Charter a yacht and enjoy life’s greatest vacation experience, but before you do, keep in mind there’s a lot to consider. With professional guidance, choosing a premier destination and the perfect yacht is a fun and simple process.
Because he is a renowned former superyacht captain with global cruising expertise, 3 decades of expert knowledge, and real-world experience on luxury superyachts of all sizes, time and time again, clients entrust yacht charter broker Todd Weider when they charter a yacht.
Todd is regarded by charter clients and his peers alike as a top-rated yacht charter broker worldwide. (view his Yacht Chartering Guide below)
Simply put, regardless of yacht size, he makes your search for a charter yacht and your yacht charter experience, no matter the requirements, simple and stress-free. Period.
These top 10 questions were asked by people looking to charter a yacht. For answers to these questions and many more, contact yacht charter broker Todd Weider “wider” of Fort Lauderdale, Florida.
If you’d like to learn more about booking a yacht charter before contacting Todd, download the Yacht Charter Guide and Checklist or scroll down to contact him for answers.
TOP 10 QUESTIONS ASKED BY YACHT CHARTERERS
How much does it cost to charter a yacht?
According to 2021 data maintained by luxury yacht charter broker and expert Todd Weider, the cost to charter a 167′ (50m) Motoryacht for one week, plus expenses and gratuity, is $160,000. This varies by yacht and region. An additional amount of 30% ($48,000) for APA (advanced provisioning allowance) to prepare the yacht for charter and guests is common and includes provisions, flowers, fuel, dockage, etc can be added to the base rate. Gratuity is optional, but also standard practice.
What does it mean to charter a yacht?
A yacht charter or to charter a yacht is the practice of renting or chartering, a sailboat or motor yacht, and traveling to various coastal or island destinations. There are term-charters, usually 5-7+ days, and day charters, where you charter a yacht for the day, only. This is usually a vacation activity, but it also can be a business event.
What is a yacht charter broker?
A yacht charter broker is a specialist that orchestrates and coordinates yacht charters. They have special access to contracts, tools that are not available to the public, knowledge of the global yacht charter fleet, and relationships with professionals in the industry. In the case of yacht charter broker Todd Weider, they also have experience as a superyacht charter captain who has cruised every charter destination worldwide.
What is APA and what does it cover?
Advance Provisioning Allowance (APA) is an advance payment required to be made by the charterer, generally, 30 days before the charter starts. The APA is used to cover estimated costs of provisions, yacht preparation, requested supplies, dockage, port dues, fuel, and other fees etc. The standard amount of the APA is 30-35% of the weekly charter rate and is dependent on the level of service, the yachts itinerary, and requests made by the charterer.
How will I know I’m getting the best price?
The best way to get the best price on a yacht charter is to work with an experienced and professional yacht charter broker. They will know the best yacht charter opportunities and the best prices for every yacht in the region. Also, when comparing yachts side by side, the reputation of the yacht far exceeds any other parameter when preparing to charter a yacht.
What is a crewed yacht charter?
A crewed yacht charter is when there are trained professionals onboard the yacht you charter. The crew consists of a Captain, Deck Crew, Interior Crew, a Chef, Engineer, and depending on the size of the yacht, others. They prepare and operate the yacht and tenders, they also serve the guests, keep them safe, and well-fed. A crewed yacht charter is the best of the best in luxury five-star yacht charter.
How much is a Below Deck yacht charter?
As of 2021, the cost to charter the yacht on Below Deck is $150,000 per week, plus expenses that include fuel, dockage fees, and taxes, as well as gratuity. Yacht Charter Broker Todd Weider is the yacht specialist responsible for orchestrating the yacht charter and logistics to get Below Deck started. No easy feat! The charter contract for the very first season of Below Deck was in excess of one million dollars.
What are the best charter yachts?
According to data from 2021, the best charter yachts in the world are AMARYLLIS, LANA, SOLANDGE, PHOENIX 2, NIRVANA, ROMEA, EMINENCE, ALFA NERO, AXIOMA, CLOUDBREAK, BOLD, and more. While these yachts rank among the best, there are 1000’s of yachts in the global yacht charter fleet to choose from.
What is included in a yacht charter?
There are two types of yacht charter. Bareboat and Crewed Yacht Charter. A Bareboat charter includes just the boat. Crew, food, fuel, dockage, and all expenses and operation are provided by the charterer. A crewed yacht charter includes the yacht and crew, along with all toys, tenders, and amenities currently onboard. All other expenses to operate the yacht, and entertain the guests are above and beyond the weekly charter rate.
How much to charter a yacht in the Bahamas?
