Your hourly rate covers the boat, the captain, the crew, and standard-route fuel. Four things typically sit outside it: catering, water toys, crew gratuity, and tax. That's the whole answer, and the rest of this guide puts a real number against each line so nothing surprises you at checkout.
Key Takeaways
The base rate covers captain, crew, fuel on a standard route, dock fees, ice and water.
Four extras move the total: catering, water toys, gratuity and tax.
Gratuity is customary, never automatic, and calculated on the base rate.
Fuel is included for a normal route and can be charged on longer runs.
Get cancellation and weather terms in writing before you pay. They vary by listing.
The Short Answer
The rate covers the boat and the people running it. That means a licensed captain, crew, insurance, standard fuel, dock fees at the home marina, ice, and bottled water. Food, alcohol, water toys, gratuity, and tax are separate. A crewed charter always includes the captain.
What the Base Rate Covers
Licensed captain. Coast Guard certified and background-checked, on every crewed listing.
Crew. One mate on a 60 ft, two mates and a stewardess by 75 ft, full crew above that.
Hull and liability insurance carried by the operator on the vessel.
Fuel for a standard route around the bay.
Dock fees at the home marina.
Coolers with ice and bottled water.
Safety gear for every guest, including child-size life jackets on request.
A crewed charter can't be booked without a captain, so nobody is upselling you one. On small self-drive boats the captain is genuinely optional, and adding one runs about $40 to $60 an hour.
Included vs Extra: The Full Breakdown
Item | Usually included | Typical extra cost |
|---|---|---|
Captain | Yes on crewed charters | $40 to $60 / hr on self-drive boats |
Crew | Yes, scaled to boat size | Included in the hourly rate |
Fuel, standard route | Yes | Surcharge on long runs |
Fuel, self-drive rental | No | $60 to $120 for a 3 to 4 hour trip |
Dock fees, home marina | Yes | Dockage at other stops varies |
Ice, water, coolers | Yes | Included |
Safety gear | Yes | Included |
Gratuity | No | Customary, on the base rate |
Catering | No | Per person, by menu tier |
Private chef | No | $500 to $1,500 by guest count and menu |
Alcohol | No | Bring your own on most boats, 21 and over |
Water toys | Sometimes | $50 to $200 / hr per item |
Decor and photography | No | $500 to $2,500 for event packages |
Tax and booking fees | No | Shown at checkout |
Fuel: The Line Item That Surprises People
Two models exist, and it's worth knowing which one you're on. Crewed charters include fuel for a standard route, meaning a normal loop around the bay with a stop or two. Longer runs can attract a surcharge once you leave that pattern.
The burn difference is real. A skyline loop uses a fraction of what a run north to Haulover and back does, and a Keys or Bimini crossing is a different category again. On a self-drive rental you buy the fuel outright, roughly $60 to $120 across a three to four hour trip.
Ask one question when you book: is fuel included for the route I want. That sentence prevents almost every fuel dispute.
Gratuity: How Much and When
Gratuity is customary and never added to your booking automatically. Nothing appears on the invoice unless an operator chooses to add it, so check your total if you're unsure.
Guests generally tip at the end of the trip, calculated on the base rate rather than the full invoice with catering and extras stacked on it. Bring cash and hand it to the captain, who splits it with any deckhand or stewardess aboard. On a boat running three crew, that split is worth thinking about before you decide the number.
Catering and Bar
Three ways to eat, and the price gap between them is large.
Bring your own. Allowed on most boats and by far the cheapest. Alcohol is fine for guests 21 and over, and glass is restricted.
Catering delivered to the boat. Priced per person by tier, from boxed lunches through buffet platters to plated three-course service.
Private chef cooking aboard. $500 to $1,500 depending on guest count and menu, and it needs a boat with a real galley.
Alcohol rules are set per operator rather than platform-wide. Check your listing for its cooler policy and any glass restriction before you shop, since that detail changes what you buy.
Water Toys and Add-Ons
Equipment runs roughly $50 to $200 an hour per item. Some boats include paddleboards, floats, or snorkel gear in the rate, and others bill everything, which is why two similar listings can finish hundreds apart.
Supervision matters to the price too. A seabob needs a five-minute briefing and suits ages 14 and up with a parent present. Jet skis are 18 and over with valid ID. Flyboards are instructor-led only, so they occupy a crew member for the session. Our yacht rental fleet shows which boats carry what, and our full guide to yacht water toys covers each one in detail.
