Every BVI charter starts with the same question: do you sail the boat yourself, or does someone sail it for you? The price list makes it look like an easy call. It is not, and the price is only half of it. We spent five seasons running crewed charter yachts in the BVI, and we have skippered bareboats here for years. Here is the honest comparison.
The short answer
- Crewed: all-inclusive. A captain and a chef, every meal cooked for you, a stocked bar, the water toys, fuel, moorings and permits. You sit back and enjoy the islands.
- Bareboat: you are the crew. You are the skipper, the provisioner, the cook and the cleaner, and you are responsible for the yacht and everyone aboard. In return you go where you like, when you like, for a lot less money.
What it costs
On the price list a crewed catamaran costs two and a half to three times what a bareboat does. That is the boat against the boat plus everything else. Once you add what a bareboat week really costs, the gap closes fast. Eight guests, four cabins, high season, from our full bareboat vs crewed cost breakdown:
| Eight guests, one week, high season | Bareboat, 46 to 50 ft | Crewed, mid-range, about 62 ft |
|---|---|---|
| Boat or charter rate | $12,000 | $36,000, all-inclusive |
| Permits, moorings, fuel, damage waiver | About $1,700 | Included |
| Food and drink aboard | About $2,240 | Included |
| Meals and bar tabs ashore | About $6,200 | Optional |
| Paddleboards, kayak, fishing gear, WiFi | About $850 | Included |
| Crew gratuity | None | About $7,200 (customary 20 percent) |
| All in, per person | About $2,870 | About $5,400 |
That is a little under double, not triple. Pick one of the least expensive crewed yachts of that size and it comes to about $3,750 a person, roughly a third more than the bareboat. On the crewed yacht you are also on a boat about 16 feet longer, with en suite cabins and room to spread out.
What your week looks like
On a crewed yacht, you are the guest
- Morning: coffee on the trampoline while the chef makes breakfast. The captain has already checked the weather and picked the day’s anchorage.
- Under way: the crew raises the sails, picks up the mooring and sets the anchor. Help if you want to learn, or stay on the foredeck with a book.
- Afternoon: snorkel, paddleboard, kayak or float on the mat off the stern. Lunch is served on board, and the bar is open.
- Evening: sundowners, then a three-course dinner at the table. Go ashore to a beach bar if you want to. Nobody has to.
- Throughout: the captain knows every anchorage and the local crowd, and is responsible for the yacht and the safety of everyone aboard.
On a bareboat, you are the crew
- Before you sail: the provisioning run, the chart briefing, the boat briefing and the inventory. Allow most of the first day.
- Morning: weather, route, water and battery checks, and breakfast for the whole boat. Somebody cooks and somebody washes up.
- Under way: you sail the yacht, navigate the reefs and race the other boats for a mooring ball by early afternoon.
- Evening: cook dinner in a small galley, or pay beach bar prices ashore. The skipper stays sober enough to run the dinghy home.
- Throughout: you are responsible for the yacht, the dinghy and every person aboard. If something breaks, you fix it or you call the base.
- The last morning: refuel, clean up, the inspection and settling the bill.
Add it up and a bareboat week carries 30 to 40 hours of crew work: provisioning, cooking, cleaning and running the boat. For some sailors that is the whole point, and nothing beats taking your own boat into a BVI anchorage. For everyone else, that time is exactly what the crewed price buys.
Which one is right for you
- Choose a bareboat if you have a competent skipper, your group is happy to share the cooking and cleaning, and the freedom to go where you like is the reason you are coming.
- Choose crewed if nobody wants to spend the week working, you are celebrating something, you have young children or non-sailors aboard, or the skipper in your group wants a holiday too.
- Either way, fill every cabin. Half-empty cabins change the per-person price fast in both directions.
Our honest view, having done both for a living: price a crewed week before you assume you cannot afford it. The full numbers for six, eight and ten guests are on our bareboat vs crewed cost page. When you are ready, see bareboats at Caribbean Bareboats, crewed yachts at Get Crewed, or book a 30 minute call with a captain.
Quick answers
What is the difference between a crewed and a bareboat charter?
On a bareboat you charter the boat alone and your group is the crew: you skipper, provision, cook, clean and look after the boat and everyone aboard. On a crewed charter a professional captain and chef run the yacht, and the rate covers meals, the bar, fuel, moorings, permits and water toys. You are a guest.
How much more does a crewed charter cost than a bareboat in the BVI?
On the price list, two and a half to three times as much. Once you add what a bareboat week really costs and the customary 20 percent crew gratuity, a mid-range crewed catamaran for eight comes to about $5,400 a person against about $2,870 on a bareboat. The least expensive crewed yachts come to about $3,750 a person.
Do I need sailing experience for a crewed charter?
No. The captain holds the licence and the experience, and runs the boat. On a bareboat, at least one person in your group needs to satisfy the charter company that they can skipper a yacht of that size, and a second competent crew member is strongly advised.
Is a bareboat or crewed charter better for families?
If nobody wants to spend the week cooking, cleaning and running the boat, crewed. The captain handles the boat and the safety of everyone aboard, so parents get the holiday too. Bareboat suits families with an experienced skipper and older children who enjoy being part of the crew.
Sources
- BVI Cruising Guide: Bareboat vs Crewed Charter in the BVI, What Each Really Costs (2026 bareboat rates for three BVI catamarans and 2026 to 2027 rates across 95 BVI crewed catamarans, checked September 2026)
