Yacht Crew Tipping Guide: How Much to Tip and How to Pay

The percentage is worked out on the charter fee alone, the weekly rate for the yacht and crew, not on the APA, VAT or delivery fees. The tip is discretionary: it is not in the contract and you are never obliged to pay it. But it is so customary that you should budget for it from the start, alongside the APA and VAT, and hand it over as one sum for the whole crew rather than to individuals.

How much should you tip a yacht crew?

About 10% of the charter fee in the Mediterranean, up to 15% for an outstanding week, and about 15%, up to 20%, in the Caribbean and the US. The reference is the 5 to 15% guideline of MYBA, the industry association whose charter agreement is widely used. The sources agree on the shape and differ slightly on the numbers:

Taken together, a sensible budget is:

• Mediterranean: about 10% for good service, up to 15% for an outstanding week.
• Caribbean and US: about 15%, up to 20%.

These are rules of thumb from charter companies and industry media, not fixed rates. Treat them as a guide and adjust to the service you received.

Why the difference between regions?

Part of it is custom. YachtCharterFleet notes that American crews tend to expect no less than 15%, while European crews are usually content with 5 to 10%. Part of it is the rate: Mediterranean high season coincides with the highest weekly rates, so even a lower percentage is a larger sum, while Caribbean winter rates are often lower.

Has the norm changed?

BOAT International notes that in the 2000s some generous charterers began to tip 25% or more, and that some crews came to expect large tips. BOAT International describes the 5 to 15% MYBA guideline as having taken hold as the accepted norm. If anyone suggests a figure well above 20%, that is not the norm.

What is the percentage based on?

On the charter fee, that is, the weekly rate for the yacht and crew. It is not calculated on:

• the APA (advance provisioning allowance), which pays for fuel, food, drink and port fees;
• VAT or other taxes;
• delivery or repositioning fees.

BOAT International and Burgess both refer to the base or charter fee. Denison phrases it as the total charter cost; if in doubt, ask the agency how it is usually calculated for the yacht you have chosen.

A worked example

Say the weekly charter fee is €150,000. With a 30% APA, the money you send before the charter would include €45,000 of APA, plus VAT at whatever rate applies where you cruise. The tip is worked out on the €150,000 only:

The figures are illustrative arithmetic, not a quote. Your agency gives you the actual fee and APA in the contract. For how the totals fit together, see what a luxury yacht charter costs and our APA guide.

How and when do you give the tip?

In one sum to the captain, on the last evening or shortly before you leave, in cash, out of the APA balance or by bank transfer through the agency.

To the captain, at the end

The custom is to give the whole tip to the captain at the end of the charter, and the captain divides it among the crew. IYC suggests the last evening or shortly before you leave; if you disembark very early, the evening before works.

Do not tip crew members individually, even one who went out of their way. BOAT International is clear on this: the crew is rewarded as a team. If someone stood out, say so to the captain, and mention it in your feedback to the agency.

Three ways to pay

1. Cash. The most common method, because the captain can share it out straight away. Plan it before you travel: a large amount of cash has its own logistics, so ask the agency how the crew prefers to receive it.
2. From the APA balance. At the end of the week, the captain goes through the APA accounts with you. If money is left, you can tell the captain to keep part or all of it as the tip and add anything extra on top. YachtCharterFleet and BOAT International both describe this.
3. Bank transfer through the agency. You can wire the tip in advance for the agency to hold, and confirm the amount to release after the charter. The agency then sends any difference back. Denison warns that a cheque or a transfer can take a few weeks to reach the crew, so cash or APA is quicker for them.

Agree the method with your agency before the charter, especially if you want to pay by transfer. It saves an awkward conversation on the last evening.

Do you tip on top of the APA balance?

Not necessarily. The APA is your money, advanced for expenses. Whatever is not spent is returned to you, or can be used for the tip if you choose. The tip and the APA are separate items: one is for costs, the other is a reward for service.

Who shares the tip, and what does each crew member do?

The tip is shared equally among all crew, including those you rarely see. BOAT International and YachtCharterFleet both stress that less visible crew should not be forgotten; YachtCharterFleet names the chef and the engineer.

The crew grows with the yacht. YachtBuyer gives these examples:

What each does during your week:

• Captain. Responsible for the yacht, the crew and your safety. Plans the route around the weather, chooses anchorages, books berths and manages the APA.
• Engineers. Keep engines, generators and other mechanical equipment running. You will barely see them, and when you do not notice anything, they are doing their job.
• Chef. Plans and cooks every meal, often to individual diets and on very little notice, and provisions in each port.
• Interior crew (stewards and stewardesses). Cabins, laundry, service at every meal, drinks, table settings and the many small requests of the day.
• Deckhands and bosun. Drive the tender, run the water toys, handle mooring and anchoring, and keep the exterior spotless.
• Purser (on larger yachts). Paperwork, salaries, bills and suppliers.

BOAT International and Denison both note that crews often work 16 to 18-hour days during a charter, from early breakfast to the last guest going to bed. That is the context for the tip.

