The Caribbean is one of the most popular destinations for yacht charters, and it’s easy to see why.
The Caribbean are a true sailing playground that includes legendary yachting locations like Antigua, St. Barts, or the Virgin Islands.
Of course, renting a yacht in the Caribbean isn’t free. Here are the main factors that influence the price of a yacht charter in the Caribbean, along with the most common price ranges you can expect.
Summary of Yacht charter price ranges in the Caribbean (USD per week incl. food and beverage)
| Vessel size | Sailboat | Catamaran or Trimaran | Trimaran | Motor Yacht |
| Less than 52ft ( 20m) bareboat | $2’000- $8’000 | $3’000 – $20’000 | $3’000-$10’000 | N/A |
| Less than 52ft ( 20m) skippered | A skipper in the Caribbean costs approximately 250€ ($250) to $300/day | |||
| 54ft-78ft (17-24m) with crew | $18’000 – $26’000 | $15’000 – $60’000 | N/A | $20’000 – $30’000 |
| 78ft- 100ft (24-30m) with crew | $42’000-$80’000 | $66’000-$80’000 | N/A | $30’000-$60’000 |
| Superyacht over 100ft (30m) | From $80’000 | From $80’000 | N/A | from 100’000 |
| Mega yacht over 196ft (60m) | From $150’000 | N/A | N/A | from $260’000 |
What is the minimum price to charter a yacht in the Caribbean?
The minimum price to charter a yacht in the Caribbean depends on the charter type, amenities, and crew. Location can also play a part. Here are some common ranges you will likely find yourself in:
$2’000 USD is the minimum weekly price for a bareboat yacht rental anywhere in the Caribbean
Bareboat charters are the most affordable option in the Caribbean, like anywhere else in the world. The cheapest ones for small monohulls can start as low as $2,000 a week.
Of course, for that price you are responsible for fuel, food, expenditures and hiring a skipper, hostess, or a mix of the two if you need.
If you are licensed to sail the boat yourself, you will also be responsible for all aspects of navigating, sailing, mooring, and security. And cooking, cleaning and doing maintenance if you don’t have any staff onboard.
Bareboat charters provide exceptional flexibility to explore all the Caribbean (weather permitting, of course), providing a unique vacation experience for the entire family.
Ideally, for the Caribbean, it’s best if at least one person in the group is a seasoned sailor.
If not, we highly recommend you to pre-arrange a captain on board if you’re visiting a new place for the first time and want to take it easy.
$4’000 USD is the minimum weekly price for a skippered yacht charter
A skippered Yacht Charter is often a Bareboat Charter with the inclusion of a skilled, local Skipper who assumes full accountability for the safety of the boat, navigation, sailing, and anchoring.
The skipper will gladly function as your guide and tour you to various secluded harbors and anchorages that are often unfamiliar to most visitors. He will pay heed to your desires of where you wish to travel and try his best to accommodate them.
Even if you are a novice, you will love learning to navigate the boat on your own with the assistance of a professional.
People sometimes think that a skippered yacht charter would cost significantly more than a bareboat hire. However, this is rarely the case. And the price difference is very justified compared to the value a seasoned skipper can bring onboard in difficult waters like the Caribbean. In many cases, a skippered charter is one of the best value for money you can find when it comes to sailing in the region.
$16’000 USD is the minimum weekly price for a crewed yacht charter in the Caribbean
Crewed charter refers to a luxury charter rented with an entire crew. The crew onboard differs from charter to charter. Depending on their size, yachts may only have a captain and hostess/cook on board, or they may have a full complement of crew members, including a captain, engineer, deck assistant, experienced chef, and others.
Obviously, the bigger and more luxurious the yacht charter is, the better amenities you will experience and the more you’ll need crew.
Fully crewed yacht rentals in the Caribbean are ideal for individuals looking for an extraordinary and exclusive sailing holiday.
Yes, it’s more pricey than a bareboat or a skippered boat. But think about it this way: for that price, you have a 5 star floating resort that can go anywhere you would like to in the Caribbean. If you charter as a group or a family, it won’t cost you a lot more than renting the equivalent resorts on land… that can’t be brought anywhere you want.
