How Much Does a Caribbean Yacht Charter Cost? The 2027 Price Guide (BVI, Grenadines, Bahamas)

Bareboat, skippered or crewed? What a BVI or Caribbean yacht charter really costs in 2027, with per-person budgets, hidden fees and ways to save.

You have seen the photos: a catamaran swinging on a mooring off Jost Van Dyke, water so clear you can count the starfish, a Painkiller in hand at sunset. Then you start pricing it and the numbers jump from “$1,000 a person” to “$60,000 a week” with nothing in between that makes sense. This guide fixes that. We break down what a Caribbean yacht charter really costs in 2027, from a bare boat you sail yourself to a fully crewed catamaran with a chef, and show where a skippered sailing week like ours fits in.

We focus on the places Americans book most: the British Virgin Islands, the Grenadines, Antigua and the Exumas. All market figures are typical published ranges for the 2026–2027 season; our own prices come straight from our booking system.

The short answer: three price levels

Almost every Caribbean charter falls into one of three models. The boat can be identical; what changes is who sails it, who cooks, and what is bundled into the price.

• Bareboat – you rent the boat and are the captain. Cheapest per week, but you need real sailing experience and you do all the work: navigation, anchoring, cooking, cleaning.
• Skippered (captain-only) – a licensed captain sails, you relax. You still shop for and cook your own meals, or eat ashore.
• Crewed all-inclusive – captain plus chef (and sometimes a stewardess). Meals, a standard bar and water toys are included. The most comfortable and by far the most expensive.

A Poseidon Week is a skippered week sold either as a whole boat for your group or as individual cabins on a shared boat, with an optional chef. Think of it as the captain-only model, priced so you can actually split it with friends.

What a bareboat charter really costs

Bareboat headline prices look attractive. In the BVI, a 43–46 ft catamaran from one of the big Tortola fleets typically lists from around $7,000 a week in mid-season, and a 50+ ft cat can top $12,000. Christmas, New Year and the February–March peak push these up further.

What the headline price does not include:

• Provisioning – groceries and drinks for the week, usually ordered through a provisioning service or bought in Road Town.
• Mooring balls – about $30–$40 a night first-come, first-served, or around $55 when you reserve a ball in a hot spot.
• Fees and taxes – a BVI cruising tax, an environmental levy of about $10 per person, and a National Parks permit (roughly $25 for four guests up to $55 for ten, per week).
• Fuel and water top-ups, dinghy fuel, ice.
• Damage waiver or security deposit – often a few thousand dollars held on your card.
• Your time – the skipper on a bareboat is you. Expect to spend a chunk of each day on passage planning, anchoring and dinghy runs.

Then there is the license question. The Caribbean does not usually demand a formal certificate, but charter companies will ask for a sailing resume and can refuse you, or force you to hire a captain at check-in, if the base manager is not convinced. In the Mediterranean, most companies require a recognized license such as an ASA IPC/ICC plus a VHF radio certificate. If nobody in your group has that background, bareboat is simply off the table.

What a crewed all-inclusive catamaran costs

The dream version comes with a captain and a chef who has cold towels waiting when you return from snorkeling. In the Caribbean, most crewed yachts are priced all-inclusive: the weekly rate covers crew, three meals a day, a standard open bar, fuel, water toys and most permits.

Published ranges for 7 nights in the BVI start at about $20,000–$50,000 for four guests and $25,000–$60,000 for eight. On top of that, plan for:

• Crew gratuity of 15–20% of the charter fee, paid to the captain at the end of the week. On a $30,000 charter, that is $4,500–$6,000.
• Marina nights, premium wines and special requests.
• Meals ashore and island excursions.

Per person it looks like this: a group of six on a $30,000 crewed cat with an 18% tip pays around $5,900 each before flights. Wonderful, but not what most friend groups have in mind.

What a skippered Poseidon Week costs

Our model sits between bareboat and crewed. A licensed skipper is always included, so no one needs sailing experience. You choose between booking the whole boat or a single cabin, and food, drinks, fuel and marina fees are covered by an on-board kitty, a shared fund everyone pays into, usually about $165–$275 per person per week (€150–250). Want someone else to cook? Add a chef or host on board.

Split ten ways, the BVI whole-boat price is $924 per person for the week, skipper included. With eight people it is $1,155. If you are a couple or traveling solo, a single cabin on a shared boat is $1,310 per person in the BVI, $1,310 in the Grenadines, $1,200 in Antigua and $1,310 in the Exumas.

That puts a realistic all-in per-person budget at roughly $1,650–$1,900 for a week in the BVI, before tips for your skipper, meals ashore and the inevitable Willy T T-shirt. Compare that with $5,000+ per person on a crewed yacht and the appeal is obvious.

Cost by island group

Not all of the Caribbean is priced the same. Remoteness, flight access and how much each fleet is in demand all move the number.

