All-Inclusive Family Yacht Charters: Caribbean vs Mediterranean (2027)

A truly all-inclusive family yacht charter, with one weekly rate covering the yacht, the crew, every meal, a standard bar and fuel, is a Caribbean model. In the Mediterranean, crewed charters run on MYBA terms: a base rate plus an APA of about 25 to 35% for food, drinks, fuel and port fees, VAT on the rate and a crew tip of 10 to 15%. A family that wants one number for a Mediterranean week gets it by asking for an all-in budget before booking.

In the British Virgin Islands, all-inclusive weekly rates for a crewed catamaran of 46 or 47 feet start around $22,000 to $27,000. In Greece, one real peak-season week in 2026 on a 46-foot crewed catamaran came to €21,250 before the tip. Below is what each model covers, what comes on top and which one suits which school holiday.

Where all-inclusive yacht charters exist

Most crewed yachts in the Caribbean charter on the CYBA Inclusive Charter Agreement, which listings show as Caribbean Terms. Under it the weekly fee covers:

• the yacht and a licensed crew

• three meals a day

• the standard ship's bar

• fuel, cruising permits and clearance taxes

• mooring fees and the running costs of the yacht

• the water toys on board

The crew gratuity sits outside the rate, at a customary 15 to 20% of the fee. So do premium wines and Champagne, scuba diving, excursions ashore, marina berths you ask for and airport transfers.

In Frontier Yachting's review of 34 current Caribbean listings, 25 add nothing to the inclusive rate. Four add a 5% APA for extras, all of them sailing catamarans of about 24 metres from about $92,000 a week. The other five charter on plus-expenses terms. Yachts based in the Bahamas quote their rates before a 14% charter tax. The clause-by-clause detail is in our guide to what is included in a Caribbean yacht charter.

What families get on an inclusive Caribbean week

Several listings discount children, by $100 to $250 a child. Of the 34 listings, 13 offer a half-board rate for guests who want some meals ashore, usually $100 to $150 per guest off the weekly rate. Menus are built around the preference sheet you send ahead, so the children's food is settled before the week starts.

For families, the British Virgin Islands are the usual first choice: island hops of 5 to 15 nautical miles, warm calm water and mooring buoys in most bays. The season runs December to April. Christmas and New Year weeks are the hardest to secure, often 12 months or more ahead. Our BVI crewed catamaran guide covers the yachts and rates in detail.

What all-inclusive means in the Mediterranean

Mostly, it doesn't exist. Mediterranean crewed charters are priced as a base rate plus an APA, the Advance Provisioning Allowance. You pay the APA before the charter and the captain spends it at cost on fuel, food, drinks and port fees, with receipts. Whatever is left comes back to you at the end of the week. If the week costs more, you settle the difference.

How large the APA is depends on the yacht and the region:

VAT comes on top of the charter fee, at the rate of the country you embark in: 13% in Croatia, 21% in Spain and 20% in France. In Greece it depends on the yacht, typically between 5.2 and 13%. The APA itself carries no VAT. The crew tip in the Mediterranean is a customary 10 to 15% of the fee.

A real family-sized week in Greece

One peak-season week in 2026 on a 46-foot crewed sailing catamaran in Greece, with 2 crew and 8 guests for 7 nights:

The APA was paid in advance at €4,800 and the €350 left over was returned. Larger crewed catamarans in Greece run roughly €22,000 to €60,000 a week all-in before the tip. The line-by-line breakdown is in what a crewed catamaran charter in Greece really costs. Our APA guide explains how the allowance works.

How to get one number for a Mediterranean week

Ask your broker for an all-in budget per yacht before you choose. It should list the charter fee, VAT and the tip, plus an APA estimate for your route and for what your family eats and drinks. The APA is the one line that moves. Nights at anchor, local wines and a chef who buys at the local market keep it down; a motor yacht covering long distances and nightly marina berths push it up.

Caribbean or Mediterranean: side by side

Which works best for your family

If your holidays fall in July or August, the Mediterranean is the realistic option. With young children choose the Ionian Islands, which the meltemi barely reaches, or the Saronic Gulf, where it blows much weaker than in the Cyclades. If you can travel in June or September, the water is warm, the anchorages are quieter and rates are lower than midsummer.

If you travel over Christmas, in February or at Easter, the Caribbean gives you the inclusive rate with short, calm passages between islands. Book Christmas and New Year early, as those weeks go first.

Either way, a catamaran suits most families best: it moves less at anchor than a monohull, with wide flat decks and low steps down to the water.

What to ask for as a family, whatever the region

• Lifejackets that fit each child's weight now, with crotch or thigh straps, confirmed before you arrive.

• Netting along open rails and stair gates where the layout needs them.

• Cots, high chairs and baby equipment, requested in advance.

• A cabin plan that fits the ages, with a Pullman berth if a nanny comes along.

• Short passages and calm anchorages planned around naps and early dinners.

Supervision stays with the parents: the crew run the yacht and the service and are not there as childcare. How the week feels with young children is in what it's like to charter a yacht with kids. The planning steps are in how to plan a family yacht vacation.

Common Questions

What is an all-inclusive yacht charter?

A crewed charter where one weekly rate covers the yacht, the crew, all meals, a standard bar, fuel, permits and moorings. It is the standard model in the Caribbean, where most crewed yachts charter on CYBA terms. The crew tip of 15 to 20% comes on top, as do premium drinks, diving and excursions ashore.

Can you book an all-inclusive family yacht charter in the Mediterranean?

Mostly not. Mediterranean crewed charters run on MYBA terms: a base rate plus an APA of about 25 to 35% that the captain spends at cost on food, drinks, fuel and port fees, plus VAT and a crew tip of 10 to 15%. To get one number for a Mediterranean week, ask for an all-in budget per yacht before you book.

How much does an all-inclusive family yacht charter cost?

In the British Virgin Islands, all-inclusive weekly rates for a crewed catamaran of 46 or 47 feet start around $22,000 to $27,000, plus a tip of 15 to 20%. For comparison, one real peak-season week in 2026 on a 46-foot crewed catamaran in Greece came to €21,250 before the tip, with VAT and the APA spending included.

Are drinks included on an all-inclusive yacht charter?

On Caribbean Terms the standard ship's bar is included. Champagne, fine wines and brands asked for by name are billed separately. In the Mediterranean all drinks are paid from the APA at cost, so local wines keep the week cheaper than Champagne.

Do children get a discount on a yacht charter?

On some Caribbean yachts, yes: several listings discount children by $100 to $250 a child off the weekly rate. In the Mediterranean the charter fee is for the whole yacht whoever is on board, so children only show up in what the APA spends on food.

Is the Caribbean or the Mediterranean better for a family yacht charter?

It depends on when you can travel. For summer school holidays the Mediterranean is the realistic choice, ideally the Ionian Islands or the Saronic Gulf with young children. For Christmas, February or Easter the Caribbean gives you the inclusive rate, warm water and short passages, with the British Virgin Islands the usual first pick.

Talk to us

Send us your dates, the children's ages and where you would like to go. We will come back with yachts that suit a family, each with an all-in budget worked out line by line.

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