Who pays the tip, and how much do sources quote?
The charterer pays the tip, at the end of the trip, if they choose to. MYBA's information sheet for charter captains and crew says brokers generally suggest 5% to 15% of the contracted gross charter fee, and only where service has been excellent. The tip is worked out on the charter fee. A captain quoted by Dockwalk points out that it is not calculated on the APA, so a yacht that burns more fuel does not earn a bigger tip.
Trade press quotes wider ranges. Boat International says brokers advise 5 to 20 per cent of the base charter fee, lower in the Med and higher in the US and Caribbean. A Denison crew placement manager told Dockwalk that charter managers and brokers encourage 15 to 20 per cent. Yotspot puts the custom at 10 to 20 per cent. Treat these as habits of the market. The only written guidance from a brokers' body is the MYBA range.
How do crew split the tip?
Brokers usually tell guests to hand the whole tip to the captain in cash, in one envelope, and let the captain divide it. Boat International advises guests against tipping individual crew because the crew works as a team. Some guests do it anyway, and captains often ask the crew to pool those envelopes too.
There are two common methods. Captains quoted by Dockwalk, including the master of a 252-foot yacht, split everything equally so the engineer below decks gets the same as the chief stew. Yotspot says tips are typically pooled and divided by rank and seniority. Both happen. Ask at interview which system the yacht uses. Good captains also hold back the amount until the guests have left, so the figure cannot colour the service.
Why a tip is never guaranteed
MYBA is plain on this. The charterer has no obligation to tip, and crew must never ask for one, either in person or in writing on the final account. Burgess's charter team told Dockwalk that tips under 10 per cent of the charter rate are not unusual, and often simply reflect a guest whose culture does not tip.
The bigger risk sits with the owner. A captain writing anonymously in SuperyachtNews in 2025 explained that unless your Seafarer Employment Agreement (SEA) covers gratuities, crew have no legal claim to them. The owner can keep some or all of the money, and no rule fixes how it is shared. He described an owner who tried to keep part of a very large tip, claiming crew damage. Read the gratuity wording in your SEA before you sign.
What the money looks like over a season
Dockwalk gives a worked example. A yacht chartering at $300,000 a week with 15 crew, tipped 10 per cent, produces $30,000, or $2,000 each. A four-person crew on an $80,000-a-week yacht could take home the same amount. A bigger yacht means a bigger charter fee, but the tip is shared among more people.
Over a full season Yotspot estimates that tips on busy charter yachts can add 20 to 40 per cent to annual earnings. Private yachts are different: the owner may pay a discretionary bonus at the end of a programme, or nothing beyond salary. A captain told Dockwalk he pays crew to industry rates and does not cut salary because of expected tips. SuperyachtNews notes that some crew have been offered lower salaries because a yacht does charter.
What you need
- A gratuity clause in your SEAA captain writing in SuperyachtNews says crew have no legal standing over tips unless the Seafarer Employment Agreement covers them. Check the clause before you sign.
- Know the split methodSome yachts share tips equally and others by rank. Ask which system the yacht uses before you join.
- Never solicit a tipMYBA guidance says crew must not ask guests for a gratuity, verbally or in writing, when the final account is settled.
By location
| Mediterranean | Boat International says tips usually fall towards the lower end of the 5 to 20 per cent range brokers quote. MYBA's 5% to 15% guidance is the common reference point. |
|---|---|
| US and Caribbean | Boat International says tips tend to sit higher in the range here. A captain with mostly American charterers told Dockwalk that US guests typically tip 15 to 20 per cent. |
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Questions people ask
What percentage of the charter fee do guests tip?
MYBA guidance says brokers generally suggest 5% to 15% of the contracted gross charter fee, for excellent service. Trade press quotes up to 20 per cent, especially in the US and Caribbean. Some guests leave less than 10 per cent, or nothing.
Is the tip worked out on the APA as well?
No. A captain quoted by Dockwalk says the tip is a percentage of the charter rate, not the APA. Boat International notes that some guests leave unspent APA with the captain as part of the tip.
Does every crew member get the same share?
It depends on the yacht. Captains quoted by Dockwalk split tips equally across all crew, while Yotspot says tips are typically divided by rank and seniority. Ask which method the yacht uses before you accept the job.
Can the owner keep the crew tip?
A captain writing in SuperyachtNews says that unless your SEA covers gratuities, there is no legal rule stopping an owner from keeping some or all of the money. He advises crew to check their SEA carefully before signing.
Do private yacht crew get tips?
Private yachts have no charter tip. Yotspot says the owner may give a discretionary bonus at the end of a programme, but some give nothing beyond salary.
Do I pay tax on tips?
Industry veterans quoted by Dockwalk recommend that crew include tips with salary when they file their tax returns. Because crew come from many countries, captains leave this to each crew member.
