From Saint-Martin, both Anguilla and Saint-Barth sit less than an hour away by sea, each within reach for a day on the water. Beauty Charters operates around 50 boats from Anse Marcel, Fort Louis Marina and Cole Bay, from an eight-seat RIB to a catamaran seating twenty-eight. Here is what that day costs, and what it holds.
What does a full day, a half day, a sunset cruise cost? Which boat for which group? And what does the published rate cover?
Key takeaways
- A full day starts around $1,100 and reaches $5,000 depending on the boat. A half day starts at $650, a sunset cruise at $450.
- The rate covers the boat, not a seat, so the more of you travel, the less it costs each. A speedboat at $1,250 for the day works out to about $104 per person at twelve.
- Captain, fuel, drinks and snorkeling equipment are included in every published rate.
- Most boats in the fleet can reach Anguilla or Saint-Barth and back in a day, each under an hour away.
- High season runs December to April, low season June to November, with water at 27 degrees and an open choice of boat.
- Seabob, e-foil, drone package, champagne and a cheese board book as add-ons, from $80 to $400.
What determines the price of a private boat day in Saint-Martin?
A private boat day in Saint-Martin costs $650 to $5,000 at Beauty Charters, captain, fuel and drinks included.
The rate is priced for the boat rather than per seat, up to a base capacity that varies from one boat to the next, which changes the maths entirely when ten of you travel rather than two.
Three things move that figure, in order of weight: the boat, the length of the outing and the island you aim for. The first opens the widest gap, an eight-seat RIB and a large crewed catamaran sitting an order of magnitude apart.
How Much Does a Full Day on a Boat in Saint-Martin Cost?
A full day on a private boat in Saint-Martin starts at $1,100 at Beauty Charters, roughly 9am to 5pm, fuel for the crossing included.
That rate buys eight hours of boat, a captain and the fuel needed to leave Saint-Martin waters. This last point is what separates the full day from the shorter formats: it is the only one long enough to cross to Anguilla or Saint-Barth, anchor there and still make it back.
In practice the rate covers departure from Anse Marcel, Fort Louis Marina or Cole Bay, then the run to Anguilla under an hour away, towards Shoal Bay and its pale sand bottom, or to Saint-Barth and Gustavia, with Colombier cove reachable only from the sea. The captain cuts the engine wherever the anchorage is good, at no extra fuel cost.
Also inside the price: mask and snorkel for water that holds 27 degrees much of the year, a paddle board on most boats, and drinks on board. Lunch ashore and the port tax sit outside.
Budget $1,100 for the whole boat on a speedboat, $1,200 on a catamaran, $3,100 on a motor yacht. That price holds up to each boat’s base capacity, with a per-guest supplement beyond it.
Eight hours, two islands, one crew.
How Much Does a Half Day on a Boat in Saint-Martin Cost?
A half day on a private boat in Saint-Martin starts at $650 at Beauty Charters, four hours from 9am to 1pm or 1pm to 5pm.
You stay around Saint-Martin, and the island gives you plenty for four hours.
Tintamarre first, an uninhabited islet twenty minutes from Anse Marcel, white sand and iguanas, the wreck visible from the surface. Then Créole Rock, inside the Nature Reserve, where a mask is enough to meet parrotfish, lobster and turtles. Happy Bay for a quiet anchorage, Pinel islet for lunch on the beach.
The morning slot leaves on a smoother sea, the afternoon one on warmer light. Both book at the same rate.
Budget $650 on a speedboat, $750 on a catamaran, $2,600 on a motor yacht.
How Much Does a Sunset Cruise in Saint-Martin Cost?
A sunset cruise in Saint-Martin starts at $450 for the whole boat at Beauty Charters, two to three hours at the end of the day.
You leave around 4pm. The boat runs the coast slowly, the bar is open, and the light drops over Grand Case and then Marigot bay. At that hour the sea settles, the other boats head in, and you are left alone facing the horizon with a glass in hand.
Over two hours the sun drops to the horizon, the sea turns copper then night blue, and the lights of Grand Case come on one by one. This is the format that books as readily for two, for a proposal or a birthday, as for twelve to open an evening. Champagne and a cheese board are ordered ahead and wait on board.
Budget $450 on a speedboat, $600 on a catamaran, $1,650 on a motor yacht. It is the most accessible format in the fleet, and the one that books earliest from December to April.
