Yacht Charter for More Than 12 Guests: Why the Limit and What Works

A group of 14, 20 or 30 people has three real routes onto the water, and they lead to very different weeks. You can look for one of the few yachts certified to sleep more than 12 guests, which Burgess says are usually above 80 metres, though some are smaller. You can split the group across two or more yachts that cruise together. Or, if what you have in mind is a party or a day rather than a week at sea, one 12-guest yacht can often host many more people while it stays in port, depending on the yacht and the port. The crew never counts towards any of these numbers.

This guide explains where the limit of 12 comes from, what changes on a yacht that goes beyond it, and how each option works in practice, with real yachts and the figures their charter houses publish.

Why do almost all charter yachts stop at 12 guests?

Because 12 is the line maritime law draws between a yacht and a passenger ship. Under the SOLAS convention, a ship carrying more than twelve passengers is a passenger ship and must meet passenger-ship standards. The REG Yacht Code, one of the main codes for charter yachts, stops at 12 passengers in its Part A (Part B covers 13 to 36), so most charter yachts are certified for 12 guests at most.

The definition comes from the International Convention for the Safety of Life at Sea (SOLAS). The International Maritime Organization (IMO) states it plainly: “a passenger ship is a ship which carries more than twelve passengers” (SOLAS regulation I/2). IMO adds that passenger ships on international voyages must comply with all relevant IMO rules, including SOLAS and the Load Lines Convention. EU law uses the same threshold: Directive 2009/45/EC defines a passenger ship as one carrying more than 12 passengers, and a passenger as anyone except the master, the crew and others working on board, and children under one year of age.

Yachts operate very differently from commercial ships, and the REG Yacht Code’s own preamble says full compliance with the conventions is unreasonable for them and in some instances disproportionately onerous. So flag states created yacht codes as an equivalent. One of the main ones is the Red Ensign Group (REG) Yacht Code, developed by the United Kingdom, its overseas territories and Crown Dependencies with the industry. Its July 2024 edition has two parts:

Part B replaced the old Passenger Yacht Code (PYC) in 2017, YachtCharterFleet explains, which is why brokers still say “PYC yacht”. The same article is blunt about the consequence: yachts that carry more than 12 guests are legally passenger ships, and getting there usually means rigorous testing, extensive surveys and more crew, which it calls “often prohibitively expensive for the owner”. So many owners keep their yacht at 12.

Our guide on how to choose a charter yacht covers the same rule from the point of view of cabins and layout, and the yacht size comparison shows why a 60-metre yacht usually takes the same 12 guests as a 40-metre one.

Does the crew count towards the 12?

No. Burgess states that crew members do not count towards the number of guests, and the EU definition of passenger leaves out the master and crew. A 60-metre yacht with 15 crew and 12 guests is within its limit.

Private staff travelling with you (a nanny, an assistant, security) are a different matter: they are normally counted as guests, so include them from the start. Bluewater suggests asking the broker whether, on a yacht with extra staff accommodation, they can be listed as supernumeraries rather than guests. The answer depends on the yacht and its certification.

Why can a yacht with ten cabins still take only 12?

Because the licence, not the bed count, sets the number. YachtCharterFleet gives the example of an 80-metre yacht with eight staterooms that could sleep 16 in private use but only 12 on charter. Northrop & Johnson says the same of “10 cabin yachts that could comfortably sleep 20 guests in private use”.

What is a passenger yacht, and how many can you charter?

A passenger yacht is one certified to carry more than 12 guests, up to 36, under a code such as REG Part B. Burgess says these yachts are usually above 80 metres, though some smaller ones exist. They are a small part of the charter fleet, so if your group is 13 or more and wants one yacht, the choice is narrow.

None of the sources we consulted gives an official count. What charter houses show is a working list: when we consulted it in November 2026, Northrop & Johnson’s page of yachts for more than 12 guests showed 51 yachts. IYC speaks of “a select number” of certified charter yachts, and Bluewater calls them “relatively rare”, advising early enquiries around the Cannes Film Festival, New Year’s Eve or the Monaco Grand Prix.

These are some of the yachts on that Northrop & Johnson list, with the figures exactly as it publishes them:

Northrop & Johnson notes that the prices shown may be converted to USD or EUR. Treat the table as a snapshot from November 2026 and check each yacht’s current rate and licence. BOAT International’s 2026 Monaco Grand Prix list gives SHERAKHAN as 70 metres, 26 guests and 19 crew, which matches, but with a weekly rate from €595,000 through Y.CO: the rate depends on the charter house and the currency. Bluewater cites other examples: LEGEND (22 guests), ELEMENTS (22), LAUREN L and MOONLIGHT II (36 each).

What does a passenger yacht cost per guest?

Dividing the published weekly rate from by the published guest number gives a rough per-head figure, before running costs:

• AQUA MARE: $241,000 ÷ 16 = about $15,100 per guest.
• BLEU DE NIMES: $550,000 ÷ 28 = about $19,600 per guest.
• SHERAKHAN: $733,000 ÷ 26 = about $28,200 per guest.
• AFTER YOU: $876,000 ÷ 20 = $43,800 per guest.
• DREAM: $2,312,000 ÷ 36 = about $64,200 per guest.

The spread is wide because age, size and style vary as much as on 12-guest yachts. On top of the charter fee come the APA, VAT and the crew tip; our guides on what a luxury yacht charter costs and on the APA explain each item, and the guide to yacht charter cost per person works out the per-head cost on yachts of 20 to 60 metres.

