Private skippered & crewed yachts · Malta, Gozo & Comino
Luxury Yacht Hire Malta
Your own yacht, your own crew, your own day.
Hire a private luxury yacht in Malta by the half day, full day or week. Licensed skippers, air-conditioned interiors and exclusive use of the whole yacht — from €1,900 for a full day, with a written quote back within four working hours.
Luxury yacht hire in Malta means taking a crewed or skippered yacht for your group alone — by the half day, full day, sunset cruise, overnight or full week. Half days start at €1,430, full days at €1,900 with a licensed skipper, and crewed Sunseeker motor yachts from €6,500 per day. Yachts depart from Portomaso, Sliema, Ta' Xbiex, Grand Harbour and Mgarr in Gozo, no boating licence is needed for skippered or crewed hire, and fuel, skipper, soft drinks and water toys are included in the rate we quote.
Formats
Half day, day, sunset, overnight, week
Half day from
€1,430 (4 hours)
Full day from
€1,900 (8 hours)
Licence needed
None — skipper included
Reviewed and updated by the Luxury Yacht Charter Malta charter office on .
From €1,900
Full-day skippered hire
Up to 12
Guests under way
4 hours
Typical quote turnaround
6 marinas
Departure points across Malta & Gozo
At a glance
Luxury yacht hire in Malta at a glance
Luxury yacht hire in Malta is the private, exclusive-use booking of a crewed yacht for your party alone. Everything guests ask before enquiring, in one table.
Key facts about luxury yacht hire in Malta: formats, rates, guest numbers, marinas and booking terms
What it is
Private hire of a crewed luxury yacht for the exclusive use of your party — nobody else on board
Hire formats
Half day (4 hrs), full day (8 hrs), sunset cruise (3 hrs), overnight, weekly
12 guests under way; more permitted for static events alongside
Departure marinas
Portomaso (St Julian's), Sliema Creek, Msida, Ta' Xbiex, Grand Harbour Marina, Mġarr (Gozo)
Licence required
None for skippered or crewed hire; a recognised licence is required for bareboat
Season
April to early November; July and August book out first
Signature route
Blue Lagoon, Crystal Lagoon, Comino caves, Gozo's Xlendi and Dwejra, Grand Harbour at sunset
Booking terms
50% to confirm, balance seven days before departure
Response time
A written quote within four working hours
The answer first
What is luxury yacht hire in Malta?
Luxury yacht hire in Malta means booking a private, professionally crewed yacht for the exclusive use of your own party, usually for a half day, a full day or a week, departing from a marina in Malta or Gozo.
Nobody else joins the yacht. There is no shared deck, no fixed departure list and no forty strangers queuing for the ladder at the Blue Lagoon. You book the whole vessel and its crew, and the day is shaped around your group: when you leave, where you swim, how long you stay, what you eat and when you come home.
The fleet ranges from a 14-metre skippered sailing yacht at €2,150 for a full day up to a 27-metre tri-deck motor yacht with five crew and a chef on board. Between those two ends sit the boats most guests actually hire in Malta: open day cruisers around 16 metres, luxury catamarans at 17 to 18 metres, and flybridge motor yachts of 19 to 23 metres with air conditioning, a proper saloon and a bathing platform.
Every yacht we place guests on holds a valid Transport Malta commercial licence and full passenger liability insurance. That matters more here than most visitors realise: the Maltese market carries a long tail of privately owned boats hired informally, without commercial cover, where a single incident leaves guests entirely unprotected.
Because Malta is small — the archipelago measures roughly 27 kilometres end to end — a single day on the water genuinely covers the highlights. From Portomaso you can be anchored in Comino's Blue Lagoon within an hour, in the Crystal Lagoon and the Santa Marija caves by late morning, off Gozo in the early afternoon and back through Grand Harbour under a gold sunset. Few charter destinations in the Mediterranean concentrate that much scenery into eight hours.
A skippered day cruiser off Gozo. The most affordable route into luxury yacht hire in Malta, and the easiest way to reach the small bays larger yachts cannot enter.
The hire fleet
Luxury yachts for hire in Malta
Sunseeker motor yachts and Axopar day cruisers hired across the Maltese islands. Availability moves through the season, so every date is confirmed yacht by yacht before you pay anything.
