Published August 2026. Rates are from current 2026 to 2027 listings; taxes and fees are as published by the BVI and Bahamas authorities at the time of writing.
The British Virgin Islands and the Bahamas are the two Caribbean-side destinations we are asked about most for a winter crewed catamaran week, and the question is usually which one to choose rather than whether to go. They share a season, a boat type and a contract model, and beyond that they are quite different holidays. The BVI offers some of the easiest and most protected charter sailing anywhere. The Exumas, which is what most people mean by a Bahamas charter, is wilder, emptier and more expensive. This article sets out how the sailing, the cost, the season and the logistics differ, and who each one tends to suit.
How does the sailing differ between the BVI and the Bahamas?
The BVI is line-of-sight sailing. Some 60 islands sit within about 15 nautical miles of each other, the trade winds blow steadily from the east, most passages are under two hours, and the anchorages are protected. Nearly every night is spent on a mooring ball rather than at anchor, which is easier for the crew and better for the reef. A classic week from Tortola runs Norman Island, Cooper Island and the Rhone wreck, the Baths at Virgin Gorda, the North Sound, Anegada, and Jost Van Dyke, and the only leg with any open water is the 15 miles or so up to Anegada. It is the strongest destination we know for families and for a first charter.
The Exumas are a different proposition. The chain runs about 100 miles from north to south, the crossing from Nassau to the first cays is around 35 nautical miles over the coral heads of the Yellow Bank, and the legs between stops are commonly 20 to 25 miles. The bank side is shallow and sheltered from the easterly trades, but the Exuma Sound side falls away to deep water, and there is nowhere to resupply between Nassau and the southern cays, so the boat has to be provisioned for the week from the start. The reward is what the BVI cannot offer: the swimming pigs at Big Major, the nurse sharks at Compass Cay, Thunderball Grotto off Staniel Cay, the Exuma Cays Land and Sea Park, and stretches of water with almost nobody in them. The Abacos, further north, are the protected alternative within the Bahamas, with short hops in the Sea of Abaco and a more family-oriented feel.
The practical consequence is that a faster boat matters more in the Exumas than in the BVI, and that the captain's route planning matters more too. In the BVI the itinerary shapes itself around the wind day by day. In the Exumas it is planned around distances, tides and the shallow banks.
How do the costs compare?
Both destinations run crewed catamarans on inclusive terms under the CYBA agreement, so the weekly rate covers the boat, the crew, all meals, the standard bar, fuel, the water toys and moorings, with a small allowance for anything beyond the standard arrangement. The difference is in what sits on top of the rate.
In the BVI, a BVI-based boat's rate normally includes the cruising permit and the National Parks permit, and the government charges that reach the guest are small: a $10 arrival levy, a $2 search-and-rescue contribution, and a $20 departure tax if you leave by ferry. In the Bahamas, rates are quoted before a charter fee of 14% of the gross charter fee, which since July 2025 is collected as a single charge by the Port Department in place of the former 4% fee plus 10% VAT. Nights in the Exuma Cays Land and Sea Park carry a mooring fee of roughly $50 a night for a 50 to 59 foot catamaran plus about $15 per person per day, both including VAT, and the boat's cruising and fishing permits are usually settled from the allowance. The crew gratuity is the same in both places, at a customary 15 to 20% of the charter fee.
Put real listings side by side and the gap is clear. A 50-foot catamaran in the BVI for 8 guests currently lists at about $27,000 for the week, which is $3,375 per person before the tip. A 54-foot catamaran in the Exumas for 8 guests lists at $35,000 to $38,000, and with the 14% charter fee added that becomes $39,900 to $43,320, or $4,990 to $5,415 per person before the tip and before any park fees. On comparable boats the Exumas week costs roughly 45 to 60% more per person. Part of that is the tax, part is that the Bahamas fleet is smaller and newer, and part is simply that a boat provisioned for a week with no resupply costs more to run.
| BVI, 50 ft catamaran, 8 guests | Exumas, 54 ft catamaran, 8 guests |
|---|
Weekly rate, inclusive terms | $27,000 | $35,000 to $38,000 |
Charter tax | Permits inside the rate; $10 levy and $2 rescue contribution per person | 14% charter fee, $4,900 to $5,320 |
Park fees | Inside the rate | About $50 a night plus $15 per person per day while in the Land and Sea Park |
Per person before tip | About $3,375 | About $4,990 to $5,415 |
Crew gratuity | 15 to 20% of the rate | 15 to 20% of the rate |
Per person with a 15% tip | About $3,880 | About $5,650 to $6,130 |
The figures are from current listings and the published fee schedules, rounded, and they move with the season and the boat. What does not move is the shape: the BVI rate is very close to the final number, and the Bahamas rate is a starting point.
When is the season, and how does the weather differ?
