There is no single price for a yacht charter in Greece, and any figure quoted without knowing your dates, your group and the boat is a guess. The same yacht can cost twice as much in the middle of August as it does in May, and two yachts of identical length in the same marina can be a long way apart.
What is worth understanding is the structure, because once you know what moves the number, you can move it yourself. A week in June instead of August, a monohull instead of a catamaran, or one fewer cabin will each change the total more than any negotiation will.
Here is what actually decides what a charter costs, and how to get a figure you can rely on.
What decides the price
Four things do most of the work: the yacht, the week, the format and what you add on top. Everything else is detail.
| Driver | How it moves the price |
|---|---|
| Yacht type | A catamaran costs more than a monohull of the same length. A power yacht costs more again, and burns more fuel. |
| Size and cabins | Price follows length and the number of cabins, not the number of people you squeeze in. |
| Age and specification | A new yacht with air conditioning, a generator and a full electronics package sits well above an older boat of the same size. |
| Week of the season | The steepest single factor. Peak weeks and shoulder weeks are different prices for the identical boat. |
| Charter format | Bareboat, skippered, crewed and cabin charters are four different cost structures, not one with options. |
| Base | Some marinas are more expensive to charter out of than others, and one-way charters carry a relocation cost. |
| Extras and running costs | Fuel, mooring fees, provisioning and optional services sit on top of the charter fee. |
Yacht type and size
The boat is the biggest line on the invoice, and the choice within it is wider than most people expect.
A monohull is the least expensive way to get a given number of berths afloat. A catamaran of the same length costs more, offers considerably more space and stability, and takes two berths in a marina rather than one, which pushes the running costs up as well. A power yacht is faster and more comfortable in a flat sea, costs more to charter and consumes fuel at a rate no sailing yacht approaches.
Within each type, the two levers are length and cabins. A yacht with four cabins and four bathrooms is a different product from one with three, and it is priced that way. Age matters too: the same model five years apart can sit in two different price brackets, which is why an older, well-maintained yacht is often the best value in the fleet.
The practical advice is to work out how many cabins you actually need before looking at anything. Groups that start from a yacht they liked the look of usually end up paying for space they do not use.
Season
The Greek season runs from April to October, and the price of the same yacht is not flat across it.
July and August are the peak. Demand is highest, the fleet is fully booked, and the middle of August is the single most expensive fortnight of the year. Either side of it, May, June, September and October offer excellent weather with fewer crowds and lower prices for the identical boat.
Late April and October sit at the bottom of the range. The weather is more variable and the sea is cooler, but for anyone with flexible dates they are the cheapest way to sail in Greece.
If your budget is fixed and your dates are not, moving the week is the most effective thing you can do. The same money buys a noticeably better yacht in June than it does in August.
Charter format
The four formats are not variations on a theme. They are different arrangements with different costs attached.
How the formats compare
Bareboat
- Lowest total cost
- You supply the crew
- Requires a sailing certificate
- Security deposit applies
Skippered
- Bareboat price plus the skipper
- Skipper’s food is usually the guests’ responsibility
- No certificate needed on board
- One cabin or berth goes to the skipper
Crewed
- Highest total, and the most included
- Captain plus crew depending on size
- Meals and service arranged on board
- Nothing for the guests to run
Cabin charters work differently again: you book a cabin rather than the yacht, share it with other guests, and pay per person. For couples travelling alone it is usually the least expensive way to spend a week on a yacht in Greece.
Extras on top
The charter fee covers the yacht itself. On a bareboat charter that means the yacht, its standard equipment, safety gear and technical support, and the rest is paid separately as you go or booked in advance. This is where budgets slip, because the additions are individually small and there are a lot of them.
Charged separately on most charters: fuel, marina and mooring fees, provisioning and any optional extras. On top of those, a security deposit is taken at check-in on a bareboat charter and released after check-out.
The optional list is long and entirely up to you: a skipper or hostess added to a bareboat booking, airport transfers, provisioning delivered before you arrive, Wi-Fi, paddle boards, kayaks, extra towels and linen. On crewed yachts it extends further, to concierge services, water toys, diving and onboard catering arrangements.
None of it is compulsory, but a realistic budget includes fuel and mooring at minimum, and the way to avoid surprises is to check what is included in the charter price before you sign rather than after.
Getting a firm quotation
Published prices are starting points. A firm figure comes from a written quotation against a specific yacht and a specific week, and getting one takes a short message rather than a phone call.
Send your dates and say whether they can move, how many people are coming and how many cabins that needs, whether you want it bareboat, skippered or crewed, and whether anyone on board holds a sailing certificate. Add the area you have in mind, or say you are open to a suggestion. That is enough to check availability and come back with real numbers.
When the quotation arrives, read it for what is not in it. The useful comparison between two yachts is the total for the week including fuel, mooring, extras and the deposit terms, not the headline charter fee. Two quotations with the same fee can differ significantly once the rest is added.
Browsing the fleet first is worth doing, if only to narrow the type and size before you ask.
One last point on comparing quotations. Ask for the total in writing, with the extras itemised, and ask what is not included rather than what is. A quotation that answers that question clearly is usually a sign of an operator who will be equally clear about everything else, which matters more on a charter than it does on most holidays.
Frequently Asked Questions
What does a yacht charter in Greece cost?
It depends on the yacht, the week and the format. Type, size, cabins, age and the month of the season move the figure far more than anything else, which is why a firm price comes from a quotation against a specific boat and specific dates.
What makes one week more expensive than another?
Demand. July and August are the peak, with the middle of August the most expensive fortnight. May, June, September and October cost less for the same yacht and still have excellent weather.
What is not included in the charter price?
Fuel, marina fees, provisioning and optional extras are charged separately. The yacht, its standard equipment, safety gear and technical support are included.
Which is the cheapest way to charter?
A monohull, bareboat, outside July and August. For a couple travelling alone, a cabin charter is usually less again, because you pay per person rather than for the whole yacht.
Is a deposit part of the cost?
It is held, not spent. A security deposit is taken at check-in on a bareboat charter and released after the yacht has been checked back in, so it affects cash flow rather than the price of the week.
Send us your dates and the size of your group and we will come back with a written quotation for the yachts that are actually free that week.
Send your dates and group size