A week on a yacht in the British Virgin Islands costs roughly $3,300 to $20,000 if you sail it yourself (bareboat), and from about $13,000 to well over $90,000 if you hire a full crew. Those ranges come from a 2026 BVI cost guide, and they are for the boat only. Permits, moorings, food, fuel and tips come on top. Below we break down where your number lands, what moves it, and how to budget without surprises.
TL;DR
- Bareboat: about $3,300 to $20,000 per week for the vessel. Crewed, all-inclusive: about $13,000 to $95,000+, with tip extra.
- A sailing catamaran in the 40 to 47 ft class is the BVI default. Expect roughly $5,700 to $11,000 in low season and $9,000 to $16,000 in high season.
- Budget extra on a bareboat: cruising permit, mooring fees, provisioning, fuel and a refundable security deposit.
- Season and boat size move the price more than anything else. The same boat can cost far less in late spring or autumn.
- Booking through a membership with low service fees trims the total, because commissions are built into most quotes.
Table of Contents
- BVI charter prices at a glance
- What drives the price up or down
- How much does a BVI catamaran charter cost?
- What is included in the quoted price
- The extras you pay on top
- Sample weekly budgets
- Our perspective on BVI charter pricing
- Book your BVI boat with lower fees
- Ways to lower your BVI charter cost
- FAQ
- Sources
BVI charter prices at a glance
The BVI has three common ways to charter, and the price gap between them is large. The figures below are typical weekly ranges from one 2026 pricing guide. Treat them as planning numbers, then get a live quote for your dates.
| Charter type | What you get | Typical weekly range |
|---|---|---|
| Bareboat | You skipper, you get the boat only | $3,300 to $20,000 |
| Bareboat with hired skipper | A captain added, about $330 per night | $6,300 to $25,000 |
| Fully crewed, all-inclusive | Captain, chef, meals, bar, fuel, toys | $13,000 to $95,000+ |
The same guide notes a 50-foot catamaran might bareboat for about $12,000 a week and cost $30,000 or more fully crewed. You are paying for two or more salaries, the chef's food budget and a service premium.
Other operators publish ranges in the same neighborhood. One major fleet quotes 7-day charters in the BVI from about $3,284 up to $49,584 for two people, which shows how wide the spread is before you add anything.
What drives the price up or down
Boat size and type
Length is the simplest predictor. The 2026 guide puts high-season sailing catamarans at about $200 to $360 per foot per week, and power catamarans at about $300 to $580. A 46 ft sailing cat therefore lands near $9,200 to $16,600, while a 46 ft power cat is closer to $13,800 to $26,700. Crewed catamarans run about $500 to $1,200 or more per foot all-in.
Monohulls cost less than catamarans of the same length because they have less living space. Catamarans win on stability, deck room and cabin privacy, which is why groups and families choose them.
Season
The BVI price calendar has two main periods. According to the same guide, low season runs May to November and high season December to April. Peak weeks around Christmas and New Year are the most expensive of the year, and the guide's tables show the gap clearly: a 40 to 47 ft sailing catamaran is $5,700 to $11,000 in low season but $9,000 to $16,000 in high season. Hurricane season overlaps with low season, so check cancellation and insurance terms before booking those months.
Charter length
Seven nights is the standard unit, and published weekly rates assume it. Shorter charters usually cost more per night, and some operators set fixed weekly start days. If you can only go for four or five nights, ask for a quote rather than dividing the weekly rate.
Crew and provisioning style
A hired skipper adds roughly $330 per night in the guide's estimate. A full crew changes the entire model: meals, drinks, fuel, water toys and mooring fees are usually folded into the rate.
How much does a BVI catamaran charter cost?
Catamarans are the boat most people picture in the BVI, and the guide's bareboat table gives a clear spread by class:
| Catamaran class | Low season (May to Nov) | High season (Dec to Apr) |
|---|---|---|
| Sailing, 40 to 47 ft | $5,700 to $11,000 | $9,000 to $16,000 |
| Power, 40 to 48 ft | $7,800 to $15,000 | $12,000 to $20,500 |
| Large, 48 to 53 ft | $12,500 to $17,000 | $20,000 to $31,000 |
Power catamarans cost more to charter and also burn fuel, which the guide prices at about $4 to $5 per gallon. Large 4 to 6 cabin catamarans suit two families or a group of friends, and splitting the cost brings the per-person price down. Crewed catamarans for 6 to 8 guests at 48 to 55 ft run about $20,000 to $35,000 a week all-inclusive, or roughly $3,000 to $5,000 per person. If you want the full picture beyond the BVI, our catamaran charter cost guide covers realistic weekly budgets.
What is included in the quoted price
This is where budgets go wrong, because "charter price" means different things.
Bareboat quotes cover the vessel, and usually basic equipment such as a dinghy and linens, depending on the operator. They do not cover food, fuel, permits, moorings or a skipper. You also typically leave a refundable security deposit.
Crewed all-inclusive quotes cover the captain, chef, meals, open bar, fuel, water toys and mooring fees, according to the 2026 guide. Gratuity and the cruising permit are normally extra.
Before you sign, ask:
- Is fuel included, or billed at the end of the week by engine hours?
- Are the cruising permit and park fees in the price?
- Are linens, snorkel gear, paddleboards and the dinghy engine included?
- What is the security deposit, and how fast is it refunded?
- Is there a cleaning, Wi-Fi or generator fee?
Our guide to yacht charter hidden costs goes further on this checklist.
The extras you pay on top
Cruising permit
The BVI charges visiting charter boats a cruising permit by person and by day. Under the Cruising and Home Port Permit Act 2021, the fee is $16.00 per person per day for foreign-based charter boats and $4.00 per person per day for home-based charter boats. Most charter fleets operate from BVI bases, so the lower rate commonly applies, but confirm which one applies with your operator.
