Want to vacation like a billionaire? Here's how much it costs to charter a superyacht

Chartering a superyacht is a more cost-effective way to experience luxury on the high seas than buying a boat. But it's still far from cheap.

• Chartering a superyacht is a more cost-effective way to experience the high seas than buying one.
• But it's far from cheap. Renting a yacht for that luxury experience can cost millions a week.
• Here's how much it costs to charter a superyacht and what you have to do to make it happen.

Superyachts are one of the most expensive items money can buy. Costing as much as nine figures to purchase — plus millions a year to maintain — they can also be considered one of the worst investments you can make.

If you're not like Mark Zuckerberg or Jeff Bezos and don't have hundreds of millions to spare, chartering a superyacht — any boat over 30 meters — can be a more economical option. But it is far from cheap. Renting, in layman's terms, a yacht for a week in the summer can cost upward of $1 million.

"Our charter clients are looking for a 6-star experience perfectly tailored to them," Katie Schneidman, a charter broker at brokerage Burgess, told Business Insider over email.

Take the Carinthia VII, a 97-meter yacht for charter from Fraser Yachts that costs more than $1.5 million a week to charter. Even split evenly among 12 guests, the most she can hold, that's about $18,000 per person per day.

You get a lot for your money: A glass-paneled swimming pool, a spa complete with Turkish baths and a beauty salon, plenty of water toys, and a crew of 33 ready to meet any of your needs.

"It's not uncommon to look for a deckhand who can also mix a martini, play an instrument, maybe entertain the guests with singing, and ideally even give a massage," Anders Kurtén, the CEO of Fraser Yachts, told Business Insider during the Palm Beach Yacht Show in March.

But there are a number of costs that aren't accounted for in that price.

Provisioning a charter yacht can run as much as 40% of the charter fee, Schneidman said. Fraser Yachts estimates the total is closer to 30%.

That means food, drink, and fuel for the Carinthia VII could cost as much as $600,000. Just a few years ago, provisioning ran about 20% of a charter's cost, an agent at Palm Beach Yacht Show told BI, but fuel costs have made it more expensive than ever to get caviar to the middle of the Med.

The industry standard for tipping runs another 7% to 20%, Fraser said, which would be between $105,000 and $300,000 for the Carinthia VII. Then there's the VAT, which depending on where you sail, can add another 20%, or $300,000, to the total cost.

Altogether, a week on the Carinthia VII can total $2.7 million — or just over $32,000 per person per day.

The full fee is due before setting sail, but it can be paid in two or three installments.

Once the charter is booked, the luxury experience begins right away. Clients will set an itinerary with the captain — the Carinthia VII sails in Greece and the Western Mediterranean — and the crew will stock the yacht with your choice of wine and spirits, as well as whatever food you want your on-staff private chef to cook.

But there is one thing which even the most experienced staff can't control.

"It is important to note yacht itineraries are at the mercy of weather," Schneidman said. And yes, you still have to pay — even if you don't leave the port.

But there are upsides, she said. "This can also lead to a happy surprise — a detour to Naples to escape a big swell outside of Positano can lead to finding an incredible Napolean pizza spot that becomes a trip favorite!"