Gulet vs Catamaran vs Motor Yacht: The Weekly Fee per Guest, Compared

Which yacht type suits which group?

Group size decides most of it. Gulets are the only type with hundreds of boats for ten or more guests, and they have the lowest base fee per guest. Catamarans suit six to ten. Motor yachts and motor sailers have base fees several times higher per head.

The four yacht types YachtCloud lists in the Mediterranean

Source: YachtCloud listings snapshot, 4 November 2026, 13:39 UTC [1]. Lowest weekly base fee for the whole boat, before VAT, any APA and meals. "Typical" is the middle half of priced listings. Per guest divides each fee by the listing's maximum guests.

The "boat full" figure assumes every berth is taken. A catamaran for eight costs less per head with eight on board than with six, so the next table works from your group size instead.

What is the weekly fee per guest for your group size?

Take every yacht of each type that sleeps at least your group, find the median weekly fee, and split it across the group. That is what the table shows, using each yacht's lowest weekly rate [1].

Median weekly fee for yachts that take your group, and the cost per guest

Source: YachtCloud listings snapshot, 4 November 2026 [1]. Mediterranean listings with a published fee. Median of each yacht's lowest weekly base fee, before VAT, any APA and meals; per-guest figures are that median divided by the group size.

Median base fee per guest for a group of ten, by yacht type, 4 November 2026. Source [1].

VAT comes on top at different rates. Most Turkish estimates add 20 percent, most Croatian ones 13 percent, and Greek ones that show VAT anywhere from 5 to 24 percent [1]. Two more things stand out. Gulet fees barely rise with group size; the middle half of gulets take 10 to 14 guests anyway. And catamaran choice falls away fast: 34 take six, 13 take ten, and one takes twelve.

The country matters as much as the type. Turkey, where two in three gulets are based, has no catamarans on YachtCloud. In Croatia, for eight guests, the median gulet's base fee is €2,313 a guest and the median of four catamarans €2,888 [1]. In Greece the same comparison is €2,625 against €3,763.

Gulet: the most guests for the money

YachtCloud's types guide describes a gulet as a traditional two-masted wooden yacht from Turkey's southwest coast, with a relaxed pace. It says gulets offer the most deck and living space relative to their length [2].

The listings support the capacity part of that. The median gulet is 29 metres long and takes 12 guests in six cabins, with a crew of four [1]. Of 289 gulets, 179 take 12 or more, and the largest takes 40.

Gulets carry sails but also cruise under engine. 108 gulet listings include fuel for a set number of cruising hours a day, usually three or four [1]. Luce Del Mare, for example, includes main-engine fuel for up to three hours daily [6]. Every gulet page's price box also says fuel and other extras are quoted separately, so ask which applies.

If the gulet looks like your answer, gulet charter prices from 287 real listings explains how VAT, the APA and meals change the total.

Catamaran: smaller groups, Greece and Croatia

A catamaran has two hulls joined by a wide deck. YachtCloud's types guide says the twin hulls give exceptional stability at anchor, and a shallow draft opens up bays that deeper-keeled yachts can't reach [2].

In the listings, Mediterranean catamarans are small: a median of 18 metres, eight guests and four cabins, with a crew of three [1]. The largest takes 12. Typical weeks run €20,475 to 41,125 for the whole boat.

• Catamaran charter in Greece: 15 catamarans, based in Athens, Lavrion, Mykonos and Rhodes, from €14,000 to 70,000 a week [1][5].

• Catamaran charter in Croatia: six, based in Split, Trogir and Rogoznica, from €8,050 to 27,300 a week, taking up to ten guests [1]. See the Croatia yacht charter page.

• Elsewhere: five each in Italy and Spain and four in France; none in Turkey [1].

Selene, an 18-metre catamaran based in Athens, takes ten guests from €22,050 a week. Photo: Selene listing, YachtCloud.

Most catamaran estimates add an APA: 30 of the 35, most often 30 or 25 percent of the fee [1]. An APA is an amount paid ahead of the charter towards running costs such as food, drinks, fuel and port fees; any unspent balance is normally returned [6].

Motor yacht: distance at a price

Motor yachts trade sail for power. YachtCloud's types guide pitches them on the ability to cover distance quickly, and mentions stabilisers and multi-deck layouts [2]. Its cost guide adds that fuel is the largest variable extra [3].

