Croatia yacht charter guide
By Jason Carter, Sea Sun Vacations · October 12, 2026 · 15 minute read
An all-inclusive yacht charter in Croatia almost never includes everything. In most cases, it means the yacht, the crew, most meals and basic drinks are in the price, while fuel, marina fees, the tourist tax, national park tickets, premium drinks and crew tips are paid separately. The only way to know what you are buying is to go through the list item by item.
To see what is included on Sea Sun’s own sailings, see our private yacht cruises in Croatia.
That matters because the phrase is used loosely. One company’s all-inclusive charter covers three meals a day and the fuel. Another’s covers breakfast and soft drinks. Both can be advertised the same way, and the difference can be thousands of euros by the end of the week.
We are Sea Sun Vacations, a travel agency in Canton, Georgia. We book weeks on an 18-cabin yacht in Croatia, as single cabins on set sailings and as a Croatia yacht charter for a whole group. This guide explains what all-inclusive usually means in Croatia, item by item, and shows exactly what our own charter rate covers. Read more about Jason Carter and Sea Sun Vacations.
IN THIS GUIDE
01The three ways yacht charters in Croatia are priced02How all-inclusive works on different yachts03Where all-inclusive charters in Croatia start04What Sea Sun's price includes05Item by item: what all-inclusive usually covers in Croatia06A summary table07Why many charters in Croatia leave dinner ashore08A day on an all-inclusive week in Croatia09What to explore ashore in each region10Which pricing model suits your group?11How to get the best from an all-inclusive charter in Croatia
The three ways yacht charters in Croatia are priced
Before you compare inclusions, it helps to know which pricing model a yacht uses. Most crewed charter yachts in Croatia use one of three.
| Pricing model | What it covers | What you pay on top | Common on |
|---|---|---|---|
| All-inclusive package | Yacht, crew, set meals and basic drinks | Usually fuel, marina fees, tourist tax, premium drinks, tips | Crewed catamarans, gulets, cabin charters |
| Base price plus provisioning allowance | Yacht and crew | A fund of about 20% to 35% of the charter fee for food, drinks, fuel and marinas, plus tips | Luxury motor yachts and large catamarans |
| One price per person on a set sailing | Cabin, crew, listed meals and listed extras | The short list of extras the company publishes | Small ship cruises and cabin charters |
Swipe the table sideways on a phone to see every column.
The all-inclusive package
An all-inclusive package bundles the yacht, the crew and a set menu into one charter fee. According to Catamaran Croatia Charter’s guide, these packages typically cover breakfast and lunch, or full board on some programs, along with soft drinks, juices, basic coffee and tea, standard water toys and end-of-charter cleaning. Marina fees, fuel, the tourist tax, park permits, premium wines and spirits, transfers and tips are usually extra.
The provisioning allowance
Most luxury motor yachts use a different model. You pay the base charter price for the yacht and crew, and then an advance provisioning allowance, often shortened to APA. The captain uses that fund during the charter for food, drinks, fuel and marina fees. Catamaran Croatia Charter puts it at 20% to 35% of the charter fee on premium catamarans. Anything unspent is returned at the end of the week, and any shortfall is settled before you leave the yacht.
The allowance is flexible. You can eat what you want and change the itinerary freely. It is also the least predictable, because nobody knows the final cost until the charter is over.
One price per person
On a cabin charter or small ship cruise in Croatia, you pay one price per person for the week. The company publishes what that price includes, and what it does not. This is how Sea Sun prices its sailings. It is the easiest model to budget for, because the extras are known in advance.
How all-inclusive works on different yachts
The type of yacht changes what all-inclusive is likely to mean. These are the main types of crewed yachts you will find on the Croatian charter market.
Sailing yachts with a skipper
A sailing yacht with a skipper is the simplest crewed charter in Croatia. The skipper sails the yacht, and the guests usually buy and cook their own food. These charters are rarely sold as all-inclusive. If a cook is added, ask which meals the cook prepares and who pays for the food.
Crewed catamarans
Catamarans are the most common yachts sold as all-inclusive in Croatia. A typical package covers the skipper, a cook or host, breakfast and lunch, basic drinks and standard water toys. Fuel, marina fees and the tourist tax are usually extra. Catamarans are stable and roomy, which suits families, but most take only eight to 12 guests.
Gulets
A gulet is a traditional wooden sailing yacht, common along the Croatian coast. Gulets are often sold on half board or full board, with the crew cooking on board. Many gulet charters in Croatia anchor in bays at night, which makes dinner on board more likely.
Luxury motor yachts
Most luxury motor yachts are priced with a base rate and a provisioning allowance, not as all-inclusive. The yacht’s chef cooks whatever the group wants, paid from the allowance. It is the most flexible kind of charter in Croatia, and the hardest to budget for in advance.
