The Virgin Islands invented the bareboat catamaran holiday and still run the largest fleet of them anywhere. Sixty islands inside one sheltered channel, mooring balls in almost every bay, twenty mile days and no license requirement: it is the easiest week in the Caribbean and the one every fleet stocks most heavily with catamarans.
The cost to charter a yacht in Virgin Islands waters: bareboat to crewed
Read on 11 September 2026, The Moorings prices a seven day British Virgin Islands charter for two from 3,284 USD bareboat, a power charter at 6,654 to 13,854, a skippered package at 6,284 to 24,834, a skipper added to a bareboat at 330 USD a night and a crewed yacht at 13,134 to 49,584. Additional costs for two people start at around 1,800, and the same page itemises flights at roughly 500 to 1,300 per person return.
What a catamaran itself costs
Conch Charters publishes its own rate card rather than a range: catamarans from 6,999 USD a week for a four cabin Fountaine Pajot Helia 44 of 2018, 7,499 for a three cabin Lagoon 43, 7,999 for a three cabin Leopard 46 and 9,999 for a six cabin Saba 50, against monohulls from 2,599. Sunsail publishes about 5,700 for a low season catamaran and about 10,000 for a high season four cabin.
Crewed yacht charters Virgin Islands: why they are popular here
Not for the seamanship. The channel is sheltered, the mooring balls are everywhere and the pilotage is straightforward, which is why this is the beginner's ground. Crews are taken for the cook, and for the fact that on a seven day holiday nobody in the party has to plan a meal, provision a boat or clean it. That is what the four times multiple over bareboat is buying.
The week itself
Norman Island, Cooper or Salt, Virgin Gorda for the Baths and the North Sound, then back west along the north side by Jost Van Dyke. Forty to fifty nautical miles over six days. The trade wind is from the east, so the classic direction is east along the southern side in the morning and back west with it behind you, and doing it the other way means beating home.
Questions people ask about catamaran vacations virgin islands
What does a Virgin Islands catamaran vacation cost?
The Moorings prices a seven day BVI charter for two from 3,284 USD bareboat and 13,134 crewed. Conch Charters publishes catamarans from 6,999 a week, read on 11 September 2026.
Why take a crew in the BVI?
For the cook rather than the seamanship. The channel is sheltered and moorings are everywhere, so the crewed premium buys a holiday where nobody provisions, cooks or cleans.
What else should you budget?
The Moorings states additional costs for two people from around 1,800 USD on a BVI week and itemises flights at roughly 500 to 1,300 per person return, plus taxi transfers at about 18 per person.