Most charter websites answer this question with "contact us." We'd rather you walk into the conversation already knowing the landscape — so here are the real numbers, from our own fleet, and an honest accounting of what they do and don't include.
Day charter starting rates, by size
Four-hour starting rates on the Global Yachts Network fleet, as published on each vessel's page:
- Sport day boats (40–55 ft): from $2,000–$3,000 — fast, social, perfect for sandbar days
- Flybridge yachts (60–75 ft): from $2,800–$4,500 — the heart of the fleet; staterooms, crew service, room for the full 12 guests
- Large yachts (80–105 ft): from $4,000–$6,500 — statement charters, events, and multi-day capability
- Superyachts (125 ft+): from $22,000–$30,000 — full professional crew, event-grade chartering
Six and eight-hour days scale up from there — and are usually the better value per hour, since the boat spends more of the day anchored somewhere beautiful and less of it in transit.
What the rate includes
On our charters: the yacht, captain and crew, fuel for the standard itinerary, water toys, ice and soft drinks. No fuel surcharges on a standard day, no "captain's fee" appearing at checkout.
What costs extra — and roughly how much
Catering runs from platters to a private chef; budget from a few hundred dollars for the former, more for the latter. Photography, florals, and event styling are quoted per plan. Dockage at a waterfront restaurant, if your day includes one, is typically modest. And gratuity: crew tips in this market customarily run 15–20% of the charter rate, at your discretion, and they matter — the crew is most of what makes the day.
Why the final quote is still personal
Two groups can book the same yacht and have genuinely different charters: a couple's sunset cruise and a 12-guest birthday with chef service don't cost the same to deliver. Season, date demand, duration, itinerary (a Bimini crossing burns different fuel than a bay day), and extras all move the number. The published rate is the honest floor, not a teaser — your quote is that floor plus exactly the things you add, itemized in one conversation.
Term charters
Multi-day trips — a weekend down the coast, a week in the Exumas — are quoted as a package covering vessel, crew, and planning, with provisioning arranged from your preference sheet. Rates depend on vessel and season; the honest guidance is that a proper Bahamas week on a crewed yacht is a five-figure trip, and worth every figure.
Is it worth it?
Split a $3,000 four-hour charter across ten guests and you're at $300 a head for a private, crewed yacht on Biscayne Bay — roughly the cost of a good night out in Miami, for a day nobody will compare to a night out. That's the math most people never do.
Browse the fleet with rates on every page, or speak to a specialist — tell us the group and the occasion, and you'll have a real number, itemized, in one conversation.