Small ship cruises and cabin charters
Larger yachts that sell cabins on set sailings, like Sea Sun’s 18-cabin yacht, usually publish one per-person rate with a list of inclusions. The list is the same for every guest, which makes it easy to compare.
Where all-inclusive charters in Croatia start
Most crewed charters in Croatia start from one of a handful of base ports. The base port decides which islands you reach in a week and how you travel to the yacht.
Split
Split is the largest charter base in Croatia, with the most yachts and the most flights. A week from Split reaches the islands of Brač, Hvar, Vis and Šolta. Split is busy on changeover days, so plan for extra time between the airport and the yacht.
Dubrovnik
Dubrovnik is the southern base for most one-way charters. From Dubrovnik, the nearest islands are the Elaphiti Islands, Mljet and Korčula.
Šibenik
Šibenik is a quieter base between Split and Zadar, close to Krka National Park. Most of Sea Sun’s sailings start or end in Šibenik, including round trips that begin and end there and one-way sailings to and from Dubrovnik.
One-way sailings between the two
A one-way charter from Šibenik or Split to Dubrovnik covers the most famous islands of the Croatian coast in a single week. You fly into one city and home from the other. On Sea Sun’s sailings, the yacht sails this route in both directions.
What Sea Sun's price includes
For seven nights on Sea Sun’s 18-cabin yacht, the published price includes:
- Seven nights on board in a private cabin with its own bathroom
- Daily cabin cleaning
- The captain and crew
- Seven breakfasts and six lunches
- The captain's dinner
- Swim stops in the Adriatic
- Coffee, tea and purified water
- Air conditioning and Wi-Fi
- The hot tub and the sauna
- Water toys that do not have a motor
The published list of what is not included is:
- Drinks that are not listed above
- The Croatian tourist tax of €60 per person, paid on board
- Crew gratuities, with €250 per guest recommended for the week
- Flights, transfers and travel insurance
Dinners are on your own, apart from the captain’s dinner. Fuel and marina fees are not on the list of extras guests pay. The same list applies whether you book a single cabin or charter the whole yacht for your group.
Item by item: what all-inclusive usually covers in Croatia
This is the checklist we suggest for any yacht. For each item, we show what is common on yacht charters in Croatia and what Sea Sun’s sailings cover.
The crew
Every crewed charter in Croatia includes the captain. Beyond that, crews vary from a skipper and a cook on a small catamaran to a full team on a large yacht. Ask how many people are on board to look after you and what each of them does.
On Sea Sun’s sailings, the captain and the yacht’s crew come with every cabin.
Breakfast
Breakfast is part of almost every all-inclusive yacht charter in Croatia, on sailing yachts and motor yachts alike. It is the meal least likely to be left out.
On Sea Sun’s sailings, breakfast is served on board every day.
Lunch
Lunch is included in most all-inclusive packages, often served at anchor after a swim stop off the islands.
On Sea Sun’s sailings, lunch is served on board on six days of the week.
Dinner
This is where packages differ most. Full board means dinner on board every night. Half board means breakfast and lunch only, with dinner ashore. Many yacht charters in Croatia choose half board on purpose, because the harbor towns of the islands and the coast are among the best parts of a charter in Croatia.
On Sea Sun’s sailings, dinner is ashore on most nights, and the captain’s dinner is included.
Soft drinks, coffee and water
Basic coffee, tea and water are usually included. Soft drinks and juices often are too on all-inclusive packages.
On Sea Sun’s sailings, coffee, tea and purified water are included. Other drinks are paid for on board.
Wine, beer and spirits
Alcohol is the item most often left out of an all-inclusive price, or included only as house wine with meals. Premium wines, champagne and spirits are almost always extra.
On Sea Sun’s sailings, alcoholic drinks are paid for on board.
Fuel
Fuel is usually not included on yachts priced with a provisioning allowance, and often not on catamaran packages either. On a fast motor yacht, fuel can be among the biggest costs of the charter.
On Sea Sun’s sailings, fuel is not among the extras guests pay.
Marina and port fees
Marina fees are charged every night a yacht ties up in port, and they are highest in famous ports such as Split, Hvar Town and Dubrovnik. On many charters they are paid separately or from the allowance.
On Sea Sun’s sailings, the yacht spends every night in port, and marina fees are not among the extras guests pay.
The tourist tax
Croatia charges a tourist tax for overnight stays, including nights on a yacht. It is very rarely part of an all-inclusive price.
On Sea Sun’s sailings, it is €60 per person for the week, paid on board.
National park tickets
Croatia’s national parks, including Krka, Mljet and Kornati, charge for entry. Tickets are almost never included.
On Sea Sun’s sailings, park tickets are paid separately when you visit.