Two hours, an open bar and the lights of Grand Case.
How Much Does a Private Boat Cost by Group Size?
At twelve guests, a private speedboat day in Saint-Martin comes to about $104 per person at Beauty Charters, drinks and equipment included.
Because the rate is set for the whole boat, the cost per person falls as the group grows. Take the Cigarette 36 ft: at $1,250 for a full day it carries up to twelve at no supplement, which comes to about $104 per guest when it leaves full, against $625 a head for just two. That calculation decides the boat more than length or service level does.
| Boat type | Best for | Half day | Full day |
|---|---|---|---|
| Speedboats | Couples and small groups | $650 to $2,750 | $1,100 to $3,500 |
| Catamarans | Families and large groups | $750 to $2,450 | $1,200 to $3,900 |
| Yachts | Small groups, service on board | $2,600 to $3,500 | $3,100 to $5,000 |
For a couple or a small group, the Axopar 29 and the Boston Whaler 32 run fast, reaching Anguilla or Saint-Barth with time to spare. For a family or a large group, the Powercat 45 and the Fountain Pajot 50 trade speed for room: sunbeds, shaded areas, a swim platform level with the water, and space to settle in without crowding each other. The VanDutch 48 and the Sunseeker 53 open the yacht range, with air conditioning, fresh water shower and open bar.
Around 50 boats, from an eight-seat RIB to a catamaran for twenty-eight.
What Is Included in the Price of a Private Boat Rental?
Every private boat rental rate in Saint-Martin at Beauty Charters includes the certified captain, fuel for the day, drinks and snorkeling equipment.
The Powercat 45 carries open bar, paddle board, snorkeling gear and floating mat inside its $1,900 full-day rate for ten guests, as do most catamarans in the fleet. Nothing to add at boarding time.
- Certified captain, plus crew or hostess on part of the fleet
- Fuel for the day’s itinerary
- Snorkeling equipment, floating mat and paddle board on most boats
- Drinks, extending to open bar and champagne service on the larger boats
- On board depending on the boat: fresh water shower, music, suntop, sunbed, tender, wifi, air conditioning
Seabob, e-foil, drone package, fruit platter, cheese board or champagne book ahead, from $80 to $400. The point is not to stack up line items, but to shape the day to suit you.
What Comes on Top of the Price of a Day on the Water?
The rate for a private boat day in Saint-Martin at Beauty Charters covers the boat, its captain and its fuel, excluding lunch and the $10 to $45 per passenger port tax.
Lunch first, when the itinerary includes a stop ashore. The tables of Grand Case, Pinel islet, Anguilla and Gustavia handle it, and the crew books ahead.
The port formality next. Anguilla and Saint-Barth are territories distinct from Saint-Martin, and entering their waters carries a tax of $10 to $45 per passenger, settled on arrival. A day that stays around Saint-Martin is not subject to it.
Gratuities are left to the guest. Caribbean charter convention sits between 15 and 20 percent of the base rate.
Depending on the boat, the day extends with options booked ahead, from the seabob to the drone package to catered lunch on board. For a particular request, a specific table reserved, decoration, a shifted schedule, a message to the Beauty Charters team is enough to find out what is possible and at what price. On boats with a base capacity below their maximum, each guest beyond it is charged a per-person supplement shown on the boat page.
A specific table, a shifted schedule, a particular request.
Private Boat Rental Prices in Saint-Martin Vary by Season
High season for boat rentals in Saint-Martin runs December to April, low season June to November, with water at 27 degrees.
From December to April the dry season and the trade winds arrive together. This is the most sought-after window, the inverse of the Mediterranean calendar, which catches travellers who looked at European charters first. Festive-period rates apply between December 20 and January 10, and those dates go months ahead.
From June to November the water holds 27 degrees, availability is wide and the choice of boat is open at standard rates. This is the easiest window for booking a large catamaran or a yacht, the ones that go first the rest of the year.
The Heineken Regatta in early March and the SXM Festival in mid-March fill the fleet weeks ahead. On those dates, booking early counts for more than comparing rates.
December to April goes weeks ahead. Regatta week goes months ahead.
Booking a Private Boat Day in Saint-Martin
The rate for a day in Saint-Martin is known before you leave, captain, fuel, drinks and equipment included: nothing is added back at the dock. The one variable that cannot be recovered is the date. Days from December to April and late-afternoon slots go weeks ahead, often before rates are even compared.
