How To Book A Yacht Charter
"The A - z guide"

With Pristine Yachting, finding and booking the perfect yacht charter for you couldn't be easier. We're here to help deliver the best yacht charter experience possible, exceed your expectations, and maintain our excellent reputation. We hope you will come back to use our services again, and we want your booking experience and time onboard not just to be memorable but unforgettable, something you talk about for years to come. Through our professional experience as former yacht crew, Captains who have delivered all types of yacht charters worldwide, we can guarantee our leading, hard-earned expertise and knowledge because we've been there, delivering once-in-a-lifetime, dream sailing vacations ourselves.

How To Book A Yacht Charter?

To book a yacht charter, you can follow these steps:

Determine your budget and the type of yacht you would like to charter. There are a wide range of yacht options available, from small sailboats to large motor yachts, and prices can vary significantly depending on the size and amenities of the yacht. You can begin this process by contacting us or completing our Yacht Charter Planner.
Pristine Yachting will research different yacht owners and charter companies and compare their offerings. We look for yachts and providers that have an excellent reputation and offer the type of yacht and amenities you are looking for.
We’ll contact the various charter providers to inquire about availability, ask any necessary questions, and investigate any details or specific requirements. To be thorough and accurate, we’ll be sure to get the important details from you about your desired destination, dates, group size and preferences.
We’ll provide detailed yacht charter options for you to consider, hand-picked and tailored to your needs. Once you’ve decided on the yacht charter of your dreams, we’ll provide you with the necessary documents and charter agreement and make sure you understand the terms and conditions, including the cancellation policy.
At this stage, you will need to provide a deposit to secure your booking. The deposit amount will vary depending on the charter company and the type of yacht you are booking.
We’ll work with you and the yacht charter provider to finalize the details of your trip, including the itinerary and any additional amenities or services you may want to add.
Usually, within 30 to 45 days of your yacht charter departure, you’ll need to pay the remaining balance. At this point, we’ll send you any necessary documents, such as insurance certificates or crew lists, as well as any additional information we need to provide or obtain from you, such as dietary preferences and requirements.
If required, we’ll assist in arranging transportation to the starting point of your charter and prepare for your trip. This can include airport transfers, ferry tickets, and water taxis if necessary.

Overall, booking a yacht charter can be a fun and exciting way to experience the beauty of the open water and create lasting memories with friends and loved ones.

Ready to start planning?

Find A Yacht Charter

Get A FREE Quote

important Things to consider
when booking a yacht charter

Find A Yacht that meets your Expectations

If you are a thrill-seeking sailor, then you'll be looking for good winds and a performance sailing yacht that delivers. However, if you're bringing your children, the whole family, or anybody less able, comfort, space, and security will be your priority. This means choosing the right destination with suitable weather conditions for interior and exterior space, the equipment and amenities onboard, the quality of the yacht crew you may be hiring, and more.

Choosing your dream destination

If you plan on sailing hard and fast throughout your charter, with dependable conditions, then choosing the right destination at the right time of year is essential. The mythical Greek islands of the Cyclades, including Mykonos, Paros, Naxos and Santorini, are beautiful, but the distances between the islands can be long (depending on the route), and from late July to early September, there can be strong gale-like winds from the North, a notorious wind called the "Meltemi". The Meltemi brings wind speeds of 30 to 50 mph, with large swells... and that's not everybody's cup of tea! A more predictable destination such as Croatia, Sicily or the British Virgin Islands may be much more fun, comfortable and suitable for your group and expectations.

The Quality and age of the yacht

Every year, yacht owners purchase new sailing yachts and catamarans, and as expected, they will come with modern equipment and features, less wear and tear, and less susceptibility to maintenance and mechanical issues. We typically recommend yachts less than 3 years old to ensure a quality experience onboard, or less than 5 years if they are well-managed yachts with a professional yacht crew onboard. As with car rentals and purchases, the newer the yacht, the less likely you will encounter any issues throughout your charter. However, a maintenance crew onshore will always be available to help, who can usually find their way to your location to provide any assistance. Additionally, you will be supported by your contractual agreement, security deposit and charter deposit insurance. Any issues caused by the yacht, charter provider or crew will be due a partial refund based on time or days lost. As professional agents, we know what you will be owed and can support you.

finding charters that suit your budget

When looking for your dream sailing yacht charter, your group's budget dictates everything. On the lower scale, you can charter entire 35> 50-foot yachts for your group for as little as and sometimes less than €5,000/$5,000 per week, before expenses such as diesel and dinghy fuel, optional extras, your security deposit, professional yacht crew hire, transfers and travel to and from your destination. There are no ends to the available options; with every 1,000 added, you receive an incrementally larger, more comfortable, more spacious, higher-performance yacht. This can take you up to 10,000 per week, 20,000, 50,000 and beyond, all the way up to these legendary megayachts over 1,000,000 per week. To give you an idea of the lowest prices available for each type of charter, see below;

