Most boat days sold in Punta Cana are shared excursions: a fixed route, a fixed time, and a deck full of people you have never met. A private charter is the opposite. The boat, the crew and the day are yours, and every decision below is one you get to make.
Start with the group, not the boat
The right boat depends on who is coming. Before looking at a single photo, it helps to know four things:
- How many people, including children, and their ages
- Whether the day is about swimming and snorkelling, about lunch and time together, or about covering distance
- How long you want to be out: a half day, a full day, or a sunset
- Whether anyone is prone to seasickness
A couple celebrating something and a family of ten with small children will not want the same boat, even on the same day.
Catamaran or motor yacht
A sailing catamaran is stable, spacious on deck, and has the nets at the bow that everyone ends up lying on. It is the comfortable choice for families and larger groups, and the right one for a relaxed day with swimming stops.
A motor yacht is faster, more private below deck, and better suited to longer distances. If the plan involves covering ground, or if the group wants a more formal setting with shade and a proper saloon, it is usually the better call.
Where you leave from
Around Punta Cana, charters leave from Cap Cana Marina or from the beach at Bavaro, depending on the boat. Days to Saona and Catalina islands usually begin with a road transfer south and continue by boat from Bayahibe or La Romana, because going the whole way by sea from Punta Cana makes for a very long day.
If you are staying in a villa or a resort outside Cap Cana, the transfer to the departure point is part of the plan. We arrange it with the rest of the day, so there is no taxi to find at seven in the morning. You can read more on private transfers in Punta Cana.
Choosing the route
There are three broad options:
- Close to shore: the reef and the natural pool off Bavaro, reachable in under an hour. Ideal for a half day, for young children, or for a first time on the water.
- Saona Island: white sand, shallow water and the natural pool inside Cotubanama National Park. The classic long day.
- Catalina Island: quieter, with better snorkelling and a well known dive site on its wall.
We compare the two islands in detail in Saona or Catalina.
Pick the time of day carefully
The sea is generally flattest in the morning, and the wind builds through the afternoon. That matters more on a sailing catamaran than on a motor yacht. For a day with young children, or with anyone who does not love the sea, an early start is the simplest way to make it comfortable.
Sunset charters work differently: they are about the light and the setting rather than distance, and they rarely go far.
When to book
In high season, from December to April, two to four weeks ahead is sensible for a specific boat on a specific date. Around Christmas, New Year and Easter, earlier is better. Outside those months a week is often enough, and last minute requests are still worth asking about, since cancellations happen.
What to settle before the day
- Food and drinks: menus are chosen in advance and adjusted to allergies and preferences. Food on board is usually an additional cost, so it is worth confirming what the price covers.
- Children: life jackets in the right sizes, shade, and a route that does not keep them on board for hours.
- Photography: if the day is a celebration, a photographer can come along.
- Weather: the captain makes the final call on the morning, based on the forecast and on the port authority. If the day cannot run safely, it is moved or cancelled.
Do you need to know how to sail?
No. Every private charter comes with a captain and crew. You are a guest on board, not a skipper, and the crew handles anchoring, the swimming ladder and the snorkelling gear.
How much does it cost?
It depends on the boat, the length of the day, the route and the size of the group, so each charter is quoted on its own. The simplest way to get a precise answer is to send your dates and how many of you there are: we come back with the boats that make sense and their prices.