Private yacht charter in Monaco — what it actually means
A private yacht charter in Monaco means the yacht and its crew are contracted to a single guest party — yours — for the duration of the charter. No other guests are aboard, the itinerary is shaped in dialogue between you and the captain, and the boat is not available to any other client while you're on board.
This is the standard model across LYC Monaco's fleet. Every yacht we place is chartered under the MYBA charter agreement — the industry contract used by every reputable central agent — which secures that exclusivity in writing along with cancellation protections, delivery terms and the insurance stack.
The rest of this page covers the discretion, the fleet, the contract and the price of a private charter Monaco brief, and how to enquire.
Discretion, security and privacy
Privacy is more than an exclusive booking. The concierge team, the yacht's crew and the central agent all handle guest information under confidentiality obligations. Every LYC Monaco crew signs an NDA as standard; we can add named-guest NDAs, restrict onboard photography, and coordinate with your personal security team ashore.
For guests with public profiles, we routinely arrange anonymised bookings — the yacht's central agent sees only a code name until contract stage — plus discreet berthing arrangements at Port Hercule, private aviation transfers to and from Nice or Cannes-Mandelieu, and shielded ground transport at every port call.
On board, the yacht is under your control. Guest lists, menus, tender movements, marina calls — none of it is shared outside the yacht's operation without your say-so.
Private yachts available from Monaco
LYC Monaco has active relationships with the central agents behind roughly four hundred Mediterranean charter yachts, plus a private route to a comparable number that are placed off-market. The fleet ranges from 20m open dayboats up to 90m+ superyachts.
Motor yachts and superyachts dominate the private charter market — Feadship, Oceanco, Benetti, Sanlorenzo, Sunseeker flagships. Sailing yachts and performance catamarans are also placeable for guests who prefer them, though the seasonal availability window is narrower.
Every yacht in your shortlist has been vetted by a Monaco-based advisor against your brief. We don't send you a catalogue — we send three to five yachts, each with a reason it's on the list.
The private charter contract
Private charters are placed under the MYBA charter agreement, drafted by the Mediterranean Yacht Brokers Association and universally accepted by the Riviera charter market. It fixes the base fee, delivery and redelivery ports, the guest list, the APA (Advance Provisioning Allowance) and the cancellation ladder.
The base fee is paid to an escrow account (typically at a Monégasque bank), which releases funds to the owning company on the charter start date. APA — usually 30% of the base fee — is paid separately and covers fuel, provisions, berthing and communications, reconciled at the end of the charter with any surplus returned.
Standard cancellation ladders run: 100% refundable until 45 days out, 50% inside 45 days, 0% inside 15 days. We negotiate terms where the yacht's owner permits flexibility, and we arrange charter cancellation insurance separately where the party wants full downside protection.
Private yacht charter Monaco — prices
Weekly private charter prices scale by length. A 24m yacht runs €40,000–€80,000 per week base fee. A 30m runs €80,000–€140,000. A 40m superyacht runs €200,000–€400,000. A 60m runs €700,000+. See Monaco yacht charter prices for the full breakdown.
Add APA (~30%) and, for EU cruising, VAT — usually 20% but reducible under the French Commercial Exemption or the Italian coastal reduction where the itinerary qualifies. LYC Monaco structures every charter to make lawful use of any reduction the itinerary allows.
Event weeks — Monaco Grand Prix, Cannes Film Festival, Monaco Yacht Show — add 30–100% to the base fee and require 6–12 months' lead time.
Frequently asked questions
What makes a yacht charter 'private'?+
Every yacht charter arranged by LYC Monaco is private by definition — the yacht and its crew are chartered to a single guest party for the duration. There are no other guests aboard, no shared cabins, no fixed itinerary imposed by an operator. That is the standard MYBA charter model.
How is a private yacht charter in Monaco different from a cruise?+
A cruise carries hundreds of unrelated passengers on a fixed route. A private yacht charter carries only your party (max 12 overnight guests) on an itinerary you shape day by day with the captain. The yacht cannot be booked by anyone else while it's under your charter agreement.
How discreet is a private charter from Monaco?+
Every crew signs an NDA as standard. On request we arrange fully anonymised bookings, a security officer on board, secure comms, and coordination with a personal protection team ashore. Your identity is not disclosed to the yacht's marketing agent until contract stage.
Can I charter a private yacht in Monaco for a single day?+
Yes — day-hire on private yachts up to around 40m is common. Above 40m, day-only private charters are unusual; weekly is the norm. See <a href='/yacht-hire-monaco'>yacht hire Monaco</a> for the day/evening market.
Who signs the private charter agreement?+
The charterer of record — the person paying the fee — signs a MYBA charter agreement with the owning company via its central agent. LYC Monaco represents you in that transaction, negotiating terms, reviewing the contract and coordinating the escrow.
Are there private yachts available off-market?+
A meaningful share of the world's finest yachts are chartered privately and never listed publicly. If you have a specific yacht in mind, or only a specification, our concierge approaches the yacht's management directly under NDA to test availability.
Related pages
- Yacht Charter MonacoThe full charter offering.
- Superyacht Charter Monaco40m+ private superyachts.
- Monaco Yacht Charter PricesWeekly pricing by size band.
- How to Charter a YachtThe full private charter process.
By the concierge desk · Monaco