Searching for a British Virgin Islands all inclusive vacation often leads to resorts. But in one of the Caribbean’s most popular sailing destinations, staying at a resort isn’t your only all inclusive option.
You can charter a BVI crewed yacht with your own professional captain and gourmet chef, meals and drinks aboard, and water toys to enjoy throughout your vacation.
The biggest difference?
Instead of staying in one place and taking day trips to explore the British Virgin Islands, your accommodations travel with you.
Wake up overlooking one island, snorkel before lunch, sail somewhere new for the afternoon, stop at a beach bar, and spend the night anchored somewhere completely different.
Here’s how an all-inclusive resort vacation compares with experiencing the BVI aboard a private crewed yacht.
What Does a BVI All Inclusive Catamaran Charter Cost Per Person?
A crewed yacht charter may be more within reach than you think, especially when traveling as a group.
For example, one of our three cabin BVI catamarans accommodates up to six guests and starts at $21,000 for a seven-night charter. Add the customary 15% to 20% crew gratuity, and the total vacation budget comes to approximately $24,150 to $25,200.
| 7 Night Catamaran Charter for 6 Guests | 15% Gratuity | 20% Gratuity |
|---|---|---|
| Charter Rate | $21,000 | $21,000 |
| Crew Gratuity | $3,150 | $4,200 |
| Total | $24,150 | $25,200 |
| Per Person, Per Week | $4,025 | $4,200 |
| Per Person, Per Night | $575 | $600 |
$575–$600 Per Person, Per Night
This estimate is based on six guests sharing a 7 night charter and already includes the customary 15% to 20% crew gratuity.
Your charter includes your private three cabin catamaran, professional captain and gourmet chef, meals and premium beverages aboard, a personalized itinerary, and onboard water toys.
Charter rates vary by yacht, travel dates and season, with a 5 night minimum. This is where our Charter Experts can help. We’ll compare available yachts and travel dates to help you find the right time to charter for your budget.
BVI All Inclusive Resort or Private Crewed Yacht Charter
Both offer a way to experience the British Virgin Islands with many of the details taken care of. How you experience the destination, however, is very different.
| All Inclusive Resort | Private Crewed Yacht Charter | |
|---|---|---|
| Accommodations | Stay at one resort | Your private yacht travels with you. Your captain sails where you want to sail |
| Exploring the BVI | Take excursions or day trips from your resort | Sail between the multiple Virgin Islands throughout your vacation |
| Meals | Resort restaurants and dining options | Gourmet meals customized to your preferences. See sample menu |
| Drinks | Based on the resort package | Open bar on premium top shelf liquors and other beverages selected around your preferences |
| Service | Resort staff serving multiple guests | Dedicated captain and chef for your group |
| Water Activities | Resort amenities or excursions | Water toys such as paddle boards, sea scooters, floating mats, etc available directly from your yacht |
| Dining Ashore | Resort and nearby restaurants | Stop at world famous beach bars and waterfront restaurants along your sailing route |
| Itinerary | Resort-based with optional excursions | Personalized itinerary through the Virgin Islands |
| Privacy | Shared resort environment | A whole yacht exclusive for your group |
Which Is Better for Me: A BVI All Inclusive Resort or Yacht Charter?
The better choice depends on how you like to vacation.
If you enjoy the energy of a resort, having multiple restaurants and facilities in one place, meeting other travelers, and spending your days around a resort pool or beach, an all-inclusive resort may be exactly what you’re looking for.
A private crewed yacht charter may be a better fit if privacy, personalized service and exploring are higher on your list.
You Want Your BVI Vacation to Feel Private
On a private crewed yacht charter, the yacht is reserved for your group.
There are no breakfast lines, crowded pools or mornings spent trying to find the perfect lounge chair. You can have breakfast on deck overlooking the water, swim directly from the yacht and spend the afternoon floating somewhere away from the crowds.
Some days might bring you to the BVI’s most popular stops. Others can take you to quieter bays and anchorages where the scenery and the people you’re traveling with are the main attraction.
You Prefer Personalized Service
Before a crewed charter, you’ll complete a preference sheet covering details such as the foods you enjoy, dietary preferences, beverages and other requests.
Your chef can use those preferences to plan meals specifically for your group rather than having everyone choose from the same resort menu or buffet.
Beverage preferences can also be considered when provisioning the yacht, including preferred wines, cocktails and premium or top-shelf spirits when arranged as part of your charter.
The result is an all-inclusive experience built much more closely around the people actually taking the vacation.
You Want to Explore, Not Stay in One Place
At a resort, you have a home base and venture out from there.
On a yacht charter, your home base comes with you.
Your captain can help plan an itinerary around the places your group wants to experience, while also bringing invaluable local knowledge of the Virgin Islands.
Experienced BVI captains know much more than the famous stops. They know the anchorages, snorkeling spots, beach bars, quiet bays and lesser-known places that can make an itinerary feel personal rather than predetermined.
You may arrive with a list of places you absolutely want to see and still leave talking about somewhere you had never heard of before your captain took you there.
You’d Rather Have the Water as Your Playground
A resort might put the Caribbean outside your room.
A yacht puts you on it.
Depending on the yacht, you might have paddle boards, kayaks, Sea Scooters, tubes, wakeboards, water skis, floating mats and snorkeling equipment ready to use.
You can snorkel somewhere quiet in the morning, tube in the afternoon and end the day floating on a mat in a secluded anchorage.
There’s no need to make every water activity a separate excursion.
Sometimes the best part of the day is simply jumping off the back of the yacht.
What Does All Inclusive Mean on a BVI Yacht Charter?
