FAQ

Yes, if you want to drive the jet ski yourself, you should assume you need a valid license. Greece is strict about personal watercraft rules, and the captain has to follow local law, weather limits, and yacht safety procedures.

Not everyone onboard needs a license. The person operating the jet ski does. Send us any license you already have before the charter so we can check what is realistic.

Our jet ski license guide for Greece yacht charters explains the rule and the practical options if you do not already have a license.

The biggest APA drivers are fuel, itinerary distance, marina fees, food and drink choices, premium alcohol, and extra water toys. The best way to control APA is to plan a realistic route and tell us early what matters most.

We can help compare yachts and routes with the full budget in mind, not just the weekly base rate. During the charter, you can also ask the captain for APA updates so there are fewer surprises at the end.

Our APA guide explains how the expense fund works and why broker oversight matters.

Pack lighter than you think, and use soft luggage if possible. Yacht cabins have limited storage, and hard suitcases are awkward once you are onboard.

Bring swimwear, light clothes, sun protection, a wind layer, flat shoes for shore, and any medication you need. Most guests overpack evening outfits and shoes.

Our Greece yacht charter packing list has the full practical version we send clients before boarding.

Yes, but true all-inclusive yacht charters are still rare in Greece. Most crewed yacht charters here are priced as a base charter fee plus VAT and APA, because fuel, food, drinks, marina fees, and route costs vary from trip to trip.

We do have select all-inclusive options, but the inclusions need to be checked carefully: meals, alcohol, fuel limits, route, gratuity, and any security deposit.

Our all-inclusive Greece yacht charter page shows the type of rare packaged options we can sometimes offer.

In Greece, the normal crew gratuity is usually 10% to 15% of the base charter fee, not the APA, VAT, or full trip cost. It is discretionary, but it is customary when the crew has delivered a good charter.

The cleanest method is usually one amount, in euros, handed to the captain at the end of the charter for distribution across the crew.

If you are unsure how to budget it, our Greece yacht crew tipping guide explains the normal range and what number the tip is usually based on.

Quite simple: high-value yacht charters are normally paid by bank transfer because it is the safest and most standard way to handle a large contractual booking.

In our experience, Greece yacht charters are not processed like a normal online purchase. The amounts are significant, the yacht is being taken off the market for your dates, and the booking is tied to a formal charter agreement. That is why professional brokers and yacht managers usually work with wire transfers rather than credit cards, PayPal, Zelle, or similar cash apps.

The main reason is chargeback and fraud risk. Card and app payments can be reversed, disputed, frozen, or flagged long after the funds appear to have arrived. In a charter business, that creates a serious problem: the yacht may already have been reserved, contracts signed, and services committed.

The industry has also seen cases where someone pays from a stolen card, then cancels and asks for a refund to a different account. That is exactly the kind of risk serious charter companies are trying to avoid.

So if you are asked to pay by bank transfer, that is usually not a red flag. It is the normal professional process for this type of booking. What matters is that you verify who you are paying: the company name, invoice details, charter agreement, and bank instructions should all match, and your broker should be willing to confirm everything clearly before you send funds.

If this is your first yacht charter, we are happy to walk you through that process step by step so you know exactly what is normal and what to check before payment.

They are two very different experiences.

If you want a proper luxury yacht charter in Greece, full crew is better. A captain-only setup is more basic, more hands-on, and not the same vacation mode.

With captain-only, one person is focused on running the yacht safely, handling navigation, docking, weather calls, and route decisions. That does not leave the same level of service, hosting, drinks, meals, tidying, and overall ease that most clients picture when they imagine a private yacht charter.

In our experience, Greece makes that gap even clearer. Once you are moving between islands, anchoring often, and trying to fully switch off, one person cannot deliver the same experience as a proper crew.

If you are planning your first crewed yacht charter in Greece, start with full crew. Captain-only can work for a more casual trip or a tighter budget, but it is not the luxury version of the same holiday.

No.

In the standard Greece yacht charter setup, you do not pay us an extra broker fee. The broker is paid commission by the yacht owner or central agent, not by adding a separate charge on top for you.

In our experience, a good broker often saves clients money rather than costing more. We help you avoid weak yachts, unrealistic itineraries, poor crew fits, and extra costs that are easy to miss if you are booking blind.

We also compare options across different fleets, explain the contract and APA properly, and stay on your side if something needs pushing before the charter starts. If you want to see how that works in practice, here is our guide to booking a crewed yacht charter in Greece.