Private Yacht Charter: €4,000 per week, plus €1,000 in fuel, extras, transfers and insurance. If you need to hire a Captain, this is around €1,300 per week and around €1,200 for a Chef. These expenses are before flights, onboard provisioning, mid-week docking fees, and extracurricular and evening activities.
Crewed Yacht Charter: This is a full-board or half-board experience, including a Captain and Chef package, onboard drinks and meals, fuel and docking fees, and insurance bundled into the price. Realistically, these charters start at around €15,000 for the week for 6 to 8 guests. You only need to worry then about flights, transfers, anything extra you want to bring onboard, and off-board yacht tours and activities.
By-The-Cabin Charter: When you book a private, en-suite cabin on a shared yacht. This is the same as a Crewed Yacht charter, an all-inclusive experience with a Captain and Chef. However, you only pay for your portion of the yacht charter. The cabins are almost always double-cabins, suitable for a couple, or pair of friends, with charters to be found at anything from €1,500 to €6,000 per week before travel expenses, transfers, and off-board activities.

ensure you have the appropriate insurance

If you are booking a private yacht charter, either to Captain yourself or to hire a Captain or Crew as an optional extra, it's of the utmost importance to have the correct insurance. Of course, your regular travel insurance is key, covering you for pleasure sailing up to 12 miles off-shore of the coast. The charter provider and yacht owner insure the yacht to cover damages or liability claims.

Before the keys to the yacht are handed to you, you will also need to pay a security deposit. For a 40 to 50-foot yacht, this could be anything up to €5,000 per week, payable by Credit Card. Any damages you incur to the yacht, such as hull damage, lost equipment such as dingy oars, fenders, or hardware not proved to be wear and tear, will be deducted from your security deposit at the end of the yacht.

There is, however, something called Charter Deposit Insurance. This can cost €150 to €300 per charter but enables you to claim back any lost security deposit. If you are the Captain, you take completely liable for the safety of the passengers onboard and the welfare of the yacht.

It is the legal responsibility of the Captain to take out Skipper Liability Insurance, to be used after any incident where the Captain is found guilty of such incidents as negligence. Running aground, colliding with another yacht or the dock, and injuring a passenger or member of the public are all likely scenarios.

If you hire a Captain, it is a legal responsibility for them to have their own Skipper Liability Policy, which should be checked.

find the right yacht crew for you

When booking a Crewed Yacht Charter, more often than not, the crew profiles will be advertised with the yacht; whether you want a younger, more energetic and fun crew, males or females, or a more senior and experienced crew, are all important factors to consider, especially if you are bringing young children onboard, or your expectations are particularly important.

When booking a Private Yacht Charter and hiring a Captain or Chef as an optional extra, these are often suggested by the yacht owner or charter provider - somebody local to your destination, who they are familiar with. The information on these crew members is less readily available and may not be sourced as a "freelance worker" closer to the time, but your preferences can be stated early on and addressed.

Whether you go private or crewed is entirely up to you, but typically you can expect to receive the crew's contact information 1 or 2 weeks before your charter departure date.

What’s not included?

Several costs are typically not included in a yacht charter. These may include:

Flights and transportation: Most yacht charters do not include the cost of flights or transportation to and from the yacht. You will need to arrange and pay for your own flights and transportation to the starting point of the charter.
Gratuities: Gratuities for any hired crew are typically not included in the cost of a private yacht charter. It is customary to tip the crew at the end of the charter, and the amount can vary depending on the level of service and the length of the charter. Generally, we recommend 10-20% of the yacht charter price (not including your agreed provisioning allowance and any extras).
Food, alcohol and beverages: Most private yacht charters do not include the cost of alcohol and beverages in the price of the charter. You will typically need to bring your own alcohol and beverages on board, or you can purchase them at your destination. With crewed yacht charters, this depends on the charter operator and their advertised package. Sometimes, everything is included and based on your preferences and requirements agreed upon before departure. With other charters, the package may only include onboard meals and refreshments, with alcohol and snacks being something you should bring onboard.
Shore excursions: Shore excursions and activities, such as snorkelling, diving, and sightseeing, are often not included in the cost of a yacht charter - but there are exceptions. Generally, you will need to pay for these activities separately.
Fuel: The cost of fuel for the yacht is typically not included in the price of a private yacht charter. You will need to pay for fuel consumed during the charter. For crewed yacht charters, this can vary but is often included in the yacht charter price.
Marina and docking fees: Any marina and docking fees accrued during a private yacht charter are the group's responsibility. This includes visiting mooring buoys in areas such as national parks and docking in any marina, harbour or town quay. This is often included in the yacht charter price for crewed yacht charters.

Overall, it is important to carefully review the terms and conditions of whichever yacht charter you choose, to understand what is and is not included in the price. This will help you budget accurately and plan for any additional costs that may arise.

The Different Ways To Yacht charter

Private Charter

Be your own Captain or hire a crew separately. Yacht charters just for you!

Find Out More
Luxury Crewed Charter

The ultimate, all-inclusive yacht charter experience with a Captain and Chef!

Find Out More
By-The-Cabin Charter

Book your own private, en-suite cabin on a shared yacht with other like-minded travellers!

Find Out More
Special Occasions

Celebrate special occasions of all types in style, with a beautiful yacht charter!

Click Here
Day Charters

Enjoy a day out on the water with your friends and family, in paradise!

Click Here
Affordable Sailing

Think yachting is too expensive? Find out more about charters for all budget types!

Find Out More