How Much Does Yacht Week Really Cost?
The cost of yacht week varies substantially depending on your choices of all the different options. So ask yourself these important questions.
- Are you getting a boat with AC?
- Are you employing a host?
- How many people are you splitting the cost with?
- Do you want a private cabin?
Overall, yacht week can cost anything between €3510 -€4700+ ($3700- $5000+). The upper limit refers to choosing all the luxury options like AC, a private cabin, and having fewer people on your boat to split the cost between.
We will look at a breakdown of prices for yacht week, including the different tiers and what they include and don’t include. In addition, the extra costs involved over and above the yacht package price.
I’ll also answer whether you really do need AC for yacht week (is it worth the extra cash?) and how many people you need to split the cost of a yacht.
So let’s get into this!
To give you an idea of the pricing, the yacht itself costs between €650 and €2480 ($685-$2620), depending on the boat you choose and the dates you decide to go.
And whether you split the cost of an entire yacht or book as a cabin duo on someone else’s boat. These costs are gleaned from using the Original Route in Croatia as an example. They also vary according to different routes.
There are three ‘tiers’ that you can choose from classic, premium and luxury.
The classic option costs €700-€900 ($740-$950) and includes:
- Skipper
- Free date changes.
The premium option costs around €1100-€1840 ($1160-$1940) per person and is in the middle of the range. It includes:
- Skipper
- Host(ess) who buys food and cooks it for you
- Half Board
- Free date changes
The luxury option is the premier option. This costs around €1450- €2510 ($1530- $2650) and includes:
- Air Conditioning
- Skipper
- Host(ess) who buys the food and cooks it for you
- Half Board
- Free Date Changes
All premium and luxury packages include a host who does all the shopping for food ingredients and whips up the below meals:
- 6 (six) breakfasts
- 6 (six) lunches
- 2 (two) dinners
- Mineral water
This costs an extra €1025 ($1080) on Build Your Own (BYO) packages. These are packages where you add all the services you want individually and pay for the total.
If you want to add preselected drinks to your BYO package, the additional cost starts at €850 ($900). Regardless of which package you choose, the following are included in the fee for all tiers of yacht week:
- Skipper’s wages
- Yacht accommodation for 7 days
- Access to all exclusive events
- International DJs
- Professional photographers
- Stereo speakers onboard
- Final yacht cleaning
- Bath towels & bed linen
- Dingy
- Festival VIP tickets
- Food basics for breakfast and lunch to be prepared by yourself if you choose the classic ‘tier.’
Not included in yacht fee (Hidden/Extra Costs)
1. Refundable yacht deposit/ security deposit, which is paid for in case of damage to the yacht. If there is no damage to the vessel, this deposit will be returned to you at the end of the week. The amount varies between €250 and €350 ($265 and $370) per person. This can be paid in cash on arrival.
2. Transport to and from the airport (remember to bring cash for taxis as they may not accept cards).
3. Flights to and from Croatia
4. Food and drinks for yourself if you select the BYO package, which doesn’t automatically include food.
The premium and luxury tiers include food purchased and cooked by your host. Still, if you choose the classic tier, you will need to prepare your own food. And buy groceries for dinner and any extras apart from the basics provided for breakfast and lunch.
Food and drink for the host(ess) and the skipper when you are away from the yacht.
Eating out and alcohol will be extra. Budget the same amount you would typically for a holiday, considering how often you will feast on the yacht and how often you will eat out.
5. Yacht fuel, water and shore power. In addition, there are the Port Fees and security post. You can pay for these on arrival at each island. These vary depending on the date, location, and the size of your yacht.
6. Water taxis to transport you and your squad to/from the yacht on days/nights when you go shoreside.
7. Tips for your skipper and host(ess). You’ll want to factor in the fantastic service you’ll be treated to.
Extra costs for the Original Route with 10 people on board.
On a Monohull:
- Water Taxis: €400/$420
- Fuel: €400/$420
- Water: €50/ $52,70
- Port Fees: €600/$632,60
- Total: €1450/$1530
On a Catamaran:
- Water Taxis: €400/$420
- Fuel: €550/ $580
- Water: €50/ $52,70
- Port Fees: €800/ $844
- Total: €1800/ $1900
For more essential tips on preparing for yacht week, read our article how do I prepare for yacht week? Where we outline what to pack and what a typical yacht week itinerary might look like.
How many people do you need for yacht week?
Depending on the yacht, the maximum number of people you can have on your boat is 10 (ten) to 12 (twelve).
You can either gather enough people to split the cost between yourselves (usually between eight and twelve people). Or you can book a cabin with a friend (two of you to fill a cabin) on someone else’s yacht.
In which case, you are placed on a yacht that needs extra people to split the cost. This you can do through the yacht week website using the ‘crew finder.’
You can also use the crew finder to find more people for your yacht to fill up any spaces to help split the cost further. However, it is usually more cost-effective to go with the first option of getting an entire yacht and splitting the cost with friends.
Do you need AC for yacht week?
Air Conditioning may be costly, but it’s pretty much the consensus that it is essential to have AC for yacht week- especially if you are going in the heat of summer.
The cabins are small and compact with very little fresh air. Get AC if you want any hope of sleeping and don’t want to be trapped with the scent of sweat permeating the air!
Final Thoughts
Overall, yacht week can be extremely pricey if you let it but can also be affordable if you are willing to cut back on the luxuries.
The difficulty in the decision comes in choosing whether to get AC. Which is only part of the luxury tier and not part of the classic or premium tier, but you can fix this problem by choosing more budget options for other aspects of the trip.
Still unsure if yacht week is for you or if the cost suits your purse? Then, why not look at these two articles comparing Yacht Week with Bucketlust and Sail Week? They are competing companies with similar offerings so that you can make an informed choice.
