What is a superyacht?
A superyacht is generally defined as a luxury vessel over 24 metres (about 80 feet), professionally crewed and built to the highest standards of comfort and engineering. Above roughly 60 metres, the term megayacht is sometimes used. These are floating private estates — with multiple decks, lavish cabins, and amenities ranging from jacuzzis and gyms to helipads and submarines on the very largest. Chartering one places that world at your disposal for a week or more.
What it costs
Superyacht charter is priced in a different universe from a bareboat week. Weekly base rates typically run from around $150,000 for a smaller superyacht to several million dollars for the largest, most prestigious vessels. The base fee covers the yacht and its crew — but, crucially, not the running costs. Those are handled through the APA.
Understanding the APA
The Advance Provisioning Allowance (APA) is central to superyacht charter. On top of the base fee, you pay roughly 25–35% of the charter price upfront into a fund the captain uses for running costs — fuel, food, drink, port and marina fees, and other expenses. At the end of the charter, you receive a full accounting and either a refund of the unspent balance or a request to top up. It's effectively a running tab managed by the crew on your behalf.
The crew
A superyacht comes with a professional crew whose entire purpose is your experience — typically a captain, officers, engineers, a chef, stewardesses, and deckhands, often one crew member per guest or more. The chef will cater to any cuisine or dietary need; the crew arranges everything from water sports to onshore restaurant reservations and helicopter transfers. Tipping is customary, generally 5–15% of the base charter fee, distributed among the crew.
Best destinations
The classic superyacht grounds are the Western Mediterranean in summer — the French Riviera, Monaco, Italy's Amalfi Coast, Sardinia, and the Balearics — and the Caribbean in winter, particularly the British Virgin Islands, St. Barths, and the Bahamas. Increasingly, adventurous charterers head further afield to the Maldives, French Polynesia, and even Norway and Alaska aboard expedition yachts.
How to book
Superyacht charters are arranged through specialist brokers who match you to a vessel, handle the contract (typically the industry-standard MYBA agreement), and coordinate with the captain on your preferences. Book well ahead for peak weeks — the best yachts for the Monaco Grand Prix or Cannes Film Festival are reserved a year or more in advance. Expect to provide a detailed preference sheet covering food, drink, activities, and special occasions before you board.