Every week someone calls and asks the same first question: what does a Miami yacht charter cost? The honest answer runs wide, from $600 for a small day boat to several thousand for a large crewed event yacht. Your Miami yacht charter cost comes down to four things: the size of the boat, how many hours you are out, the season, and the extras you add on top. Below is how it actually breaks down, from someone who runs these boats every week, so you can price your day before you ever send a deposit.
What does a Miami yacht charter cost in 2026?
In 2026 a private Miami charter starts from $600 for a small boat on a short trip and climbs to $7,500 for the largest crewed event yacht in our fleet, with extras and a peak date pushing a big booking higher. Most groups land in the low to mid thousands for a half day, and captain and fuel are included in our rates.
That spread is real because a 37 foot day boat and a 115 foot event yacht are not the same product. Price your trip by the boat you actually need, not by the cheapest headline number in an ad.
One thing to fix in your head up front: a charter is priced by the boat, not per person. Split a mid size yacht across ten friends and the cost per head drops fast, which is why a private group charter often beats buying ten tickets to a crowded party boat.
What drives the price of your charter
Four levers move your number more than anything else. Get these right and you control the cost instead of reacting to it at checkout.
- Boat size and type. The single biggest lever, and it scales with your group. A 24 to 37 foot day boat is the cheapest way onto the water, mid size yachts from 40 to 70 feet fit most celebrations, and 80 feet and up brings crew, multiple decks, and a higher rate. The bigger your group, the bigger the boat you need, so size the hull to your headcount.
- Hours on the water. Almost every charter is booked in blocks, usually 4, 6 or 8 hours. A longer day costs more, but the hourly rate often drops the longer you stay out.
- Season and day of the week. Weekends, holidays, and big event weeks are the busiest and priciest. A Tuesday in the shoulder season costs noticeably less than a Saturday in March.
- Extras. Catering, a full bar, water toys, decor, and a DJ are all optional and quoted on top of the base rate.
Miami yacht charter prices by boat size
Here is the rough map by size for a half day. Small day boats start at $600, mid size yachts run in the low thousands, and large event yachts start in the several thousands and top out around $7,500 in our fleet. These are real starting prices from our own fleet, and extras or a peak date push them up from there.
- Day boat, 37 feet, up to 10 guests: the 37ft Sea Ray starts from $600. This is the entry point and the sweet spot for a sandbar swim or a short skyline cruise. See more in our most affordable day boats.
- Mid size, 50 to 57 feet, up to 13 guests: the 50ft Sea Ray Fly starts from $750 and the 57ft Azimut from $1,200. More shade, a real cabin, and room to move for a birthday or a bachelorette.
- Large and event yacht, 100 feet and up: the 100ft Midnight Sun starts from $5,000 and carries up to 120 guests, and the 115ft Upus runs from $7,500 for up to 300. This is full event territory with crew and multiple decks, and it is the top of our fleet. Browse this end under luxury yacht charters.
If I had to point you to the best all round value, it is a mid size yacht in the 50 to 57 foot range for a group of eight to thirteen. You get a shaded helm, a head below deck, a swim platform, and enough room that nobody is perched on a cooler, without the crew and the price tag that come with a large crewed yacht.
How much does it cost to rent a yacht in Miami for 4 hours?
Four hours is the most common charter and the one most people search. On our fleet a 4 hour private charter starts around $600 for a small day boat and lands in the low thousands for a mid size yacht, captain and fuel included. Larger event yachts start higher.
Four hours covers the classic Miami day: run out to a sandbar, swim and float for a couple of hours, cruise the skyline and Star Island, and be back at the dock. If your plan is mainly a sandbar hang with a small crew, four hours on the 37ft Sea Ray is the best value on the water. If you want dinner and sunset on top, step up to six.
Shorter and longer blocks scale from there. A 2 hour sunset run is the cheapest ticket if you only want the skyline at golden hour, and a full 8 hour day roughly doubles the 4 hour rate but usually at a friendlier hourly price. For an overnight, or a multi day trip to the Keys or Bimini, we price it as a package, so tell us the dates and we build it around them.
What is included in the price, and what costs extra
Every BillsIn private charter includes your licensed captain and fuel, with no sales tax added on top. That is the base price. Optional extras like catering, a full bar, water toys, decor, and a DJ are quoted separately, so you only pay for what you actually want.
That captain matters for more than comfort. Under Florida law, a boat that comes with a licensed captain is not a bareboat rental. The state draws a clear line: Florida's definition of a boat livery is renting a vessel without providing a US Coast Guard licensed captain. Ours always comes with one, so the boat also carries the insurance and Florida boating registration and safety rules you want under you, including Coast Guard approved life jackets aboard. If you are weighing a bareboat deal against a crewed one, read whether the captain is included before you compare prices.
Fuel is a real cost, and it moves. With the US average retail gasoline price sitting near four dollars a gallon, and a yacht burning far more than your car, some companies pass fuel through as a surprise surcharge. We fold it into the quote, so the number you see is the number you pay.
The hidden fees to watch for
The trap is a low headline rate that balloons at checkout. Watch for a separate captain fee, a fuel surcharge, a cleaning fee, and a refundable fuel deposit stacked on after the price has already hooked you. Any one of these can add hundreds to a day.
- Separate captain fee. A cheap looking rate that does not actually include the person driving the boat.
- Fuel surcharge. A variable add on tied to how far you run, revealed after you book.
- Cleaning fee. A flat charge for normal turnaround, not for damage.
- Fuel deposit. A refundable hold that still ties up your money on the day.
We do not run any of that. Taxes and any extras you choose are shown before you book, so the quote is the real all in number. A deposit holds your date and the balance is due before you board, which means no surprise math and no scramble at the dock on the morning of your trip.
How much is gratuity on a Miami yacht charter?
Plan on 15 to 20 percent gratuity for the captain and crew, given in cash at the end of the charter. It is customary, not automatic, and it is not built into the base rate. On a $2,000 charter that is $300 to $400, so budget for it up front.
Tip the way you would at a good restaurant. If your captain nailed the sandbar timing, kept the ride smooth, and made your group feel looked after, the higher end is fair. On a large crewed yacht the gratuity is split across the whole crew.
How to get the best value for your budget
Four moves lower your cost without shrinking the day: book a weekday instead of a Saturday, right size the boat to your real group, pick a shoulder season date, and book a shorter block if you mainly want a sandbar swim. Flexible on timing? Ask, and we will point you to where the value sits that week.
- Go midweek. A Tuesday charter can cost noticeably less than the same boat on a weekend.
- Right size the boat. Do not book a 70 footer for eight people. Match the boat to your crew and you stop paying for deck you will not use.
- Shoulder season. The weeks on either side of peak are calmer and cheaper, and the water is just as good.
- Shorter block. If you mainly want a sandbar swim, four hours beats eight and keeps the difference in your pocket.
The mistake I see most is over booking on size and under booking on time. A crew of six on an 80 footer for two hours spends more and enjoys it less than the same six on a 50 footer for four. Put your budget into hours on the water and the right size hull, not into empty deck nobody uses.
Get an exact quote for your date and group size
Prices move with the boat, the date, and the season, so the only way to know your real number is a quote. Tell us your date, your group size, and the hours you want, and we send one clear all in price, usually within the hour during opening times. Send us your date and group size for a quote and we will match you to the right boat at the right price.
