Yacht charter Monaco, with skipper.

Yacht charter Monaco with skipper — what it means

'Yacht charter Monaco with skipper' is the standard model in this market — every yacht placed by LYC Monaco is chartered with a licensed captain (skipper) and, on 24m+ yachts, a full professional crew. Bareboat (self-drive) charter is not something the reputable Monaco market offers.

That's not a limitation. A skippered yacht means you don't dock the boat, don't clear customs, don't cook or clean, don't manage anchor watch. You step aboard at Port Hercule, tell the captain the mood for the day — anchor early for a long swim, push to Saint-Tropez by dinner, stay put with music and lunch on the aft deck — and the yacht runs.

This page covers what a skipper does, what a full crew adds beyond a skipper, and how skippered yacht charters from Monaco are actually placed.

What the skipper does

Navigation and safety. The captain plots the day's course, monitors weather and sea state, manages the yacht's systems and holds ultimate authority for guest and crew safety. Every decision to change plan (a diverted lunch, a shortened cruise, a marina swap) sits with the captain in dialogue with the guest party.

Berthing and port clearance. The captain arranges the berth at each port call — pre-booked marina slots in Cannes, Antibes, Saint-Tropez, Bonifacio — and handles all customs, immigration and port authority paperwork.

Itinerary shaping. The captain knows current sea and weather, port availability, the best anchorages for lunch and dinner given the day's conditions, and which restaurants are accepting yacht bookings that week. Every itinerary is shaped in dialogue.

Crew management. On crewed yachts the captain runs the crew — the engineer, deck team, interior team, chef and stewardess all report to the captain. Guests deal with the chief stewardess for interior matters, the captain for everything else.

Skipper only vs full crew

Skipper only (sub-24m dayboats). Riva Aquariva, Wajer 55, Frauscher — small day-hire yachts running with a single captain. Suitable for short cruises, sunset runs and family day trips. Chef and food service added separately where wanted.

Skipper + one or two crew (24–30m). Adds a deckhand and often a stewardess. Suitable for weekend and short-week charters with a party of four to six adults.

Full crew (30m+). Captain, engineer, deckhand(s), executive chef, chief stewardess with interior team. From four crew on a 30m to twenty-five+ on an 80m mega yacht. The standard for a proper Mediterranean charter week with six to twelve guests.

Prices for a skippered Monaco yacht charter

The skipper (and any crew) is included in the yacht's base fee — there's no separate skipper cost to add on top. Prices scale by yacht length and crew size.

Day-hire on a skipper-only 20m dayboat: €4,000–€8,000 all-in. Weekly charter on a 30m yacht with skipper + three crew: €80,000–€140,000. Weekly charter on a 40m superyacht with full crew of ten: €200,000–€400,000. See Monaco yacht charter prices for the complete breakdown.

Crew gratuity (5–15% of the base fee, at the guest's discretion) is separate from the base fee and paid at the end of the charter. It goes to the crew, not the yacht owner or the broker.

Booking a skippered charter from Monaco

Send a brief — dates, party size, whether you want day, weekend or weekly, and any anchorages or destinations you have in mind. A Monaco-based concierge returns a shortlist of three to five skippered yachts within one working day. Each comes with the captain's CV, crew composition, layout and price.

Once you confirm a yacht, we introduce you to the captain by video 7–14 days before the charter start (for weekly and longer) to review the outline plan, dietary preferences and any specific requests. The MYBA charter agreement is signed, APA is transferred, and the yacht is ready at Port Hercule on the start date.