A cabin charter means you book one cabin on a boat you share with other guests. A private charter means your group books the whole boat and sets the route yourselves. Cabin charters have the lower entry price and come with built-in company. Private charters give you control over the itinerary, the vibe and who sleeps under the same roof. Which one wins depends on your group size, your budget per person and how much you want to decide for yourselves.
We run both kinds of sailing weeks, so here is the honest, practical version: what each option really means in Greece, what the money looks like, and a simple way to choose.
TL;DR
- Cabin charter: you pay for a berth or cabin, join a set route and sail with a crew and other guests. It suits solo travelers, couples and small groups who want a low-effort week.
- Charter privado: you book the whole boat, pick the route and the dates, and share it only with your own people. It suits families and groups of friends who can fill the cabins.
- Coste: our published private weeks in Greece start from 560 € per person per week, and our group weeks start from 970 €. The right choice depends on how many of you there are.
- Greek rules shape the format: partial chartering of professional vessels is prohibited, so cabin-style holidays are built on whole-boat bookings.
Tabla de Contenidos
- The difference in one table
- What a cabin charter actually is
- What a private charter gives you
- What it costs: cabin vs private, with real numbers
- How to choose: five questions
- Don’t forget the first and last mile
- Our perspective
- Ready to pick your week?
- Deposits, cancellations and accessibility: what to check first
- Preguntas frecuentes
- Fuentes
The difference in one table
| Cabin charter | Charter privado | |
|---|---|---|
| What you book | One cabin or berth | The whole boat |
| Who is on board | Your party plus other guests | Only your group |
| Route and dates | Set by the organizer | Yours to shape |
| Price logic | Per person or per cabin | Split across the group |
| Lo mejor para | Viajeros individuales, parejas y grupos pequeños | Families, friends, 4 to 10 people |
| Social side | Built in | Whatever you bring |
| Planning effort | Mínimo | More decisions, more freedom |
Neither is better in general. They answer different questions, and the sections below help you work out yours.
What a cabin charter actually is
Think of it as a sailing week where the boat is already booked and you buy your place on it. You get a cabin, your share of the common areas (the cockpit, the saloon, the deck), and a route someone else has planned. Our own explainer on how cabin charters work for groups goes deeper if you want the full picture.
The appeal is simple:
- No need to fill a boat. The most common reason people look at this option is that nobody can get a full group to commit. Forum threads on the topic read the same way: one or two people want to go, and the rest keep saying “maybe”.
- A skipper who knows the area. You are not responsible for navigation, anchoring or deciding where to sleep tonight.
- Instant company. Shared dinners, shared swims, shared playlists. If your social game is strong, you will leave with new friends.
The trade-offs are the flip side of the same coin. You share common space, and the route is already set. Cabin types also differ: some boats have en-suite double cabins, others have bunks or shared bathrooms, so check the layout before you pay. Our guide to types of yacht accommodation explains what the labels mean.
How Greek rules shape cabin charters
This part surprises many people. Under Greek regulations for professional recreational vessels, partial chartering is prohibited. Whole-boat charters with more than one charterer are allowed when they run longer than 24 hours and the number of passengers does not exceed the number of passenger berths. The same regulation requires qualifying vessels to be registered in the e-Register.
In practice, this means a “cabin” holiday in Greece is organized around a whole-boat booking with several parties on it, and the passenger count is capped by the berths on the boat. For you, it is one more reason to book through an organizer that handles the paperwork and tells you plainly how the boat is chartered. Ask who the charterer is, how many berths the boat has and what the skipper is responsible for.
What a private charter gives you
A private charter is the whole boat for your people. You choose the week, the starting port and the pace. Want a long lunch in a quiet bay and a late start tomorrow? Done. Want to skip the busy harbor and stay at anchor? That is your call, weather permitting and with your skipper’s advice.
This is the format most families and friend groups come back to, for a few reasons:
- Privacy. Waking up on a boat is like having an endless swimming pool outside your door. It feels even better when the only voices on board belong to your own group.
- Flexibility. Kids’ nap times, a birthday dinner ashore, a longer swim stop: the itinerary bends around you. Our piece on why private charters work for groups and families covers this in more detail.
- Better value as the group grows. The boat price is fixed, so every extra person lowers the cost per head.
The flip side is that someone has to organize it: collect the money, agree on dates and keep everyone on the same page. If that is you, our guide to group bookings helps you structure the process.
What it costs: cabin vs private, with real numbers
Per-person price is where most people start, so let’s lay it out.
Our published prices
These are the “from” prices published on our site in 2026, per person per week unless noted:
| Holiday | Formato | Precio |
|---|---|---|
| Turkey, Go Private | Privado | from 530 € |
| Greece, Go Private | Privado | from 560 € |
| Croatia, Go Private | Privado | from 560 € |
| Italy, Go Private | Privado | from 870 € |
| Watermelon Voyage #16 | Group | from 970 € |
| Wild Route Turkey | Group | 1147 € |
| Discover Aeolian Islands | Group | 1287 € |
| Descubre Tahití / Polinesia Francesa | Group | 1650 € |
| Kid Sailing Flotilla | Group | from 1247 € per cabin |
Notice the pattern. A private week splits the boat across everyone on it, so a full boat is where the per-person price drops. A group week is priced with the route, the crew and the shared experience in mind, which is why its price is higher on paper but covers a more organized week. Prices depend on dates, boat and season, so confirm the current figure on each page before you plan.