Motor Yacht
Sunseeker 86 Yacht "JUPJU"
26.30 m / 86 ft · Sunseeker 86 Yacht, 2016
Where luxury yacht hire in Malta starts to feel like a superyacht charter. Four crew, a chef preparing lunch on board, four en-suite cabins and enough range to run down to Sicily on a longer booking.
20.81 m / 68 ft · Sunseeker Manhattan 66 flybridge
The most requested luxury yacht hire in Malta: fast enough to reach the Blue Lagoon in well under an hour, shaded enough to stay out all day, and comfortable enough for a full week with a chef and hostess added to the crew.
Brand new for 2025 and the day boat for guests who find most day boats disappointing: Scandinavian design, a roof that opens over the cockpit and the pace to fit Comino, the Crystal Lagoon and a Gozo bay into one relaxed day.
Our entry point into private hire and still a proper luxury boat: fast, dry and beautifully finished, with a sheltered wheelhouse for the crossing to Comino and shade for the swimming hours in between.
Know your dates? Hold the yacht before someone else does.
July and August dates for the larger yachts are usually gone six to eight weeks out. Send your dates and we will confirm what is genuinely free — no obligation, no deposit to ask.
Malta yacht hire is priced by the window you book, not by distance. These are the four formats we run, and what each realistically covers.
Half-day hire
4 hours · From €1,430
Morning or afternoon. Enough for St Paul's Bay, Sliema's coastline or a swim stop at Għar Lapsi, but tight for Comino in high season traffic.
Full-day hire
8 hours · From €1,900
The format nine out of ten guests book. Comino's Blue and Crystal Lagoons, the caves, a lunch stop and a slow run home along the coast.
Sunset cruise
3 hours · From €1,430
Depart around two hours before sunset, cruise the Sliema and Valletta waterfront, drop anchor for a swim, and come back through Grand Harbour with the bastions lit.
Overnight & weekly hire
From 24 hours · From €34,800 / week
Sleep aboard in Gozo or Comino, wake up on anchor before the day boats arrive, and cover Malta, Gozo and — on suitable yachts — Sicily.
Terminology
Yacht hire or yacht charter — is there a difference in Malta?
Guests ask this constantly. In Maltese practice the two words describe the same private, exclusive-use booking; the difference is one of habit and duration, not of law.
Comparison of yacht hire and yacht charter in Malta by duration, crew, catering and pricing
Wording used
Yacht hire
Yacht charter
Typical duration
Hours to one day
Several days to a week
Usual crew
Skipper, often a hostess
Full crew including chef
Sleeping on board
Rarely
Standard
Catering
Bring your own or pre-ordered platters
Provisioned and cooked on board
Pricing basis
Fixed day rate plus fuel
Weekly rate plus APA expenses
Booking notice
Often days
Usually weeks or months
What we call it
Both. Legally and practically it is the same private, exclusive-use booking.
Both.
If you have been searching for yacht hire Malta, Malta yacht hire or luxury boat hire Malta and comparing them against charter listings, you are looking at the same product. Ask about the licence, the insurance, the crew and the fuel policy rather than the label.
Where you go
Malta yacht hire routes
Six routes cover almost every request we receive. Your skipper will adjust the plan on the morning based on wind direction — that judgement is the single biggest difference between a good day and a rough one.
Comino, Blue Lagoon & Crystal Lagoon
Full day · 8 hours
The reason most guests hire a yacht in Malta. Leave Portomaso by 09:00 to anchor in the Blue Lagoon before the ferries arrive, move round to the Crystal Lagoon and the Santa Marija caves for the middle of the day, then take a late swim at Mġiebaħ on the way home.
Gozo: Xlendi, Dwejra and Ramla Bay
Full day · 8–9 hours
A longer run north-west across the channel. Swim under the Xlendi cliffs, pass the Azure Window site at Dwejra, and lunch off Ramla's red sand. Best on a settled day with light north-westerlies.
Malta's southern coast and Blue Grotto
Full day · 8 hours
Quieter and more dramatic than the north. Għar Lapsi, the Blue Grotto arches, Wied iż-Żurrieq and the Filfla channel, with far fewer boats than Comino in August.
