Most avid boaters would consider a yacht the peak of boating luxury. They are built not for speed–but for comfort and are the perfect place to party while floating out in the open ocean.
But how much does it cost to rent a yacht for a party? What if you wanted to rent a boat for just a day or a week? This article will review the different options for renting a yacht and what you can expect to pay.
So How Much Does It Cost To Rent a Yacht For a Party?
We’ll start with a rough estimate of the price. In most cases, yachts are rented out on a weekly bases, though you may be able to find some instances where you can rent one for just a day or two.
As you start looking at bigger yachts, the price will go up. For a boat under 80 feet long, you can expect to pay anywhere from $15,000 to $35,00o for a week. The next size class up, 80 to 120 feet, will be anywhere from $35,000 to $80,000 to rent one for a week.
If that still isn’t big enough, you may want to look into renting a catamaran instead. Catamarans will give you more expansive deck space for your guests, like a floating party bus, but the cost goes up. A catamaran will rent anywhere between $40,000 and $100,000 per week.
If you have the money to go big, the largest yachts can be rented for $200,000 weekly, up to $1 million.
A Little More on the Price of Yacht Rentals
The cost discrepancy depends on a few things. One that we already mentioned is the size. Larger yachts will cost more. Larger yachts will have more rooms, features, and luxury for your guests.
The next factor is the crew. If you can pilot a boat yourself, you can save money by renting a ship without a crew. On the other hand, the price will go up with you get a whole crew.
You’ll only need to gather a few people to crew smaller ships, so a few friends with boating experience would do a good job. These smaller boats can cost as little as $1000 to rent for a week.
However, the moment you get into the larger yachts, you will need a crew and a professional captain. At the very least, this is for safety reasons, so even if you have plenty of experience in captaining a boat yourself, this will be a cost you won’t be able to avoid.
These prices don’t include other factors like catering, serving staff, or other onboard services. The price also does not reflect the costs of gas, food, and drinks.
The make and model of the boat will affect the price as well. The size, as was mentioned above, the year it was built, and the manufacturing details. You will pay much more for a brand new boat with all the latest features and toys. An older and more roughed-up boat will likely be easier on your budget.
The next factor that goes into your price is the season. As with anything, there will be peak rental times for yachts. Renting a yacht during peak times, such as in the middle of summer, will cost you more than renting it during a low season like late fall.
Lastly, the destination will affect the cost. If you just want the boat long enough to float out in the open ocean, then you won’t need to worry about paying such a high fee. However, if you are looking to dock on an island somewhere, your cost will rise depending on docking fees and the countries you visit.
Extra Fees You Probably Didn’t Think About
When it comes to yacht rentals, at first, you’re probably only considering the base price, the crew, and maybe food and drink. There are a few other costs to take note of, however.
The first would be the Advanced Provisioning Allowance or APA. The APA will cost around 25 to 30% of the base yacht price and will cover expenses like docking fees and fuel. If you are renting the yacht under a plus expenses model, you will need to pay an APA when renting your yacht.
If there is a difference in the cost of expenses at the end of your rental, you can make the difference. In some cases, you may be expected to add to your APA the moment it runs out instead.
The next expense you should take into account is taxes. The taxes will depend on what countries you will be docking in. For example, the tax for the Bahamas is 4%, while Italy’s is 22%.
Next, you need to consider the cost of insurance. This type of insurance is to protect the yacht owners in the case that you need to cancel your reservation or if you need to cut your reservation short. Some yacht renters may require that you pay insurance with your rental. In your case, you will be paying cancelation and curtailment insurance.
You do not need to worry about the boat insurance as the yacht owner will be covering their insurance fees, covering things like damages.
Lastly, you should consider crew gratuity. Most experienced boaters recommend that you pay some form of gratuity for yachts with a hired crew. If you’re unsure how much to pay, the recommended rate is 15% to 20% of the yacht’s base fee.
The way you pay this is usually to hand it directly to the captain before you leave the yacht. The captain will later be responsible for distributing the gratuity among the crew.
What if I Only Want To Rent a Yacht for One Day?
So far, we have only considered weekly prices. If you truly only want to rent a yacht for a single day, there are some options.
The lowest cost we could find was about $1500 a day. At this cost, the yacht likely is relatively small and would not include a crew. The lowest we could find was for a 4-hour rental of a 50-foot yacht without a crew, and you could have it for 8 hours by raising the price to $2100.
The price will increase if you want a larger yacht and a crew. The highest cost per day we were able to find was $13000. This cost was for an eight-hour rental with a four-person crew on a 110-foot boat.
What About Only Renting a Yacht for a Party?
If a day is still too long and you only want it for a few hours, then there are some options. You would be looking at paying at least $1000 to $3000 for a party rental of a yacht, depending on size and services.
The smallest we could find was a $720 rental of a 40-foot yacht for four hours. This yacht would be able to accommodate eight guests, perfect for private events.
Another option is an 86-foot yacht for $4600 for four hours. This yacht can accommodate 13 guests.
Some yachts that offer party-length rentals will also offer catering services. Of course, this will drive the price up a little higher, but it will make party planning easier overall.
Payment Structures for Yachts
When renting a yacht, you might have a few different options to consider. Some yacht rental services may offer you an all-inclusive structure that gives you access to all of the yacht’s features for one price.
Next, your yacht rental maybe is a plus expenses package where all the little extras can be added to your price individually.
All Inclusive
When renting a yacht under an all-inclusive package, these usually include everything you might need to enjoy your party or trip. This would mean the price includes the crew, food, drinks, water, fuel, electricity, and access to water toys.
This price usually doesn’t include things like gratuity, taxes, transport to and from the boat, and dockage fees. If you plan on diving, you may also need to pay for your gear unless your yacht already has diving included in the price.
These packages will seem the most expensive initially, but you may save money in the long run, especially when looking at food and drinks. Alcohol, for instance, can be the highest costing part of any party.
Plus Expenses
With this model, the listed rental price would include only the base fee for the yacht and crew. Any water toys included with the yacht, such as a jet ski, are also included.
Outside of that, you are responsible for all of the other costs. This includes all food, drinks, fuel, docking fees, taxes, transport to and from the boat, and crew gratuity.
This is the better option if you have a particular caterer in mind for your party. However, note that this option may cause you to spend more money in the long run, even if the initial price looks lower.
Also, note that in this model, you will usually pay some of these expenses upfront rather than after your rental. This upfront cost uses an Advanced Provisioning Allowance or APA. The APA is usually around 25 to 30% of the base price of the yacht. Any price difference will be settled after the rental time is over.
There are three main types of yachts that you can rent. The first is a sailing yacht. These are usually smaller and include a sail to use the power of the wind.
The second type is a catamaran, a deck built on two hulls. These are usually used in shallow waters and are great for spending time in coves.
Finally, motor yachts are what most people imagine when they picture a yacht. They are large boats with powerful motors that can take you almost anywhere in the world. These types of yachts usually come equipt with water toys as well.
Final Thoughts
A yacht can be a fun and exciting way to host a party. It’s not every day that one can celebrate in the open ocean or visit faraway ports.
If you are looking at renting a yacht for a few hours or even a week, there is a price point that is right for you. So, how much does it cost to rent a yacht for a party?
The cheapest options can go as low as $720 for a few hours on a small unmanned yacht, while the largest options can be rented for up to a million dollars. Between those two, there is every option in between.
Cardi “likes to party” Clark has 15+ years of designing, planning, and executing successful parties and events. Highly skilled in event strategy, management, planning, and execution with a track record of exceeding expectations. I make it happen. I get it done and people have fun!
