Cost?
How much does it cost to sail in the Caribbean?
We did the charter through TMM. I'm don't know if they're more or less expensive than other companies. The total cost to charter a 6-berth catamaran in Belize for 8 days was $5663.00. We were asked to pay half up front and the rest when we picked up the boat in Belize.
The price didn't include fuel or food. The charter company offered to take care of provisioning for us (for an extra $30/day) but we decided to do our own shopping in the interest of saving money. We spent $480 on provisions for 6 people for 8 days, including alcohol. In total we spent ~$1000 on hotels and meals for the three days were weren't on the boat.
It cost $35 for the taxi from the airport. It cost $30 each for the water taxi to San Pedro. On the return trip Amanda and I took the single-prop plane from San Pedro to the international airport in Belize. It was ~$80 each.
The round trip flight to and from Belize city was about $1100 each. All told, we spent around $3000 each for the experience.
The stereotypical tropical vacation sold to us in commercials and other popular culture is alive and well in San Pedro. It's just not what I'm looking for.
Still, I would jump at the chance to do it again. But next time I would bring my own snorkel equipment with weights, a dive spear, and a go-pro camera. I would venture out a little farther and pack a little more food. I'd really just like to get away from other tourists and the industry designed to separate them from their money.
Some of the charter company documents:
- TMM_BELIZE_BEVERAGE_ORDER_FORM_2012.doc
- TMM_BELIZE_PROVISIONING_FORM_2012.doc
- TMM_BELIZE_San_Pedro_Town_Map.doc
- TMM_BELIZE_Welcomes_You.doc
- TMM_BELIZE_Your_Guide_to_Provisioning.doc