The whole-boat math
If you are sizing up a private charter, it helps to know what whole-boat prices look like in Greece. One 2026 price guide puts a 35 to 40 ft monohull for up to six guests at roughly 2,500 € to 5,000 € a week in low season and 4,500 € to 8,000 € in peak season. The same guide lists weekly skipper fees of roughly 1,400 € to 2,200 €, depending on yacht type and size.
Here is the simple arithmetic for six people, using those ranges:
- Low season: 2,500 € to 5,000 € for the boat plus 1,400 € to 2,200 € for a skipper is 3,900 € to 7,200 €, or about 650 € to 1,200 € each.
- Peak season: 4,500 € to 8,000 € plus the same skipper fee is 5,900 € to 10,200 €, or about 983 € to 1,700 € each.
These are indicative market ranges, not our quotes, and they cover the boat and skipper only. Our own private weeks are priced per person, so check them for the exact figure for your dates.
What the headline price leaves out
Whether you go cabin or private, ask what the price includes. According to the same price guide, bareboat prices exclude fuel, provisioning and marina fees, skippered charters add the skipper fee, and fully crewed charters usually work with an advance provisioning allowance (APA) for running costs plus a crew gratuity. Before you compare two offers, line them up on these points:
- Is the skipper included?
- Is fuel included, or billed by use?
- Are meals included, or do you provision the boat yourselves?
- Who pays marina and port fees?
- Is there a refundable security deposit, and how much?
- What is the cancellation schedule?
If provisioning is on you, our tips on shopping for a week of sailing will save you time and money in the supermarket.
How to choose: five questions
1. How many of you are there?
Two or three people, with no one else committing? A cabin or group week usually makes more sense. Six or more who already agree on dates? Private starts to shine, because every extra head lowers the share of the boat.
2. How much do you want to decide?
Some people love planning a route bay by bay. Others want to show up with a bag and a swimsuit. If you are in the second camp, a curated group route takes the decisions away. If you are in the first, go private. You can browse Mediterranean island-hopping ideas for inspiration either way.
3. Who is coming?
Families with young kids often prefer a private boat for the schedule and the safety routine they know. Single travelers and couples often prefer the group week for the company. A Kid Sailing flotilla is a middle path: families sail together with other families.
4. How flexible are your dates?
Private charters adapt to your calendar. Group weeks run on set departures, so you adapt to them.
5. What is the real budget per person?
Add up everything from the checklist above, not only the headline number. A cheaper-looking week that excludes fuel, food and port fees may cost the same or more.
Don’t forget the first and last mile
Your holiday starts when you land, not when you step on the boat. Marinas are often an hour or more from the airport, and the same logic as the boat applies: split a ride with other guests or book a car for your own party. If you are weighing it up, this explanation of shared or private airport transfer is a handy comparison for families traveling with luggage and kids.
Our perspective
We built Sailarmada around a simple belief: the best sailing week is the one that fits the people on it. That is why we offer both the flexibility of a private charter and the sociability of a group week, instead of pushing one format.
Every route is curated by experienced, professionally trained skippers from CAPETAN.club, and you get personalized support from actual sailors at every step. When a family tells us they want slow mornings and a quiet bay, we point them to a private week. When a solo traveler tells us they want new friends and a ready-made route, we point them to a group week.
Our advice is to start with your people, not the price list. Count who is really coming, decide how much of the plan you want to own, and then let the numbers confirm it. We keep our pricing transparent and our boat options detailed so you can do exactly that.
Sail
Ready to pick your week?
If your group is ready to fill a boat, our private sailing weeks let you choose the destination, the dates and the boat. If you would rather join a crew and a route, browse our Vacaciones en grupo con navegación, from the Aeolian Islands to Tahiti. Not sure which one is yours? Our page on private or group sailing holidays walks you through the choice, and our team of real sailors will help you match the week to your crew.
Deposits, cancellations and accessibility: what to check first
Before you pay for anything, get these answers in writing:
- Deposit and balance: how much is due at booking, and when is the balance due?
- Cancellation terms: what happens if you cancel, or if a group member drops out? On a private charter, one person leaving can change everyone’s share, so agree on how you will handle that within your group.
- Weather and changes: what is the policy if conditions force a change of route?
- Cabin and boat layout: stairs, narrow passages, step-over entries and bathroom size matter if anyone in your party has limited mobility. Ask for the boat’s layout and what the skipper can help with before you commit.
- Seguro: check what your own travel insurance covers on a sailing holiday.
The point is simple: no surprises after you have paid.
Preguntas frecuentes
Is a cabin charter cheaper than a private charter?
Per person, a cabin or group week often looks cheaper at the start, especially for small parties who cannot fill a boat. A private charter becomes competitive when you have enough people to share the whole-boat price. Compare what is included in each, such as skipper, fuel, meals and port fees, rather than only the headline number.
Can I book just one cabin on a boat in Greece?
Yes, through an organizer. Greek rules prohibit partial chartering of professional vessels, but they allow whole-boat charters with several charterers when the booking exceeds 24 hours and passengers do not exceed the berths. A good organizer will explain how your booking is structured.
Do I need sailing experience for a cabin charter?
No. A skipper handles navigation and the safety side of the week, and you can help with the sails as much or as little as you like. Tell the organizer about your experience level and any concerns when you book, and they can match you to the right trip.
How many people do I need for a private charter?
There is no magic number, but private weeks make the most financial sense when the cabins are full, since the boat cost is shared. Families and friend groups of four to eight are a common fit. Check the boat’s cabin and berth count before you invite people.
Fuentes
- Greek government gazette on professional recreational vessels, e-Register and chartering (2022)
- Yacht Charter Cost in Greece & Athens 2026 price guide
- Shared vs private family transfer guide
