The chartering vessels based in the Mediterranean Sea are priced by the week. If you make a search on the net, you will notice that charter yachts in Greece, are priced by the week plus the running expenses, plus local tax. In other words, the yacht charter rates in Greece are not inclusive like in the Caribbean.
On your search results, you also notice that there are two base prices for a yacht charter in the Greek islands. One is for the high season months (July and August). Some Greek Yacht Owners include in the high season, the last fifteen days of June and the first two weeks of September.
The other price you see on your search results is for the low months. (May, June, September and October). If you choose a low month for your Greece Boat Charter, the yacht charter fee is lower. (Do not forget that June and September are wonderful months for having your yacht charter in the Greek islands!)
What is the local tax for a Greece Boat Charter? Based on the new tax legislation voted in 2015, the local tax for weekly yacht charters in Greece, could be either 11.5% or 9.2% of the total charter fee. (Excluding the expenses), and is applicable on the base price of the yacht. The percentage of the applicable tax depends on the size of the yacht and on her registration- documentation papers.
For Day Charters or yacht charters up to 48 hours, the applicable tax is 23%.
Generally speaking, Greece has one of the lowest taxes in the Med, for the weekly yacht charters along the Greek islands.
What are the running expenses and how can you manage your expenses during a yacht charter in the Greek islands? First of all, the expenses such food, beverages, fuel for the main engines, for the generators, for the water toys, expenses for port fees etc are paid by the Captain of the yacht, out of the APA. The APA stands for Advanced Provisioning Allowance. The APA is usually 35% of the base yacht’s price and it is paid along with the last installment of the yacht’s reservation. This APA amount is given to the Captain so he prepares for your Greece Boat Charter. The Captain and Chef make the necessary supplies for your weekly holiday aboard your chosen vessel. The Captain takes care of the fueling (bunkering) and the Chef buys all food, drink provisions.
How can you intervene in above actions of the crew and manage in a way your expenses during your yacht charter in Greece?
• First, you discuss your itinerary with your Yacht Broker and with your Captain. If you are budget cautious, you choose an itinerary that has no long legs, long cruising hours in between the Greek islands. The more hours you put on the engines, the more you add to the cost. When you arrive on an island, you visit 2-3 ports by your boat… but you also combine some exploring ashore by car or minivan. You avoid having the engines running all day long. Take the tender, go ashore, use a taxi, walk in the small alleys of the Greek islands, and benefit of the nice weather… take some guided tours… there are so many things to learn and do!
• Enjoy the water toys but be moderate. Water toys consume diesel and the bill can go high. Use the water toys for a couple of hours per day most preferably.( if budget cautious)
• About your food and beverages, your Broker will send you a Charter Questionnaire along with the reservation documents of your chosen yacht charter in Greece. This questionnaire contains questions about your food and about your drink preferences. Make sure while completing this document, you mention how many meals you would like to have ashore, so your Chef does not buy unnecessary supplies for these meals that will cost you and will go to waste. Please mention how many bottles of wine, beer and alcoholic beverages you will need with your meals. Imported wine, champagne and imported beer /spirits cost more than local wines and local beer. If you are budget cautious, choose some Greek local products and say to your Chef that you prefer local Greek cuisine. Greek cuisine is more economic, very healthy, helps you not to put weight on and gives you exactly the energy you need to be active and happy during your holidays!
• Another factor that could help you reduce your expenses would be the choice of anchorages. If weather permits and it is safe, inform your Captain that you would like to do some anchorages instead of staying at a port during the night. The Captain knows when this is appropriate and safe. Trust your experienced Captain on this matter.
During your time aboard your yacht charter in Greece, you can always ask your Captain if APA is sufficient until the end of your cruising holidays in Greece.
Nevertheless, one night before your disembarkation, he will ask you to do the accounts together. He will give you a written report with the cruising hours you have made, a report of the supplies bought and he will hand you all the receipts of all the expenses. If the APA given prior to your yacht charter is higher than the actual expenses, he will hand you a refund for the difference. If the APA given prior to the charter is lower than the actual expenses, based on the receipts, the Captain will ask you to cover the small difference in cash before your disembarkation. Accounts have to be clear before all passengers leave the boat.
As you can see from the above information, you can certainly manage your expenses during your Greece Boat Charter!