A Bahamas yacht charter for a 66ft – 99ft (20m – 30m) yacht ranges from $40,000 – $70,000. A Bahamas yacht charter for a 100ft – 134ft (31m – 40m) yacht ranges from $70,000 – $100,000. A Bahamas yacht charter for a 135ft – 164ft (41m – 50m) yacht ranges from $100,000 – $200,000. A Bahamas yacht charter for a 165ft – 199ft+ (51m – 60m+) luxury yacht is $200,000 and up.
Yacht charter broker
Former charter yacht captain
Global cruising expert
Owner’s representative
Megayacht consultant
Yacht operations expert
Todd's real-world experience as a mega yacht captain is priceless. Because of this, I won't use anybody else to charter a yacht. - Repeat yacht charterer
Many factors need to be taken into account before you charter a yacht. For somebody not familiar with the process, it’s very easy to end up chartering a yacht that does not meet their lifestyle or needs.
At the core of renting the right yacht, long before considering the yacht’s amenities and menu selection, a list of criteria needs to be considered and decided upon. (see 10 Steps to Charter a Yacht below)
When the time to charter a yacht arrives, yacht charter broker Todd Weider has real-world expertise as a superyacht captain. He has navigated all major cruising grounds worldwide.
With his one-of-a-kind experience, he guides you every step of the way, explaining your options, making it easier and more cost-efficient to decide upon.
To learn about the best yachts to charter and where to go, simply schedule your consultation with yacht charter broker Todd Weider. Go ahead and send a text 24/7, or call +1-954-610-55735.
| Crewed Charter | Bareboat Charter | |
|---|---|---|
| Service | Professionally trained and qualified yacht crew offering 5-star service and expertise in the operation, management and care of the yacht. | Only you, the charterer, and your guests will provide service, operation, management, and care of the yacht. This is a DIY approach. |
| Local Knowledge | Expertise in the area where the yacht cruises, including local knowledge, as well as knowing the best restaurants, hidden coves, dive spots, and more. | Consultation of guide books as well as asking locals and other yacht operators where to go. A learn-as-you go approach. |
| Customs & Immigration | Expertise in dealing with customs and immigration, along with local rules and regulations. This includes knowing what forms to utilize, as well as clearing in and out. | Can be difficult for persons not knowing how to go about clearing in or out of customs, what forms to use, and where to go to clear. This also requires long wait times that can cut into the enjoyment of your vacation. |
| Provisions | Your yacht will be ready to go, including menu planning and food preparation that caters to the likes and dislikes of each guest. | Upon arrival, you’ll be required to shop in local markets and make your own preparations. |
| Toys & Tenders | Professionally trained crew launch tenders and set up toys for use. Crew also operate tenders, as well as provides instruction to guests | Only the guests on board will launch, operate, and care for tenders and toys. |
| Cooking | A professionally trained chef and often a sous chef prepares 5-star meals, as well as provision the yacht for your charter vacation. | Only the bareboat charter will prepare meals and clean up. |
| Navigation & Safety | A licensed captain and professional yacht crew navigates the yacht from port to port, as well as in and out of anchorages. They are also responsible for the safety of the yacht, guests and crew aboard. | The bareboat charterer is responsible for all navigation and safety of guests aboard. |
When you decide to charter a yacht, knowing who or which type of guests will be joining you is job one. Knowing your guest list allows the yacht charter broker to identify the best charter yachts that suit the needs of your guests.
This may mean a yacht with all queen or king berths for a couples-only vacation, or a yacht with a stateroom that allows for several children to share sleeping accommodations.
Knowing everything, from the type of toys your guests are interested in using or if the charter yacht needs to accommodate a wheelchair or must have an elevator, helps your yacht charter broker source the best yachts available, thus making your decision to charter a yacht simple.
While many yacht charter brokers certainly jump at the opportunity to offer their services, only a few have visited the yachts and have personally met the crew.
For this reason, choosing a yacht charter broker, especially someone with real-world experience like Todd, is the most important decision you’ll make.
To learn more about how to charter a yacht, download the Best Yacht Charter Broker Comparison Guide for free.
Knowing when to charter a yacht, determining the best time to go or selecting optimal dates to charter can sometimes be confusing.
Whether you’re looking to escape the chilling winds of winter or the sweltering heat of summer, it’s important to become familiar with charter seasons and how they may have an effect on planning your private crewed yacht charter.
Charter seasons can be determined by a peak in charter activity, like chartering a yacht in the Mediterranean in summer, which is a very busy time, or it may refer to the weather pattern of a destination, like an Alaska yacht charter.
Yacht charter seasons are normally divided by season (winter and summer) with high and low times that affect cost. The high season is more expensive and the busiest time, while the low season is less expensive and a slower time.
Within each season, there is a period of weeks, which are often segmented around important dates.
For example, in winter, the 26th of December to the 1st of January is normally the highest cost and busiest time. Private yachts are often booked for a period of 7 or 10 days, which may include Christmas.
