. A "today only" discount on an August charter is usually a sign that something is off with the boat or the date.
The "cheapest yacht I can buy" question
That search lands here too, so briefly: buying and chartering are different economics. A boat that is cheap to buy is almost never cheap to own. If you are weighing "charter for the season" against "buy something old", price the berth and the maintenance first — that is covered under yacht management.
Frequently asked
How much for a day or a week? It depends on the vessel, the season and the crew. I will quote for a specific boat and date — it takes one conversation. I do not put figures in articles, because they mislead.
What determines the price? Season, vessel, duration, crew, day and time.
Are food and fuel included? Usually not: on a day charter fuel is on consumption, on a weekly charter it runs through the APA. Always confirm.
How do I know a quote is honest? If the first figure you are given is a total with every line shown, that is already a good sign.
Ask for a price
Send me the date, how many of you and what you want — a day, a sunset, a week. I will give you a total with every component, not a rate with surprises at the end. How the process works step by step is in the beginner's guide.
