When to book a yacht
"Book early" and "wait for a deal" are both right — in different seas. We counted 2,062 charter-company offers from 2024–2026: here is the median weekly price per berth depending on how many months before departure the offer appeared. Data as of 13 Aug 2026.
"Last minute" — 0–1 month before departure, "early" — 4 months or more. The price is per berth: the whole boat for a week divided by the number of berths.
Price by lead time
| Country | 0–1 mo | 2–3 mo | 4+ mo | Verdict |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Turkey | €332 | — | €450 | wait: last minute is 26% cheaper than early |
| Greece | €196 | — | €292 | wait: last minute is 33% cheaper |
| Croatia | €187 | — | €276 | wait: last minute is 32% cheaper |
| Italy | €183 | — | €333 | wait: last minute is 1.8× cheaper |
| Seychelles | €374 | €518 | €439 | U-curve: last minute is the best option |
| Caribbean | €836 | — | €337 | early booking only: last minute is 2.5× dearer |
€/berth per week, medians; "—" — an intermediate lead time with no clear difference.
What follows
- The Mediterranean is a last-minute market: the closer the date, the cheaper. A week in Turkey a month before departure costs €332 per person against €450 booked early; in Italy €183 against €333 — 1.8 times cheaper. Discounts grow towards the date in step: in Turkey from 31% to 44%.
- The Caribbean works the other way round: four or more months ahead a berth costs €337, a month before departure — already €836. The fleet gets picked over and only the expensive boats are left by the date; "wait for a deal" is bad advice there.
- The Seychelles are a U-curve: last minute €374, 2–3 months ahead €518 (the worst option), 4+ months €439.
- Recipes for the lowest price (season × lead time): Croatia — spring, last minute, €123; Greece — winter, last minute, €141; Italy — spring, 2–3 months ahead, €173; Turkey — winter, last minute, €226; Caribbean — autumn, 2–3 months ahead, €229; Seychelles — summer, last minute, €336.
Please credit "RYC Rentals" and www.ryc.rentals when using these figures. Related cuts: when it's cheaper to sail and how prices changed over two years. Discounted boats right now are in the listings.