How does tipping work on yacht charters?

Charter tipping is well-codified in the U.S. industry. Here's the playbook:

Day charter tipping (South Florida): - 15% is the minimum for good service. - 18-20% is the standard for service that met expectations. - 25%+ is appropriate when the crew went genuinely above — extra time, custom itinerary, exceptional hospitality. - Paid in cash at the end of the trip. Cash is the standard because it reaches the captain directly. Venmo/Zelle are increasingly accepted — always ask the captain which they prefer.

Multi-day crewed charter tipping: - Standard: 15-20% of the total charter fare, pooled across the entire crew. - Deliver in a sealed envelope to the captain on the last evening, with a short note. - The captain distributes to mate, chef, stewardess, deckhands per internal norms. - For exceptional service from a specific crew member (a chef who ran custom menus, a stewardess who handled a last-minute provisioning miracle), consider an additional direct tip to that person on top of the pooled amount.

MEGA yacht / APA model. Very large charter yachts often run on an Advance Provisioning Allowance — 25-35% of the charter fee that covers fuel, food, and port fees. The APA is separate from and does NOT replace the crew tip.

What's NOT tipped: - Bareboat charters — there's no captain to tip. If you hired a captain-for-hire separately, follow that service's conventions. - Marina valets and dock hands — a small tip ($5-$10) is appreciated for luggage help but not obligatory. - Owners who drove their own boat — awkward, but still appreciated. The captain-as-owner is common on CharterXO and the tip functions the same way.

If service was genuinely poor, leave a small tip (5-10%) and file a detailed complaint with CharterXO support. We escalate owner performance issues; the tip alone doesn't.