Bahamas Yacht Charter
Crewed catamarans, motor yachts and superyachts across the Exumas, Abacos and Eleuthera. Broker-led since 1992.
Reviewed by Adrian Sneed, Charter Broker at Sneed Charters — a family brokerage arranging Bahamas charters since 1992. Rates, taxes and fees checked August 2026.
A crewed week in the Bahamas runs $15,000–$45,000 for a catamaran and $20,000–$250,000+ for a motor yacht, before an APA of 25–35%. Bahamian VAT of 10% and a 4% cruising fee apply on top. We charter the islands year-round. Almost all charters are seven nights with captain and crew aboard.
The Bahamas is the shortest trip to a crewed charter from the US East Coast. Nassau has an international airport with direct flights from most US hubs, so guests can land and be aboard the same day — which is why the Bahamas takes a disproportionate share of short-notice bookings and long-weekend groups. Catamarans, crewed motor yachts and superyachts all work here.
Where to cruise in the Bahamas
The Exumas run southeast from Nassau, with shallow banks on one side and deep Exuma Sound on the other. The swimming pigs at Big Major Cay, Thunderball Grotto off Staniel Cay and the Exuma Cays Land and Sea Park all sit along that chain. The Abacos lie behind a barrier chain that keeps the Sea of Abaco flat, with Hope Town and Elbow Cay for guests who want settlements as well as empty anchorages. Eleuthera and Harbour Island make the shortest guest list and the best dinners ashore. Weighing it against a Caribbean yacht charter? The Bahamas is closer and shallower; the Caribbean has the longer season.
THE CLASSIC WEEKExumas
36 nm from Nassau to Highbourne Cay · Staniel Cay 73 nm · Exuma Cays Land and Sea Park
A chain running southeast from Nassau, with shallow banks on one side and deep Exuma Sound on the other. The swimming pigs at Big Major Cay, Thunderball Grotto off Staniel Cay and the Exuma Cays Land and Sea Park all sit along it. Shallow draft is an advantage here, which is why catamarans do well.
Exumas yacht charters
SHELTERED CRUISINGAbacos
89 nm from Nassau · Hope Town · Elbow Cay · Man-O-War Cay · Sea of Abaco
A barrier chain keeps the Sea of Abaco flat when the Atlantic outside is not. Settlement harbours and quiet anchorages sit within tender distance of one another, which suits groups who want towns as well as beaches.
Abaco yacht charters
PINK SANDEleuthera & Harbour Island
46 nm from Nassau to Harbour Island · Dunmore Town · Atlantic side and bank side
A long, thin island with the open Atlantic on one side and protected banks on the other. Harbour Island, off its northern tip, has the pink sand and the shortest guest list of the group.
Eleuthera yacht charters
WHERE MOST CHARTERS STARTNassau & New Providence
Your embarkation point · international airport · deep-water marinas · full provisioning
Where most Bahamas charters begin and end: the fleet is based here and the international airport brings direct flights from most US hubs. If you would rather start elsewhere, a yacht can be relocated to the Exumas, Bimini or Florida for a fee.
Nassau yacht charters
DIVING AND BONEFISHAndros
40 nm from Nassau · largest Bahamian island · Tongue of the Ocean · Andros Barrier Reef
The largest island in the Bahamas and the least developed. The Tongue of the Ocean drops away along its eastern side, alongside the Andros Barrier Reef, and the flats behind it are known for bonefishing.
CLOSEST TO FLORIDABimini
113 nm from Nassau, 49 nm from Miami · game fishing
The closest Bahamian islands to Florida — Alice Town sits about 49 nautical miles from Miami — and long associated with big-game fishing. Commonly a first or last stop for anyone crossing to or from the mainland.
Bimini day charters from Miami
QUIET ANCHORAGESBerry Islands
36 nm from Nassau to Chub Cay · Great Harbour Cay · north of New Providence
A small cluster between Grand Bahama and Nassau with a reputation for empty anchorages and deep-water fishing off the drop-off. Often used as a staging point on the way south.
