Only One Luxury Yacht: 3-Hour Private Charter in Cape Town

Only One Yacht

3-Hour Private Luxury Yacht Charter with Drinks

from $3,574

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Prices and timetables checked 17 October 2026. This page contains affiliate links to GetYourGuide.

The Only One luxury yacht is a 65-foot (20 m) Princess motor yacht that Only One Yacht rents out as a private, crewed charter out of the Waterfront's yacht berths. For three hours the boat belongs to your group alone, and the listing prices it per group, not per seat: $3,574 for up to 12 guests.

The fact that changes the decision is the shape of the price. At $1,191 an hour this is a different product from the 90-minute shared sunset sails on the same water (from $39 a ticket), and the sums only work with a full boat.

Read the cost table below before you choose it over a shared sunset cruise in Cape Town, or browse the whole boat tour section for Cape Town and the harbouradvisor.com home page for other ideas.

What do you get on the Only One luxury yacht in three hours?

You get the whole boat, a skipper and a stewardess, with the route set by your group on the day. The listing describes a 65 ft Princess with an air-conditioned interior and a sun deck, and says it takes up to 12 guests on day charters.

• Crew: a professional captain plus a dedicated stewardess who serves drinks and canapés.
• Drinks: local beer, wine and sparkling wine, soft drinks and water are part of the price.
• Food: snacks and freshly made canapés. The listing does not give a menu, so ask about dietary needs before the date.
• Safety kit and fuel: life jackets, safety equipment and fuel are included, and VAT is in the price.
• Content packages: the listing mentions optional photo and video packages without a price. Ask what they cost.

I'd treat the Only One luxury yacht as a party boat for a fixed group (birthday, proposal, family reunion, small corporate thank-you) and not as a sightseeing ticket. Nobody else boards, so the pace, music and swim stop are yours to set.

Where does the Only One luxury yacht leave from?

It leaves from the marina side of the Waterfront, and the operator's landmark is the Cape Grace hotel: the yachts are berthed on the water behind it. Look for the security hut by the hotel's boom gate, then ask for Only One Yacht and a crew member will meet you.

1. Head for the Cape Grace hotel on Google Maps, which sits on the marina side of the Waterfront.
2. Walk to the two security huts that lead onto the yacht berths and use the one nearest the hotel's boom gate.
3. Name the operator at the hut. The exact dock is sent after booking, so keep your confirmation handy.
4. Arrive 15 minutes before the start time, which is the check-in lead the listing gives.

V&A Waterfront Marina on Google Maps and Walking route from the Clock Tower to the marina. The listing gives no walking time from a car park or from the MyCiTi stop, and I have not estimated one. Allow extra time on a busy Waterfront evening, because the security huts add a short queue.

What is the route, and how far can three hours reach?

The route runs south along the Atlantic Seaboard past Clifton and Camps Bay, and three hours is long enough to reach Camps Bay with time to spare. I measured straight-line distances from the marina and divided by the 20-knot cruising speed in the listing, so treat the minutes as a floor.

The 3-hour listing names only Clifton and Camps Bay. Hout Bay and Robben Island appear as extensions in the 8-hour listing for the same boat.

For a three-hour trip I'd plan on Camps Bay as the far point. A round trip there is roughly 20 minutes of cruising on paper, which leaves most of the time for anchoring, a swim off Clifton (weather permitting, says the listing) and drinks on deck.

How long is it, and what time should you sail?

The charter lasts three hours and the listing does not publish start times; they show after you select a date. If you want to see the sun go down from the water, board about two hours before sunset so the last hour is spent in the evening light.

South Africa does not use daylight saving, so these times hold all year at the same clock offset. Winter sunsets arrive about 2 hours earlier than in December, which is why a June evening charter finishes in the dark.

What is included, and what is not?

Fuel, crew, drinks and snacks are in the price; transfers, tips and anything beyond the standard drinks are not mentioned. Two points in the listing need a question to the operator before you pay.

Bring sunscreen, sunglasses, a camera and a jacket, which is the packing list on the listing. The wind off the Atlantic is cooler than it feels at the marina.

How much does it cost per person, and in rand?

