Seven ways to save money on a yacht charter holiday

Our top tips for getting the best value for money when booking a yacht charter

19th Nov 2019

Our job is to find a yacht charter to suit your budget. Whether you’re looking for a bareboat charter in Greece, or a crewed catamaran in the Caribbean, we can help. But there are also lots of ways you can make your money go further than you might think.

So here are our top money-saving tips for your next charter holiday. As always, get in touch to speak to our team of Charter Advisers to get more advice on specific destinations and boats.

Russell
Russell, Sales Manager

1. Travel out of the high season

If you’re fortunate enough to have free choice over when to take your holiday, we always recommend travelling either side of the high season – in the shoulder seasons.

Go out of high season
Go out of high season

You should still benefit from mostly good weather, ideal sailing conditions, and facilities and amenities will still be available. You’ll have a good choice of boats and flights tend to be cheaper.

When to travel

2. Invite friends along and split the cost

Why not consider taking a special trip with friends or family and share the cost? 

Take this Bavaria 45, available in Gocek, Turkey for 7 days in June 2020. With four cabins and three heads, it would be ideal for three or four couples to share.

Bavaria 45
Bavaria 45
£ 0
Cost if split between 1 couple
£ 0
Cost per couple if split between 2 couples
£ 0
Cost per couple if split between 3 couples
£ 0
Cost per couple if split between 4 couples

 

Or how about this brand new Lagoon 42, available for 14 days in Antigua in November 2020. A large group could comfortably share it, as it has four cabins and four heads. 

A quick Google search showed us that is would cost around £2500 per person at a minimum for the same length of stay in an Antigua hotel, around the same dates.

Lagoon 42
£ 0
Cost if split between 1 couple
£ 0
Cost per couple if split between 2 couples
£ 0
Cost per couple if split between 3 couples
£ 0
Cost per couple if split between 4 couples

3. Avoid paying for overnight mooring

Marinas can be expensive, especially in popular yacht charter locations such as Croatia. So it’s always worth finding alternatives.

If mooring in Croatia, pick up a buoy outside of a marina. It costs about a third of the marina fee but you still get to use all the marina facilities. You can also make use of one of the hundreds of stunning anchorages that Croatia has to offer.

Kornati Islands, Croatia
Kornati Islands

Generally, in the most popular charter locations away from marinas, you don’t pay to moor in Greece or Turkey. Lots of quieter bays will have restaurants where the owner will allow you to moor outside along the quayside or pontoon, as long as you eat at their place for dinner.

Antigua and the British Virgin Islands charge for the mooring balls in the main harbours, but they also have plenty of anchorages. Take a look at the Antigua marine guide and the BVI marine guide for more information. 

We recommend finding a safe anchorage in a secluded bay for the night. After all, that peace and quiet is what sailing is all about. 

4. Try destinations with a good exchange rate

Take advantage of favourable exchange rates and try chartering a boat in a country you’ve not considered going to before. You are likely to save money on everyday expenses such as food and drink.

Pick up essential produce for less

Take a look below at the current exchange rates for some of our popular charter destinations.

It’s important to bear in mind that meals in restaurants may be more expensive in places such as the Seychelles and Antigua, but local fresh produce will be better value for money. So stock up with food and drink and bring that party on board!

8.7 to 1GBP

7.4 to 1GBP

39.1 to 1GBP

3.5 to 1GBP

17.7 to 1GBP

5. Book your sailing holiday in advance

Operators are keen to secure bookings for their charter fleets ahead of time, and you’ll get a better choice of boats and flights by booking early. 

Get organised and book early

To get a good choice of boat, we recommend booking between October to December, the year before you want to travel. This way you will beat the post-Christmas rush.

Airlines usually release flight schedules around 11 months in advance and some, like Easyjet, release them in tranches throughout the year. If you can, it’s best to book as soon as you can, before demand reaches its peak.

Search 2020 yacht charter offers

6. Sail one way

One-way charters are a great way to explore more places without having to double-back on yourself to return to the starting base. Operators will release one-way charters at discounted rates, as it saves them having to find a skipper to move the boats from one destination to another. 

See more sights on a one-way charter

Combine a one-way charter with low cost flights from Easyjet, Ryanair or Norwegian Airlines and you might be surprised at the value for money. Keep an eye on our dedicated website for offers.

Typical one-way routes

7. Follow us to get the best offers

Follow us on Instagram and Facebook to get the best yacht charter offers, and sign up to our weekly newsletter.

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Read more like this

Croatia: A rough guide to keeping your costs down

8 things to bear in mind when booking a yacht charter

Last minute charters: The nature of the beast

Get in touch

Nic

Contact us if you have any more questions about booking a yacht charter. With a combined 50 years of experience, our team knows all there is to know about the world of yacht chartering.

If you want to know more about bareboat, flotilla, or by-the-cabin charters, speak to one of our experts who will be happy to share their knowledge with you. Use our price comparison tool to search for charters by date or destination, request a quote or contact our team on 01227 479 900.

We love being on the water and it’s our ambition to enable others to share our love of sailing.

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