THE SOUTHERN ENDLong Island
138 nm from Nassau · Dean’s Blue Hole · Calabash Bay · Tropic of Cancer
The southern end of most Bahamas itineraries, where the Tropic of Cancer crosses the archipelago. Dean’s Blue Hole, on its western shore, is one of the deepest known blue holes in the world.
Tap an island to see what a week there looks like. Distances are straight-line from Nassau in nautical miles; a cruising route will be longer. Schematic map — island positions are plotted from real coordinates, coastlines are simplified. Send us your dates and your broker will build the route.
Swipe to see both brokers
Offices in Palm Beach Gardens, San Juan and Barcelona. 3,000+ vessels in the network, 40 to 300+ feet.
Which Bahamas island group suits your week?
The four cruising grounds we book most, side by side. All distances are straight-line from Nassau in nautical miles; a cruising route will be longer.
| Island group | From Nassau | Best for | Ashore | Draft |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Exumas | 36 nm to Highbourne Cay; 73 nm to Staniel Cay | Empty anchorages, the clearest water in the country, the swimming pigs | Very little — Staniel Cay, Black Point, Georgetown | Shallow banks; a shallow-draft catamaran reaches more |
| Abacos | 89 nm | Sheltered short hops in the Sea of Abaco; first-time charterers and families | Real settlements — Hope Town, Man-O-War, New Plymouth | Shallow, and the Whale Cay Passage decides the week |
| Eleuthera & Harbour Island | 50 nm to Harbour Island | Pink sand, restaurants, walking a town in the evening | The most of any group — Dunmore Town, Spanish Wells, Governor’s Harbour | Most forgiving; the harbours take a larger yacht |
| Nassau & New Providence | 0 — this is the base | Starting and finishing; a day out to Rose Island | A capital city, and the international airport | Deep water and full-service marinas |
Ten days lets you combine two of them. Seven nights does one properly, which is what most people actually want — and if you are not sure, say so at enquiry and your broker will suggest a route rather than ask you to pick one.
Where your charter starts
Most Bahamas charters begin in Nassau. It is where the fleet is based, and it has the international airport — so guests fly in and are aboard the same day.
You are not tied to it. For a relocation fee, a yacht can meet you in the Exumas, in Bimini, or in Florida. That is worth doing when your group flies into a different airport, when you want to start straight in the Exuma chain or up in the Abacos rather than run down from Nassau, or when you would rather cross from Florida than fly. Your broker prices the relocation alongside the charter, so you can see what the convenience costs before you decide.
A week in the Bahamas, day by day
This is the route most of our Bahamas charters end up following, and it is a shape rather than a schedule. Your captain will move days around for weather, and that is the point of having one — a fixed itinerary in shallow water is a liability, not a luxury.
Seven nights from Nassau, day by day — swipe or use the arrows
Day 1Board in Nassau, run for the first anchorage
Boarding is early afternoon. Provisioning is already done, the crew brief takes twenty minutes, and if the tide and the hour allow you leave the same day. Leaving from Palm Cay on the south-east side puts you an hour or two closer to the chain than Nassau Harbour does. First night is usually at anchor rather than at a dock.
Day 2Allen’s Cay and Highbourne
Thirty-six nautical miles from Nassau brings you to the top of the Exumas. Allen’s Cay has the Northern Bahamian rock iguanas that come down to the beach; Highbourne has the sandbars and the first properly unreasonable water. This is the day people stop checking their phones.
Day 3Norman’s Cay and Shroud
Norman’s Cay has the sunken aircraft in the shallows from its drug-running years, which snorkels better than it sounds. Shroud Cay, at the northern end of the Exuma Cays Land and Sea Park, has mangrove creeks you run by tender at high water and come out on the Exuma Sound side.
Day 4Warderick Wells
Park headquarters, and a no-take reserve — nothing comes out of the water here, which is exactly why there is so much in it. The mooring field is one of the most photographed stretches of water in the Bahamas, and the walk up Boo Boo Hill is the only hill anyone climbs all week.
