When deciding on your next family vacation, there are plenty of family size catamaran charter options available to you. Catamarans offer versatility. There is a family size catamaran available to accommodate families or family groupings of all sizes. Catamarans vary from having 3 to 6 cabins and, for larger groups, we also offer tandem charters. View the catamaran as your own floating private villa and enjoy exploring a new destination while staying in your own private space with the assistance of a friendly and knowledgeable crew. There truly is no better way to spend quality time with your family.
Below you can find out about the different types of catamaran cabins available, the various sizes of catamarans and the many possibilities that a tandem catamaran charter can offer to larger groups.
Catamaran Cabins Accommodation
Catamarans come in a variety of layouts and offer different cabin make ups. This makes them ideal for family charters as there are plenty of different layouts to accommodate different family arrangements. The layout of each catamaran can vary, so when searching for your family friendly catamaran charter, ensure you mention if there are any specific cabin types you are looking for and pay close attention to the layout diagrams.
Master Cabin
Many catamarans will offer a Master cabin/stateroom or VIP cabin/stateroom. These cabins are the largest cabins on the yacht and therefore offer more space throughout the cabin. Many Master cabins will have a large storage and dressing area as well as a spacious en suite bathroom. The space and luxury mean these cabins are ideal for the heads of the family. Those type of layouts are often call the Owner’s layout.
Not all catamarans will offer a Master Cabin. Instead, some will have multiple cabins of the same or similar size.
Pros: Master cabins are a real treat for those that stay in them. Enjoy all the luxury on offer as well as ample storage space. This may be especially useful for storing the extra bags that come with taking children on a holiday.
Cons: Master cabins do take space away from other areas in the yacht which means that other cabins or living areas may be smaller or that there are less cabins on board.
Double Cabin
The majority of catamarans will have double cabins available to guests. These are cabins with double beds (sometimes smaller or not rectangular shaped depending on the size of the cabin) which are ideal for adults to share. For family charters, these cabins are perfect for children to either share or for older children to have their own cabins.
The majority of double cabins will have an en suite bathroom.
Pros: Double cabins are space effieint, marrying up comfort and space efficiency.
Cons: There is no standard double cabin size. Some double cabins are compact with little or no space around the bed, others have plenty of space on offer. Simiarly, the bed size varies so ensure to check dimensions to ensure these cabins are suitable for you and your family.
Bunk Cabin
Another cabin type available is a bunk cabin. These are smaller cabins with two single beds, one placed above the other. Bunk cabins can accommodate adults, but are more suited to children or teenagers and are the perfect option for family friendly charters. Bunk cabins are commonplace on board catamarans, making them a popular option for children who love the idea of bunk sleeping as if they were proper sea-men or sea-women!
Bunk cabins may come with their own en suite bathroom. However it is common for them to be placed near a double cabin or Master cabin and they can share the bathroom. This proximity is also another draw for a family charter as children are never far away from their parents.
Pros: A fun way of maximising the space available on a catamaran.
Cons: Bunk cabins do not offer generous amounts of extra space. Bunk cabins are often compact, hence being ideal for children but often not for adults.
Twin cabin
Some catamarans will offer a twin cabin with two single beds. These cabins are less common than Bunk Cabins however they can be found. Twin cabins are perfect for children sharing a cabin but who don’t wish to share a bed, as they would do in a Double cabin. In addition, some select twin cabins may also come with a pullman bed. A pullman bed is a single bed that folds out from the wall, some are permanent others are retractable if not in use. A pullman bed is only suitable for children due to weight restrictions, however they are an ideal option for children that may need to stay close to their parents.
Twin cabins may have their own en suite bathroom or they will be near another cabin and share its bathroom.
Pros: Twin cabins offer flexibility in layouts, especially for older children or for adults who do not wish to share a bed.
Cons: Those single beds might be quite narrow, it is worth checking the size for a particular catamaran.
Convertible cabin
Finally, there are convertible cabins available. These cabins are often laid out as a twin cabin but can be moved or reconfigured to create a double bed. How this is done varies with the yacht’s mechanics. Some twin beds are on mechanical rollers and can simply slide together. Others have an insert added in between the twin beds to create one larger bed.
Convertible cabins are an excellent option for family charters as they offer flexibility to create the perfect layout to suit your family.
Pros: Convertible cabins are wonderfully flexible. They can be twin or double.
Cons: If the cabin is requested to be converted into a double, these doubles, although larger, are not using a double mattress. In most cases, those beds will take the whole width of the cabin.
What are the sizes of catamarans available to a family friendly charter?
Catamarans come in a variety of sizes and this variety makes them ideal for family catamaran charters as there will be the perfect one to fit every family. The number of cabins available is not defined by the size of the catamaran. For example, you could have the same sized yacht, but one is built with three larger cabins compared to another that has been built with 4 slightly smaller cabins. The number of cabins will dictate the size of those cabins and the amount of living space available in the saloon and galley.
42ft to 50ft Catamarans
Catamarans size 42ft up to 50ft are very popular with family charters. These smaller size yachts range in offering on average 3 to 5 cabins and are ideal for families. The cabin types on offer will vary depending on each yacht. For catamarans in this size range, there would typically be 2 or 3 crew members consisting of a Captain, Host/hostess and if there is a third crew member this could be a chef or first mate.
Below are examples of different catamarans in this size bracket with various layouts ideal for family catamaran charters.
Catamaran Falco, a 45’ Lagoon catamaran, available in Croatia. Falco offers 3 double cabins for up to 6 guests. Each cabin has its own en suite.