Both destinations peak from December to April, both sit inside the Atlantic hurricane season from June to November, and both carry Christmas and New Year premiums with a 7-night minimum. The BVI has the steadier winter weather, with the trades blowing reliably through the season. The Bahamas sees cold fronts come through between December and March, which bring a day or two of northerly wind and cooler water and are the reason many experienced Exumas hands prefer April and May, when the fronts have stopped and the water has warmed. Neither destination is a summer charter for a crewed catamaran, and the fleets largely reposition or lay up from June.
How do you get there?
For the BVI the base is Tortola. From Europe the practical routes are through San Juan or St Maarten to Beef Island airport, or through St Thomas in the US Virgin Islands and then a ferry of about an hour to Road Town or West End; American Airlines also flies direct from Miami. Boarding is at noon on day one and the first anchorage is within an hour of the dock.
For the Exumas the gateway is Nassau, with most charters either starting there and sailing south, or flying on to Staniel Cay in the middle of the chain or Georgetown at the southern end to avoid the Yellow Bank crossing and start among the cays. One-way itineraries from Staniel Cay back to Nassau are common and worth asking for, because they put the long crossing at the end of the week when the boat is light and the guests are relaxed, and the whole route is close to 100 miles over six days. Our Exumas itinerary sets that week out day by day, and our BVI itinerary does the same for Tortola.
Which should you choose?
The BVI is the answer for a first charter, for a group with children or with people who are unsure about the water, and for anyone who wants the week to be about swimming, beach bars and short, easy sailing with a different island every night. It is also the answer if the budget matters, because a BVI-based boat's rate is very nearly the final number. Our own experience there runs to many years of chartering, and it remains the destination we recommend most readily to a Caribbean first-timer.
The Exumas are the answer for a group that has done the BVI, or a Mediterranean season or two, and wants somewhere emptier, with the pigs and the sharks and the grotto as the set pieces, and is happy to accept longer legs, some open water and a higher price for it. The Abacos are a reasonable middle path within the Bahamas for a family that wants the Bahamian character with BVI-style short hops. For a group that cannot decide, the honest broker's answer is usually the BVI first and the Exumas next time.
The short version
Same season, same boats, same inclusive terms, different holiday. The BVI is protected, line-of-sight sailing with the permits inside the rate, and a 50-foot crewed catamaran for 8 works out at roughly $3,400 per person before the tip. The Exumas are remote and open, the rate is quoted before a 14% charter fee and park fees, and a comparable week comes to roughly $5,000 to $5,400 per person before the tip. Choose the BVI for a first charter, children, or an easy week; choose the Exumas for a second one, or for the wildlife and the emptiness, and budget half as much again for it.
The BVI week, day by day
We have written up our BVI sample itinerary, Tortola to Anegada and back by way of the Baths, the North Sound and Jost Van Dyke, day by day. Leave an email on the itinerary page and we will send the full PDF over.
Get the BVI day-by-day itinerary
Common questions
Is the Bahamas more expensive than the BVI for a crewed catamaran charter? On comparable boats, yes, by roughly 45 to 60% per person before the tip. The Exumas rate is quoted before a 14% charter fee and park fees, whereas a BVI-based boat's rate normally includes its permits.
Which is better for a first yacht charter, the BVI or the Bahamas? The BVI. Short passages, protected anchorages, mooring balls every night and a different island each day make it the easiest crewed sailing there is. The Exumas suit a group that has chartered before and wants somewhere more remote.
What taxes and fees apply on a BVI charter? A $10 Environmental and Tourism Levy per visitor on arrival, a $2 per person search-and-rescue contribution, and a $20 departure tax if you leave by ferry. The cruising permit, about $4 per person per day on a BVI-based boat, and the National Parks permit, $25 to $55 per boat per week, are normally inside the rate.
What taxes and fees apply on a Bahamas charter? A charter fee of 14% of the gross charter fee, collected by the Port Department, plus Exuma Cays Land and Sea Park mooring fees of roughly $50 a night for a 50 to 59 foot catamaran and about $15 per person per day while in the park. Cruising and fishing permits are usually settled from the charter allowance.
When is the best time to charter in the BVI or the Bahamas? December to April in both. The BVI is reliable through the whole season. The Bahamas has cold fronts from December to March, so April and May are often the most settled months in the Exumas. Hurricane season runs from June to November in both.
About the Author
Maurits is a professional yacht charter broker and founder of Frontier Yachting, based in Belgium. He has sailed and chartered the BVI for many years and worked as a yacht captain before moving ashore. He now helps clients choose between destinations and budget accurately before they book.
Contact: hello@frontieryachting.com | +32 487 22 08 22
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Sources
BVI cruising permit rates: Cruising and Home Port Permit Act 2021 and its 2025 amendments, as summarised by Harneys and O'Neal Webster. Environmental and Tourism Levy: BVI Government. National Parks Trust permit and BVI departure tax: operator schedules and ferry operator travel policies, 2026. Bahamas 14% charter fee: Bahamas Port Department as reported June 2025, Bahamas Customs and bahamas.com. Exuma Cays Land and Sea Park fees: Bahamas National Trust. Hurricane season: NOAA Climate Prediction Center. Rates: current broker listings for BVI-based and Nassau-based crewed catamarans, read August 2026.
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