Yes.

We carry professional insurance through ITIC with cover up to EUR 500,000.

For a Greece yacht charter, that matters because clients are usually committing a large amount well before travel. A real broker should be properly insured, easy to verify, and willing to confirm who is handling your booking before you send funds.

Insurance is not the whole trust check, but it is one of the basic signs you are dealing with a professional charter brokerage.

Yes, you can charter a yacht in Greece for one day, but a one-day yacht rental is usually a different product from a full crewed yacht charter.

Most crewed yacht charters in Greece are built around a week, especially in peak season. Some yachts accept shorter charters, often around 2-3 days or more, when the dates fit the owner’s calendar and the route makes sense.

Day charters are more common for simple local trips, events, lunches, weddings, or a single day from places like Athens, Mykonos, Paros, or other major bases. They usually have fixed hours, a shorter route, and a smaller yacht selection than a multi-day charter.

If you want real island-hopping, sleeping onboard, and a custom route, look at a short charter or a full week. Our Greece yacht charter itineraries show why most proper routes need several days, not just one.

Tell us your date, guest count, start point, and whether you want a day trip or overnight charter. We will tell you quickly what is realistic.

Bad weather usually does not cancel a Greece yacht charter. More often, the captain changes the route, delays a crossing, swaps overnight stops, or keeps the yacht in a more protected area.

Refunds depend on the yacht’s charter agreement, not on a general “bad weather” rule. On MYBA-style contracts, the captain has authority over the vessel’s movement when wind, weather, safety, or timing make the original plan unrealistic. That means you normally should not expect a refund just because the yacht cannot reach a specific island, especially in weather-sensitive areas like the Cyclades.

In our experience, the real issue is expectation-setting. If you book Mykonos, Santorini, or a long Cyclades route in July or August, the Meltemi can affect the plan. We explain this in more detail in our guide to what happens if weather changes on a Greece yacht charter.

We strongly recommend travel cancellation insurance and a clear contract review before booking. We also help clients choose the right region, yacht type, and route so weather flexibility is understood before money is committed, not explained after the wind arrives.

Yes, but in Greece this is more limited than people expect.

In our experience, most yachts that mention diving in Greece do not offer true onboard scuba as a standard part of the charter. For legal and operational reasons, they usually offer rendezvous diving instead.

That means the yacht arranges diving through a local operator or meets a dive service along the route. True onboard scuba is possible on some yachts, but you need the right yacht, the right crew qualifications, and the right setup. You can browse some of our charter yachts with scuba diving onboard here.

If diving is important to your trip, tell us early. We will filter for yachts that can genuinely support it instead of wasting time on boats that only sound dive-friendly.

The Greece yacht charter season runs from May to October. Some yachts can start in late April or continue into early November, but May-October is the reliable window for most crewed charters.

For most of our clients, the best time to charter in Greece is June or September. You get warm weather, better yacht availability than peak summer, fewer crowds, and a more realistic chance of a comfortable itinerary.

July and August are peak season. They can be excellent if you want hot weather, school-holiday dates, nightlife, and a busier island atmosphere, but they are also the busiest and most weather-sensitive months, especially in the Cyclades when the Meltemi is active.

May and October can be very good for flexible clients who prefer quieter islands and better value, but the sea is cooler in May and October needs a looser weather plan. For a deeper month-by-month view, read our best time to charter a yacht in Greece guide.

If your route includes Mykonos, Santorini, or longer Cyclades passages, timing matters more than the calendar alone. We help match the month, region, and yacht type so the trip works in real conditions, not just on paper.

For most professional crewed yacht charters in Greece, VAT is usually 13% on the base charter fee. It is not always the same because some yachts, routes, contract types, or advertised prices are handled differently.

Some yachts show a base charter rate plus VAT. Others include VAT in the advertised price. The final VAT can also depend on whether the charter is crewed or bareboat, the yacht’s registration, the embarkation point, the itinerary, the charter length, and current Greek tax rules.

That is why website VAT figures should be treated as indicative until we confirm the exact yacht and dates. They are useful for planning, but the confirmed VAT line is the one shown on the charter agreement or final invoice.

Before you commit, we check the current VAT position with the yacht manager or central agent for your exact Greece charter. For the wider price structure, see our FAQ on why yacht prices are shown excluding VAT and APA and our Greece yacht charter cost guide.

