What Is the Standard Gratuity on a Yacht Charter?

The MYBA figure is the reference point most brokers work from. Its wording matters: the recommendation is expressed as a percentage of the contracted gross charter fee only, which means you do not calculate a tip on the APA, on fuel, on taxes, or on delivery fees. Calculating against the full invoice can inflate the number substantially on a charter with a large provisioning allowance.

Regional practice diverges from the guideline. In the Mediterranean, gratuities generally settle toward the lower end of the recommended range, roughly 10 to 15 percent. In the United States and the Caribbean, tips are commonly calculated at the upper end, and American charterers frequently average above the MYBA band, in the 15 to 20 percent region. Neither is wrong; regional norm is context, not obligation.

The gratuity is genuinely discretionary. A charterer is under no obligation to leave one, and it should never be solicited by the crew, verbally or in writing, when the final account is settled. If a boat presents a tip as a mandatory line item, that is a departure from standard practice and worth questioning. Equally, if service was poor, adjusting or withholding is legitimate.

Mechanically, the tip is normally given as a single sum to the captain, who distributes it among the crew, often weighted by role and seniority. Cash is customary though many operators now accept transfers. On a short Miami day charter with a captain and one deckhand or stewardess, apply the same percentage logic to the base rate; a single-boat, single-day tip is small in absolute terms but is a meaningful share of a working crew member's income, and it is paid on the fee, not the fuel. Set your intended figure before the charter starts rather than deciding under pressure on the last morning, and tell your broker if you would prefer to settle it through them.