How a charter price is put together
Chartering is quoted differently from a hotel or a flight, which is why the headline number alone can mislead. These are the parts, in the order you will meet them.
The base charter rate
The headline weekly figure. It covers the yacht itself, her full crew, insurance and standard equipment. On Ahoy Club this number is published on the listing — a rate shown as "From USD $120,000 per week" is what the yacht costs for a week, not a deposit or an indication.
Advance Provisioning Allowance (APA)
A separate sum, customarily 30% to 50% of the base rate, paid before departure so your crew can provision ahead of your arrival. It funds food and drink, fuel, dockage and harbour fees, and communications. It is your money held on your behalf: the captain accounts for every purchase and unspent funds are returned to you.
Tax and delivery
Cruising tax depends entirely on where you sail and is charged on top — Mediterranean VAT is the common example and varies by country and itinerary. If a yacht has to reposition to meet you, delivery or redelivery fees may apply. Both are quoted before you commit, never discovered later.
Discretionary extras
Crew gratuity is at your discretion and customarily in the region of 5% to 15% of the base rate. Anything you arrange beyond the yacht — shoreside restaurants, events, helicopter transfers — sits outside the charter and is either paid directly or drawn from your APA.
Where broker commission sits
Charter brokerage has worked the same way for decades: the yacht's owner pays the broker a commission out of the charter fee, customarily in the region of 15% to 20% of the gross. You are not invoiced for it, which sounds reassuring until you notice the consequence — because it is inside the rate and almost never published, most of the market gives you no way to see what you are being charged.
That is the reason Ahoy Club publishes rates on the listings themselves. A rate you can read and compare, without an enquiry and without a follow-up call, is the only version of this that respects your time.
Common questions
Do I pay the broker a fee on top of the charter price?
No. In yacht chartering the broker's commission is customarily paid out of the charter fee by the yacht's owner, not added to your bill. The rate you are quoted already includes it, so going direct to an owner does not remove a fee — it usually just removes your representation.
What is included in a yacht charter price?
The base charter rate covers the yacht, her crew, insurance and standard equipment. Paid separately are the Advance Provisioning Allowance (customarily 30% to 50% of the base rate, covering food, drink, fuel and dockage), any cruising tax such as Mediterranean VAT, delivery fees if the yacht must reposition, and crew gratuity, which is discretionary.
How much commission do yacht charter brokers take?
The long-standing industry convention is a commission in the region of 15% to 20% of the gross charter fee, paid by the owner from the charter fee rather than charged to the guest. Because it is inside the advertised rate, it is invisible on most brokers' websites — which is also why comparing published rates between brokers is the only reliable way to see what you are being charged.
Why does Ahoy Club publish its charter prices?
Because a price you have to ask for is not a price. Weekly rates appear on every Ahoy Club charter listing, and asking prices on yachts for sale, other than listings marked price on application. Much of the industry requires an enquiry before quoting, which makes comparison slow and one-sided.
Is a cheaper charter always better value?
No. The base rate is only part of the total: a lower headline figure with a higher APA, an inefficient cruising itinerary or a heavy fuel burn can cost more across a week than a higher rate on a well-run yacht. Compare the total cost of the trip you actually intend to take, not the headline.
When do I pay for a yacht charter?
Charter payments are customarily staged: an initial instalment on signing the charter agreement, with the balance and the APA transferred several weeks before you embark. Exact terms are set out in your charter agreement before any money moves.