Chartering a yacht has always been thought of as an expensive way to have a vacation. Let me explain why that's not always necessarily right.

But I'll start with yacht charters that really are expensive. There's virtually no upper limit to the amount you can spend on these types of vacation. One of the largest mega yachts available for charter, MY Annaliesse will set you back approximately EUR 94,000, and that's for each day. Expenses, fuel amongst others, have to be added to that amount. We have to admit though that Annaliesse is not a standard mega yacht but rather a floating hotel, capable of accommodating up to 36 guests. You will be pampered by crew of 34, including hairstylists, fitness instructors, some of the best chefs and of course the captain and his crew who safely navigate the vessel in the Mediterranean, Caribbean or other beautiful places around the world.

Now, Annaliesse is of course an extreme example. Nevertheless she is booked throughout the year. Considerably cheaper is, for exampe, MY Carmen Fontana. This 40 meter / 120 feet long mega yacht is available in the Greek waters from approx. US$12,000 per day. Still a large amount of money for most of us though. However, these yachts are typically chartered by pop stars, movie stars or other VIP's. The alternative, booking a room or suite in a hotel, will often not work for well known people for obvious reasons. On a yacht one can enjoy their holidays in utmost privacy while a professional crew is always available at their service.

As said, US$12,000 per day is an amount most of us are not willing to spend on a vacation. Most people who charter a yacht in the Mediterranean or Caribbean spend amounts like US$1800 per week for, for example, a 36 feet bareboat sailing yacht. A 36 feet sailing yacht for example, is capable of accommodating 6 people. So when you decide to take your friends and split the amount, you will only spend like US$300 per person per week..... Which in many cases is cheaper than a hotel room. Add the great views, changing by the day if you decide to do some island hopping, the joy of being on the water and the fun of sailing in the most wondeful places on earth and you know why yacht charters are becoming increasingly popular.

Marc Onrust is owner of MarineYacht, a Dutch Yacht Charter agency with charter yachts worldwide. http://www.marineyacht.com