Grand Harbour and the Three Cities
Sunset cruise · 3 hours
Malta's set piece. Cruise beneath Fort St Angelo and the Valletta bastions as the limestone turns gold, then anchor briefly off Sliema for a final swim.
Sliema, St Julian's and St Paul's Bay
Half day · 4 hours
The short format: a coastal cruise past the hotels and towers of the eastern shoreline with one or two swim stops. Ideal for a first afternoon, a young family or a compact corporate outing.
Malta to Sicily
Multi-day
Roughly 60 nautical miles to Pozzallo or Syracuse, available on suitable long-range yachts with the right paperwork and a settled weather window. Planned as a two- to seven-night booking, never a day trip.
The Grand Harbour sunset run past Fort St Angelo — the three-hour format most guests add to the end of a stay in Valletta or Sliema.
Transparent pricing
How much does luxury yacht hire cost in Malta?
Full-day luxury yacht hire in Malta runs from about €2,150 on a 14-metre skippered sailing yacht to €11,900 on a 27-metre crewed motor yacht. Below is the indicative rate card; every quote is confirmed against the yacht and the date.
Indicative Malta luxury yacht hire rates by yacht size, for shoulder season days, peak season days and weekly hire
Yacht
Day (May, June, Oct)
Day (Jul–Aug)
Week
Axopar 37ST Brabus Line (11.5 m)
€1,900
€1,900
Price on request
Axopar 45 Cross Top (13.9 m)
€2,500
€2,500
Price on request
Sunseeker Manhattan 66 (20.8 m)
€6,500
€6,500
€34,800
Sunseeker 86 Yacht (26.3 m)
€10,900
€10,900
€50,000
30m+ superyacht
From €14,500
From €14,500
From €98,000
Indicative rates in euro, including skipper, standard fuel and VAT at the applicable Maltese rate. Catering, premium toys and extra hours are quoted separately.
What moves the price
Yacht size and age
Length drives everything else: crew numbers, fuel burn, berthing fees and insurance. A recently refitted 19-metre flybridge sits at roughly double the day rate of a 14-metre sailing yacht.
Season and day of the week
July and August carry a premium of roughly 20–30% over May and October. Saturdays are the busiest changeover day; a Tuesday in June is the best value week in the Maltese calendar.
Crew level
A skipper alone is the baseline. Adding a hostess costs roughly €290–€390 for the day; a private chef with provisioning is usually quoted from €650 plus the cost of the menu.
Route and fuel
A Comino return burns far less than a Gozo circumnavigation or a run to the south coast and back. Long-range routes are quoted with fuel shown as a separate line.
Extra hours
Most yachts can extend beyond the eight-hour window at an hourly rate agreed in advance, subject to crew hours and marina access.
Extras and toys
Jet skis, seabobs, catering, bar packages and photographers are optional and always itemised, never bundled into an unexplained total.
Estimate your Malta yacht hire cost
Choose a yacht, a length of charter and a route to see what it costs, what the fee already covers and whether the route stays inside the included fuel allowance. Figures are our current published rates in euro — your written quote confirms them for your exact date.
11.5m luxury day boat · skipper included
Maltese commercially licensed yachts carry a maximum of 12 guests under way.
About 24 nautical miles there and back.
Estimated charter fee
€1,900
Published full-day charter fee.
Roughly €238 per guest at 8 on board.
Included in the fee
Skipper, VAT and safety equipment.
Fuel
Fuel charged on consumption at the end of the day.
This route
The most requested day: two or three swim stops, lunch at anchor, back before sunset.
Published day, half-day and weekly charter rates for the Luxury Yacht Charter Malta fleet, in euro.
Yacht
Guests
Half day
Full day
Week
Fuel
Axopar 37ST Brabus Line
10
€1,430
€1,900
On request
Fuel charged on consumption at the end of the day
Axopar 45 Cross Top
11
—
€2,500
On request
Fuel charged on consumption at the end of the day
Sunseeker Manhattan 66
12
—
€6,500
€34,800
First 30 nautical miles included, further miles charged on consumption
Sunseeker 86 JUPJU
12
—
€10,900
€50,000
First 30 nautical miles included, further miles charged on consumption
30m+ superyacht
12
—
€14,500
€98,000
Fuel, dockage and provisioning billed through an advance provisioning allowance (APA)
Rates are per yacht, not per guest, and include VAT unless the quote states otherwise. Superyacht charters are billed with an advance provisioning allowance for fuel, dockage and provisioning on top of the charter fee.