What changes on board a passenger yacht?

More rules mean more crew and a different feel on board:

• Crew. SuperyachtNews cites a Wright Maritime Group example of a 92-metre motor yacht: under the passenger code its minimum safe manning document required 15 crew (seven navigation, seven engineers, one cook), against eight under the large yacht code. Officers need full commercial certificates, although on yachts under 3,000 GT the flag can accept yacht qualifications for junior deck and engineering watch-keeping officers.
• Feel on board. A Fraser Yachts broker quoted by BOAT International says larger passenger-certified yachts “have to meet certain standards and you do get more of a cruise ship feeling”. That is a broker’s view, not a rule, but it is a fair question to ask about any yacht on the list.

Can you charter two yachts that cruise together?

Yes. A tandem charter books two or more yachts, each with up to 12 guests, that follow the same route, anchor together and share dinners, which keeps a group of 13 to 24 together without a passenger yacht. Each yacht has its own captain, crew and charter fee, so you pay two fees and two sets of running costs.

Northrop & Johnson defines a tandem charter as “two or more yachts are booked together to accommodate 12 guests each”. Its example paired the 49.9-metre DA VINCI with the 40-metre VENI VIDI VICI: up to 24 guests and 15 crew between the two yachts. It notes that the itineraries can split, for instance with adults on one yacht and children and nannies on the other.

BOAT International sailed on one from Genoa to Monaco: 14 guests split evenly between the 49.5-metre RIMA II and the 37.8-metre LADY DIA, with two tenders and 17 crew in total. The yachts anchored in the same places at night, guests chose their own days, and dinners moved from one yacht to the other. The article points out a few practical details:

• Captains who work well together made the trip relaxed; on that charter they had known each other for three years.
• Restaurants ashore need booking. Fourteen people cannot turn up unannounced in Portofino.
• Different sizes can help. A smaller second yacht with less draught can reach shallow bays, or take a marina berth while the larger one stays at anchor, as LADY DIA did in Saint-Tropez.
• “Everyone wants to stay on the big yacht”, a Fraser broker admits. If two families pay equally, look for two yachts of similar size and standard.

Bluewater adds that yachts in a fleet can “raft up” (tie together) in the evening, that each has its own master and VIP cabin, and that separate yachts give each group control over its own spending, since food, berths and fuel are paid on top of each charter fee. Its strongest advice: use the same charter broker for the whole fleet, so the captains and brokers coordinate. IYC describes the same set-up, with guests moving between yachts by tender.

A lighter variant is the chase boat: a smaller yacht that follows the main one and, according to Bluewater, normally adds one or two cabins. Bluewater sees it as an option for a couple who want their own space away from the main yacht, or for shared family charters.

Can more than 12 people come on board for a day or an event?

Often yes, as long as the yacht stays in port. Burgess states that for events yachts can have more people on board provided they stay in port, and IYC speaks of static event charters for up to 200 people, depending on the location and the yacht. Overnight, the limit of 12 still applies.

The numbers charter houses publish for Monaco show how far apart the two figures can be. Edmiston’s yachts for the Grand Prix, as reported by Yachting magazine:

These are the capacities published for each yacht; IYC notes that the number depends on the location and the yacht. Bluewater notes that licensing rules for day cruises and parties vary by country, so whether you can take extra guests out to sea for the day, rather than host them alongside, is a question for each yacht and place.

This option suits a wedding reception, a product launch or a Grand Prix weekend in the French Riviera and Monaco, with 12 guests staying aboard and the rest coming for the day. It does not solve a week of cruising for 20.

Which option fits your group?

A group of 14 has the widest choice: every passenger yacht in the table above takes at least 16, and two 12-guest yachts give room to spare. Above 30 guests sleeping aboard, very few yachts take everyone: in this guide, DREAM, LAUREN L and MOONLIGHT II take up to 36 and CHRISTINA O up to 34, so it is worth comparing them with two or three yachts in tandem.

What should you ask before choosing?

1. What is the yacht’s charter licence, in guests? Ask for the number on the certificate, not the number of beds.
2. Is the limit the same everywhere? A passenger yacht’s licence can depend on its area of operation; REG Part B, for example, is written for international voyages.
3. Who counts as a guest? Children, nannies, security and assistants: ask how each is counted on that yacht.
4. For a tandem: are the yachts used to working together? Ask whether the captains have done it before and how dinners, tenders and transfers will work.
5. One broker for both yachts? Bluewater advises a single broker for the whole fleet, so the captains and the plan stay coordinated.
6. For an event: how many day guests, and is it in port or at sea? Ask what the yacht, the port and the flag allow, and whether extra crew or security are needed.
7. What is the full cost? Charter fee, APA, VAT and delivery for each yacht, so you can compare a passenger yacht with two smaller ones.

Send the details that decide the option

Tell us how many people will sleep on board and how many might join for a day, the ages of any children and whether staff travel with you, your dates, the area and whether the group would be happy on two yachts. A charter specialist will study your request and reply with the options that fit: a passenger yacht, a pair of yachts or a yacht for an event. The charter is contracted with the yacht’s owner through a licensed charter agency, usually on the MYBA agreement, with the full price and VAT for each yacht set out before you sign. Tell us about your group.