The important thing is not to compare yachts only by the headline weekly rate. We always look at the full Greece charter price structure so you know what is included, what is extra, and what still needs final confirmation.

For most Greece yacht charters, high season is July and August. These are the most requested weeks, with the highest rates, the tightest availability, and the least flexibility on short charters or unusual dates.

June and September are often treated as shoulder or mid-season, though some yachts price them close to high season. May and October are usually lower season, with better value and more flexible availability, but exact dates vary by yacht.

This is why online prices should be treated as indicative. One yacht may use July-August as high season, another may use mid-June to mid-September, and some yachts publish different rates for specific weeks.

If budget matters, ask us to compare your dates against nearby weeks. Moving from peak July or August into June, September, May, or October can make a meaningful difference. Our Greece yacht charter cost guide explains the other costs to check as well, including APA, VAT, and crew gratuity.

The accurate price is always the confirmed yacht rate for your exact dates, route, and charter length. We check that before presenting options, so you are not planning around a price that does not apply.

We often get clients who are worried about seasickness on a Greece yacht charter, and there are many ways we can help prevent it. The right yacht, route, season, and captain flexibility make a big difference.

For seasick-prone guests, we usually look first at wider, more stable yachts such as catamarans, power catamarans, or motor yachts with good stabilizers. Larger yachts often feel more settled, but size alone is not the whole answer. Hull shape, stabilizers, cruising speed, and where the yacht anchors overnight all matter.

The cruising area matters just as much. The Ionian and Saronic Gulf are usually better choices for a first-time or seasick-prone group than an ambitious Cyclades route in July or August. The Cyclades can be fantastic, but the Meltemi wind makes route planning more important.

If seasickness is a concern, tell us early. We will steer you toward the right yacht type, calmer cruising area, and realistic itinerary. Our motor yacht vs catamaran guide for Greece explains the main yacht-type tradeoffs, and our Greece charter weather guide explains how captains adjust routes when conditions change.

If someone is very prone to seasickness, it is also worth speaking with a doctor before travel about prevention. We can plan for comfort, but no honest broker should promise a yacht will feel like a hotel on land.

For most Greece yacht charters, start seriously looking 9-12 months before your preferred dates. For July and August, large groups, top yachts, or very specific routes, 12-18 months ahead is better.

The best yachts and most popular summer weeks can book early. Waiting does not mean there will be nothing left, but it usually means fewer choices and more compromises on yacht, dates, embarkation point, or route.

If you are 18-24 months out, it is still fine to inquire, especially for a special yacht, fixed school-holiday week, event, or hard-to-move group. Just know that some yachts may not have final rates or calendars open that far ahead.

If you are planning late, do not give up. We can still search live availability, but flexibility matters more. Our Greece yacht charter booking guide explains the process from inquiry to embarkation.

The short version: early is better, but not every early inquiry needs to become a booking immediately. Tell us your dates, group size, budget, and route ideas, and we will tell you what timing is realistic.

Book flights after your yacht, dates, and embarkation and disembarkation ports are confirmed. For most crewed Greece yacht charters, that means after the charter agreement is signed and the first payment has been sent.

The reason is simple: the yacht is not truly secured until availability is confirmed, the contract is signed, and the deposit is paid. Flights are usually easier to adjust than finding the right yacht for fixed dates, fixed ports, and a full group.

This matters a lot in Greece because the start point changes the travel plan. Athens, Corfu, Lefkas/Preveza, Rhodes, Kos, Mykonos, and other ports all have different flight and transfer realities. A cheap flight into the wrong island can create extra transfer time, delivery fees, or a weaker yacht shortlist.

If you see flights that are expensive, limited, or only available on certain days, tell us before you book them. We can shape the yacht search around airport reality, but we would rather do that before nonrefundable flights lock the group into a difficult plan.

Once the charter is confirmed, we recommend booking flights with a little breathing room. For international groups, arriving the day before embarkation is often the calmer choice. Our Greece yacht charter booking guide explains where flights fit into the full process.

Usually, no. If a Greece charter yacht is certified for 12 overnight guests, children normally still count as guests even if they share a bed, sleep with parents, or use a Pullman bed.

Pullman beds, bunk cabins, convertible twins, and sofa-style beds can make the cabin layout work better for families. They are useful when the yacht is already allowed to sleep that number of guests, but they do not automatically raise the yacht’s legal or insurance capacity.