What factors influence the price of a yacht charter in the Caribbean?
It’s important to not that it’s up to individual owners to determine the charter price they want to offer, and the overall charter market.
The pricing is based on metrics like the local demand, boat length, category, crew number and the boat age. These are the main factors you should have in mind when estimating the price of your next Caribbean charter.
1.The yacht you want to charter in the Caribbean: the main factor determining the cost of your total charter
The size of the yacht is a significant component in defining the total charter cost, although it’s not the only one.
A freshly introduced charter boat from a renowned builder with an experienced and well-liked charter crew will attract the highest pricing for its size class. Additionally, yachts with a renowned name or a legacy of famous ownership can charge a premium for their “fame.” And yachts with distinctive amenities like movies theaters or unique water toys are also more expensive.
2. The Caribbean destination itself: one of the factor influencing the price of a Caribbean yacht rental
In the Caribbean, there are over a thousand islands to select from, making it arguably the best region for tropical yacht charters globally.
You can charter in the Caribbean in three major regions: The Bahamas, the Greater Antilles, the Windward and the Leeward islands.
Bahamas: the northern part of Caribbean (although not technically in Caribbean) and somewhere in the middle when it comes to prices
Granted, Bahamas is not technically a part of the Caribbean. But most people still consider the archipelago as a part of Caribbean, so we’ll follow suit.
Bahamas offers the Abacos islands in the north with spectacular sailing, diving and fishing spots, and the remote Exumas in the south that are always charming.
It’s a popular region for charter from March to mid-July, weather is always nice, and the short sailing to get from one island to another is a big plus. For Americans, Bahamas are almost in their backyards, especially when leaving from Miami.
In terms of prices for a charter in the region, they are somewhere in the middle. They tend to be less expensive than the Caribbean Leeward islands in general, but are more expensive than most Windward islands.
Check All our yachts for charter in the Caribbean here.
The Leeward islands: the glamorous sailing hotspots… and the most expensive too
The Leeward islands are on many sailors Wishlist. It’s probably the place that gather the most world class sailing destinations in a relatively small area. The Caribbean Leeward islands are that popular because thay offer a balance between the “laid back” Caribbean vision of the islands and a developed yachting structure.
Old colonial islands, they offer nice architecture ashore to visit, nice beaches with flourishing corals. They are popular from December to April, and are a nice option for super yacht charter.
This region stretches from the British and US Virgins Islands, Antigua & Barbuda, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Saint Martin, Saint Barth and Guadeloupe.
Price wise, the Leeward islands are the most expensive of all the Caribbean. The wealth, popularity and glamour of these islands in high season have a price, especially in places like St Barts, Anguilla or St Martin.
The Windward islands: off the beaten path Caribbean destinations with the best bang for your buck
The Windward Islands are the southern islands of the lesser Antilles. They are our favorite part of the Caribbean islands and we named our company after them (WI Yachts = Windward Islands Yachts if you didn’t know!).
The Windward islands are mostly volcanic islands and are so naturally more rugged than the Leeward counterparts.
They still offer white and black sand beaches, turquoise water, mangroves full of a various fauna, very nice culture unique on each island and welcoming people.
The Windward Islands go from Saint Lucia to Grenada.
Windward islands are considered the cheapest destinations in the Caribbean and can truly be an incredible value for money. They are simply a little less known than most leewards islands so anchorages and provisioning tend to be cheaper.
The big islands of the Greater Antilles: less popular and also less expensive than most classic Caribbean destinations
The Greater Antilles also includes destinations such as Puerto Rico, Cuba, Jamaica, Dominican Republic.
While they can be reached with short flights from all over the globe, they are less popular options for charter due to the difficulties of some yacht to moor there, or less ease to sail in islands.
They are not a usual stop for luxury yacht charters aside from a few luxury pockets, so they tend to be cheap destinations to sail to.
