How Much Should You Tip on a Superyacht Charter?

Tipping the crew is one of the most awkward parts of a first superyacht charter because the sums can be substantial and, unlike the charter fee or Advance Provisioning Allowance, there may be no fixed amount written into the agreement. A guest who has just spent €250,000 on a week aboard might reasonably wonder whether another €25,000, €37,500 or €50,000 is expected when the yacht returns to port.

The simple answer in 2026 is that a crew gratuity remains discretionary. There is no universal percentage that every charterer is required to pay, and MYBA — The Worldwide Yachting Association has now removed the percentage range contained in its previous captains-and-crew guidance. Market practice has not disappeared, however, and major charter brokers still publish customary ranges that can help a client prepare a realistic budget.

MYBA changed its tipping guidance in 2026

For years, one of the most frequently quoted figures in yacht charter came from MYBA's April 2018 Guidelines for Charter Yacht Captains & Crew. That document said gratuities were solely at the charterer's discretion while noting that brokers generally suggested between 5 and 15 per cent of the contracted gross charter fee for excellent service.

MYBA changed that position in its 2026 update. The association removed the percentage guidance entirely and now emphasises that gratuities remain entirely at the charterer's discretion and must never be requested or solicited. That does not mean tipping has disappeared from superyacht charter; it means the distinction between an industry custom and a contractual obligation is clearer, and no percentage should now be presented to a client as “the MYBA rate”.

So how much should you actually budget?

If a charterer wants a practical figure for budgeting before the trip, around 10 to 15 per cent of the base charter fee remains a useful working range for many international superyacht charters, but it is market guidance rather than an official MYBA requirement. For the wider cost picture, including weekly rates, APA, taxes and other expenses, see our 2026 superyacht charter price guide.

Burgess currently describes crew tips as discretionary but customary and says they are usually 10 to 15 per cent of the charter fee. Northrop & Johnson's current charter terms recommend approximately 10 to 20 per cent of the base charter rate, while Fraser advises around 15 to 20 per cent of the base charter rate.

The numbers become significant quickly. On a €100,000 base charter fee, 10, 15 and 20 per cent would equal €10,000, €15,000 and €20,000 respectively; on €250,000 they become €25,000, €37,500 and €50,000, while a €500,000 charter produces illustrative figures of €50,000, €75,000 and €100,000. These are examples for budgeting, not amounts to which the crew is automatically entitled.

Calculate the tip on the charter fee, not the entire bill

One of the easiest mistakes is to calculate a percentage against every euro spent during the trip. A non-inclusive superyacht charter can involve a substantial Advance Provisioning Allowance, VAT or local charter tax, marina charges, delivery or redelivery fees and other expenses, so applying a gratuity percentage to the total money transferred can produce a very different figure.

Published broker guidance generally refers to the charter fee or base charter rate. If the yacht costs €250,000 for the week and the charterer chooses a 15 per cent gratuity, the illustrative tip is therefore €37,500; a €75,000 APA should not turn that into €48,750, and VAT should not increase it either. The APA funds charter-specific expenses such as fuel, provisions and berthing, while gratuity is a separate voluntary recognition of crew service.

What deserves a higher or lower gratuity?

A gratuity should reflect the experience actually delivered rather than simply the size or advertised price of the yacht. Excellent charter service involves much more than the crew members a guest sees serving dinner or driving the tender: engineers may keep machinery running through the night, deck crew may prepare toys and move the yacht before breakfast, and interior crew may be resetting cabins and arranging requests long after guest areas appear quiet.

Exceptional service can become most visible when plans go wrong. A captain who finds a better anchorage when weather changes, a chef who adapts immediately to an unexpected dietary requirement or a crew that reorganises a complete day without making the disruption feel like a problem can materially change the quality of the charter. The reverse also applies, because a charterer is not obliged to award an unusually large gratuity simply because the yacht itself was expensive.

Who should receive the gratuity?

The normal approach is to give the gratuity to the captain rather than attempting to tip individual crew members separately. Burgess and Northrop & Johnson both describe the captain as the person who distributes the gratuity among the crew, ensuring that people working behind the scenes are recognised as well as those who interacted most frequently with the guests.

This matters on a large yacht because guests may have little direct contact with engineers, junior deck crew, laundry staff or other members of the operation whose work nevertheless contributed to the charter. Handing substantial individual tips to selected crew can unintentionally bypass the yacht's established distribution arrangements, so the captain should normally handle the overall gratuity unless the broker has advised a different procedure.

Does the customary percentage change by cruising area?

Regional tipping culture can influence expectations, which is another reason published broker recommendations differ. It would nevertheless be misleading to reduce yacht-charter etiquette to a rigid rule that every Mediterranean charter receives one percentage and every Caribbean charter receives another, particularly when large charter yachts and their crews routinely move between markets.

A first-time charterer should therefore ask the charter broker what is customary for the actual yacht and market before embarkation. Professional broker guidance can help a client reserve an appropriate amount without turning that conversation into solicitation by the captain or crew, which current MYBA guidance expressly says should not happen.

Gratuity is separate from APA, VAT and the advertised rate

A €250,000-per-week charter can involve several distinct financial components. The base rate pays for use of the yacht and crew under the contract, while APA funds variable guest expenses; VAT or local charter taxes may apply according to the jurisdiction and itinerary, and delivery charges can arise when a yacht must reposition specifically for a booking.

Gratuity sits outside those amounts. It is neither an operating expense to be automatically consumed from the APA nor a tax added by the yacht, so keeping it separate prevents the common misconception that the crew has already received a tip simply because the charterer transferred a large advance before embarkation. A charterer can establish the base rate, expected APA, applicable taxes and positioning costs first, then reserve a separate gratuity amount to use only if they choose.

The practical answer for a charterer in 2026

For someone trying to set a realistic budget today, reserving approximately 10 to 15 per cent of the base charter fee for a possible crew gratuity is a sensible starting point for many superyacht charters, while recognising that some current brokers publish ranges extending to 20 per cent. The actual payment remains entirely discretionary, and service quality, market practice and the charterer's own judgement determine the final amount.

More importantly, MYBA's 2026 change means charterers should no longer be told that a particular percentage is “the MYBA rule”. There is no current MYBA percentage recommendation: the association's updated position leaves gratuity voluntary and prohibits its solicitation, so on a €250,000 charter the final amount may be €25,000, €37,500, €50,000 or something entirely different. The etiquette is not about discovering a compulsory mathematical answer; it is about understanding current market convention, calculating any chosen gratuity against the correct base figure and rewarding an exceptional crew because the charterer chooses to do so.