This is why we separate two questions: how many people the yacht can physically sleep, and how many overnight guests the yacht is certified to carry. The second number is the one that matters for the contract, passenger list, safety equipment, insurance, and port paperwork.

There can be rare exceptions for infants or very young children, but we never assume that. We confirm it with the yacht manager before recommending the yacht or sending a contract.

If your group is just over the limit, the better fix is usually a yacht certified for more guests, a smarter cabin layout, or a tandem charter. Our Greece yacht cabin layout guide explains Pullman beds, bunks, twins, and convertibles, and our large group yacht charter page covers options for groups above 12.

A tandem charter is a type of charter where the guests are divided between 2 boats.

Usually, one of the captains is the “main captain.”

The boats usually stick together, or at least monitor each other’s whereabouts with the goal of synchronizing selected experiences. That means that the kids can go for water sports, while the adults go to see a relaxing bay, and they meet in port for dinner.

Yes, captain and crew do stay aboard. If you are looking at the cabins and number of guests in a crewed yacht, the crew quarters are usually left out (of the number of cabins). For bareboat/captain only, the crew- captain/stewardess will need somewhere to stay. With captain only- the captain can sometimes (often) sleep in the saloon. Inquire about a specific yacht and we can provide details on the arrangements.

A flotilla yacht charter in Greece means several yachts cruising together as one group. In classic sailing, this can mean a fleet of bareboats following a lead boat. In crewed luxury charters, it usually means a larger private group split across multiple crewed yachts.

For example, two yachts traveling together is often called a tandem charter. Three or more yachts may be called a flotilla or multi-yacht charter. The idea is simple: everyone has enough cabin space, but the group can still meet for swims, lunches, dinners, beach time, and anchorages.

This can work very well for weddings, milestone birthdays, retreats, or families that are too large for one yacht. It is often more realistic than forcing everyone onto one very large yacht, especially when cabin layout, budget, or availability becomes difficult.

The important detail is coordination. The yachts do not always sail side by side all day, and weather, marina space, cruising speed, and guest comfort still matter. The captains coordinate the route and meeting points, with one lead plan for the group.

If you are planning for more than 12 guests, start with our guide to tandem yacht charters in Greece. For much larger groups, we can also compare flotilla-style options with larger certified yachts on our large group Greece yacht charter page.

Not always. In Greece, the yacht’s home port and current calendar matter just as much as the islands you want to visit.

Most crewed yachts start from a normal base such as Athens, Mykonos, Paros, Corfu, Lefkas/Preveza, Rhodes, or Kos. Some can reposition for a one-way or special charter, but that may add delivery fees, fuel, time, or limits around the next booking.

This is why a yacht that looks perfect online may not be the best match for your exact route. If it has to move empty before or after your trip, you may pay for that movement without gaining guest time.

The smarter approach is to match the yacht, start point, and route together. Athens gives the widest selection, while Cyclades, Ionian, or Dodecanese starts can be better when your whole trip is focused there. Our Athens yacht charter guide explains why base choice matters, and our Greece yacht charter itineraries guide shows realistic routes.

Tell us the islands that matter most, your dates, and whether your start and end points are flexible. We will tell you which yachts are realistically available, which routes make sense, and when a delivery fee is worth it.

For more than 12 guests in Greece, two yachts are often the better option, but not always. The right answer depends on your guest count, cabin layout, budget, route, and whether the group wants to sleep together or simply spend the day together.

One larger yacht can work beautifully if it is properly certified for your guest count and has the right cabin setup. The upside is simple: one crew, one program, one main social space. The downside is that certified yachts for 13+ overnight guests are fewer, usually larger, and often more expensive.

Two yachts, often called a tandem charter, can give better cabin choice and better value. It also lets couples, families, or age groups split more comfortably while still cruising the same route and meeting for swims, lunches, dinners, beach time, and anchorages.

The tradeoff is coordination. The yachts may not move side by side all day, and the captains need to plan anchorages, weather, pace, and guest transfers carefully. This is where matching yachts of similar speed, size, and service style matters.

If your group is 13-20 guests, start with our tandem yacht charters in Greece guide and our large group yacht charter page. We will compare one-yacht and two-yacht options side by side, not just by price, but by how the week will actually feel.

No. If a Greece yacht charter is a real possibility, it is not too early to inquire.

You do not need to have every detail fixed before you contact us. Dates, group size, approximate budget, preferred yacht type, and a few route ideas are enough for us to tell you what is realistic.

