Private Yacht Cruises
Yacht Cruise Greece: A Private Crewed Week, Not a Ship
A Greek yacht cruise the way this house writes it: your yacht, your crew, your islands, one week.
Last updated September 2026
What a Greek yacht cruise is, and is not
Best suited for
- Families who want the islands without ferries, hotels or a fixed timetable
- Two or three couples on one yacht, one table and one fee
- Groups of eight to twelve friends with a chef aboard
- First-time charterers who came for a Greek island cruise and want it private
- Parties of up to forty-nine on ELYSIUM, the one ship on the list
When to cruise Greece by yacht
Late April to late October. Peak is late July and August, when the Cyclades carry the Meltemi and the highest rates. May, June, late September and October price 15 to 25 per cent below peak on the same yacht, with water warm from early June into October and the quietest anchorages of the year. The last two weeks of June are, year after year, the best trade between price and reliable weather. For 2027 the most requested month on this desk is September, then June; [the 2027 demand report](/greek-yacht-charter-2027-demand-report) has the figures.
Notes from George
- Do not plan a cruise ship itinerary on a yacht. Six islands in seven nights is a full week; three is a good one. The point of a private yacht is to stop.
- Ask the captain for two nights at anchor for every night in a harbour. The anchorage, not the yacht, is what your party will remember.
- Book the yacht before the dates. The best yachts have limited weeks; finding the boat first and moving the dates by a week gives the most choice.
- A catamaran for the Ionian and the Saronic, a motor yacht or a power catamaran for the Cyclades in July and August, when the Meltemi decides the day.
- Cruise ships and yachts share Mykonos and Santorini harbours. A yacht does not need either: anchor at Rhenia or off Ios and visit by tender.
Frequently asked
Questions we get about Yacht Cruise Greece: A Private Crewed Week, Not a Ship
How much does a yacht cruise in Greece cost?
Per yacht per week, from EUR 17,000 base for a 15 metre crewed sailing catamaran for eight to ten guests to EUR 235,000 for a 50 metre motor yacht for twelve, on the Greek Charter Index 2026. Add APA of 20 to 30 per cent on a catamaran or 30 to 40 on a motor yacht for fuel, food, drinks and berths, Greek VAT at the yacht's certified rate of 5.2 to 12 per cent, and a gratuity of 10 to 15 per cent of base. A private yacht cruise for six therefore starts around EUR 24,000 all-in on a sailing catamaran and EUR 30,000 on a motor yacht.
Are Greek yacht cruises private, or do we share the yacht?
Private, on every yacht this house represents. One party charters the whole yacht and her crew for the week, sets the route and keeps every cabin. Shared and cabin cruises exist in Greece on ships and on some sailing boats; they are a different product and are not offered here.
What does a seven-night Greek yacht cruise itinerary look like?
From Athens into the Cyclades: Alimos to Kythnos, 45 nautical miles, then Sifnos, Milos, Paros or Naxos and Mykonos, and back, each leg one to two and a half hours on a 20 knot motor yacht and half a day under sail on a catamaran. From Athens into the Saronic: Aegina, Poros, Hydra, Spetses and Dokos, with Hydra 35 miles from Alimos. From Corfu into the Ionian: Paxos, Antipaxos, Lefkada, Meganisi, Ithaca and Kefalonia. Every yacht page on this site carries a sample week for her speed and base.
What is the best way to plan a Greece yacht vacation?
Party first, then month, then yacht. Count the guests and the cabins you need with one to spare; choose the month by weather and price, June and September for calm and value, July and August for the season; then let the yacht follow: a catamaran for calm grounds and families, a motor yacht or power catamaran for the Cyclades and speed. Send this house dates, party and budget and you will have two or three named yachts with the four cost lines in writing, not a brochure.
Are yacht trips in Greece possible for a few days rather than a week?
This house writes weeks of seven nights or longer, and the five-night Saronic week from Athens is the shortest programme it offers. Day trips and short static charters are a different product, taxed at 24 per cent rather than the yacht's certified rate, and are not arranged here.
Can we do a Greek island hopping cruise by yacht with a crew?
That is exactly what a crewed week is. The yacht moves between islands while you swim or rest, the crew handles the lines, the tender and the table, and you wake in a different bay each morning. Six or seven islands in seven nights is realistic on a motor yacht or a power catamaran in the Cyclades and on any yacht in the Saronic or the Ionian.
Do you work with American guests, and who do we contract with?
Yes. Most of our guests are American. You contract with George Yachts Brokerage House LLC, a Wyoming company, under MYBA-standard terms, and you reach George on a Miami line, +1 786 798 8798, or in Athens on +30 697 038 0999. Athens is a direct flight from New York, and boarding is on any day of the week.
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