No surprises
What is included, and what is not
The quote you receive lists both columns explicitly. Nothing appears on the pontoon that was not written down first.
Included in every hire
Licensed skipper and, where listed, hostess or full crew
Fuel for the standard cruising route (long-range routes quoted separately)
Full commercial insurance and Transport Malta licensing
Fresh water, ice, cool boxes and glassware
Snorkelling equipment and, on most yachts, paddleboards
Towels, sun loungers and shade
Berthing at the departure marina
VAT at the applicable Maltese rate, shown on the quote
Optional extras, always itemised
Private chef or catered lunch platters
Premium bar packages and champagne on ice
Jet ski, seabob or towable water toys
Photographer or videographer on board
Airport, hotel and villa transfers
Additional hours beyond the booked window
Overnight berthing in Gozo or Comino
Florist, cake and celebration styling
How it works
Hiring a yacht in Malta in five steps
From first message to stepping aboard, most hires are confirmed inside 48 hours.
1
Send your brief
Dates, guest numbers, the kind of day you want and any budget guidance. Ninety seconds on the form is enough.
2
Receive a shortlist within four hours
We check live availability and reply with two or three yachts that genuinely fit, each with a full price, the crew on board and what is included.
3
Confirm with a 50% deposit
A written booking confirmation sets out the yacht, crew, route, timings, inclusions and cancellation terms. The balance is due seven days before departure.
4
Plan the details
Catering, bar, water toys, transfers, celebration extras and a route shaped around the forecast, agreed with your skipper the day before.
5
Step aboard
Meet the crew at the marina, board, and let them run the day. A concierge stays reachable from departure to return.
Six embarkation points across Malta and Gozo. We match the marina to where you are staying, so nobody spends an hour of their hire window in a taxi.
Portomaso Marina, St Julian's
Our primary departure point. Parking on site, a five-minute walk from the main St Julian's hotels and the fastest exit towards Comino.
Sliema Creek & Ta' Xbiex
Convenient for Sliema and Gżira apartments and the closest marinas to Valletta by road.
Grand Harbour Marina, Birgu
The most spectacular embarkation in Malta, inside the bastions of Vittoriosa. Best for sunset departures and corporate hires.
Msida Marina
Central, sheltered and used for several of the sailing yachts in the fleet.
Mġarr Marina, Gozo
For guests staying on Gozo. Hiring from Mġarr removes the channel crossing and adds two useful hours to the day.
Who hires with us
Matching the yacht to the group
The right yacht for four adults on a sunset cruise is the wrong yacht for eleven guests, two toddlers and a birthday cake. This is how we match them.
A catamaran at anchor: shade, stability and step-down swim access, which is why families book them ahead of anything else in the fleet.
Families
Catamarans and flybridges with shade, a swim platform and a stable anchor. Crew carry child life jackets and will plan shorter passages between swim stops.
Couples
The day cruiser or the sailing yacht, a hostess, a chilled bottle and the quieter southern bays rather than the Blue Lagoon.
Corporate and incentive groups
Up to 12 guests under way per yacht, or several yachts running the same route. Invoicing, insurance certificates and risk documentation supplied on request.
Celebrations
Birthdays, engagements, hen and stag days and anniversaries, with catering, styling and a photographer arranged around the route.
When to hire
The Malta yacht hire season, month by month
The season runs April to early November. Sea temperature peaks in September, not August — which is why experienced guests book the shoulder months.
Month-by-month guidance for hiring a luxury yacht in Malta
April – May
Water still cool but the islands are empty, rates are at their lowest and the light is superb.
June
The best all-round month: warm sea, long days, manageable crowds and pre-peak pricing.
July – August
Hottest and busiest. Book six to eight weeks ahead and start early to beat the day-trip traffic at Comino.
September
Warmest sea of the year, thinner crowds and settled weather. The connoisseur's month.
October
Quiet, golden and often flat calm. Occasional weather days; flexible dates help.