An all inclusive yacht charter in the British Virgin Islands is generally a crewed yacht charter, with a professional captain and gourmet chef dedicated to your group.
Your captain handles the sailing and navigation, while your chef prepares meals aboard according to your group’s preferences.
Your charter generally includes:
- Private accommodations aboard the yacht
- Captain and chef
- Breakfast, lunch, dinner and snacks aboard based on your preferences
- Premium beverages based on your preferences
- Water toys and snorkeling equipment
- Personalized itinerary planning
Exact inclusions vary by yacht, so your Charter Expert will help you understand what is included before you book.
What Does a Day on an All Inclusive BVI Yacht Charter Look Like?
There isn’t one schedule your vacation has to follow.
Wake up at anchor and have breakfast prepared aboard. Spend the morning swimming or snorkeling before your captain takes you toward the next island.
Lunch might be waiting aboard, or your group may decide to head ashore to one of the BVI’s beach bars or waterfront restaurants.
Spend the afternoon with the water toys, explore ashore or simply relax on deck.
By sunset, you could be anchored somewhere completely different.
And tomorrow, you can do it all again from another island.
Is an All Inclusive BVI Yacht Charter Good for Families?
A private crewed yacht charter can be particularly appealing for families because everyone gets to experience the vacation together without having to coordinate separate activities, restaurant reservations and excursions every day.
Catamarans are especially popular for family charters because they offer multiple cabins along with spacious indoor and outdoor areas. In the BVI, you can choose between sailing catamarans and power catamarans, depending on how your family wants to experience the islands. Prefer the feeling of sailing or want to cover more of the BVI in less time? Discover which BVI catamaran is right for you.
Depending on the yacht, families may find two, three, four or more guest cabins with different configurations. Some layouts work particularly well for parents traveling with younger children, while others provide more privacy for families traveling with middle school or high school aged children.
And then there are the water toys.
Instead of booking a separate excursion every time someone wants an adventure, the next activity may already be sitting aboard.
Can You Still Eat at BVI Restaurants and Beach Bars?
Absolutely.
All inclusive doesn’t mean you have to spend every meal aboard, although you can.
One of the pleasures of sailing through the British Virgin Islands is being able to combine meals prepared by your private and gourmet chef with stops at the islands’ beach bars and restaurants.
Your group may decide to have breakfast and lunch aboard, then head ashore for dinner. Another day, you might want your chef to prepare all three meals while you spend the day somewhere more secluded.
Your sailing itinerary can incorporate the BVI experiences you don’t want to miss while still giving you the convenience of having meals available aboard.
Where Can You Go on a BVI Yacht Charter?
Rather than experiencing the British Virgin Islands from one island only, a yacht charter allows you to connect several of them into one vacation.
Depending on your itinerary, stops may include Tortola, Norman Island, Peter Island, Virgin Gorda, Jost Van Dyke and smaller islands, bays and anchorages along the way.
That flexibility is part of what makes the BVI such a distinctive charter and sailing destination.
You aren’t simply taking a boat excursion during your vacation.
Traveling by yacht is the vacation.
What Does a British Virgin Islands All Inclusive Yacht Charter Cost?
There isn’t one standard price for an all inclusive crewed yacht charter.
Rates vary based on the yacht, travel dates, number of guests and length of the charter, with a minimum stay of five nights.
Instead of comparing a resort’s nightly room rate directly with the cost of a yacht charter, consider what is included in the complete vacation experience.
A private crewed yacht charter combines your accommodations with a dedicated captain and chef, meals and beverages aboard, transportation between islands, personalized service and onboard water toys.
What If You Don’t Need an All Inclusive Yacht Charter?
Love the idea of sailing through the BVI but don’t need a chef and fully crewed experience?
Experienced sailors can choose a bareboat charter and captain the yacht themselves. Travelers who would rather leave the navigation to a professional can also choose a captain-only charter.
With these charter types, you’ll provision the yacht with your preferred food and drinks and decide when you’d like to dine aboard or ashore. Most meals are not prepared for you, although depending on the yacht, your captain may prepare some drinks and appetizers during the charter. Water toys may also be available to rent depending on the yacht and charter company.
Frequently Asked Questions About BVI All Inclusive Yacht Charters
Are meals and drinks included in a BVI all inclusive yacht charter?
Yes. On an all inclusive crewed yacht charter, meals and standard beverages are typically included and prepared aboard by your private chef. Before your charter, you’ll complete a preference sheet detailing your food and beverage preferences, dietary requirements and other requests. Specific inclusions can vary by yacht.
Is crew gratuity included in an all inclusive yacht charter?
Crew gratuity is typically not included in the charter rate. A gratuity of approximately 15% to 20% of the charter rate is customary and should be considered when planning your overall vacation budget.
Is a BVI all inclusive catamaran charter good for families?
Yes. Private crewed catamarans can be especially well suited to families, with multiple cabins, spacious indoor and outdoor areas, personalized meals and water toys available directly from the yacht. Families can also choose between sailing catamarans and power catamarans depending on how they want to experience the islands.
Experience the British Virgin Islands Your Way
A British Virgin Islands all inclusive vacation doesn’t have to mean choosing a resort and staying in one place.
For travelers who value privacy, personalized service and the freedom to experience more of the islands, a private crewed yacht offers a very different kind of all-inclusive vacation.
Virgin Island Sailing® has helped more than 10,000 clients plan yacht charter vacations since 1987. Our Charter Experts compare yachts from more than 20 charter companies to help match your group with the right yacht, crew and experience at no additional cost to you.