Early conversations are useful because Greece availability depends on season, start point, route, and where the yacht is based. Sometimes the best advice is to wait until rates or calendars open. Sometimes it is to secure the right yacht before the best options disappear.

We are also happy to help while you are still comparing areas, such as Athens, the Cyclades, the Ionian, or the Dodecanese. A clear inquiry helps us shape a useful shortlist instead of sending random yachts.

For timing, see our FAQ on how far in advance to book a Greece yacht charter. Our Greece yacht charter booking guide also explains how the process works from inquiry to embarkation.

For a normal one-week yacht charter from Athens, we usually do not recommend trying to include Crete. It is too far, too exposed, and too limited as a crewed-yacht base to make the week feel good for most guests.

The issue is not whether a yacht can physically get there. It is whether the route is worth it for guests. Athens to the Cyclades is already distance-sensitive; pushing all the way to Crete adds long passages, fuel, weather exposure, and fewer good fallback options.

Crete is beautiful, but it is usually better as a land add-on before or after the charter than as the main yacht route. Compared with the Saronic, Cyclades, Ionian, or Dodecanese, Crete has fewer suitable yacht bases, fewer easy shelters, and more limited charter infrastructure.

If Crete is a must, we can look at a longer custom charter, a one-way route with the right motor yacht, or a separate Crete stay after a Cyclades charter. But for one week, we would normally steer you toward a realistic Athens/Saronic, Athens/Cyclades, or island-start Cyclades itinerary.

Our Athens yacht charter guide explains what works best from Athens, and our Greece yacht charter itineraries guide helps compare route areas.

Yes, discounts or special offers are sometimes possible on Greece crewed yacht charters, but they are not automatic. They depend on the yacht, the dates, the owner, the manager, and how much open calendar the yacht still has.

The best chances are usually outside peak July and August, on last-minute open weeks, or when a yacht is trying to fill a specific gap in the calendar. Some yachts publish special offers. Others may consider a serious offer privately. Some managers simply have a no-discount policy.

The important point is that an offer should be real. If we ask a yacht owner to reduce the rate and they accept, the client should be ready to move quickly with the contract and deposit. Making offers just to test the market can hurt the relationship with the yacht manager and weaken future negotiations.

We will tell you when a discount request is realistic, when the yacht is already fairly priced, and when changing dates or season will save more than negotiation. Our high season and low season FAQ explains how timing affects rates, and our Greece yacht charter cost guide breaks down the full price, including APA, VAT, and crew gratuity.

Yes, you can plan a Cyclades yacht charter around Mykonos and Santorini in July or August, but it needs to be planned with flexibility. These are peak-season dates, and the Cyclades are the windiest major charter area in Greece during summer.

The main issue is the Meltemi, the strong northern wind that often affects the Aegean in July and August. It does not mean the charter will be bad, but it can change cruising comfort, timing, anchorages, and whether Santorini is realistic within one week.

Mykonos is usually easier to include than Santorini, especially with the right motor yacht or an island-start itinerary. Santorini is farther south and more exposed, so we treat it as a goal, not a promise, unless the whole charter is built around it with enough time and the right start or end point.

For many groups, the best plan is to choose a strong Cyclades route with Mykonos, Paros, Naxos, Syros, Sifnos, Milos, or nearby islands, and keep Santorini as a possible highlight if the conditions and yacht choice support it. If Santorini is non-negotiable, we may suggest starting or ending closer to Santorini, adding extra days, or visiting Santorini before or after the yacht charter.

Our Mykonos and Santorini yacht type guide explains which yachts handle this route best, and our one-week Cyclades itinerary guide shows how distance changes the route.

Usually, no. The weekly price you see on most Greece crewed yacht listings is the base charter fee. Food, drinks, fuel, port fees, and other running costs are normally paid separately through the APA.

APA means Advance Provisioning Allowance. It is a prepaid expense fund, usually set as a percentage of the charter fee, that the captain uses during the charter for your provisions, fuel, berthing, and other trip costs.

This is not a second charter fee. It is a working budget. At the end of the charter, the captain provides an expense summary. If you spend less than the APA, the balance is returned. If the trip costs more, the difference is settled before disembarkation.

What you actually spend depends on the yacht, route, fuel use, how much you cruise, food and drink preferences, marina choices, and how often you dine ashore. A fast motor yacht running long distances will use the APA very differently from a catamaran with shorter hops and more nights at anchor.