How much do you tip in each cruising area?

About 10-15% anywhere in the Mediterranean, from the Balearics to Greece and Turkey, and about 15-20% in the Caribbean and Florida. The guidance splits the world in two, and the destinations in the table fall on one side or the other, except the Bahamas, for which no source gives a figure:

The ranges apply the regional guidance from IYC, BOAT International and Denison to each area; none of them publishes a figure per country. Two things shift the number more than geography: the crew’s own expectations and the service you received. YachtCharterFleet notes that an American crew will expect no less than 15%, so a yacht with a largely American crew may expect more, even in the Mediterranean. Your agency knows the yacht and can tell you what is usual on board.

How do you split the tip in a group?

Agree it at the start as a percentage of the charter fee, collect the shares and let one person hand it over in one envelope. When a group of friends or several families share a charter, the tip is easy to forget in the cost split:

• Agree it at the start. Add the tip to the budget everyone signs up to, as a percentage of the charter fee, so nobody is surprised on the last night.
• One person hands it over. Collect the shares before or during the week and let one person, for example whoever signed the contract, give it to the captain.
• Use the APA balance if it helps. If everyone has paid into the APA, leaving part of the balance as the tip avoids a second collection.
• Keep it in one envelope. Several small envelopes from different guests make the split harder for the captain and break the idea of a team tip.

On a company charter, the same logic applies: decide in advance who approves the amount and how it will be paid, because a transfer may need internal sign-off that takes longer than the charter.

Who else do you tip during the week?

The crew tip covers the yacht’s crew only. Restaurants ashore, drivers and guides, event staff and rendezvous services are separate from it:

• Restaurants and beach clubs ashore, where local custom applies.
• Drivers, guides and shore staff booked for excursions.
• Event staff hired for a party on board, who are separate from the crew, as Denison notes.
• Rendezvous services such as a diving centre that meets the yacht.

If the captain or crew book these for you, ask the captain whether the cost comes out of the APA and how local tips are handled, so that nothing is paid twice.

How much do you tip on a day charter or an event?

About 10 to 20%, according to Denison, both on a day charter and at an event:

• Day charters (typically 4 to 8 hours): Denison suggests 10 to 20% of the day rate.
• Event charters (a party in port, for example): Denison says there is no standard guideline and suggests 10 to 20% at your discretion, based on the service of the teams you hired. Event staff hired for the day are usually separate from the yacht’s own crew.

When should you tip less, or more?

The tip reflects the service, and the percentages above assume a good week. Some guidance:

• Tip at the upper end when the crew solved real problems: a change of route for weather, a medical issue, a lost item recovered, a surprise celebration organised at short notice.
• Tip at the lower end when service was correct but unremarkable.
• If something is wrong, raise it during the week, with the captain first and the agency second. A problem raised early can still be fixed; one raised on the last evening cannot. A low tip with no explanation does not tell the crew what went wrong.
• Weather is nobody’s fault. A week of wind that changes the route is not a reason to reduce the tip if the crew handled it well.

The decision is always yours, and so is the amount.

Things that catch people out

• Forgetting the tip in the budget. On a large charter fee, 10 to 15% is a substantial sum. Include it from the first estimate, alongside APA and VAT. Our guide to charter VAT by country covers the tax side.
• Calculating it on the total including APA. With the 30% APA in the example above, that inflates the tip by 30%, and by more if VAT is included too.
• Tipping individuals. It breaks the equal split and puts the crew in an uncomfortable position.
• Leaving it to a transfer weeks later without warning. If you want to pay by transfer, agree it with the agency first and tell the captain.
• Assuming it is included. It is not part of the charter fee. To see what the contract does cover, read the MYBA charter agreement explained.

A simple rule for a first charter

If this is your first charter and you want one number to plan with, budget 10% of the charter fee in the Mediterranean and 15% in the Caribbean. 10% is the standard YachtCharterFleet gives under the MYBA guideline, and 15% is the lower end of the Caribbean range. At the end of the week, move up or down from there depending on how the crew did.

Then three practical steps:

1. Before you sign, ask the agency what is usual on that yacht and how the crew prefers to receive it.
2. Before you travel, decide whether you will pay in cash, from the APA balance or by transfer, and arrange it.
3. On the last evening, hand the tip to the captain in one envelope, with a few words of thanks for the whole crew.

A short written note to the crew, mentioning specific moments of the week, is a good complement to the tip and costs nothing. It also tells the captain what worked, which helps the next guests.

Quick reference

How the last day goes, from the APA accounts to the goodbye, is in what to expect on a crewed yacht charter.

Planning the full budget

Send us the region, dates and number of guests, and the weekly rate you have in mind, remembering that the tip comes on top of it. A charter specialist will reply with yachts that fit and with the full price, APA and VAT set out, so the tip is the only figure you decide yourself. The charter is contracted with the yacht’s owner through a licensed charter agency, usually under the MYBA agreement, and all of that is clear before you sign. Tell us about your week.