What It Costs | Blue Horizon Adventures

The short answer

~$2,990

per cabin (sleeps two) · per week · BVI

That's the all-in number for on-board expenses for a couple sharing a private en-suite cabin aboard the Irish Wake for one week in the British Virgin Islands. It covers everything below — and we mean everything.

What's included in that number

No hidden fees. No "resort fees." No fine print.

✓Your private double cabin with en-suite head

✓Breakfasts every morning aboard

✓Admiral Donna — co-founder, operations director, formidable trivia opponent

✓Lunches most days

✓Captain Tim — licensed, experienced, entertaining

✓One dinner aboard per week. (We're usually off-grid at a remote island at least one night)

✓Open bar throughout the trip

✓Fresh fruit & snacks all week

✓Mooring & docking fees

✓Fuel for all passages

✓Boat damage insurance

✓Local taxes & permits

Not included: Expenses incurred on-shore and extra toys.

✗Dining ashore (many evenings we may go to a great restaurant — budget ~$75–$150/couple/dine-ashore-night)

✗Personal bar tabs ashore at beach bars

✗Optional boat toys like kayaks or paddleboards. (These are easily arranged for interested crews and cost about $200/week each. If we get them, we usually split the cost among the crew that use them.)

Budget planning

The full cost breakdown

Assuming three couples on the boat (Tim & Donna plus two guest couples) for a one-week BVI charter.

Expense	Per Boat / Week	Per Cabin / Week
Charter cabin fee	—	$2,000
Provisions (food & open bar)	~$1,500	~$500
Mooring & docking fees (BVI)	~$55/night	~$130
Fuel (included most destinations)	Included	Included
Boat insurance	~$875	~$290
Local taxes, permits, fees	Variable	~$50
Ice, trash removal	~$60	~$20
Estimated Total — BVI		~$2,990 / cabin

How We Track Shared Expenses

We want to keep expense tracking as simple as possible. We put a large EXPENSE envelope containing a pad and pen in the navigation station. Whenever you pay for something for the group — dinner, ice, whatever — write yourself a receipt (e.g., "4/18 Tim Ice $10"), note the currency if relevant, and put it in the envelope. After we get home, we add everything up and divide evenly for a final reconciliation. Receipts get a name on them. That's it.

If you're a systematic person and want to track more granularly, we will enthusiastically nominate you as official Quartermaster and hand over the envelope with all the awesome power that comes with it.

How it works

The Payment Schedule for One Week Aboard

We keep this as simple as possible. Three payments before you sail, one small reconciliation after.

1

$300 deposit

Reserves your cabin. We confirm availability, you're on the crew list.

2

$700 — six months before sailing

Running total: $1,000. This is when we start coordinating provisioning preferences.

3

$1,000 — ninety days before sailing

Running total: $2,000. Pre-charter payments complete. You're ready to sail.

4

Post-charter reconciliation — ~$990/cabin (BVI)

After the trip, we tally shared expenses (mooring fees, provisions, fuel, insurance, ice) and divide evenly. We track everything with a simple envelope system so there are no surprises. This is how we arrive at the ~$2,990 all-in figure.

(The $2,000 pre-sail payment schedule above is most common. But if you're sailing for a week on a Last-Minute Escape, the final payment will be $500 less. And if you're sailing longer than a week, the final payment will be prorated for the extra days.)

On deposits: Deposits are generally non-refundable, but we're human beings — not a cruise line. If you need to cancel due to illness or a genuine emergency, we'll work with you and figure out a solution.

Ready to lock it in?

A $300 deposit holds your cabin — that's the whole commitment for now. It takes about two minutes, and you can pay by Zelle right on the next page.

Reserve Your Cabin — $300 →

For context

How does this compare?

We're not the cheapest way to spend a week on the water. But we're probably the best value. Here's an honest look at the alternatives.

Assumption: one couple booking a comparable 42-foot catamaran for themselves — which is exactly what most couples actually do.

Experience	Typical Cost / Couple / Week	What You Get
Blue Horizon Adventures	~$2,990	Private cabin aboard a NEW! 42-foot catamaran, licensed skipper, food, open bar — zero sailing experience required
Standard 42 foot catamaran bareboat (no crew)	~$9,500 – $10,300	Boat rental only at $6,749–$7,499/week, plus mandatory insurance (~$700), provisions (~$1,500), mooring fees (~$400), and BVI taxes. Charter companies require that you have substantial demonstrated experience skippering a comparable size vessel. Many companies and countries require a sailing license.
Standard 42 foot catamaran + hired skipper	~$11,700 – $12,500	All of the above, less the skippering experience, plus a local skipper at $285/day + meals (~$2,240/week). Someone sails the boat for you — but there's no crew, no provisioner, no host, and no open bar.
Professionally crewed luxury charter	$15,000 – $30,000+	Full-service crewed catamaran through a luxury charter broker. All-inclusive, but the weekly vessel rate alone starts around $15,000 — and that's before tips, taxes, and extras.
High-end Caribbean resort week	$5,000 – $20,000+	Land-based. You're in the Caribbean, but you're not at sea. No sailing, no anchorages, no waking up somewhere different every morning.