They are of course cheaper for a reason: less infrastructure, less mooring options and not always friendly when it comes to sailing tourists. Most of these destinations are known for their in-land tourism, not their sailing itineraries.
Read also: Best 8 and 10 Days British Virgin Islands Sailing Itineraries – Our Recommendations
3. The season you want to charter the yacht: something to keep in mind to get the best price in the Caribbean
The season you are planning to charter will also affect the yacht’s pricing to a great extent. Typically, there are two season rates in the Caribbean: peak season and low season.
Caribbean low season charter rate occurs during the summer period; however this is mainly because the hurricane seasons starts and most of the yachts will take this opportunity to do their yearly maintenance at the shipyard and where the crew take their vacation.
You can try and do a yacht doing shoulder season, between may or June, where the weather is still warm and nice and tourism less busy.
Caribbean charters are more expensive from December to March during high season, while Mediterranean charters are most expensive during the summer.
4. How luxurious you want your experience to be: the variable cost of your Caribbean yacht charter
When talking about sailing luxury experiences, private yacht charters dominate all other options.
Cruise liners can’t match custom trips and individualized attention. So when you book a luxury yacht, the entire yacht crew will only be at your service.
There will be no need to share activities or meals with strangers, spend time at ports of call, or re-boarding the yacht several times daily. We’re talking about the pinnacle of individuality, discretion, and control.
Such a luxurious experience comes at a price.
Read also: How much does it cost to charter a yacht?
Our tips to decrease the cost of a yacht charter in the Caribbean
There are a few tips to know if you want to lower the cost of your yacht charter while still having a blast in the Caribbean. Here are some of the best ones.
Charter a yacht during the Caribbean shoulder season
Scheduling a yacht charter during the shoulder or off-season could save you up to half the price, even though sailing in the high season will guarantee the best weather. If you are a budget traveler, focus on Spring and November. If you don’t mind a bit of rain, you can even go in Summer.
Stick to the cheapest Caribbean destinations
Two things can be important to make a budget-conscious choice while picking your destination in the Caribbean:
- How expensive the destination itself is
- How expensive it is for you to reach the destination
For instance, it is easier to arrive in Saint Thomas than straight to Martinique from the USA, whereas from Europe it will be easier to reach Martinique directly.
Choose a smaller yacht with a smaller crew
Small yachts are inexpensive to rent, straightforward, and as seaworthy as the bigger ones.
Additionally, their small size makes them cost-effective to operate: less fuel, less maintenance, less staff needed.
If your focus is to sail in amazing destinations like the Caribbean can offer, you don’t need a huge yacht. Huge yachts are great for the luxurious experience, but sailing on a small yacht is great too!
What is included in the charter fee of a Caribbean yacht charter?
For a bareboat charter
Only the boat itself is included in any bareboat rental.
So this implies that the Charterer is responsible for the vessel’s personnel, fuel, insurance, and necessary repairs and maintenance. The Owner will earn a daily, weekly, or monthly hire.
Read also: Bareboat charters – Frequently asked questions
For a crewed yacht charter
Nearly all crewed yachts in the Caribbean only show the rental base fee, so these costs are usually included:
- Whole yacht during the entire charter period
- Captain and Chef or Attendant salaries
- All yachts amenities
- Watersports gear on board (scuba gear may be additional)
Extra fees you will need to include:
- Advance Provisioning Allowance (20-40% of the base fee for fuel, food, mooring costs…)
- Crew gratuities (15% of the charter base fee)
- VAT (but many Caribbean destinations don’t have any)
- Insurance
- Additional communications
- Any meals ashore
- Optional gear rental fees
Read also: Luxury Crewed Yacht Charters – Frequently asked questions
Conclusion
The Caribbean is one of the best places to charter a yacht in the entire world. Price can range from as little as 2,000$ / week to hundreds of thousands of dollars for the biggest vessels.
To save on costs, focus on smaller yachts, try to sail in the Caribbean Windward Islands that tend to be cheaper and go during off or shoulder season for significant discounts.
Get in touch with us if you want an unforgettable sailing experience in the Caribbean.
