Cost of a Sailing Holiday in Croatia

Sailing trips are priced in different ways, and they include different things. Comparing them like for like is the most useful thing you can do.

• Bareboat charter. You pay a weekly price for the yacht and arrange everything else yourself. Expect separate charges for food, fuel, marina and mooring fees, tourist tax and park entry, plus a refundable security deposit or a damage waiver. Charter companies often add a fixed fee covering items such as final cleaning, linen and gas.
• Skippered charter. As bareboat, plus a fee for the skipper. Guests usually also cover the skipper's food, and sometimes a berth or cabin is set aside for them.
• Cabin charter. You pay per person or per cabin for a place on a skippered yacht shared with other guests. Running costs are usually shared through a kitty, which makes the total easier to predict.
• Flotilla. The price of the yacht or cabin includes the support of a lead crew. Running costs work much as they do on a charter.
• Small-ship cruise. You pay per person for a cabin on a crewed vessel, usually with some meals included. Drinks, excursions and port charges may be extra.

No type is always cheaper. Splitting a whole yacht between a full group can work out well per person, while booking a single cabin avoids paying for empty berths. Skippered versus bareboat charter and a sailing week versus a small-ship cruise compare the formats in more depth.

• Season. Prices tend to peak in July and August and fall in the shoulder months. The best time to sail in Croatia explains the trade-offs.
• Yacht size, type and age. Larger yachts, newer models and catamarans generally cost more than smaller or older monohulls. See catamaran versus monohull.
• Crew. A skipper, and on some yachts a host or cook, adds to the cost.
• Route. A one-way trip may carry a supplement, and a route through national parks adds entry fees.

Depending on the trip, some or all of these will be added on top of the advertised price:

• Kitty. A shared fund for food and drinks on board, and on many trips fuel and mooring fees as well.
• Fuel. Yachts motor part of the time, especially in light winds and when entering harbours. Fuel is usually paid at the end of the week or from the kitty.
• Marina and mooring fees. Marinas, town quays and many buoy fields charge per night, with the price usually based on the length of the yacht.
• Tourist tax. A charge per person per night, collected in a way that depends on the type of accommodation and trip.
• National and nature park entry. Parks such as Kornati, Mljet and Telašćica charge yachts for entry. See national and nature park fees.
• Transfers. Getting from the airport to the marina and back. See getting to the marina in Split.
• Tips. Tipping the skipper and crew is customary at the end of a good week, though always discretionary.
• Ashore. Dinners in konobas, drinks, water taxis, excursions and nights out.

Travel insurance and flights also belong in the total. Money, cards and tipping in Croatia explains how to pay for these on the trip.

On shared trips, a kitty keeps costs fair and simple. At the start of the week each guest pays an equal amount into a common fund, usually in cash. One person, often the skipper or a volunteer, uses it for groceries, fuel and fees, and keeps receipts. If it runs low, everyone tops it up; whatever is left at the end is shared back.

Before you go, ask what the kitty covers and what it does not, whether the skipper's meals are included, and whether it pays for any dinners ashore. Drinks are a common source of disagreement, so agree early on how they are shared.

1. Is the price per person, per cabin or per yacht?
2. Which taxes and mandatory charges are included?
3. Is there a kitty, how much is it expected to be, and what does it cover?
4. Are fuel, marina fees, mooring buoys and park entry included or extra?
5. Is there a security deposit or a damage waiver?
6. What is included in the price for the skipper and any other crew?
7. Are linen, towels and end-of-week cleaning included?
8. Are transfers included?

Written answers to these questions make it easy to compare offers fairly.

This guide explains how sailing holidays in Croatia are priced in general. For the actual price of a Croatia Sailing Week trip, what it includes and what it does not, see dates and prices. For the wider planning steps, return to planning a sailing trip.