There are some all-inclusive yacht charters in Greece, but they are the exception, not the standard. Our APA guide explains how the expense fund works, and our Greece yacht charter cost guide shows the full cost picture.

My Greek Charter specializes in crewed yacht charters in Greece. That means yachts with a professional captain and crew, often including a chef, stewardess, deck crew, and full onboard service.

For bareboat or skipper-only charters, we usually recommend our sister company AMWAX Prime. They specialize in bareboat, skippered, and crewed yacht charters, so they are better set up for clients who want to sail themselves or book a simpler skipper-only setup.

A bareboat charter is a different product. You are responsible for the yacht, route, provisioning, mooring, and safety, and Greece operators normally require a recognized skipper license plus competent crew. A skipper-only charter adds a professional captain, but it still usually does not include the service level of a fully crewed yacht.

If you want a relaxed, serviced vacation, a crewed Greece yacht charter is usually the better fit. If you specifically want bareboat or captain-only, AMWAX can help you compare those options. Our crewed yacht charter booking guide explains how the full-service My Greek Charter process works.

The yacht charter agreement is the contract that makes your Greece yacht charter official. It confirms the yacht, charter dates, embarkation and disembarkation ports, charter fee, payment schedule, APA, VAT, cancellation terms, and the main responsibilities of the owner, captain, broker, and charterer.

It can look formal, but it is normal professional paperwork. For most crewed yacht charters in Greece and the Mediterranean, the agreement is based on a recognized charter contract framework, often MYBA or a similar industry contract.

Before signing, we walk through the practical points that matter: what is included, what is extra, when payments are due, how the APA is handled, what happens if plans change, and whether there are any yacht-specific conditions you should notice.

The booking is normally only secured once availability is confirmed, the agreement is signed, and the first payment is received. Until then, a yacht may still be released to another client.

Our Greece yacht charter booking guide explains the full process from shortlist to embarkation, and the final payment and APA FAQ explains the payment side in more detail.

For most Greece crewed yacht charters, the final balance and APA are due before embarkation, usually about 60 days before the charter. The exact deadline is written in your charter agreement and invoice.

The final payment is the remaining balance of the charter fee. The APA, or Advance Provisioning Allowance, is the prepaid expense fund used during the charter for food, drinks, fuel, port fees, and other trip costs.

APA is not a second charter fee. It is a working budget held for your onboard expenses. The captain tracks spending during the charter and provides a final account at the end.

If you spend less than the APA, the unused balance is returned. If the trip costs more than the APA, the difference is settled before disembarkation. Your actual spending depends on the yacht, route, fuel use, provisioning choices, marina fees, and how often you dine ashore.

Our APA guide explains the expense fund in detail, and our Greece yacht charter cost guide shows how APA, VAT, and other costs fit together. The charter agreement FAQ explains where these payment terms are confirmed.

Most Greece crewed yacht charters are paid by bank transfer. The usual structure is a deposit when the charter agreement is signed, then the remaining balance, APA, VAT, and any agreed extras before embarkation.

For many crewed charters, the deposit is around 50% of the charter fee, with the balance due several weeks before the charter. The exact payment schedule is always written in your charter agreement and invoice.

Your yacht is normally secured only once availability is confirmed, the agreement is signed, and the first payment has cleared. Before that, the yacht may still be offered to another client.

Some yachts or stakeholders may accept card payments, but bank transfer is the normal method for larger crewed charters. If card payment is available, processing fees may apply.

Before sending funds, always confirm payment instructions through your broker, especially for a large transfer. Our charter agreement FAQ explains where the payment terms are confirmed, and the final payment and APA FAQ explains what is due before embarkation. The full process is covered in our Greece yacht charter booking guide.

The preference sheet is the pre-charter questionnaire that tells the crew how to prepare your yacht charter. It covers food, drinks, allergies, medical notes, cabin setup, guest details, activities, celebrations, and any special requests.

It matters more than many first-time charter guests expect. The chef uses it to plan menus and provisioning, the captain uses it to understand your pace and itinerary style, and the stewardess uses it to prepare cabins and service details.

Be honest and specific. If someone has a shellfish allergy, does not drink alcohol, wants early coffee, prefers quiet anchorages, needs kid-friendly meals, or wants a birthday dinner arranged, this is where we want to know.

You do not need to overthink every meal. The goal is not to write a restaurant menu for the whole week. The goal is to give the crew enough information to avoid bad surprises and make the charter feel personal from the first day.

