Yachts

What Is Yachting? From Yacht Charters to Onboard Etiquette

Here, you’ll find the answers to all your questions about yacht charters, starting with the most basic one: What is yachting?

By 

Tristan Rutherford

 |  April 12, 2025

Yacht charters are enjoying an unprecedented boom. In 2024, bookings in the 150-foot-plus category — most of these yachts costing $200,000 per week or more — rose by around 10%. Here’s why.

No travel experience compares to a week on a superyacht. En route, they can enjoy helicopters, onboard nightclubs, private chefs, masseurs, and, in some cases, a glass-fronted Nemo room, a personal aquarium sited in the hull. One word: wow.

There’s a second reason for the boom. Repeat bookings. Some guests have chartered 50 yachts with the top luxury boat brands during their lifetime simply to avoid the operational hassle of owning their own boat. Being king or queen of a floating fiefdom is an addictive thrill.

Fancy joining the fun, but don’t know how? This guide answers the question, “What is yachting?” and details everything you need to know about this luxury but were afraid to ask.

In This Article

• How Do You Book a Yacht?
• Is Everything All-Inclusive Once You’ve Paid the Huge Charter Fee?
• How Many People Can Sleep on a Yacht? 
• Can I Bring Guests Aboard the Yacht? 
• Can I Invite 30 of My Friends for a Party? 
• We’re a Couple. Can We Book a Single Room on a Shared Yacht?
• Do I Have to Eat Gourmet Food?
• Can I Choose Where to Cruise to Each Morning? 
• Am I Allowed to Dine Onshore? 
• Do I Have to Dress Formally?
• I Feel Seasick, I’ve Argued With My Guests, and I Want To Leave. Can I?
• Can I Sail Around the World? 
• What If You’re Not Happy With the Service? 

What Is Yachting?

How Do You Book a Yacht?

Simply WhatsApp, text, email, or call one of the principal yacht brokerages. The top yacht brokerages for US clients are:

• Burgess
• Camper & Nicholsons
• Edminston
• Fraser Yachts
• IYC
• Northrop & Johnson
• Ocean Independence
• SuperYachtsMonaco
• Y.Co

“I like to speak with clients on the phone or on a Zoom call to fully understand their brief,” says Fiona Maureso, senior charter broker at Northrop & Johnson and a veteran of 30 years in the industry. Though some clients prefer to complete their briefs completely by email.

Only yacht buyers and sellers attend the big boat blowouts like the Monaco Yacht Show or Fort Lauderdale International Boat Show. Charter brokers solve the logistical challenges of yacht charters, principally in Florida and the French Riviera.

You can learn more by reading our guide on how to charter a yacht.

Is Everything All-Inclusive Once You’ve Paid the Huge Charter Fee? 

Here’s a basic rule: On yachts, everything has a cost. 

“The charter fee covers your time on board as well as the captain and crew,” confirms Alexandra Kimm, a charter consultant from the leading yacht agency Ocean Independence. And that’s it. 

“The rule of thumb is that you’ll spend about 30% on top of your charter fee,” explains Kimm. You pay this cost up front as an Advanced Provisioning Allowance, or APA, which covers docking, food, drinks, and more. “Whether you spend your APA depends if you are drinking vintage Champagne and mooring in the St. Tropez port,” the latter option adding between $2,000 and $4,000 per night to the charge. 

What if your APA runs low? The captain will politely request that you wire more funds ASAP. You will receive a refund if you don’t use the full amount. 

How Many People Can Sleep on a Yacht? 

Up to 12. Why? Any charter vessel accepting 13 guests or more must adhere to a completely different set of safety regulations. For example, they must feature prominent lifeboats like those on a cruise ship — and for a sleek superyacht, it’s usually not the preferred look. 

So yes, a $2,000,000 per week yacht, like the 414-foot Octopus, can only host the same number of guests as a $200,000 charter. But the experience of each will be significantly different. 

Although yachts can only host 12 guests, the crew size is unlimited. So, one of the world’s largest charter yachts, Octopus, has 45 staff members. This team includes divemasters, videographers, yoga instructors, and an engineering team who can work the subaquatic drone. 

Can I Bring Guests Aboard the Yacht? 

As long as you are not exceeding the maximum number of total passengers traveling on the yacht, you’re welcome to bring additional people to the yacht. After all, the principal charter guest pays hundreds of thousands of dollars for their luxury vacation. 

However, there is one rule. “You have to tell the captain,” says Maureso from Northrop & Johnson. “Because if something happened, they would need to know there was an extra body on board.” For immigration purposes, all companions will have to present their passports too.   

Can I Invite 30 of My Friends for a Party? 