Wind, not temperature, decides where you go. A north-easterly makes Comino uncomfortable and the southern coast perfect; a north-westerly does the reverse. Your skipper reads the forecast the evening before and proposes the route accordingly.
Buyer's guide
How to hire a yacht in Malta without getting it wrong
Malta's market ranges from immaculate, fully licensed operators to boats hired informally with no commercial cover at all. These are the checks that separate them.
Ask for these eight things in writing
Transport Malta commercial licence number
Passenger liability insurance certificate
Exact hire window and the cost of extra hours
Fuel policy — included, capped or at cost
Crew on board and whether a hostess is extra
Maximum guests under way, not just alongside
Catering and bar rules, including corkage
Cancellation and bad-weather policy in writing
Common mistakes we see every season
Booking the cheapest boat without checking whether it is commercially licensed and insured for paying guests.
Assuming fuel is included when the listing says 'plus fuel at cost' — always ask for the fuel policy in writing.
Choosing Comino on a strong north-easterly instead of moving the route south.
Arriving at the marina at the departure time rather than 15 minutes early; the hire window starts when it is booked, not when you board.
Booking 12 guests onto a yacht certified for 10 under way.
Leaving July and August dates until the last fortnight, when only the least suitable yachts remain.
Which yacht should you hire in Malta?
Choose a day cruiser if you are two to six people, want the lowest price into skippered hire, and care more about swimming in small bays than about an interior.
Choose a catamaran if your group mixes ages, if anyone is nervous about motion, or if you want the largest possible amount of shaded deck for eight hours in July.
Choose a flybridge motor yacht if you want the classic Malta day: fast to Comino, air conditioning below, a proper bathing platform and a shaded upper deck for lunch.
Choose a fully crewed motor yacht if the day is an occasion — a company event, a milestone birthday, a proposal — and you want a hostess, a chef and service that matches a good hotel.
Choose a sailing yacht if the point is the sailing itself: quiet, engine off, canvas up on the Gozo channel, and the lowest price in the fleet.
Why LYC Malta
Why hire your yacht through us
We are a Malta-based concierge, not a listings marketplace. The person who quotes your hire is the person who meets you at the pontoon.
Every yacht is licensed and inspected
We only place guests on yachts holding a valid Transport Malta commercial licence and full passenger insurance. Uninsured private boats hired informally are the single biggest risk in this market.
One number, one person
The concierge who quotes your hire is the one who meets you at the marina and answers the phone at 15:00 when the plan changes.
Prices that do not move
The quote states the yacht, the crew, the hours, the fuel policy and every extra. There is no marina surcharge invented on the pontoon.
Local weather judgement
A north-easterly makes the Blue Lagoon uncomfortable and the south coast perfect. We will say so, and reroute, rather than sell you a bad day.
Licensing, marinas and what your quote actually covers
Charter in Malta is regulated. Every yacht we place guests on is commercially registered and licensed for charter under Malta's commercial yacht framework, administered by Transport Malta's Merchant Shipping Directorate. That distinction matters more than any marketing claim on this page, so here is how to check it and what it changes for you.
Commercially licensed charter vs. a private boat hired out
Passenger limit. A commercially registered charter yacht carries a maximum of 12 guests under way. Anyone offering you 15 or 20 guests on one yacht for a coastal day is not operating within that framework.
Insurance that answers. Commercial charter cover includes passenger liability. A private pleasure policy generally does not cover paying guests, which is the risk nobody discovers until there is a claim.
Qualified crew. Skippers hold commercial certification and the yacht carries the survey-approved safety equipment for the area it operates in.
A written contract. You receive a charter agreement naming the yacht, the hours, the guest count and the total. Ask for one; a WhatsApp price with no paperwork is a warning sign.
Ask any operator in Malta — including us — for the yacht's name and registration before you pay a deposit. It takes one question and settles the point.
Where you board
Portomaso Marina, St Julian's
Our usual day-charter base. Underground parking on site, five minutes from the St Julian's and Paceville hotels.
Msida & Ta' Xbiex, Marsamxett
Sheltered berths a short taxi from Valletta and Sliema, used when the north-easterly makes Portomaso uncomfortable.
Grand Harbour Marina, Birgu
Preferred for the larger motor yachts and superyachts, and for guests staying in the Three Cities or Valletta.
