Crewed Yacht Charter from Monaco

Monaco is one of the world's main superyacht brokerage centres: several of the largest charter houses have their headquarters or a major office in the Principality, and Port Hercule fills with charter yachts every summer. This page explains how a crewed charter works from Monaco — who to book with, what the contract covers and what it really costs. For self-drive boats, RIBs and day hire, see the companion guide to renting a boat in Monaco.

Who to book with

A crewed charter is almost always arranged through a broker, who represents you, checks the yacht and drafts the contract. Firms with their headquarters or an office in Monaco include:

The broker's commission is paid by the yacht's owner out of the charter fee, so using one costs you nothing extra. Larger firms publish the same yachts, so compare the yacht and its crew rather than the broker.

How the price is built

Charter yachts are quoted per week (or per day for short summer charters) and almost always under the MYBA standard contract used across the Mediterranean. The final bill has three layers:

1. Base rate — the yacht and its crew's salaries, insurance and the boat's upkeep. Rates move with length, age and the time of year; July–August is the most expensive period.
2. APA (Advance Provisioning Allowance) — usually 25–35% of the base rate, paid before boarding. The captain spends it on fuel, food and drink, port and berthing fees and communications, and settles the account with receipts at the end. Long transits and fast motor yachts use far more fuel, so expect the upper end.
3. Taxes — VAT depends on the yacht's flag, the waters you sail in and the country where the charter starts; the broker states it in the contract.

Crew gratuity is not included. Common practice in the Mediterranean is roughly 5–15% of the base rate, given to the captain at the end of the charter.

Events and berths

During the Grand Prix and the Monaco Yacht Show the harbour itself is the attraction, and berthing is handled by SEPM (Société d'Exploitation des Ports de Monaco), which runs a separate booking process for event weeks through its client portal (espaceclient.ports-monaco.com).

• Monaco Grand Prix — race weekend 4–6 June 2027. Yachts with circuit-side berths are usually committed for the whole week and booked many months ahead.
• Monaco Yacht Show — late September each year; it is a trade show where charter yachts are visited by appointment with a broker, not something you can hire a yacht to attend. See the Monaco Yacht Show guide.

Outside these weeks, Port Hercule reserves a limited number of berths for visiting yachts, and a broker or the yacht's captain books them directly with the capitainerie.

Where you can go

Sea distances from Monaco are shorter than most visitors expect, which keeps fuel (and the APA) under control on a one-week itinerary:

Anchoring is regulated along the whole coast. In Monaco itself, boats are banned from the Larvotto marine reserve (about 33 ha of posidonia meadow off the beach), and anchoring is forbidden on the Spélugues reserve at the entrance of Port Hercule — see the guide to marine conservation in Monaco.

Practical points

• Paperwork for guests: a passport or national ID card for every guest. Monaco, France and Italy all apply Schengen rules, so a guest who needs a Schengen visa needs it for the whole itinerary.
• Embarkation: most yachts board at Port Hercule; when the port is full, charters start from nearby French ports such as Cap-d'Ail, Beaulieu or Nice.
• Getting to the boat: Port Hercule is a ten-minute walk from Monaco station, and the Monaco heliport is about seven minutes by helicopter from Nice airport.
• Shorter trips: if a full week is more than you need, half-day and day trips with a skipper are covered in the boat excursions guide.

Useful contacts

• Port Hercule capitainerie (SEPM): +377 97 77 30 00, VHF channel 12, reception 7:30 am–9:30 pm in season, watchman 24/7 — ports-monaco.com
• Port de Fontvieille capitainerie: +377 97 77 30 15, VHF channel 9
• Direction des Affaires Maritimes: 20 quai l'Hirondelle, +377 98 98 22 80 (Mon–Fri 9:30 am–5 pm)