Want to splash out on your next holiday? Consider renting one of the world’s most luxurious yachts for charter – a popular option preferred by A-list celebrities and the world’s 1%.
What is a yacht charter?
Luxury yacht rentals – also known as yacht charters – are among the most lavish travel experiences money can buy. Serving as a floating holiday home, charter guests on board a superyacht get their own uber-private five-star space for enjoying a decadent vacation with family and friends at sea.
They can also expect to be waited on by a crew of staff including a private chef, massage therapists, personal trainers or water sports instructors, and will be able to make full use of facilities which might include a gym, swimming pool or garage-filled with water toys like Jet Skis, wakeboards and scuba diving gear.
Want to explore the best of what the sea has to offer? Read on to discover how to charter a luxury yacht and which are the most luxurious vessels for rent from today’s superyacht charter fleet.
How to rent a yacht?
If you want to charter a private yacht, visit the website of a trusted brokerage house. Brokers will be able to advise which vessel from their fleet works best for the trip you have in mind and the budget you are willing to spend.
Remember, the charter fleet is vast with just as many smaller options as mega yachts for big spenders. But if you want to sample the best of the best, take a look at the most luxurious vessels on the charter market now.
Most luxurious yacht rentals in the world
1. The biggest yacht: Octopus, EUR 2,200,000 (HKD 18,733,657) per week
(Image: Camper & Nicholsons) (Image: Camper & Nicholsons)
Details: Originally built for Microsoft founder Paul Allen and launched in 2003, the 126-metre Octopus is one of the biggest and most legendary yachts in the charter fleet. She is built to cruise in adventurous destinations thanks to her ice-class hull and two helipads, plus her garage is filled with 7 tenders, an ROV and scuba equipment. On board, guests can enjoy a private cinema, spa and beauty salon, a swimming pool, gym, basketball court and bar area with a DJ deck and grand piano, or they can take in the scenery and marine life from the observation lounge and glass-bottomed aquarium.
Capacity: 12 guests & 45 crew
Cruising location: Mediterranean for summer 2023
Top speed: 19 knots
How to rent: Contact Camper & Nicholsons brokerage, camperandnicholsons.com
2. The most expensive yacht: Renaissance, EUR 3,500,000 (HKD 29,803,546) per week
Details: Just launched in 2023 and brand new to the charter market, the 112-metre Renaissance is now the world’s most expensive luxury yacht for rent. Across six decks she can has as many as 19 guest cabins and is designed for hosting lavish events. A double-height saloon and a beach club with a bar and swimming pool provide a range of areas for dining and entertaining, there’s a wellness area complete with a steam room, sauna, gym, treatment rooms and a beauty salon. An ice-class hull and helipad also means she’s able to cruise in adventurous locations.
Capacity: 36 guests
Cruising location: Mediterranean in summer, Caribbean in Winter
Top speed: 16 knots
How to rent: Contact Burgess brokerage, burgessyachts.com
3. The fastest mega yacht: Carinthia VII, EUR 1,400,000 (HKD 11,921,418) per week
Details: The 97-metre Carinthia offers a 90 square metre, air-conditioned gym, a cinema-sized movie screen in the winter garden, a 12-metre swimming pool and a wellness area with a Turkish hammam, a beauty salon with a nail bar, a massage room and a juice bar. Despite her size, she can still hit an impressive top speed of over 20 knots.
Capacity: 12 guests & 30 crew
Cruising location: Caribbean in winter
Top speed: 25 knots
How to rent: Contact Fraser brokerage, fraseryachts.com
4. The most eye-catching interior: Phoenix 2, EUR 1,150,000 (HKD 97,92,593) per week
(Image: Jim Raycroft) (Image: Jim Raycroft)
Details: The 90.10 metre Phoenix 2 has arguably the most opulent interiors seen on a luxury rental yacht, inspired by 1930s New York Art Deco design. This style is particularly prominent in the dazzling dining room with its Steinway Grand Piano and impressive glass-fronted wine cellar, as well as in the plush private cinema decorated with the New York City skyline. Other highlights include the spa with a gym, beauty salon, massage table, sauna, Hammam and multiple hot tubs.
Capacity: 12 guests & 29 crew
Cruising location: Mediterranean in summer
Top speed: 14 knots
How to rent: Contact Edmiston brokerage, edmiston.com
5. The modern classic: Nero, EUR 497,000 (HKD 42,32,103) per week
Details: Delivered in 2007 but designed in the style of J.P. Morgan’s 1930s Corsair yacht, Nero combines classic glamour with modern amenities. This 90.10-metre motor sailing boasts a gym and spa with treatments offered by the onboard masseuse, beautician and personal trainer, together with a sundeck jacuzzi, a resistance swimming pool, an observation lounge that doubles as a cinema room and a garage packed with water toys including a Flyboard and a golfing setup.
Capacity: 12 guests & 20 crew
Cruising location: Mediterranean in summer
Top speed: 17 knots
How to rent: Contact Burgess brokerage, burgessyachts.com
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6. The biggest sailing yacht: Maltese Falcon, USD 580,000 (HKD 45,49,375) per week
Details: Measuring 88 metres, the three-masted Maltese Falcon is one of the largest sailing yachts in the world, able to fly 2,400 square metres of sail. She also boasts a massage room with an onboard masseuse and gym for taking lessons with your personal yoga instructor, plus an indoor and outdoor cinema and a garage with numerous toys including windsurfing and water-skiing gear.