Water toys
Water toys without a motor, such as paddleboards and snorkel sets, are included on many crewed charters. Jet skis and sea scooters usually cost extra, where they are offered at all.
On Sea Sun’s sailings, water toys without a motor are included.
Wi-Fi and air conditioning
Both are common on modern yachts, but not on all of them. On a small or older sailing yacht, air conditioning may only run when the yacht is plugged in at the marina.
On Sea Sun’s sailings, air conditioning and Wi-Fi are included.
Hot tub and sauna
Few yachts in Croatia have either. Where they exist, ask whether they are included in the charter.
On Sea Sun’s sailings, the hot tub and the sauna are included.
Transfers
Airport transfers are rarely included in a charter price in Croatia, even on a luxury charter.
On Sea Sun’s sailings, transfers are not included.
Crew gratuities
Tips are never part of the charter fee. Guidance for crewed yachts in Croatia ranges from 5% to 20% of the charter fee, depending on the company and the yacht.
On Sea Sun’s sailings, the recommended gratuity is €250 per guest for the week.
A summary table
| Item | Usually included in Croatia? | On Sea Sun’s sailings |
|---|---|---|
| Captain and crew | Yes | Included |
| Breakfast | Yes | Included, every day |
| Lunch | Usually | Included, six days |
| Dinner | Sometimes | Ashore, apart from the captain’s dinner |
| Coffee, tea and water | Usually | Included |
| Soft drinks | Often | Paid on board |
| Wine, beer and spirits | Rarely | Paid on board |
| Fuel | Often not | Not an extra for guests |
| Marina fees | Often not | Not an extra for guests |
| Tourist tax | Rarely | €60 per person, paid on board |
| National park tickets | No | Paid when you visit |
| Water toys without a motor | Often | Included |
| Wi-Fi and air conditioning | Often | Included |
| Hot tub and sauna | Rare | Included |
| Transfers | Rarely | Not included |
| Gratuities | No | €250 per guest recommended |
Why many charters in Croatia leave dinner ashore
Some people see half board as a weaker deal than full board. On the Croatian coast, it is often the better one.
The harbor towns are the point
A crewed yacht in Croatia usually arrives in port in the afternoon. That leaves the evening to explore the town, when the day visitors have gone. Dinner ashore is the best way to explore Split’s old town, Hvar’s harbor, Korčula’s walls and Dubrovnik’s old streets.
The food culture is local
The Dalmatian coast has a strong food culture built on fish, olive oil, local wine and slow cooking. The best way to taste it is in a konoba, the small family restaurants found in almost every harbor town. Each island and region has its own wines and dishes, so a different dinner each night is a charter-long tasting menu of the coast.
The history is in the towns
The history of the Croatian coast is written in its harbor towns: the Roman palace at Split, the medieval walls of Korčula and Dubrovnik, the Venetian buildings of Vis and Hvar. Visiting them in the evening, on foot, is part of the experience a yacht charter offers.
It keeps the cost down
Leaving dinner off the menu lowers the cost of the charter and gives your group the choice of where and how much to spend.
On Sea Sun’s sailings, the captain’s dinner is the one evening the whole group eats on board together.
A day on an all-inclusive week in Croatia
This is how a typical day runs on Sea Sun’s sailings, and it shows where the inclusions fit.
Morning
Breakfast is served on board, included. Then the yacht leaves for the next harbor, with coffee and tea available through the morning.
Midday
The yacht stops in a quiet bay off the islands for a swim, and the water toys come out, also included. Lunch is served on board, included.
Afternoon
The yacht arrives in the next port. Some guests use the hot tub or the sauna, both included. Others go ashore to explore the town straight away, or to visit a winery or a museum.
Evening
Dinner is ashore, at a restaurant your group chooses. Drinks ashore and on board are your own, apart from coffee, tea and water. The yacht stays in port overnight, so the evening has no time limit.
What to explore ashore in each region
The coast of Croatia changes from region to region, and the dinners ashore change with it.
Northern Dalmatia: Šibenik and Skradin
Šibenik’s old town and its cathedral, listed by UNESCO, are a short walk from the harbor. Skradin, up the river from Šibenik, is the gateway to Krka National Park and has some of the best seafood restaurants in the region.
Central Dalmatia: Split, Brač and Hvar
Split’s old town grew up inside Diocletian’s Palace, and its streets are full of wine bars and small restaurants. On Brač, Bol sits beside the Zlatni Rat beach. Hvar has two very different evenings to offer: the old streets of Stari Grad and the busy harbor of Hvar Town.
The outer islands: Vis
Vis was closed to foreign visitors for decades and still feels like a step back in time, which makes it one of the best islands to explore. Its harbor restaurants are known for fish and local wine.