Booking between these dates is usually more difficult. Because of increased demand during certain periods, anything under one week means far fewer yachts to choose from.
Now that you’ve decided to charter a yacht, there’s a lot to consider, and the price range is among the most important. Luxury charter yacht prices and rates are typically offered by the week, and like the yachts themselves, they differ enormously.
Yacht charter specialist Todd Weider is an expert at booking yachts for charter and guides you on everything you need to know about pricing. This includes the APA (Advanced Provisioning Allowance), relocation fees, taxes, crew gratuities, and more. He’ll know what yachts have a cinema and/or the latest toys.
By having his pulse on the global yacht charter fleet and knowing the crew and yachts available for charter around the world, he can advise you on what certain yachts cost, as well as the best destinations to visit.
When it comes to questions about how to charter a yacht, the most common question asked is, “Where is the best location to charter a yacht?”
A Mediterranean yacht charter offers a rich mixture of history, culture, and landscapes, comprising some of the most popular superyacht destinations in the world. It is often a top pick among seasoned and new yacht charterers in summer.
A Caribbean luxury private yacht charter offers pristine beaches, beautiful lush scenery, and warm tropical breezes. It is often the most popular yacht charter destination during the winter months.
For those looking to explore off of the beaten path, a yacht charter vacation in the South Pacific and/or Australia can offer an experience unlike any other.
Yacht charter broker Todd Weider has traveled to all corners of the world as a luxury yacht captain. With real-world experience under his belt, he l simply guides you in selecting your ideal charter destination.
Yachts for charter are available through many sources. Because of this, working with a yacht charter vacation specialist has many benefits. Plus, it’s absolutely free!
A qualified yacht charter broker has access to the global yacht charter fleet and knows the yacht charter managers.
But, the best yacht charter brokers have also visited the yachts and know the crew that operates them. They have also cruised the destinations as professionals, making certain your search to charter a yacht includes only the best available yachts for charter.
Working with private yacht charter broker Todd Weider, based in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, your requirements are reviewed and refined. Then inquiries about the availability and costs associated with each yacht are made.
A well-versed yacht charter broker knows the right questions to ask, many of which help you avoid hidden or unknown costs.
In many cases, yachts can also be previewed either at yacht shows or by appointment, so you’ll know exactly what amenities and toys will be available for your yacht charter vacation.
Once a yacht and/or yachts are selected, inquiries are made by the charterer’s yacht charter broker, which can sometimes take up to a week for all questions to be answered and confirmed. Then a yacht is selected.
Because there are various costs to consider when chartering a yacht, it is important to be aware of what is included.
The base fee or rate refers to the cost of hiring the yacht and generally all of its equipment and crew for the duration of your yacht charter vacation. The base rate of a yacht charter may or may not include additional expenses such as taxes, fuel, and food, which are all subject to the terms and conditions of the charter yacht contract.
The base rate also varies from one yacht to the next. It is primarily driven by its location, size, the number of guests, and fit and finish. Price also depends on when events, such as the Monaco Grand Prix, and holidays, such as New Year’s Eve, are taking place or are being attended.
Advance Provisioning Allowance (commonly referred to as APA) is an important element of every charter contract. The APA has been designed to enable charterers to manage their expenses, while allowing the charter yacht crew to prepare the yacht before the arrival of guests.
It also provides a simple and easy way to account for expenses throughout the charter. The APA is generally calculated at 25% to 35% of the base charter rate. It is utilized to cover provisions, fuel, port fees, dockage and other consumables throughout your yacht charter.
Unless there is an allowance for a number of cruising hours per day, fuel, along with dockage fees, are normally above and beyond the base charter rate. This includes all fuel burned while cruising from port to port or fuel burned by the generators, tenders, and toys.
Dockage fees may vary greatly, from very little to huge amounts, depending on the events and ports you wish to visit, along with tipping to ensure entry and/or the best location in a certain port.
Once the charter particulars (charter rate, taxes, delivery fees (if any), amenities, toys, availability, and more) are confirmed, using an industry-standard yacht charter agreement, the booking request is drawn up by the charterer’s yacht charter broker and presented to the yacht charter manager.
The industry standard charter agreement outlines the rate and costs, including the Advanced Provisioning Allowance (APA) associated with the charter, deposit amounts, payment dates, the charter location, arrival and departure times and places, along with the number of guests, including force majeure, and additional terms.
By this point in time, while keeping both the yacht owner and charterer aware of the contract conditions, both the yacht charter broker and the yacht charter manager have ironed out the general terms of the contract for submission.
Once all the details are agreed upon, the contract is submitted to the charterer by the yacht charter broker for acceptance and signatures. The communication between the yacht charter broker and yacht charter manager keeps the acceptance process easy to understand and simple to follow.