Capacity: 12 guests & 18 crew
Cruising location: Mediterranean in summer, Caribbean in Winter
Top speed: 18 knots
How to rent: Contact Burgess brokerage, burgessyachts.com
7. The coolest charter destinations: Aquijo, EUR 605,000 (HKD 51,51,755) per week
Details: At 86 metres, Aquijo is considered the world’s largest high-performance ketch. Not only does Aquijo offer luxury amenities unseen on other sailing yachts – such as a private elevator, a beach club with an indoor hot tub and sauna rooms, three cocktail bars with beer on tap and an outdoor BBQ space on the main deck. She also provides guests with authentic sailing experiences in incredible destinations, from Greenland’s arctic waters to the idyllic islands of the Pacific Ocean. Gear for scuba diving, fishing and kite-surfing is also available from the toybox.
Capacity: 12 guests & 17 crew
Cruising location: Greenland in summer, Pacific Ocean in winter
Top speed: 15 knots
How to rent: Contact Edmiston brokerage, edmiston.com
8. The adventurous explorer: Legend, EUR 595,000 (HKD 50,66,602) per week
(Image: Christopher Scholey) (Image: Thierry Ameller)
Details: Legend’s hardy ice-classed hull, paired with an extremely experienced crew, make her the perfect vessel for adventurers who want to venture to the icy waters of Antarctica in total luxury. Two onboard choppers have primed this 77.4-metre explorer for heli-skiing adventures while a personal submersible and scuba diving gear can be used to explore beneath the waves of the world’s most remote yachting region. After a day in the great outdoors, guests can relax in the outdoor hot tub followed by a treatment in the Balinese spa from the onboard therapist, finishing off the day with a movie night in the cinema.
Capacity: 22 guests & 28 crew
Cruising location: Mediterranean in summer, Antarctica, Central and South America in winter
Top speed: 12 knots
How to rent: Contact Y.CO brokerage, y.co
9. The striking exterior: Kenshō, EUR 850,000 (HKD 72,38,004) per week
Details: Launched in 2022, 75m Kenshō is a new and luxurious addition to the charter fleet. Her distinctive exterior is paired with a panoramic interior design inspired by Asian myths and traditions and is meant to create a sense of zen on board. To fully unwind, there’s a swimming pool, jacuzzi, gym, cocktail bar and a toybox carrying Jet Skis, E-foils, inflatable toys and mountain bikes for exploring on shore.
Capacity: 12 guests & 23 crew
Cruising location: Mediterranean in summer, Caribbean in Winter
Top speed: 15.8 knots
How to rent: Contact Y.CO brokerage, y.co
10. The classic sailing yacht: Shenandoah of Sark, EUR 125,000 (HKD 10,64,412) per week
(Image: Burgess Yachts) (Image: Burgess Yachts)
Details: First launched in 1902, this stunning 54.4-metre wooden sailing yacht is one of the oldest boats on the charter market. Dining spaces can be enjoyed indoors or al fresco, with the main saloon bringing guests straight back in time with its wooden panelling, well-stocked library and mini grand piano. A full toybox also offers modern entertainment in the form of E-foils, SeaBobs and scuba gear.
Capacity: 11 guests & 11 crew
Cruising location: Mediterranean in summer and winter
Top speed: 12 knots
How to rent: Contact Burgess brokerage, burgessyachts.com
11. The traditional heritage: Dunia Baru, USD 130,000 (HKD 10,19,687) per week
(Image: Nathan Lawrence) (Image: Nathan Lawrence)
Details: Indonesia boasts some of the world’s most incredible cruising grounds, but these areas are often closed off to foreign-flagged vessels. Enter your solution in the form of Dunia Baru, a 51-metre sailing yacht built in South Sulawesi in the style of a traditional Phinisi boat. Her stunning exterior is paired with luxurious features such as a teppanyaki grill, a massage room and a toybox filled with Jet Skis, kayaks, diving gear, paddle boards and more.
Capacity: 14 guests & 18 crew
Cruising location: Indian Ocean & Southeast Asia
Top speed: 12 knots
How to rent: Contact Y.CO brokerage, y.co
12. The best toy box: Falco Moscata, USD 200,000 (HKD 15,68,750) per week
Details: Falco Moscata may not be the biggest or most expensive luxury yacht available to rent, but what she does offer is an unbeatable toy box. For guests who love water sports, this 50-metre Picchotti-built boat carries two tenders, two Jet Skis, two E-foils, SeaBobs, paddleboards and other toys plus equipment for fishing, scuba diving, kite-surfing, wakeboarding and water-skiing. After a day on the water, guests can relax with a yoga session on the sundeck, a dip in the hot tub and al fresco dinner on board.
Capacity: 9 guests & 9 crew
Cruising location: Mediterranean in summer
Top speed: 17 knots
How to rent: Contact Fraser brokerage, fraseryachts.com
Shop the best travel experience here
This story first appeared here.
(Main image: Christopher Scholey; Featured image: Stuart Pearce)
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
– What is the most expensive boat to rent?
The most expensive yacht to rent in the world is currently 112 metre Renaissance, with a price tag of EUR 3.5 million.
– What is the largest yacht you can rent?
The largest yacht for rent on the market is currently the 126-metre Octopus.
– How much does it cost to rent a mega yacht?
The cost of renting a mega yacht depends on the size of the vessel and the amenities offered. The term mega yachts generally refers to vessels measuring 30 metres or more, which can cost anywhere from EUR 35,000 a week to EUR 3.5 million a week.
Written By
Olivia Michel
Olivia is a freelance journalist from the UK whose work focuses on superyachts, luxury lifestyle and travel. A former senior digital writer at BOAT International media, her writing has also been published in Yacht Style, Yachting World, SUITCASE and Luxuo magazines. Olivia has two degrees in English Literature as well as an incurable book-buying ..Read More
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