Bareboat rates sourced from The Moorings and MyBVICharter.com. Rates vary by season, vessel, and availability — check current listings for the most up-to-date figures.

The thing nobody talks about with bareboat charters: by the time you add up the boat rental, provisioning, mooring fees, fuel, insurance, and the stress of sailing a 42-foot catamaran through unfamiliar waters with your friends watching — you've spent more money and had a more anxious week. With us, you just show up.

Destination note

BVI vs. Mediterranean pricing

The $2,990/cabin estimate is for BVI charters. A few things change in the Mediterranean that affect the bottom line:

⛽

Full tank of fuel upfront

In the Med we're required to purchase a full tank at the start — approximately $1,400 (~$470/couple for three couples). This is the biggest variable.

⚓

Higher mooring and marina fees

Mediterranean mooring and marina fees are significantly higher than the BVIs — typically €100–€400 per night depending on the exact location and season. (In contrast, BVI mooring balls run about $55/night.)

🍽️

Dining out costs more

Dinner ashore in Greece or Croatia can sometimes run a bit higher than a comparable restaurant in the BVIs — though it's also extraordinary. Budget accordingly.

Bottom line: the charter cabin fee stays the same for all destinations. Shared post-charter costs will be higher for Med trips — we'll give you a realistic estimate upfront for wherever we're headed.

Common questions

A few things people always ask

For BVI charters, history tells us the post-charter reconciliation comes in around $990/cabin — so your all-in cost will be very close to $2,990. The charter cabin fee ($2,000) is fixed. The shared expenses vary slightly based on mooring availability, group dining choices, and minor incidentals. We've never had anyone feel blindsided by the final number.

Absolutely not. That is not the vibe we're going for AT ALL. This is a trip for friends — including you, who we hope will become a great new friend by the end of the week. Friends help cook meals. Friends help with the dishes. Friends help get the dinghy up on the beach. Friends pitch in. We're all out here, working toward the same goal: having a genuinely great time together. Tips? No. Just no.

Depends on your tolerance for travel-related uncertainty. A comprehensive policy — covering trip cancellation, trip interruption, emergency medical care, and emergency medical evacuation — typically runs a few hundred dollars and can buy real peace of mind once you've booked non-refundable flights and hotels. Because our charters sail in beautiful but sometimes remote waters, the medical and evacuation coverage in particular is worth a serious look. If you also want protection in the rare event a trip has to be cancelled or a host is unable to sail, ask your insurer specifically about "Cancel For Any Reason" (CFAR) coverage — it's usually an add-on that has to be purchased within a couple of weeks of your first deposit. We don't sell insurance and have no preferred provider, but comparison sites like Squaremouth or InsureMyTrip let you filter for exactly the coverage you want and buy directly.

Yes — we've had solo travelers join us and they've been among our best guests. The cabin pricing is per cabin regardless of occupancy, so a solo traveler pays the same cabin rate. Reach out and we'll have a conversation — we might be able to help connect solo travelers who are interested in sharing a cabin to reduce costs. Obviously, what happens in the port hull stays in the port hull!

We love kids! But full disclosure — the Irish Wake is not set up for small children. We don't have safety netting around the boat, which would be very important for young kids, and we don't have child sizes for all of our safety equipment. We've never had teenagers aboard, but we're open to a conversation for mature teens.

We prefer Zelle, but we've been known to take a personal check if asked nicely. We don't run credit cards — which also means no processing fees added to your total. Once you reach out and we've confirmed a cabin, we'll send you the details.

From our guests

"I'm still dreaming of our time on the Paloma (our catamaran in Croatia) and the islands. Words can't even express how amazing our trip was and how lucky I feel to have been a part of it."

— Kimberly Smith (Croatia Charter Guest)

Ready when you are

Lock in your cabin — or ask us anything first.

A $300 deposit holds your cabin, and the rest comes much later. Still working out whether it fits your budget? Tim and Donna answer every message personally and will give you a straight answer.

Reserve a Cabin — $300

Questions about pricing? Just ask →