Mgarr Marina, Gozo
Start the day in Gozo instead of crossing to it — worth it if you are staying on the island.
Your confirmation names the marina, the pontoon and a boarding time, with the crew's number for the morning. Charter office hours are Mon–Sun 08:00–21:00 CET.
How a Malta charter quote is built up
What is included in a Luxury Yacht Charter Malta quote and what is billed separately.
Line
How we treat it
Detail
Charter fee
Fixed per yacht for the agreed hours
Quoted in euro and confirmed in writing before any payment is taken.
VAT
Included in day and half-day charter fees
Weekly and superyacht charters are quoted plus VAT; your quote states which applies.
Fuel — day boats
Charged on consumption
Gauges are read before and after; you pay for what the day actually used.
Fuel — crewed motor yachts
First 30 nautical miles included
Longer routes such as Gozo and Comino combined go beyond this; the extra is itemised.
Superyacht running costs
Advance provisioning allowance (APA)
Fuel, dockage, provisioning and crew expenses drawn from a pre-funded balance, reconciled after the charter with receipts.
Marina fees at base
Included
No berthing surcharge at the departure marina. Overnight berths away from base are itemised.
Crew gratuity
Discretionary
Never added automatically to an invoice.
Questions
Luxury yacht hire Malta — frequently asked questions
Skippered luxury yacht hire in Malta starts at €1,900 for a full day on the 11.5-metre Axopar 37ST and €2,500 on the 13.9-metre Axopar 45 Cross Top, with fuel charged on consumption. A crewed Sunseeker Manhattan 66 is €6,500 per day, and our 26-metre Sunseeker 86 with a chef on board is €10,900 per day. Weekly hire starts at €34,800, and half days on the Axopar 37ST at €1,430.
Is there a difference between yacht hire and yacht charter in Malta?
In practice, no. Both describe the private, exclusive-use booking of a yacht with crew. 'Hire' is used more often for day and half-day bookings, and 'charter' for multi-day and weekly programmes with a full crew and chef, but the contract, licensing and insurance are the same.
Do I need a licence to hire a yacht in Malta?
Not for skippered or crewed hire — a licensed Maltese skipper runs the yacht. A licence is only required for bareboat hire, where you must hold a recognised certificate of competence, usually with VHF and, for larger yachts, relevant sea miles.
How many guests can come on board?
Maltese commercial licensing allows a maximum of 12 guests while the yacht is under way. Larger numbers are possible for static events alongside a berth. Each yacht in the fleet lists its own certified capacity, which we confirm before booking.
Where do yacht hires depart from in Malta?
Most departures are from Portomaso Marina in St Julian's. We also embark from Sliema Creek, Ta' Xbiex, Msida, Grand Harbour Marina in Birgu and Mġarr on Gozo. The marina is confirmed in your booking, along with a meeting point and parking guidance.
How long is a full-day yacht hire?
Eight hours, typically 09:00 to 17:00 or 10:00 to 18:00. Half days run four hours and sunset cruises three. Additional hours can usually be added at an agreed hourly rate if crew hours and marina access allow.
Can we reach the Blue Lagoon and Gozo in one day?
Comino's Blue Lagoon and Crystal Lagoon are comfortable in a full day from any Malta marina. Adding Gozo's western coast makes for a long day and works best on a faster motor yacht in settled weather; otherwise we recommend choosing one or the other.
Is food and drink included?
Water, ice and glassware are included. Catering is optional: you may bring your own provisions, order platters through us, or have a private chef cook on board. Bar packages and champagne are quoted separately so you can see exactly what you are paying for.
What happens if the weather is bad?
The skipper monitors the forecast and will first reroute — moving from Comino to the sheltered south coast, for example. If conditions make the day unsafe, we reschedule to another date or refund in line with the terms set out in your written confirmation.
How far in advance should I book?
For July and August, six to eight weeks. For June and September, two to four weeks. Outside peak season a few days is often enough, and we regularly place last-minute hires when a date opens up.
Are children allowed on board?
Yes. Catamarans and flybridge motor yachts suit families best because of the shade, the stable platform and the easy swim access. Crew carry appropriately sized life jackets; tell us ages at the time of booking.
Can we hire a yacht for a birthday or corporate event?