Day 5Staniel Cay, the pigs and the grotto
Seventy-three nautical miles down from Nassau. Big Major Spot for the swimming pigs, which is either the highlight of the week or the most crowded twenty minutes of it depending on when you go — the crew will aim for early. Thunderball Grotto, the cave from the 1965 Bond film, is a slack-water swim across the channel.
Day 6Compass Cay and the turn north
Nurse sharks at the Compass Cay dock, sandbars that appear and disappear with the tide, and the start of the run back. Most weeks this is the quietest and best day, because everyone has stopped trying to see things.
Day 7North, slowly
A long swim somewhere with nobody else in it, then an easy leg back towards Nassau — Highbourne again, or Rose Island just outside the harbour so the last morning is short.
Day 8Disembark Nassau
Alongside in the morning, breakfast aboard, and a short transfer to the airport. US pre-clearance in Nassau means you land home as a domestic arrival.
Ten days lets you add Eleuthera and Harbour Island on the way back, or push further south to Georgetown. Seven does the northern and central Exumas properly, which is what most people actually want.
Only have a day? We also run private day charters from Nassau of four, six or eight hours, and a Bimini day charter from Miami that crosses to the Bahamas and back inside eight hours.
What a Bahamas charter costs
Indicative weekly rates for a crewed Bahamas charter, before APA, VAT and gratuity — swipe or use the arrows
Crewed catamaran (45–62 ft)
$15,000–$45,000 per week
Usually quoted all-inclusive, with provisioning, fuel within normal cruising and dockage already inside the weekly rate. Shallow draft is the real advantage here — it follows the Exuma banks into water deeper monohulls cannot reach.
Best for: First Bahamas charters, families, 6–8 guests
Motor yacht (50–130 ft)
$20,000–$250,000+ per week
Quoted plus expenses, with fuel, food, dockage and port fees running through the APA. Speed is the point: it turns a long passage between island groups into an afternoon.
Best for: Island hopping at pace, 8–12 guests
Superyacht (130 ft and above)
$300,000+ per week
Quoted plus expenses. Full crew, tenders and water toys aboard, with the deep-water marinas around Nassau as the practical base for boarding and provisioning.
Best for: Large groups and full-crew service, 12+ guests
Where a yacht sits inside its range comes down to length, age, guest count and whether your dates fall in peak demand. Add an Advance Provisioning Allowance of 25–35% of the base fee, Bahamian VAT and cruising fees, and a discretionary crew gratuity of 10–20%. Full cost breakdown and worked examples.
Bahamian VAT and cruising fees
Two charges apply in the Bahamas that do not apply across most of the Caribbean. Bahamian VAT of 10% is levied on the charter fee, and a 4% cruising fee is payable to the Port Department. Both sit on top of the weekly rate. Your broker confirms exactly what applies to your itinerary, and what is settled through the APA, before you commit to anything.
That is the entire cost picture — the weekly rate, the APA, the 10% VAT and the 4% cruising fee. Nothing else appears later.
Get a shortlist for your datesTell us the week and how many are aboard. A broker replies within 24 hours with the yachts that are actually free — no obligation, and no charge for the shortlist.
When to go
Most of the market treats November to April as the Bahamas season. We charter the islands year-round, because the right yacht and the right expectations make a summer week work — warmer water, emptier anchorages and softer rates. What changes across the year is the risk being managed, not whether the cruising is good.
Hurricane season — 1 June to 30 November
The Atlantic hurricane season officially runs 1 June to 30 November, with peak activity from August to October. Charters still run through it, with itineraries kept flexible and the forecast watched daily. If you are travelling in that window, ask about trip cancellation insurance before you commit.
Yachts that cruise the Bahamas
Two superyachts, two motor yachts and two catamarans from our Bahamas fleet, reshuffled every day. This is a sample of what cruises these islands, not a live availability list — send your dates and we check which are actually free that week.
