Miami Yacht Rental: No Hidden Fees, Real Prices Upfront

Pricing · By The VCYC Team · August 16, 2026 · 9 min read

Vice City Yacht Club publishes exact Miami yacht rental prices by boat size and hours — 4-hour charters from $650 to $19,000 — with only 7% tax and crew gratuity added. No fuel surcharges, no insurance fees, no surprises.

What You Actually Pay for a Miami Yacht Rental

Vice City Yacht Club publishes exact retail prices by boat length and charter duration — a 4-hour charter on a 40-foot yacht costs $2,450, a 70-foot yacht for 6 hours runs $10,900, and the cheapest 4-hour option is $650 — and the only additions are 7% Florida sales tax and crew gratuity, which starts at 10% of the charter price. Fuel, captain, insurance, and all safety equipment are included in the listed price. You can hold any available date free for 24 hours with no card and no deposit, then confirm with a 35% deposit (or $250 minimum) when you're ready. Every price is published on the website before you fill out a single form, and there are no fuel surcharges, insurance add-ons, or surprise fees at checkout.

This approach eliminates the miami yacht rental hidden fees problem that plagues the charter industry. Competitors bury pricing behind contact forms, quote vague ranges, and then add fuel charges, cleaning fees, and mandatory insurance after customers have committed to a date. We run 32 yachts from 25 to 135 feet, departing central Miami and Brickell, and every boat's price is transparent from the first search. The only variables are the two legitimate, standard charges in every charter: tax and gratuity.

What 'Upfront Pricing' Actually Means at Vice City Yacht Club

Upfront pricing means the number you see on the yacht's detail page — for example, $3,100 for a 4-hour charter on Sebastian, a 65-foot yacht for up to 13 guests — is the base charter price, and it includes the captain, fuel for standard cruising, ice, coolers, Bluetooth sound system, liability and hull insurance, and all required safety equipment. That price does not change when you book. You will not receive an email adding a fuel surcharge, a captain fee, or a cleaning charge.

Most competitors list prices as ranges — "$2,000 to $10,000 depending on availability" — or require you to submit a contact form and wait for a quote that arrives days later with line items you never saw coming. Some show one price on the search page and then add 20% in fees when you try to confirm. We do not operate that way because we own and manage our fleet directly, and our business model depends on repeat customers who trust the number they see.

The listed price is the retail charter rate. The two additions — tax and gratuity — are standard across the industry and required by law or custom. We explain both in the next section with real-dollar examples so you can calculate your total cost before you contact us.

The Only Two Charges Added to Your Charter Price

Florida charges a 6% state sales tax plus a 1% Miami-Dade county surtax on the first $5,000 of the sale, which works out to roughly 7% on most charters. For a $3,100 charter, tax adds approximately $217. For a $10,900 charter, the tax is calculated as 7% on the first $5,000 ($350) plus 6% on the remaining $5,900 ($354), totaling $704. The surtax caps at $50, so charters above $5,000 pay slightly less than a flat 7% rate, but budgeting 7% covers the full amount.

Crew gratuity is not included in the charter price and is paid directly to the captain and crew on the day of the charter. The minimum is 10% of the charter price, or 18% on holiday charters. Customary gratuity is 15–20%. On a $3,100 charter, a 15% gratuity is $465, and 20% is $620. On a $10,900 charter, 15% is $1,635 and 20% is $2,180. Gratuity is discretionary above the minimum, but crews work long days in the sun, handle docking and navigation, and manage guest safety — tipping well is both expected and earned.

Here's a complete cost example for Don't Tell Mom, a 68-foot yacht that charters for $4,750 for 4 hours:

- Charter price: $4,750 - Tax (7% estimate): $333 - Gratuity at 15%: $713 - Total out-of-pocket: $5,796