Yes, and it is one of the most common reasons guests hire with us. We arrange catering, bar, styling, photography and transfers, and can supply invoices, insurance certificates and risk documentation for corporate bookings.
Is a deposit required?
Yes: 50% confirms the yacht and the date, with the balance due seven days before departure. Bookings made inside seven days are paid in full at confirmation.
Are the yachts insured and licensed?
Every yacht we place guests on holds a valid Transport Malta commercial licence and full passenger liability insurance. We will provide the licence and insurance details on request before you pay anything.
Can we sleep on board?
Yes, on the yachts listed with cabins. Overnight hire lets you stay on anchor off Comino or in Gozo and start the next morning before the day boats arrive. Overnight berthing away from base is quoted as an extra.
Can we swim and use water toys?
Yes. Snorkelling equipment is included on every yacht and most carry paddleboards. Jet skis, seabobs and towable toys are available on selected yachts and are quoted as extras, subject to conditions and crew supervision.
Do you offer yacht hire from Gozo?
Yes. Departing from Mġarr Marina removes the channel crossing and is the right choice for guests staying on Gozo, giving roughly two extra hours of cruising time.
Is tipping expected?
It is customary but never obligatory in Malta. Guests who have had a good day typically leave 5–10% of the hire price for the crew, in cash, at the end.
Chartering has its own vocabulary and its own small print. Both are set out plainly here so nothing about your booking is a surprise.
Charter glossary
Crewed charter
The yacht comes with its professional crew — typically captain, deckhand and hostess, plus a chef on larger yachts. You are a guest on board and nothing is self-service.
Skippered charter
A licensed local skipper drives the yacht, but there is no interior crew. The most common format for a private day charter in Malta.
Bareboat charter
You skipper the yacht yourself. Malta requires a recognised boating licence and, on many yachts, evidence of recent sea miles plus a refundable security deposit.
APA (Advance Provisioning Allowance)
A fund of typically 25–35% of the charter fee held on superyachts to cover fuel, food, drink, berthing and shore excursions. Anything unspent is returned after the charter.
Day charter
An 8-hour private charter, usually 09:00 to 17:00, most often routed to Comino's Blue Lagoon, Crystal Lagoon and the Gozo coast.
Half day charter
A 4-hour private charter, morning, afternoon or sunset — the shortest format we arrange on crewed yachts.
Embarkation
Boarding at the marina. Malta departures are from Portomaso, Grand Harbour Marina, Msida, Ta' Xbiex or Mgarr in Gozo.
Twelve-guest rule
Commercially licensed yachts may carry a maximum of 12 guests while under way. Larger groups are possible for static events alongside in harbour.
Delivery fee
A charge applied when a yacht must reposition to a marina other than its home berth for your embarkation or disembarkation.
Shoulder season
May, June, September and early October: warm water, calmer anchorages, fewer boats and lower rates than peak July and August.
Booking, cancellation & insurance
Licensing and insurance
Every yacht we place guests on holds a valid Maltese commercial charter licence and current third-party and passenger liability insurance. We send you the licence and insurance certificate for your specific yacht before any balance payment is due.
Deposit and balance
A 50% deposit confirms your yacht and dates. The balance is due 7 days before departure. Payment is by bank transfer or credit card, in euro, against a written charter agreement naming the yacht, crew, route and inclusions.
Cancellation
Cancel more than 30 days before departure and the deposit is transferable to any other date within 12 months. Inside 30 days the deposit is retained. We recommend travel insurance covering charter cancellation.
Weather policy
If the captain judges conditions unsafe, you are offered a sheltered alternative route, a change of date, or a full refund of monies paid — your choice. Malta's coastline always offers a lee shore, so a full cancellation is rare.
Privacy
Charters are exclusive-use: no shared decks and no other parties on board. We sign NDAs on request and never publish guest names, photographs or itineraries.
Reserve your day
Get your luxury yacht hire quote
Send your dates and guest numbers. You will receive available yachts, full prices and a suggested route within four working hours — no obligation, no deposit taken at this stage.
Our four featured charter yachts in Malta — Sunseeker 86, Manhattan 66, Axopar 45 Cross Top and Axopar 37ST — with photos, full specifications and current rates.
