Charter glossary

Yacht charter terms, explained plainly.

Selling charters means running into vocabulary from three different worlds: seafaring, travel distribution and contract law. This glossary explains the most important terms in two or three sentences each.

Founder, Yarentra — charter sales and yacht operations, DubaiLast reviewed: August 2026

The three terms that matter most

The operator is the company that runs the yacht. The sales partner is the business that serves the end client and refers the charter. The referral commission is the share of charter revenue the sales partner receives for that — commonly between 10 and 20 percent of the charter fee internationally.

Terms from A to Z

Alternative proposal: A replacement yacht offered by the charter team when the preferred yacht is unavailable. Credible proposals are checked for availability and price before being passed to the client.
APA (Advance Provisioning Allowance): An advance against running costs on longer crewed charters, typically 20 to 35 percent of the charter fee. The captain pays fuel, port fees, provisioning and drinks from it, and settles the unused balance at the end.
Availability status: The label on a period in a yacht calendar. Common levels are: available, on request, to be confirmed, option held, booked and maintenance.
Bareboat charter: Renting a yacht without crew. The charterer navigates the vessel and normally needs a recognised licence and radio certificate. Bareboat is uncommon for motor yachts in Dubai, where crewed charter dominates.
Berth: A yacht's fixed place in a marina. Guests embark and disembark there; berthing fees at additional ports may be charged as extras.
Booking confirmation: The document recording a binding booking: yacht, dates, guest count, services and price. It is the basis for deposit and balance payment.
Capacity: The maximum number of guests permitted on board under the vessel's certification. It is binding and cannot be raised by paying extra.
Central agency: An agency that markets a yacht exclusively and channels enquiries from other intermediaries. In return it handles marketing, pricing and calendar management for the owner.
Charter fee: The rental price of the yacht itself, excluding extras such as fuel surcharges, catering, port fees or special equipment. It is normally the base for calculating commission.
Charter licence: The official permit to rent out a yacht commercially. Without a valid licence and matching insurance a yacht may not be chartered — a checkpoint when selecting operators.
Charterer: The person or company that signs and pays for the charter contract — not necessarily one of the guests on board.
Client protection: An agreement that a client introduced by a sales partner remains attributed to that partner for a defined period, even if the client later enquires directly. It rests on documented evidence of who introduced the client and when.
Commission settlement: A summary of all commissions a sales partner earned in a period, referencing the individual bookings. It is the basis for payout.
Commission split: Division of commission between several parties, for instance between a central agency and the referring sales partner. The commission amount is shared according to a rate agreed in advance.
Crewed charter: A charter that includes crew. A captain and, depending on yacht size, a deckhand, steward or chef are part of the price. This is the standard format for hourly and day charters in the Emirates.
Day charter: A full-day charter, usually six to ten hours, frequently including swim stops and catering on board. The effective hourly rate is normally lower than for short trips.
Deposit: The partial payment that makes a booking binding, frequently 50 percent of the total in yacht charter. The balance typically falls due days or weeks before the charter.
Extras: Everything charged besides the charter fee: fuel, berthing, catering, drinks, water toys, decoration, transfers and special requests. Extras are billed either as a flat rate or by consumption.
Hourly charter: A charter with a minimum duration of typically two to four hours, used for cruises, sundowners and small celebrations. It is the most common day-to-day format in Dubai, often along the marina skyline and Palm Jumeirah.
Lead: A concrete client enquiry with contact details and the key parameters of the desired charter. The lead precedes the booking and is the anchor point for client protection.
Leg: A single stretch of a route, or a charter segment from departure to return to the home port.
Marina: A harbour facility for leisure and charter yachts with berths, services and shore access. In Dubai, Dubai Marina, Dubai Harbour and Port Rashid are the best-known charter departure points.
Minimum booking duration: The shortest period for which a yacht can be chartered. It is set per yacht and per charter type — a yacht might require three hours for hourly charter and seven nights for weekly charter.
Net rate: The price at which the operator releases a yacht to distribution. The difference to the retail rate is the margin from which sales commissions are paid.
Non-circumvention clause: A contractual term prohibiting parties from bypassing the intermediary on follow-up business. It only bites when the introduction of the client can be evidenced without gaps.
Open enquiry: An enquiry without a specific yacht: the sales partner states date, guest count, region and budget, and the charter team proposes suitable yachts. Useful when the client is flexible or the catalogue shows nothing fitting.
Operator: The company or owner running a yacht commercially: crew, maintenance, insurance, licensing and availability are their responsibility. This is also the role that sets the rate at which a yacht is released to distribution.
Option (charter hold): A non-binding but time-limited hold on a period for a named prospect. If the option lapses without a booking, the date is released automatically.
Referral commission: The share of charter revenue a sales partner receives for a referral. Internationally, 10 to 20 percent of the charter fee is common depending on market and charter type; the actual rate is negotiated.
Retail charter rate: The end-client price of a yacht. Commission is calculated from it unless agreed otherwise.
Sales partner: A business that serves end clients and refers charters — a travel agency, event planner, concierge service or hotel. The sales partner sells and looks after the client, and earns a commission without operating a yacht.
Season: The period of high demand and correspondingly higher prices. In Dubai the main season runs roughly from October to May; in the Mediterranean from May to September.
Security deposit: A charterer's security against damage and excess, usually held on a credit card or covered by a damage waiver. On crewed charters in Dubai it is often unnecessary because the crew operates the vessel.
Skippered charter: A middle option: the charterer rents the yacht and additionally books a professional skipper to navigate. Useful when no licence is held or the cruising area is unfamiliar.
Transfer time: Sailing time from the berth to the actual destination, such as a swimming bay. It counts as part of the booked charter time and matters on short trips.
Weekly charter: The classic format in the Mediterranean and Caribbean: booked Saturday to Saturday or for seven nights, usually crewed and with a separate budget for provisioning and fuel.
White label: Issuing documents under the issuing company's own brand — its logo, address and bank details, with no visible trace of the software used.

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Yacht charter terms, explained plainly.

Terms from A to Z

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