Advance Provisioning Allowance

What is apa?

APA (Advance Provisioning Allowance) is a standardized system for paying expenses when renting a luxury yacht.
The APA essentially creates a bank account for the captain (and chef) of the yacht to make purchases on your behalf. APA is generally calculated as a percentage of the rental cost, which you then pay on top of it, before the rental begins. The broker or captain will use this sum to provision the boat and fill up with fuel1. Any remaining money will be returned to the customer at the end of the rental.
During the charter, the captain will be responsible for the APA and must keep all receipts. It should also keep you updated on how much is being spent and anything else you need to be aware of. The APA applies, as standard, to almost all professional yacht charters and is almost mandatory for all luxury yacht charters.
The APA covers all variable expenses that may arise during the rental of your yacht. These variable expenses depend on numerous factors. Each charter is unique, and you may have a different APA even if you charter the same superyacht for the same destination. It all depends on how you plan to experience the reference period.
Fuel costs, food and catering on board are part of the APA. Your charter company will determine with you the type of experience you are looking for on your cruise. Your choices will impact your APA.
The APA amount is generally between 30% and 40% of the rental cost. For example, it will be higher if the yacht has a higher fuel consumption, if you plan to make a lot of trips and if you order the highest quality and most expensive brands of champagne, wines, etc.

(Advance Provisioning Allowance) example for a yacht charter that costs 100,000 € per week in Italy.

Let’s assume you’re chartering a yacht for a week at a cost of 100,000 €. The APA is generally calculated as a percentage of the charter cost. If we assume the APA is 30%, you’ll need an additional 30,000 € (30% of 100,000 €) for the APA.

This 30,000 € will be used to cover expenses during your charter. This might include:

Fuel: Let’s say you plan to do a lot of sailing during the week, which could cost about 10,000 € in fuel.
Food and drinks: If you have specific requests for high-quality food and drinks, this could cost about 7,000 €.
Port fees: Port fees vary depending on the ports you visit, but let’s assume they amount to about 3,000 €.
Communications: Expenses for communications, such as internet access, might amount to about 1,000 €.
Other expenses: This could include any extra expenses like crew tips, leisure activities like snorkeling or jet skiing, etc. Let’s assume these expenses amount to about 9,000 €.

At the end of the charter, all actual expenses will be subtracted from the APA. If the total expenses are less than the APA, you will receive a refund for the difference. If the total expenses exceed the APA, you will need to pay the difference.

Remember, this is just an example and the actual figures can vary depending on your specific needs and itinerary. I hope this helps you better understand how the APA works!