Southern Dalmatia: Korčula, Mljet and Dubrovnik
Korčula’s walled old town sits on a small peninsula. Mljet is largely a national park, quiet and green. Dubrovnik’s old town is the most famous evening on the coast, and the best way to explore it is on foot after the day visitors leave. Dubrovnik is also where most one-way charters from Šibenik or Split end.
We cover every stop in detail in our 7-day Croatia sailing itinerary.
Want to know exactly what your charter would include? Call Jason at (404) 465-4081.
Which pricing model suits your group?
For groups that want to know the full cost in advance
A per-person price with a published list of extras, or an all-inclusive package, is the easiest to budget for. You know the cost before you leave home, and nobody has to settle up at the end of the week.
For groups that want total freedom
A base price with a provisioning allowance suits groups who want to choose every meal, change the route every day and drink whatever they like. It is the most flexible model and the least predictable.
For large groups
For a group of 12 to 36, a single charter rate that covers the yacht, the crew and most meals is much simpler to divide than an allowance that has to be settled at the end. On a private charter of Sea Sun’s yacht, every guest knows in advance what is included and what they will pay on board.
How to get the best from an all-inclusive charter in Croatia
Send special diets early
On any charter, the best time to share allergies and special diets is when you book, not when you board. The kitchen can only plan a menu around what it knows in advance.
Plan the dinners ashore before you go
On a half-board charter, the dinners ashore are part of the experience. A few reservations in the busiest towns, such as Split, Hvar and Dubrovnik in July and August, save a long wait for a table for a big group.
Decide how the group pays for drinks
On a whole-yacht charter in Croatia, agree before the week starts how drinks will be paid: each cabin for itself, or one tab for the group. It saves an awkward conversation on the last night.
Leave time to explore
The best weeks balance time on the yacht with time ashore. Leave an afternoon free to explore the islands on foot or by bike, and an evening for a long dinner. Croatian food culture is unhurried, and the best meals in the region are rarely quick.
Budget for the extras up front
Add the tourist tax, the gratuity, drinks and dinners to the charter budget from the start, so the week has no surprises.
Questions to ask before you book an all-inclusive charter
Ask these in writing, and compare the answers side by side.
1. Which meals are included, and on how many days?
2. Which drinks are included, and how are other drinks charged?
3. Is fuel included?
4. Are marina and port fees included?
5. Is the tourist tax included?
6. Is there a provisioning allowance, and what percentage is it?
7. Which water toys are included, and which cost extra?
8. Is Wi-Fi included, and does the air conditioning run all the time?
9. What gratuity is recommended?
10. Are transfers from the airport included?
For the full picture of the cost of a week, including sample budgets for a couple and a group, see our guide to how much a yacht charter in Croatia costs.
Questions about all-inclusive yacht charters in Croatia
Is any yacht charter in Croatia truly all-inclusive?
Very few. Even the most complete packages usually leave out the tourist tax, national park tickets, premium drinks and crew tips.
Is all-inclusive better than paying a provisioning allowance?
Neither is better. All-inclusive is more predictable. A provisioning allowance is more flexible. For a large group, predictability usually wins.
Are drinks included on an all-inclusive charter?
Basic coffee, tea and water usually are. Soft drinks often are. Alcohol rarely is. On Sea Sun’s sailings, coffee, tea and purified water are included, and other drinks are paid for on board.
Do I need to bring cash?
Ask your charter company how extras on board are paid for. On Sea Sun’s sailings, the tourist tax is paid on board.
Is the tourist tax included in an all-inclusive price?
Rarely. On Sea Sun’s sailings, it is €60 per person for the week, paid on board.
Can we book an all-inclusive charter in Croatia as a small group?
Yes. On Sea Sun’s sailings, you can book a single cabin for two people, with the same inclusions as a whole-yacht charter.
Summary: read the list, not the label
All-inclusive is a label, not a promise. In Croatia, it usually covers the yacht, the crew, most meals and basic drinks, and it usually leaves out fuel, marina fees, the tourist tax, park tickets, alcohol, transfers and tips. Yachts priced with a provisioning allowance include even less in the base rate.
The safest way to compare yacht charters in Croatia is to take each company’s list of what is included and what is not, and put them side by side. On Sea Sun’s sailings, that list is published in full, and it is the same for a single cabin or the whole yacht.
Sources: Catamaran Croatia Charter, “All Inclusive Yacht Charter in Croatia” (catamaran-croatia-charter.com); Sea Sun Vacations, “Croatia by Private Yacht” and 2027 inclusions (seasunvacations.com).
See what is included on your dates
Tell us your dates and the size of your group, and Jason will send you a quote with the full list of what is included and what is not.
Call (404) 465-4081, email [email protected], or see current sailing dates and prices.
Read more about a private yacht charter in Croatia for your whole group.