We usually send the preference sheet after the booking is confirmed and before embarkation, with enough time for the crew to review it and provision properly. Our Greece yacht charter booking guide explains where it fits in the planning process, and our cabin layout guide can help if your group is still working out sleeping arrangements.

For Greece yacht charters, high season usually means July and August. These are the busiest and most expensive charter months, with the strongest demand, the tightest availability, and the least flexibility on unusual dates or short charters.

Some yachts keep it simple and price July and August as high season. Others use wider rate periods, such as mid-June to mid-September, or separate June/September shoulder-season rates. That is why the exact rate always has to be checked against the specific yacht and your exact dates.

High season is not only about price. July and August also bring the hottest weather, busier islands, fuller marinas and restaurants, and, in the Cyclades, a higher chance of strong Meltemi winds affecting the route.

If you want the high-summer atmosphere, July and August can be fantastic, especially with the right yacht and route. If you want better value, softer crowds, and more flexible availability, June and September are often the smarter months.

Our best time to charter a yacht in Greece guide explains the months in more detail, and our high season and low season FAQ explains how rate periods affect yacht pricing.

Greece yacht prices are usually shown as the base charter fee because VAT and APA are added separately. This is standard for most crewed yacht charters in Greece and the Mediterranean.

The base charter fee normally covers the yacht, crew, standard equipment, and the agreed charter period. VAT is the applicable tax on the charter, and APA is the prepaid expense fund used for food, drinks, fuel, port fees, and other running costs during the trip.

We show the base fee separately so you can compare yachts fairly. If one yacht has a higher APA estimate because it is a fast motor yacht, or another has a different VAT treatment because of the contract or route, those numbers should not be hidden inside the weekly rate.

For most professional crewed yacht charters in Greece, VAT is usually around 13% on the base charter fee, but the exact rate can vary by yacht, contract, route, and what is included. APA also varies because a relaxed week with short hops and dinners ashore costs very differently from a fast itinerary with long cruising days and premium provisioning.

When we prepare a real shortlist or quote, we show the full picture: base charter fee, VAT, APA, any delivery fees, and likely extras. Our Greece yacht charter cost guide explains the total budget, our APA guide explains the expense fund, and our VAT FAQ explains why VAT is not always identical across yachts.

Yes. We strongly recommend buying travel insurance for a Greece yacht charter, especially because crewed charters are usually booked with non-refundable deposits and clear cancellation terms.

The yacht has its own insurance, and we also carry professional broker insurance, but that does not replace your personal travel insurance. Your policy should be chosen for your group and should cover the things that matter to you: trip cancellation or interruption, medical care abroad, emergency evacuation, delayed flights, lost baggage, and, where relevant, personal liability.

Read the policy carefully before buying. Coverage varies a lot by country of residence, pre-existing conditions, timing of purchase, charter value, and the activities you plan to do onboard.

The charter agreement FAQ explains where cancellation terms are confirmed, and our Greece yacht charter booking guide explains the full process from inquiry to embarkation.

Yes. The captain can change your Greece yacht charter itinerary when safety, weather, port access, comfort, or yacht operations require it.

That does not mean the captain ignores your preferences. A good captain will try to shape the week around what you want: islands, swim stops, restaurants, pace, and special plans. But the captain is responsible for the yacht, the crew, and everyone onboard, so their operational decision is final when conditions make a route unsuitable.

In Greece, this matters most with exposed routes such as the Cyclades, where wind, sea state, marina space, and timing can change what is realistic day by day. Sometimes the best call is a different island order, a shorter crossing, a more protected anchorage, or a route that keeps the week comfortable instead of forced.

Our Greece yacht charter weather guide explains how route changes work in practice, and our Greece itinerary guide helps compare regions before you choose a route.

After you inquire about a Greece yacht charter, we first clarify the practical details: dates, guest count, budget, preferred area, yacht style, cabin needs, and anything that matters to the group.

Then we check live availability and pricing. Yacht calendars and rates can move, so we do not treat a website listing as a confirmed offer until we verify it with the yacht manager or central agent.

Once the brief is clear, we send a focused shortlist of yachts that actually fit. That may include the yacht you asked about, plus better matches if we know of stronger options for your dates, route, or budget.

If you choose a yacht, we confirm availability, review the charter agreement, and secure the booking with the signed contract and first payment. Our Greece yacht charter booking guide explains the full process, and the charter agreement FAQ explains what is confirmed in the contract.