How to Negotiate a Deal on a Crewed Yacht Charter Vacation

Oh, how times have changed. Prior to the Great Recession that began in 2008, charter yacht owners could set their price, and that was that. There were even reports of clients outbidding one another to pay more than yacht owners wanted for a week aboard the newest, sexiest builds. Then came the economic crash, and the balance of power shifted. Yacht owners learned that if they wanted charter clients at all, then they had to channel the spirit of Monty Hall from "Let’s Make a Deal."

Lessons learned about negotiating during this five-year period will carry forward, even as the charter market and global economy stabilize. Most important is the realization that if you’re booking a yacht charter vacation, then you can get a good deal in more than one way.
The most obvious way to get a deal on a charter yacht is to ask for a reduced rate. Discounts of 30 percent to 50 percent were not unheard of during the height of the recession in some areas, (see Mediterranean Yacht Charters Awash in Last Minute Discounts) but even in periods of market stability, it doesn't hurt to ask for 5 percent or 10 percent off. Some yacht owners will make that concession, especially if you’re booking more than a single week of charter.
Other ways to score a discount include asking for the low-season rate during high-season cruising dates. The same yacht in the same region of the Mediterranean may charge 15 percent less during the month of June than during the months of July and August, when demand traditionally peaks. If you are booking well in advance, then you can ask to pay the June rate during July or August charters—and the yacht owner may say yes in order to get some bookings onto the calendar early.
Yet another way to score a discount is to ask for a currency change. As of this writing, the euro is about 30 percent higher than the dollar. If you can get a yacht owner with an asking price of €30,000 per week to switch that number to $30,000, then you’ll have saved yourself more than $9,000. Again, booking early is often a good strategy for receiving this type of concession, since yacht owners are usually more flexible when their charter calendars are the most open.
Yacht owners who won’t deal on price sometimes will bend on the length of the charter. You can offer to pay the advertised weekly rate but request eight, nine, or 10 days onboard for the price of seven. This can be a good negotiating tactic for busy charter yachts whose owners have other clients paying full freight. Once a yacht owner knows that people are out there willing to pay the regular asking price, his mindset typically shifts, and a “bonus days” approach to discounts becomes more palatable. We've seen this perk available with new charter introductions, too (as described in Saving on Crewed Yacht Charter Introductory Rates and Bonus Days).
The best charter yacht brokers know which yacht owners are willing to negotiate, and how. Look for a broker who helps you find a yacht that not only suits your preferences, but that also feels like a good deal, whether you choose the package behind Door Number 1, Door Number 2, or Door Number 3.