Lumiere
163 ft · 12 guests
Bahamas · Caribbean · Mediterranean
From $175,000 per week
Baton Rouge
205 ft · 12 guests
Bahamas · Caribbean · Mediterranean
From €420,000 per week
BW
120 ft · 8 guests
Bahamas · Florida · New England
From $65,000 per week
Robusto
112 ft · 12 guests
Bahamas · Florida · Mediterranean
From €75,000 per week
Whispers
56 ft · 8 guests
Bahamas · Caribbean
From $22,000 per week
Ipanema
58 ft · 12 guests
Bahamas · Caribbean
From $32,298 per weekRates shown are each yacht’s published weekly base rate before APA, VAT and the cruising fee. Search the full fleet or send your dates and we will shortlist for you.
Get a shortlist for your dates
Tell us the week, the island group and how many are aboard. Your broker comes back with yachts that are actually free — not a catalogue — and replies within 24 hours.
What is included, and what is not
Every charter is quoted one of two ways. Plus expenses means the rate covers the yacht and its professional crew, while fuel, food, beverages, dockage and port fees run through an Advance Provisioning Allowance — 25–35% of the base fee on our Caribbean charters, spent against real receipts with the unused balance returned at the end. Your broker confirms the exact figure for your Bahamas itinerary before you commit to anything. All-inclusive, how most crewed catamarans are offered, puts provisioning, fuel within normal cruising and dockage inside the weekly rate. Crew gratuity is discretionary, customarily 10–20% of the base fee, paid to the captain at the end of the charter. If you have not chartered before, how chartering works walks through it step by step.
Frequently asked questions
How much does it cost to charter a yacht in the Bahamas for a week?
A crewed week typically runs $15,000–$45,000 for a catamaran and $20,000–$250,000+ for a motor yacht. Superyachts begin around $300,000. Rates are quoted before the Advance Provisioning Allowance, Bahamian VAT of 10% and a 4% cruising fee.
Where does a Bahamas yacht charter start?
Most Bahamas charters start in Nassau, where the fleet is based and where the international airport is, so guests can fly in and board the same day. For a relocation fee a yacht can instead meet you in the Exumas, Bimini or Florida — useful if your group flies into a different airport, or you want to begin directly in the Exuma chain.
What is APA and how much should I budget on top of the charter fee?
APA is the Advance Provisioning Allowance, paid before boarding to cover fuel, food, beverages, dockage and local charges. It typically runs 25–35% of the base charter fee, is spent against real receipts, and the unused balance is returned to you at the end of the charter.
When is the best time to charter a yacht in the Bahamas?
Most of the market treats November to April as the season. We charter year-round, because summer brings warmer water, emptier anchorages and softer rates. The Atlantic hurricane season runs 1 June to 30 November, peaking August to October, so summer itineraries stay flexible.
Can I see the swimming pigs on a Bahamas yacht charter?
Yes. The swimming pigs live at Big Major Cay in the Exumas, a short tender ride from Staniel Cay, and most Exumas itineraries include them. Crews usually pair the stop with Thunderball Grotto and the iguanas at Allan’s Cay, which sit along the same stretch of the chain.
Are Bahamas yacht charters all-inclusive?
Crewed catamarans usually are, with provisioning, fuel within normal cruising and dockage inside the weekly rate. Motor yachts and superyachts are almost always quoted plus expenses, with those costs running through the APA instead. Your broker tells you which applies before you commit.
Why use a charter broker instead of booking directly with the yacht?
A broker represents you rather than one vessel. We shortlist across a network of more than 3,000 yachts, match the boat and crew to your group, and handle the contract, itinerary and provisioning detail.
Why charter the Bahamas through Sneed
A family brokerage that has been arranging charters since the year it opened.
Founded in 1992 by Hansel Sneed, broking charters since 1991. Meet the team.
What happens after you send your dates
No automated funnel, no drip sequence. A broker reads it and comes back to you.
- One dedicated broker. You deal with the same person from first enquiry through to disembarkation, not a call centre or a rotating queue.
- A reply within 24 hours. A broker reads every enquiry personally and comes back with a shortlist, or an honest answer if your dates are tight.
- No obligation at enquiry. We shortlist and quote against your dates before you commit to anything. If nothing fits, we say so.
Send your dates
Tell us the week, the island group and how many are aboard, and your broker comes back with the yachts that are actually free — and what they will cost with APA included. Get your shortlist.