Caribbean/Costs

Budgeting

Caribbean charter provisioning costs: what to budget

Owners and brokers ask for a number before there is a menu. These are the ranges we see across Caribbean charters — indicative planning figures, not quotes. Every real number depends on the brief, the island and the week.

Figures shown

Typical ranges, EUR

Basis

Per guest, per week

Excludes

Crew food, APA fuel, dockage

Quote turnaround

Same working day

Indicative food and beverage ranges

Per guest, per week — food and non-alcoholic beverage, Caribbean charter
SpecTypical rangeWhat it looks like
Standard€350 – €600Good local produce, everyday imported staples, straightforward menus.
Premium€600 – €1,100Imported specialty, quality proteins, chef-led menus, dietary tailoring.
Ultra / peak week€1,100 – €2,500+Air-freighted luxury lines, caviar and truffle, daily fresh, peak-week sourcing.

Ranges are what we typically see, not a price list. Wine, Champagne and spirits sit outside these figures.

What actually drives the number

  • Island: the same brief costs materially less in San Juan or Guadeloupe than in St Barths or the Grenadines.
  • Import duty: most islands levy duty on imported provisions. Puerto Rico (US domestic) and the French islands (EU-internal) avoid the worst of it.
  • Freight legs: each additional leg south of the hub adds cost and time.
  • Week: peak-week pricing is real. Suppliers price scarcity in late December.
  • Brief specificity: naming exact brands and vintages costs more than naming a standard.

Where the same brief costs less

PortDuty positionEffect on budget
San Juan, Puerto RicoUS domestic — no import duty on US goodsUsually the cheapest deep load in the northeast Caribbean.
Guadeloupe / MartiniqueEU-internal on mainland French productBest value for cheese, charcuterie, wine and patisserie.
St MaartenLow-duty free-port character, deep rangeBest breadth per euro across the Leewards.
St Barths, GrenadinesImported through second legsHighest landed cost — top up fresh, load deep elsewhere.

How we quote

You get one quote covering provisions, freight, duty where it applies and our service, before anything is bought. Substitutions are proposed, not made silently, and the invoice reconciles against the quote line by line.

Frequently asked

How much does yacht provisioning cost per week in the Caribbean?

Typically €350 to €600 per guest per week at a standard spec, €600 to €1,100 premium, and above that for ultra or peak-week briefs. Wine and spirits are separate.

Are these figures a quote?

No. They are indicative planning ranges. Send the brief and we will quote the actual number the same working day.

Is import duty included?

Where duty applies, we include it in the quoted landed cost so the approved number is the number invoiced.

Can you work to a fixed APA allocation?

Yes. Give us the allocation and we build the brief to fit it, flagging anything that would push it over before we buy.

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