Worked example for six guests over seven days: at $4 that is $168, and at $16 it would be $672.
Moorings and park fees
In many bays you pick up a mooring ball rather than anchor. One 2026 anchoring guide says first-come, first-served white balls cost roughly $30 to $40 per night, while reservable orange balls booked through an app are about $55. It adds that National Parks day-use permits run roughly $25 to $55 per week for a party. Rates change, so confirm with the BVI National Parks Trust or your operator. Budget $25 to $55 per night overall, as the cost guide does.
Provisioning
Food and drinks are the largest bareboat extra after the boat. The 2026 guide estimates $30 to $50 per person per day. For six people over seven days, that is $1,260 to $2,100. Island supermarkets near the main bases are well stocked, but prices run higher than on the U.S. mainland, and many operators offer pre-stocking.
Fuel
Sailing boats use little, while power cats can use a lot. Ask how the operator meters fuel and plan for several hundred dollars on a motor-heavy itinerary.
Gratuity
On crewed charters, tipping is customary. The 2026 guide's sample estimate adds $6,000 to $8,000 to a roughly $40,000 all-inclusive week for eight guests, which works out to 15% to 20%. Our piece on yacht charter gratuity explains U.S. tipping norms and how to pay safely.
Sample weekly budgets
These use the research figures above. They are illustrations, not quotes.
Bareboat sailing catamaran, six guests. The 2026 guide gives about $14,200 for the boat, plus a refundable deposit. Add the permit ($168 at the home-based rate), moorings (about $175 to $385 over seven nights at $25 to $55), provisioning ($1,260 to $2,100) and fuel. A realistic total is roughly $16,000 to $17,000, or about $2,700 to $2,800 per person.
Crewed catamaran, eight guests, high season. About $40,000 all-inclusive plus $6,000 to $8,000 gratuity, so $46,000 to $48,000. That is $5,750 to $6,000 per person, with the permit still to add.
Bareboat monohull, couple, low season. The guide's own estimate for this combination is a boat at about $4,500 plus provisioning, permits, moorings and fuel, around $5,500 in total.
For group math across all destinations, group yacht charter cost per person shows why a quote often turns into 1.3 to 1.7 times the headline number.
Our perspective on BVI charter pricing
At SAILORIX we see the same pattern in planning: travelers compare the boat price and forget that the quote has already absorbed a commission. Brokerage and platform fees on charters are commonly in the 10% to 20% range in our experience of the market, and on a $14,200 boat that is a meaningful sum. Our model is different. Members pay €100 per year and then a service fee of around 1% on bookings, with real-time availability and a best price guarantee.
Our advice for the BVI is practical. Decide on bareboat versus skippered first, because that choice moves the budget more than any discount. Then pick your season, because low season can cut the boat price by a third or more. Finally, build the extras into the number from the start: permit, moorings, food, fuel and tip. If your total only works at the lowest boat price, the plan is too tight.
We also suggest asking for a skipper if you are not sure about your logbook. A captain for the week costs far less than a damaged boat or a lost deposit. For a destination overview, see our BVI sailing charter guide.
— SAILORIX
Book your BVI boat with lower fees
If you are ready to price real boats, search by destination, boat type and dates on SAILORIX. Add a skipper, early check-in or equipment as options, and see insurance choices before you commit. Our membership is €100 per year and replaces the usual 10% to 20% commission with a service fee of about 1%. On a high-season catamaran, that difference can pay for the permit, the moorings and a good part of the groceries. Compare it in more depth in membership vs broker fees, or start at sailorix.com.
Ways to lower your BVI charter cost
- Go in low season. May to November prices can be a third or more below winter rates for the same boat.
- Choose a sailing cat over a power cat. You save on the hull and on fuel.
- Share the boat. A 4 to 6 cabin catamaran split by three couples is often cheaper per person than two small boats.
- Provision smart. Stock drinks and staples once at a base store, then buy fresh items locally.
- Book early. The best boats in the right weeks go first, and our yacht charter prices guide explains how rates move.
- Watch the commission. Ask any seller what service fee is built into your quote.
FAQ
How much does it cost to charter a yacht in the BVI for a week?
A bareboat week generally runs $3,300 to $20,000 for the vessel alone, depending on boat type and season. A fully crewed all-inclusive week ranges from about $13,000 to $95,000 or more. Add permits, moorings, food and fuel for a bareboat, and a tip for a crewed boat.
Is a BVI catamaran charter more expensive than a monohull?
Yes, for the same length, because a catamaran has more cabins and deck space. A 40 to 47 ft sailing catamaran runs about $9,000 to $16,000 in high season, according to the 2026 guide. Many groups still find the per-person cost better, since more people can share the boat comfortably.
What is included in a BVI yacht charter price?
It depends on the type. Bareboat prices cover the boat and basic gear, while crewed prices usually add the captain, chef, meals, bar, fuel, toys and moorings. Permit fees and gratuity are normally extra, so confirm in writing.
Do I need to tip on a crewed BVI charter?
Tipping the crew is customary on crewed charters, and the guide's sample puts it at about $6,000 to $8,000 on a $40,000 week. Decide on the amount ahead of time and hand it over at the end of the trip, as covered in our gratuity article.
When is the cheapest time to charter in the BVI?
Low season, from May to November, offers the lowest rates. Hurricane season falls in that window, so read cancellation and insurance terms carefully before you book.
Sources
- BVI Yacht Charter Cost 2026 guide
- Cruising and Home Port Permit Act 2021, British Virgin Islands
- BVI Anchoring Guide: Rules, Mooring Balls and Anchorages (2026)