British Virgin Islands

The classic first charter. Short, line-of-sight hops between islands, protected water in the Sir Francis Drake Channel and an enormous choice of moorings make it the easiest place in the Caribbean to sail. Our route goes Road Town → Norman Island → Jost Van Dyke → Anegada → North Sound → The Baths → Road Town. Most Americans fly into St. Thomas (STT), which has nonstops from major East Coast and Southern hubs, and take a ferry to Tortola.

St Vincent and the Grenadines

Wilder and less crowded, with the Tobago Cays marine park as the highlight: turtles, reef-protected anchorages and that impossible turquoise. Our Grenadines week runs St. Vincent → Bequia → Mustique → Tobago Cays → Union Island → Mayreau, from $1,310 per person in a cabin or $9,240 for the whole boat. Flights connect via Miami or other Caribbean hubs into Argyle (SVD).

Antigua and Barbuda

Historic English Harbour, beaches galore and the long, empty pink-tinged sand of Barbuda. It is our most affordable Caribbean option, from $1,200 per person or $8,690 for the boat, and Antigua (ANU) has good nonstop service from the US East Coast. See the Antigua and Barbuda week.

Bahamas: the Exumas

The closest “far away” place you can sail: around an hour’s flight from Miami to Nassau. Shallow, astonishingly clear water, the Exuma Cays Land and Sea Park at Warderick Wells and the famous swimming pigs at Big Major Cay. Because many anchorages are shallow and sandy, a skipper who knows the banks is worth every cent. Our Exumas sailing week is the priciest of the region at $1,310 per person or $9,460 for the boat.

When prices are highest (and lowest)

Caribbean charter pricing follows the weather and the US school calendar.

• Peak: mid-December to April. Dry season, steady trade winds and the most demand. Christmas, New Year and Presidents’ Day weeks are the most expensive and book out first.
• Shoulder: May and early June. Still lovely, warmer and calmer, with fewer boats.
• Low: hurricane season, June 1 to November 30. Cheaper, but weather risk is real, many crews and fleets slow down, and insurance terms can change. We run our Caribbean weeks from December through May for that reason.

Hidden costs to budget for

Whichever model you choose, these are the line items that surprise first-time charterers:

1. Tips. On crewed charters, 15–20% is the norm. On a skippered week, many groups tip the skipper at the end; it is appreciated, not mandatory.
2. Restaurants and beach bars. Lobster night in Anegada or dinner at a beach bar on Jost Van Dyke is half the fun. Budget at least two or three meals ashore.
3. Taxes and departure fees. The BVI charges a departure tax of around $20 per person; other islands have their own.
4. Transfers. Ferries from St. Thomas to Tortola, taxis to the marina, an inter-island flight in the Grenadines.
5. Travel insurance. Strongly recommended for any Caribbean trip; we offer travel and cancellation insurance as an extra.
6. A hotel night. With early or late flights, a night before or after near the marina keeps everyone sane.

How to get the best value

Fill the boat

The single biggest lever. A whole boat for 10–12 people is dramatically cheaper per head than four people on the same catamaran. If your group is smaller, book single cabins instead and share the boat with other like-minded travelers.

Pick shoulder weeks

Late April and May in the Caribbean still deliver warm water and sunshine with fewer crowds. Early December is another sweet spot before holiday pricing kicks in.

Self-cater some meals

Breakfast and lunch on board cost a fraction of restaurant prices. Many groups eat dinner ashore four nights and cook on board the rest.

Lock in early, pay in installments

With us, a deposit of about $220 (€200) holds your place and you pay the rest in installments until 60 days before departure. You can change dates for free up to 90 days before, and cancel within 24 hours of booking for a full refund. Read the details on how it works.

Is the Mediterranean cheaper?

Often, yes, once you are there. A skippered week in Mallorca and Menorca costs $1,200 per person in a cabin or $8,690 for the whole boat, and the Canary Islands, which sail in the North American winter, start at $870 per person. Transatlantic flights cost more than a hop to St. Thomas, but nonstops from Newark now reach Palma and Split, and from May 31, 2027 United is adding a first-ever nonstop to Ibiza. Our Spain sailing weeks are bookable right now.

Which week type fits your group?

Price is only half the decision. The other half is the vibe. Celebrating a 40th or a bachelor weekend? Look at our celebration weeks. Traveling with kids? The family sailing week plans shorter hops and more swim stops. Just want to switch off? The relax week keeps the sailing gentle and the anchorages quiet.

Bottom line

A Caribbean yacht charter can cost $6,000 or $60,000 a week; the gap comes down to who sails, who cooks and how many people share the bill. For most groups of friends, couples and families, a skippered week with a shared kitty is the sweet spot: no license needed, no chef markup, and a per-person price that sits close to a good resort week, except your hotel moves to a new bay every day.

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