All-In Cost Summary for Crewed Yacht Charters in Greece (2026)
A crewed yacht charter in Greece has a headline charter fee (yacht + crew) and then three major add-ons: APA, VAT, and gratuity. In practice, your true all-in cost ends up about 50-65% higher than the charter fee alone.
- A €30,000/week charter typically ends up around €45,000-€49,000 all-in.
- This guide uses real 2026 market numbers from the Greek charter market, with no vague ranges or hidden pricing.
1. Charter Fee: What You Pay for the Yacht Itself
The charter fee covers:
- The yacht and all standard equipment
- Crew salaries
- Yacht insurance
- Linens, towels
- Use of tenders and water toys listed in the brochure
2026 Weekly Charter Fees (High Season: July-August)
Motor Yachts (23-50m, crewed)
- 23-25m: €19,000-€30,000/week
- 28-32m: €35,000-€65,000/week
- 40-50m: €80,000-€180,000/week
Sailing Catamarans (14-24m, crewed)
- 14-16m: €5,900-€14,000/week
- 18-22m: €14,000-€28,000/week
- 22-24m: €24,000-€38,000/week
Power Catamarans (14-20m, crewed)
- €13,000-€35,000/week
Sailing Monohulls (16-24m, crewed)
- €8,000-€22,000/week
George's Inside Info: These are high-season rates. Expect:
- June & September: ~10-20% lower for the same yacht
- Early/late October: 25-30% lower, but with more weather risk
- Best value vs weather: Last two weeks of June
2. APA (Advance Provisioning Allowance)
APA is a pre-paid onboard expense fund. It covers all running costs during your charter:
- Fuel
- Food and beverages
- Marina and port fees
- Local taxes and port charges
- Special requests and extras
The captain manages this fund and provides a full accounting with receipts at the end. Any unused APA is refunded; if you overspend, you settle the difference.
Typical APA Percentages in Greece
- 30% of charter fee , Standard for motor yachts on shorter, fuel-light routes (e.g. Saronic, Cyclades hub-and-spoke)
- 35% of charter fee , Most common; covers moderate fuel and standard provisioning
- 40% of charter fee , Fuel-heavy routes (e.g. long Ionian transits, Athens-Corfu one-ways) or premium provisioning
What APA Actually Pays For (Realistic Ranges)
- Fuel
- 30m motor yacht: ~€2,000-€4,000/week depending on cruising hours
- Sailing catamarans: ~€500-€1,200/week
- Food & Beverages
- Quality Greek cuisine: €80-€150 per person per day
- Fine dining / premium wines / imported items: €200+ per person per day
- Marina Fees
- €100-€800 per night depending on port
- Hydra town harbour & Mykonos New Port are at the higher end
- Many anchorages in Greece are free
- Port Taxes & Local Fees
- Typically €50-€200 per port call
- Extras
- Scuba instructors, special excursions, jet ski fuel, onshore transfers, etc.
George's Inside Info: Fuel is the biggest APA shock for first-time motor yacht clients. A 30m yacht cruising 4-5 hours/day can burn €600-€800/day in fuel. If you prefer anchoring and swimming over long transits, fuel drops sharply. The Saronic Gulf is especially fuel-efficient: most legs are under 15nm.
3. VAT on Greek Yacht Charters
VAT is charged on top of the charter fee (not on APA or gratuity). In Greece, the rate depends on the itinerary:
- 6.5% , Standard rate for most charters operating exclusively in Greek waters
- 12% , Applies in certain cases depending on itinerary structure and ports of call
Your broker confirms the exact VAT rate before you sign. It is always clearly stated in the MYBA charter agreement.
Example on a €45,000 charter fee:
- At 6.5%: VAT = €2,925
- At 12%: VAT = €5,400
4. Real All-In Cost Examples
Below are three real-world scenarios for crewed motor yachts in Greece, including charter fee + APA + VAT + gratuity.
Scenario 1: Entry-Level Motor Yacht - 23m, 6 Guests, Saronic Gulf
| Cost Line | Amount |
|-----------|--------|
| Charter fee (1 week) | €19,000 |
| APA (35%) | €6,650 |
| VAT (6.5%) | €1,235 |
| Crew gratuity (10-15%) | €1,900-€2,850 |
| Total all-in | €28,785-€29,735 |
| Per person (6 guests) | €4,798-€4,956 |
Scenario 2: Mid-Range Motor Yacht - 30m, 10 Guests, Cyclades
| Cost Line | Amount |
|-----------|--------|
| Charter fee (1 week) | €45,000 |
| APA (35%) | €15,750 |
| VAT (6.5%) | €2,925 |
| Crew gratuity (10-15%) | €4,500-€6,750 |
| Total all-in | €68,175-€70,425 |
| Per person (10 guests) | €6,818-€7,043 |
Scenario 3: Premium Motor Yacht - 30m, 12 Guests, Ionian (One-Way)
| Cost Line | Amount |
|-----------|--------|
| Charter fee (1 week) | €65,000 |
| APA (40%) | €26,000 |
| VAT (6.5%) | €4,225 |
| Crew gratuity (10-15%) | €6,500-€9,750 |
| Total all-in | €101,725-€104,975 |
| Per person (12 guests) | €8,477-€8,748 |
George's Inside Info: Focus on per-person cost. Even on a €65,000/week yacht, you are under €9,000 per person all-in for a week of fully crewed private luxury, including meals, fuel, and activities. A €45,000 yacht with 10 guests is cheaper per person than the same yacht with 4 guests. Filling the guest capacity is key.
5. Crew Gratuity: How Much to Tip
Gratuity is the line that catches people out, because it is nowhere in the contract and yet it is real money. The customary range on a Greek crewed charter is ten to fifteen percent of the base charter fee, handed to the captain at the end of the week and distributed by him among the crew. It is calculated on the base fee alone, never on the total with VAT and APA added, which is the single most common budgeting error I correct.
On a EUR 50,000 week that is EUR 5,000 to EUR 7,500. It is discretionary in the strict sense, and a crew that has not earned it should not receive it, but budget for it from the start rather than discovering it on the last morning. Cash in euros is still the norm, though most captains will now take a transfer if you prefer.
Athens has a page of its own
Athens is where most Greek charters start, and the pricing there differs enough from the islands to deserve its own answer rather than a paragraph here. We wrote it up separately: what a yacht charter from Athens actually costs, including the Alimos and Lavrion embarkation difference and why a Saronic week is cheaper than a Cycladic one from the same marina.
What can four couples charter in Greece for around 100,000 dollars all in?
At the time of writing that is roughly 92,000 euro, and the honest way to answer it is to work backwards from the all in figure rather than forwards from the base fee. Allow for VAT at the rate the yacht's certification carries, an advance provisioning allowance of 20 to 40 per cent, and a crew gratuity of 10 to 15 per cent of the base. On a typical Greek crewed yacht that lands your base fee somewhere in the region of 55,000 to 65,000 euro rather than 90,000.
In our own fleet that band buys a large crewed catamaran or a mid size motor yacht with a crew of four or five for eight guests. M/Y VISTA at 55,000 to 59,000 euro and M/Y SHERO at 60,000 euro both sit in it, as does P/CAT ELLY II at 59,000 to 69,000 euro for a first season hull. The full fleet with live rates is here.
If you would rather see the arithmetic than the shortlist, the 50,000 euro tier piece walks through exactly what changes as the base fee climbs.
P.S. This guide answers what a charter costs. The companion piece answers what the money changes: what a €50,000 week in Greece actually buys, with crew ratios, beam and the real per person number at each tier.