Catamaran Oceana, a 49’ Bali 4.8 catamaran, based in the British Virgin Islands, Caribbean offers 4 spacious double cabins with queen size beds as well as ample storage and large en suites.
51ft to 65ft Catamarans
These larger size catamarans offer more space to enjoy. You may see this additional square footage in the number of cabins available or in the size of the cabins and living space provided. Often, these larger catamarans will have more crew members. Most crew accommodation is at the front of the yacht, however some crews may have reserved a cabin for themselves.
Below are two examples of different layouts in this size range.
Catamaran Hydrus is a Lagoon 55, available to charter in Greece. Hydrus offers 4 double cabins as well as a convertible twin cabin. This flexibility makes it ideal for a family friendly catamaran. There are 3 crew members on board.
Catamaran Valentina, a 62’ Lagoon catamaran available in the BVI, Caribbean, is a great example of a catamaran with two spacious double cabins and a cosy bunk cabin, perfect for children. Valentina has two crew members as well as Linda, the on-board friendly dog.
66ft plus size catamarans
For those families that wish for the most spacious catamarans on the market, look no further than 66’ or more. These large catamarans can host from 6 up to 12 guests and offer a range of layout options. Despite these catamarans being larger, many do not choose to have more cabins. Instead, their cabins on board are more spacious. These larger catamarans will have more crew.
Fantastic Too is a Sunreef 80 available in St Martin, Caribbean. Fantastic Too is able to host up to 11 guests in 4 double cabins and 1 twin cabin, which also has a pullman bed. This twin cabin with additional pullman bed is perfect for 3 guests to share, either 3 children or parents with a younger child.
Cartouche is a 95’ sailing catamaran that offers a luxurious, family friendly catamaran charter. One of the larger catamarans on the charter market, Cartouche boasts plenty of space for the whole family to enjoy. There are 4 cabins on board, welcoming up to 8 guests. The Master cabin rivals any 5* hotel with a king size bed and beautiful en suite with double sinks. Below deck, the remaining 3 cabins are all double cabins with queen size beds.
IPHARRA is a 105’ catamaran available in the Caribbean. Ipharra is ideal for larger family catamaran charters as it has 5 cabins on board and can welcome up to 10 guests. There is one Master cabin with a king size bed, two VIP cabins with queen size beds and finally two twin cabins. With this mixture of cabin type, Ipharra would be perfect for multiple families chartering together or one family with extended family members joining.
Currently, the largest catamaran available to charter in the world is a 152’ catamaran with 6 cabins. There are a handful of similar size 6 cabin catamarans available in multiple destinations around the world.
Currently, the newest 6 cabin catamaran is ARTEXPLORER. A 2024-built catamaran of the highest quality, it really does set a new benchmark in luxury catamaran charters. Artexplorer offers six impeccably designed cabins, four double cabins and a further two convertible cabins, making it ideal for a family friendly catamaran charter. The 55’ beam results in the living areas being expansive and ideal for bigger groups. Due to its large size, Artexplorer has 9 crew members to ensure that everything is well looked after. Artexplorer also has wheelchair access.
How to organise a family catamaran charter for more than 12 guests?
Tandem charters.
Catamaran charters are ideal for larger families, and this still applies if you are a family of over 12 guests. The largest catamaran available for chartering accommodates maximum 12 guests, therefore if you are a family of more than 12, you will be unable to all stay on one catamaran. However, tandem charters provide the perfect way for larger families or multiple families to charter together.
A tandem charter works by chartering more than one catamaran, starting and finishing in the same ports. Charter routes would be the same, the catamarans would anchor up next to each other in bays, moor in the same marinas and ports, partake in the same trips ashore and eat at the same restaurants. You are still experiencing the same memorable holiday together. However, each family or family members staying together, would have their own space away from the rest of the group. Catamarans in the tandem charter tend to be of similar size to ensure that the fleet can match each other in speed.
Tandem charters are exciting and offer the chance to get to know other Captains and crews. Instead of benefitting from the insights of just one crew, a tandem charter offers you the chance to gain experiences from multiple local experts. Despite guests having to sail on their designated yacht during the day for the insurance purposes, everyone can be together once the boats are anchored/moored. Children (and adults) who are fans of water toys can also make use of other catamaran’s water toy selection. Large dining experiences can be arranged such as beach BBQs where the crews of the yachts each provide food to share amongst the entire party. Restaurants can be booked for large groups. There are many options.
Tandem charters are a wonderful option for larger families or several families looking for a family friendly catamaran charter. They do however, require more planning and organisation prior to embarkation to ensure that the multiple crews are all aware of the route, that large enough anchorages/marinas have been selected to accommodate the number of yachts in the tandem and any restaurants have been booked well enough in advance to ensure that they can accommodate larger group sizes. This is all easy for your yacht broker and captains to organise, they just need a little more time than a solo catamaran charter where the charter can be a little more ad hoc.
Pros: Tandem charters are fantastic for accommodating larger groups and still allowing for some privacy.
Cons: Not all catamarans will accept to be part of a tandem charter or part of a bigger group of catamarans which means choice of catamarans is immediately smaller.
Contact Catamaran Charter Experts at High Point Yachting
If you have an enquiry or would like to find out a bit more about where you could charter catamaran yachts with us, our team of yacht charter experts is ready to help. Contact our yachting industry specialists for more information.
Crewed catamaran charter resources
For further details on making the most of your crewed catamaran charter, explore the following resources: