Catamaran Charter for Families — Why Two Hulls Beats One for Kids Aboard

# Catamaran Charter for Families — Why Two Hulls Beats One for Kids Aboard When a family with kids under twelve asks us to plan their first yacht charter, our default recommendation is almost always a **luxury catamaran charter**. Not a monohull sailing yacht, not a small motor yacht — a catamaran. Here is why. ## Stability at anchor A monohull yacht rolls in any beam swell at anchor. For adults, this is character. For a 6-year-old trying to sleep, it's a problem. A catamaran charter is essentially stationary at anchor — no roll, no creak, no breakfast crockery sliding off the cockpit table. ## Layout that suits a family On a catamaran, each cabin sits in a separate hull. Parents in one hull, kids in the other. The salon — the main social space — is at deck level with 360° glass. Compared to a monohull where everyone is stacked vertically through the same companionway, a catamaran feels like a small flat with a sea view. ## Shallow draft = better anchorages A Sunreef 60 or Lagoon 65 draws 1.5m. A comparable 65ft motor yacht draws 2.5m. That extra metre matters in shallow Caribbean bays, the Maldives, Greek islands like Antiparos and the Pakleni near Hvar. A catamaran charter can anchor 50m from the beach where the monohull anchors 200m offshore and tenders in. ## Swim platform real estate The transom of a catamaran is one continuous wide swim platform. With kids aboard, this is the difference between watching them swim from a foot-wide step and letting them play on what is essentially a private floating dock. ## Where a family catamaran charter shines - **BVI catamaran charter**: the world's default catamaran ground — short hops, reef snorkeling, calm anchorages. - **Maldives catamaran charter**: shallow lagoons that motor yachts cannot reach. - **Greek islands (Cyclades, Saronic)**: hopping between islands with kids who can swim ashore. - **Croatia (Dalmatian coast)**: Pakleni Islands, Kornati National Park. ## When the catamaran is the wrong call - **Atlantic crossings or rough-weather repositioning**: a heavy monohull is more comfortable. - **Pure luxury social events (Monaco Grand Prix, St Barths NYE)**: a motor yacht has more presence at the marina. - **Long-distance Mediterranean itineraries (St Tropez to Capri to Sicily in a week)**: speed matters and a motor yacht delivers. ## Indicative cost for a family catamaran charter - **50ft all-inclusive sailing catamaran (BVI, Croatia)**: from $30,000–$45,000/week, sleeps 8 in 4 double cabins. - **65ft Sunreef power catamaran (Maldives, Mediterranean)**: from €60,000–€95,000/week, sleeps 8–10 with crew of 3–4. For a curated short-list, see our [BVI](/charter/destinations/british-virgin-islands-yacht-charter) and [Maldives](/charter/destinations/yacht-charter-maldives) destination pages, or talk to our [concierge](/concierge).