What is the difference between a fully crewed and captain-only charter?

Carina Isenberg
Yacht charter broker, DMA Yachting

On a fully crewed charter you are a guest; on a captain-only charter you are the crew. A crewed yacht comes with at least a captain plus chef or stewardess: meals cooked, cabins made, drinks appearing, toys launched. Captain-only gives you a professional at the helm while provisioning, cooking, and cleaning stay with your group.

The price gap is real, and so is the comfort gap. The crewed version is what people picture when they imagine a Mallorca yacht vacation, and in our experience it is worth stretching for if the budget allows.

If the numbers do not work, talk to us before settling: a slightly smaller crewed yacht, a catamaran instead of a motor yacht, or June instead of August often closes the gap without giving up the crew.