Upon submitting the contract to the charterer, all the costs, verification of staterooms and berths, deposits, and terms are clearly identified and ready for acceptance.
Upon acceptance, it is normal to deposit 50% of the charter rate into escrow utilizing your charter broker firm’s trust account, usually within a certain period of time.
Commissions are deducted, and the balance of the deposit is then transferred to the charter manager’s trust account.
This first deposit secures the charter yacht and allows for the planning phase, which includes travel arrangements, trip itineraries, meal planning, and preference sheets that identify foods the guests like and dislike.
Long before the charter goes to contract, itineraries and food are often discussed.
However, about 30 days from when the charter is scheduled to begin, the charterer receives preference sheets, which are to be completed and returned to the captain.
It is important for guests to itemize in detail any food allergies, favorite foods, and beverages, as well as their preferred itinerary.
If you are not sure what the best itinerary for your yacht charter vacation is, then ask yacht charter broker Todd Weider, who has real-world experience cruising every major charter destination around the world as a superyacht captain.
The more specific guests are with their needs, the better the service and likelihood the guests’ requirements will be met.
At about the same time, the balance of the charter rate, taxes, and any other fees, along with the APA are dispersed by the charterer. Pre-charter planning and cooperation by both the charterer and the crew are vital, especially any specific requirements and events which need to be accounted for, such as birthdays, anniversaries, strict diets, and even wheelchair access.
For your yacht charter vacation, whether you’re heading to a remote destination in the South Pacific or to the mini-metropolis of Monaco, an expert yacht charter broker also has travel tips for getting there as easy as possible.
Yacht broker Todd Weider has traveled over 1 million miles by air and can guide you when planning your travel. He has real-world experience about unique travel options, such as Around the World Tickets and Circle Pacific flights, or the best routes to and from the biggest cities, as well as the best way to reach the most remote islands.
For those of you who travel by private aircraft and have air travel covered, what if you arrive and the yacht you chartered is anchored out or not accessible by road?
When it comes to arrivals and departures, helicopters and limo tenders are also more common than you might think. They are worth asking about when looking to charter a yacht.
The limousine tender ensures you’ll stay looking your best and offers the ultimate in comfort. Being ushered directly to the yacht by helicopter is a great option to avoid traffic and/or maintain your privacy.
Also, for passport and visa information, visit the US DEPARTMENT OF STATE website before planning your trip.
You are well on your way to booking your best vacation ever!
To begin this amazing fun-filled experience, take the next step and contact yacht specialist Todd Weider. He’s happy to talk about yachts at any time.
Simply use WhatsApp, call, or send a text 24/7 at +1-954-610-5573 for anything you’d like to know about chartering, buying, or building a yacht.
| 10 Steps to Charter a Yacht | |
|---|---|
| Step 1. | Decide Who Will be Joining You |
| Step 2. | Pick Your Dates or Time of Year |
| Step 3. | Determine a Price Range |
| Step 4. | Pick Your Destination |
| Step 5. | Search and Selection |
| Step 6. | Base rates, taxes, APA and Fees |
| Step 7. | Contract Preparations |
| Step 8. | Contract Acceptance |
| Step 9. | Planning and Final Deposits |
| Step 10. | Arrival and Departure |
| Summer Season vs Winter Season |
|---|
| Typically, yachts follow the sun resulting in Winter and Summer seasons.
The Summer season typically happens from April/May to October, with the most predominant locations to charter a yacht in the summer season to include, North America, the Mediterranean, Northern Europe, and the South Pacific. The Winter season typically happens from November to April, where most charter yachts base themselves in Southern Florida, the Bahamas, the Caribbean, the US & British Virgin Islands, and the Indian Ocean. |
| What Additional Costs Will I Pay To Charter A Yacht? | |
|---|---|
| APA (Advanced Provisioning Allowance) | 25%-35% |
| Crew Gratuity (At Charterers Discretion) | 5%-15% |
| Taxes and Value Added Tax (VAT) | |
| Bahamas | 4% |
| BVI – Per person per day | $6-$16 |
| Croatia | 13% |
| Florida | 7% |
| France | 20% |
| France – International itinerary | 10% |
| Italy | 22% |
| Italy – International itinerary over 24m | 6.6% |
| Italy – International itinerary under 24m | 8.8% |
| Montenegro | 0% |
| New England | 0% |
| Spain | 21% |
| Turkey | 0% |
| How Much Gratuity To Give Charter Yacht Crew? |
|---|
| Gratuities are left solely at the Charterer’s discretion. It is generally suggested to Charterers that a gratuity calculated between 5% and 15% of the contracted gross Charter Rate only is appropriate if the crew has given excellent service.
However, it is important to understand that a Charterer is under no obligation to leave a gratuity and at no time should a gratuity be solicited, either verbally or in written form when settling the final account. |
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