The price is $3,574 whatever the headcount, so the cost per person is $3,574 divided by the number of guests: $298 for 12 and $893 for 4. In rand that is about R58,734 for the boat at the 2026-10-16 Frankfurter rate.

The listing shows prices in dollars because the scraper reads them in that currency; your checkout may display another one. The rand figures use the rate published on 2026-10-16 and will move.

How does it compare with Cape Town's other boat options?

It is the shortest of three Only One charters and by far the most expensive per hour of any boat tour I track in Cape Town. The longer Only One options spread the same crew and fuel across more hours, which lowers the hourly rate.

If you only want a sunset on the water for two people, the shared sails cost under $100 for the pair. If you want a private deck for a dozen, the 8-hour boat at $555 a head is cheaper per hour but requires a whole day. The 3-hour charter is the entry point to the private tier.

Is the Only One luxury yacht worth it compared with a shared cruise?

It is worth it when you have at least six guests and want privacy, and it is hard to justify for a couple. The break-even against the cheapest shared sunset ticket ($39) is about 92 guests, which is impossible, so you are paying for exclusivity, crew time and drinks, not for savings.

• Worth it: groups of 6 to 12 who would otherwise spend a similar amount on a restaurant evening.
• Worth it: celebrations where a private deck, music control and a swim stop matter.
• Not worth it: two travellers who only want the mountain skyline from the water. The shared sails give you the skyline for a fraction of the price.

1.44 million foreign overnight visitors came to Cape Town in 2025, staying 9.5 nights and spending R1,390 a day.

Cape Town draws long-stay foreign visitors who spend freely, which explains why a private tier exists at all; the Western Cape government put international tourist spending in the province at almost R26 billion in 2025. The Cape Town Tourism report says foreign visitors stay 9.5 nights, so a half-day on the water fits a longer itinerary without crowding it.

When is the best time to go?

November to March has the longest evenings and the least rain, but it also carries the strongest wind. Daily maximum wind averages 25 to 27 km/h from November to February, against 18 km/h in May, according to Open-Meteo's ERA5 archive for 2015 to 2024.

Wind decides whether the anchor stop and swim happen, and the listing says swimming depends on conditions.

The listing says nothing about weather cancellations beyond the 24-hour free cancellation. Ask the operator what happens if the skipper calls off a windy day, and check the forecast from the South African Weather Service the day before. Public holidays (next: Day of Reconciliation on 16 December, per Nager.Date) fill the Waterfront, so book early for the December run.

What do passengers say?

There are no passenger ratings to summarise: GetYourGuide shows this as a new activity with no rating and no review count. I will not guess at feedback that does not exist.

What I would do instead is ask the operator for a recent guest message or photos from the same boat, and read the reviews on the neighbouring 5-hour Only One cruise page once they appear. A free-cancellation window of 24 hours is your safety net while the product builds a track record.

Who should skip the 3-hour charter?

Skip it if anyone in your party uses a wheelchair, has limited mobility or tends to get seasick, because the listing marks all three as not suitable. Also skip it if you are travelling as a couple on a budget, if you want a narrated sightseeing tour, or if you need a fixed timetable.

• Mobility: wheelchair access is doubtful, per the listing's notes.
• Seasickness: the Atlantic swell off Clifton is open water, not harbour water.
• Children: an adult has to travel with them; the listing gives no minimum age.
• Whales and seals: if wildlife is the goal, compare the Cape Town whale watching trips instead.

Private charters are regulated by the South African Maritime Safety Authority (SAMSA), which treats boats that carry paying passengers differently from private pleasure craft. The listing calls the crew professional but does not name the certificates, so ask Only One Yacht for its commercial vessel documentation if you are booking for a company event.

For a wider view of private boats, see the Cape Town yacht charter guide, or go back to the boat tour hub.

How do you book the 3-hour Only One charter?

Frequently asked questions

Sources: GetYourGuide listing for the 3-hour private luxury yacht charter (Only One Yacht), checked 17 October 2026; Cape Town Tourism, Economic Value of Tourism 2025; Open-Meteo archive and marine APIs; sunrise-sunset.org; Frankfurter exchange rates; Nager.Date holidays; SAMSA; Western Cape Government; South African Weather Service.