A catamaran costs between two and three times a comparable monohull everywhere in this trade, and whether that is money well spent has almost nothing to do with the boat and everything to do with the water. Two questions settle it: how much of the week is spent sailing, and how shallow the anchorages are.
The premium, in published figures
Read on 11 September 2026, Conch Charters publishes BVI catamarans from 6,999 USD a week for a four cabin Fountaine Pajot Helia 44 against monohulls from 2,599 for a two cabin Jeanneau Sun Odyssey 389. Sunsail publishes about 5,700 USD for a low season catamaran against about 3,500 for a low season monohull. Istion prices a Bali Catspace at 3.510 EUR a week out of Athens. The ratio is consistent across three companies and two oceans.
When the premium is worth it
When the anchorages are shallow, as in the Bahamas, where a metre of draught reaches cuts and banks that two metres cannot and the bases publish per boat draught limits as part of the contract. When the party is two families rather than one, because the cabins sit in separate hulls. And when most of the week is spent at anchor rather than under way, which describes the British Virgin Islands almost exactly.
When it is not
When you have to beat upwind, as in the Cyclades against the meltemi, where a monohull sails and a catamaran slams. When the week is spent on town quays, as in Croatia and Greece, where a catamaran is charged on beam as well as length and in August is sometimes refused a berth. And when the budget is the constraint, because the same money buys a much larger monohull.
Adding crew to either
A crewed catamaran is a different product again and roughly four times bareboat. The Moorings prices a crewed BVI week at 13,134 to 49,584 USD against 3,284 bareboat, and an Exumas crewed week at 22,619 against 4,529. The cheaper middle path is a skipper on a bareboat, at 240 to 345 USD a night depending on the base, which buys the seamanship without the cook.
Questions people ask about charter a catamaran
How much more does a catamaran cost?
Two to three times a comparable monohull. Conch publishes BVI catamarans from 6,999 USD a week against monohulls from 2,599, and Sunsail about 5,700 against about 3,500 in low season.
When should you take one?
Where the anchorages are shallow, as in the Bahamas; where the party is two families and wants separated cabins; and where most of the week is at anchor rather than under way.
How much is a crewed catamaran?
About four times bareboat. The Moorings prices a crewed BVI week at 13,134 to 49,584 USD against 3,284 bareboat. A skipper added to a bareboat is 240 to 345 USD a night instead.