Prices spread wider than for any other type. Typical Mediterranean weeks run €16,100 to 94,063, with a median of €47,950 [1]. The median motor yacht takes nine guests; only 17 of 26 listings state a crew.

For luxury motor yacht charter in Greece, YachtCloud lists 10 motor yachts, based in Athens, Piraeus and Rhodes, from €9,800 to 145,250 a week [1][5]. Turkey has eight, with a median of €72,100.

George V, a 20-metre motor yacht based in Athens, takes eight guests from €16,100 a week, near the bottom of the motor-yacht range. Photo: George V listing, YachtCloud.

Motor sailer: big boats, Croatia and Turkey

A motor sailer carries sails and a strong engine. YachtCloud's types guide describes it as able to sail or motor as conditions allow [2]. On YachtCloud, motor sailers are the biggest boats in this comparison.

The median Mediterranean motor sailer is 40 metres long, takes 12 guests and has a crew of six, where one is stated [1]. Croatia has 21, all based in Split or Šibenik, and Turkey 16. Typical weeks run €27,300 to 80,510.

Dalmatino, a 44-metre motor sailer based in Split, takes 12 guests with a crew of eight. Photo: Dalmatino listing, YachtCloud.

Four real weeks, one of each type

Base fees hide how each boat charges for food and running costs. These four listings show what each adds, with every berth taken [6]. The totals are our sums of each listing's published charges, not quotations.

One week on four YachtCloud listings: fee, VAT and the APA or meal price, added up

Source: each listing's price estimator and charges, 4 November 2026 [6]. Luce Del Mare's own estimate shows €20,160 (fee and VAT); we add its full board of €525 a guest a week. The other three sums are each listing's estimated total, which includes the APA. An APA is an advance and a meal price is fixed, so the sums are not like-for-like. Lowest weekly rate; tips not included.

The APA is an advance, not a fixed price: the listings say any unspent balance is normally returned. Luce Del Mare's meal price is fixed per guest, and its fee includes main-engine fuel for up to three hours a day [6]. Compare totals on the same terms before you choose.

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Want to compare across types?

Filter every yacht YachtCloud lists by type, country, guests and starting rate, then ask for yacht-specific pricing for your dates.

Find a Yacht · Yacht Charter Costs

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What about a sailing yacht?

YachtCloud lists four types, and a monohull sailing yacht is not one of them [1]. If you want to sail, the listings with sails are gulets, motor sailers and sailing catamarans such as Selene.

For families weighing a smaller sailing yacht against a gulet, read gulet or sailing yacht for a family charter.

Crewed or bareboat?

The listings point to crewed charter. 385 of YachtCloud's 498 listings call the yacht a "private crewed" charter, 305 of the 395 Mediterranean listings state a crew, and none mentions bareboat [1]. YachtCloud's types guide says every type is available for private crewed charter [2].

On a bareboat charter you rent the yacht without crew and handle the sailing, navigation and cooking yourselves. YachtCloud's crewed vs bareboat guide says you need a qualification, typically an ICC or RYA certificate [4]. If that is what you want, ask before you shortlist.

How to choose in four questions

1. How many of you are there? Ten or more points to a gulet or motor sailer; catamarans thin out above eight.

2. What is the budget per person? Divide the weekly fee by your group, then add VAT and the APA or meal price.

3. How far do you want to go? YachtCloud's types guide pitches the motor yacht for covering distance, and the gulet for a relaxed pace [2].

4. Where? No catamarans in Turkey on YachtCloud; 37 of 45 motor sailers are in Croatia or Turkey.

This is our own shortcut, not an industry rule. The owner or operator confirms availability and the final price [7].

Mistakes to avoid

• Comparing whole-boat fees across types. A catamaran for eight and a gulet for twelve aren't the same purchase; compare per guest.

• Ignoring the APA. It appears on 86 percent of Mediterranean catamaran estimates and 38 percent of gulet estimates.

• Assuming a catamaran fits twelve. One of 35 does.

• Planning a bareboat week from these listings. None of them mentions bareboat.

Is YachtCloud the right fit?

YachtCloud suits groups who want a private crewed yacht in the Mediterranean and want to compare types on published specifications and starting rates. It acts as a charter intermediary [7]. None of the listings mentions bareboat, so if you want to skipper the boat yourselves, ask first. A shared cabin cruise or a fixed all-inclusive price will be hard to find here too.

Before You Choose a Yacht Type