Yes, says Kimm, but the captain needs to know in advance. “He or she would most likely have to call in external caterers and arrange extra staff.”  

“For example,” continues Kimm, “when we do Monaco Grand Prix charters, you’ll see boats with upwards of 70 people on board. It’s written into the contract that they’re allowed lots of extra guests, and we plan the logistics in advance to make the party happen.” 

We’re a Couple. Can We Book a Single Room on a Shared Yacht? 

Superyacht-style experiences are available to vacationers who don’t want to pay for an entire boat. The Ritz-Carlton Yacht Collection features three new yachts in the Mediterranean, Caribbean, and Asia. Costs hover around $10,000 per guest, per week for accommodations, onboard meals and entertainment, nonalcoholic and select alcoholic beverages, and onboard gratuities. In 2026, Four Seasons will launch a similar concept with a single yacht rotating between the Mediterranean and Caribbean. 

Do I Have to Eat Gourmet Food? 

You can eat whatever you want, whenever you want, 24/7, from wagyu steaks to fried chicken. 

Most yacht cooks and their team of sous-chefs, pastry chefs, and servers will have gained experience in the world’s best and most expensive restaurants. Some yachts, like the 155-foot Arados, specialize in fine dining and train their staff in the kitchens of Joël Robuchon, who has won more Michelin stars than any other chef. 

“Some guests enjoy the show of a formal menu dégustation,” or tasting menu, says celebrated superyacht chef Dean Harrison, who joined Project X — which charters for €1.2 million ($1.3 million) per week — in 2025. On the flipside, “others want to wind down and enjoy the greatest burger.” 

Can I Choose Where to Cruise to Each Morning? 

Your captain will maintain the happy pretence that a lead guest is calling the shots. Itineraries will be presented over cocktails. Experiential activities will be discussed over breakfast. 

Here’s the big secret. That humble Antiguan fisher you stumbled upon to buy 12 fresh lobsters, or that Ibiza beach club that just happened to reserve its front row of sun loungers for your besties, was probably planned days in advance. Call it “organized spontaneity.” It works for everyone.

Serious superyacht expeditions, such as the Northwest Passage or Polynesia, will need to be planned months in advance due to permits, expedition timing, and weather windows. 

Am I Allowed to Dine Onshore? 

Sure thing. Experiential dining experiences are everywhere. These range from a lonely Venetian fisherman who serves celebrities whatever he’s caught that morning on his fishing boat to the three-Michelin-starred restaurant Le Louis XV in Monaco, where guests use over 50 pieces of cutlery per sitting (be sure to check out our guide to fine-dining etiquette first). 

Here’s the best bit. Even if a restaurant is fully booked, a call from your chief steward offering a cash incentive can generally help you skip the line. In hospitality, money talks. 

If guests dine ashore, the crew will probably thank them for a night off. However, the chef will still have a snack station worthy of a Park Hyatt buffet awaiting their return. 

Do I Have to Dress Formally? 

This isn’t the Orient Express. For most folks, a week on a boat is a chance to let their hair down. Be aware that most yachts forbid heels, so channel barefoot-chic. 

I Feel Seasick, I’ve Argued With My Guests, and I Want To Leave. Can I? 

You can. But don’t expect a refund. Most charters sign the industry’s standard MYBA contract, which is watertight when it comes to cancellations. 

This advice sounds obvious, but sample a day on the water before you book a week on the ocean. Also invite guests who are easygoing to guarantee a happy week at sea. 

If you do suffer from seasickness and still wish to set sail, select a destination with lower waves, such as Croatia in the Mediterranean or the leeward side of the Bahamas. 

Can I Sail Around the World? 

Anyone who undertakes yachting’s ultimate voyage — a circumnavigation of planet Earth — follows in the wake of master mariners like Captain Cook and Sir Francis Drake. 

Rather than book by the week, some people charter yachts for years at a time. That period allows guests to hit time-specific events like the crocodile festival in Papua New Guinea, whale migrations off Patagonia, and marina-side Grands Prix in Monaco, Abu Dhabi, Miami, and Singapore. 

One problem. It’ll cost you. Taking a luxury yacht off the charter market for 24 months, with a specialized explorer crew and insurance, would be an eight-figure sum. Minimum. 

What If You’re Not Happy With the Service? 

In the rare event that you feel the crew is fooling around or performing unsafe manoeuvres, speak to the captain. He or she will have a discreet conversation to remove that member from sight. 

If you feel the captain has acted unprofessionally, that’s an accusation as serious as it is unlikely. A call to your charter broker will set the wheels in motion for an immediate investigation. Telephone calls and onboard visits will then occur, usually without guests knowing about them, until the matter is satisfactorily resolved. 

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