Taxes, Dockage and Other Mandatory Fees
These are the charges you can't opt out of, which makes them different from the add-ons above. Charter tax applies, and it's calculated as a percentage rather than a flat figure. Florida's Department of Revenue publishes how the state treats boat and vessel rentals if you want the underlying rule.
Dockage at your home marina is covered by the rate. Dockage somewhere else may not be, so a dock-and-dine stop can carry a slip charge at the destination. Some listings also carry vessel-specific charges such as a pickup fee from a different marina.
Ask for an itemized total before you pay a deposit. Work the booking form through to the confirmation step, and every mandatory line appears there rather than on the listing tile.
Deposits, Balances and Cancellation
A deposit reserves the date, and the balance falls due closer to the trip. Book Now, Pay Later is available on many listings. Keep the booking deposit separate in your head from any refundable security or damage deposit, since they do different jobs.
Cancellation terms are set per listing rather than across the platform, so read yours. Weather is the common exception. Light rain goes ahead, while storms, high winds, and small craft advisories allow a reschedule or a refund under the listing's policy.
Guest Limits and the 12-Person Rule
A yacht's advertised capacity and the number of passengers legally allowed on your charter can be two different numbers. That catches people out more than any pricing question.
The so-called 12-person rule comes from Coast Guard limits on uninspected vessels, which cap paying passengers regardless of how much deck space the boat has. An inspected passenger vessel is certified to carry more, sometimes 49, 100, or up to 150.
So a 116 ft boat can be limited to 13 guests while a 98 ft carries 49. It depends on the vessel's certification and the type of charter, not on length. Confirm the permitted guest count for your exact boat before you invite anyone.
A Sample Charter Invoice
Eight guests, six hours, a 60 ft at $250 an hour. Here's the day priced properly.
Line item | Amount | Note |
|---|---|---|
Base rate, 6 hours at $250 | $1,500 | Captain, crew, fuel and dock fees included |
Fuel surcharge | $0 | Standard bay route, no surcharge |
Catering, 8 guests | $400 | Mid-tier delivered platters |
Water toys, paddleboards | $0 | Included on this listing |
Subtotal | $1,900 | |
Tax and booking fees | Shown at checkout | Percentage-based |
Crew gratuity, customary | $225 to $300 | On the $1,500 base rate, paid in cash |
Realistic all-in | $2,150 to $2,300 | Roughly $270 to $290 per guest |
Two things to notice. Gratuity sits on the base rate rather than the subtotal, and the catering line is the one you control most. Skip it, bring your own, and the same day lands near $1,800.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is fuel included in a yacht charter?
Yes for a standard route on a crewed charter, and a surcharge can apply on longer runs. Self-drive rentals are different, with fuel bought separately at roughly $60 to $120 for a short trip. Ask whether fuel covers the specific route you want before booking.
Do you tip the captain and crew?
It's customary and never automatic. Guests generally tip at the end of the trip based on the base rate rather than the full invoice. Hand it to the captain in cash, and it gets split with any deckhand or stewardess working the charter.
Can we bring our own food and alcohol?
On most boats, yes, and it's the cheapest way to eat well aboard. Alcohol is fine for guests 21 and over, and glass is restricted. Policies are set per operator, so read your listing for its cooler and outside-food rules before you shop.
What is an APA on a longer charter?
An Advance Provisioning Allowance is a sum paid up front on longer crewed charters to cover fuel, food, drinks, dockage, and similar running costs. The crew spends against it and returns the balance. It commonly sits around a quarter to a third of the charter fee. The Charter Yacht Brokers Association sets the professional standards around how this is handled.
Is the deposit refundable?
It depends on your listing, since terms are set per operator rather than platform-wide. Cancellation windows tighten as the date approaches. Unsafe weather is the standard exception and allows a reschedule or a refund under the listing's policy.
See All-In Pricing Before You Book
Knowing what sits inside the rate makes comparing boats far easier and the booking a lot less nervous. For the full breakdown by boat size, see our Miami yacht rental cost guide, and if a licensed captain is new territory for you, our guide to boat rentals with a captain walks through what to expect.
Run your date and guest count through search and work the booking form to the confirmation step to see every line before you pay. Questions first? Contact our team.