Only One Yacht Cruise Cape Town: 5-Hour Private Charter for up to 12 Guests

Only One Yacht

5-Hour Private Yacht Cruise with Drinks & Canapés

from $5,634

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Prices and timetables checked 2026-10-17. This page contains an affiliate link, explained in the booking section.

The Only One yacht cruise is a crewed 65-foot motor yacht booked by the group, not by the seat, leaving the V&A Waterfront marina for the Atlantic Seaboard beaches at Clifton and Camps Bay.

What changes the decision is the maths. The listing price covers the whole boat, so the cost per head falls as the group grows: $470 each at 12 guests, $939 at 6. If you travel as a couple, the shared sunset cruises in Cape Town cost a tiny fraction of that. The home page shows other trip types.

What do you get on the Only One Yacht cruise?

You get the entire yacht, a captain and a stewardess for 5 hours, with drinks, canapés and fuel in the price.

The listing calls the boat "The Only One", a 65 ft Princess with a formal dining area, leather seating and a sun deck with views all round. At 20 knots, which is about 37 km/h, it covers far more coast in 5 hours than a harbour cruise does. The captain adjusts the route to conditions and to what the group asks for.

• Private: no other passengers; the group is limited to 12.
• Crew: a licensed captain and a stewardess who serves drinks and food.
• Fuel and safety kit: included, with life jackets on board.
• Swim stop: the yacht anchors in a bay so guests can swim.

What does the Only One Yacht cruise cost per person?

The price is per group, so $5,634 divided by the number of guests is the real cost: about $470 at 12, $704 at 8 and $939 at 6.

The listing states that all taxes and fees are included. It does not say whether the price changes with a smaller group, so the table assumes it does not.

Where do you board the yacht?

You board at the V&A Waterfront marina, behind the Cape Grace hotel, at the security hut closest to the Cape Grace boom entrance.

The listing tells you to ask for Only One Yacht at that hut, where the crew meets you, and to arrive 15 minutes before departure. The itinerary names the Cape Grace hotel as the start and end point. Open the start in V&A Waterfront Marina on Google Maps, and the listing's own pin at the meeting-point coordinates on Google Maps.

From the Waterfront's Clock Tower, see the walking route to the Cape Grace on Google Maps, and from the Two Oceans Aquarium the walking route to the Cape Grace. I give no walking minutes, because I have not routed them.

What is the route and where do you swim?

The route runs west along the Atlantic Seaboard past Sea Point and Bantry Bay to Clifton and Camps Bay, with the Twelve Apostles above Camps Bay.

1. Leave the marina: out past the harbour wall at the V&A Waterfront.
2. Sea Point and Bantry Bay: the coast road and apartment blocks from the water.
3. Clifton: the beaches below the cliff, which the listing names.
4. Camps Bay: the beach strip with the Twelve Apostles behind it.
5. Anchor: a sheltered bay for a swim, chosen by the captain on the day.

The listing does not name the swim bay, and the captain tailors the route to conditions. The Atlantic is cold: the Table Bay model reads 16.5 °C today. Check the City of Cape Town's beach alerts page, which carries water quality results and push alerts for sharks, bluebottles and sewage spills, before you plan a swim. I could not see Clifton or Camps Bay on it, so look for yourself.

What is included and what costs extra?

The price covers the boat, crew, fuel, safety gear, drinks and canapés, and the listing says no hidden charges apply.

Two points need a question to the operator. First, the not-allowed list includes "alcohol and drugs" while the price includes drinks, so I read the rule as banning your own alcohol, not the crew's. Second, the photography line appears on the includes list but nowhere in the description, so ask whether it costs extra.

How does the 5-hour charter compare with the 3-hour and 8-hour versions?

The 8-hour version has the lowest hourly rate and the 3-hour version the highest, with the 5-hour charter in between.

Going from 5 to 8 hours adds $1,030 for 3 more hours, which is $343 an hour, so the longer boat is the better value if you want a full day. If 3 hours is enough, the 3-hour charter costs $2,060 less. For the full list of private boats, read yacht charters in Cape Town.

Is the Only One Yacht cruise worth it versus a shared sunset cruise?

I'd book it for a group of 8 to 12 that wants privacy, a swim and 5 hours, and I'd choose a shared sunset cruise for two people.

A shared cruise costs roughly a tenth as much per person, but it comes with strangers, a fixed route and 90 minutes. The private yacht gives you the time to anchor and swim, which is the reason to pay for it. The value is in the group size, not the drinks.

R26 billion was spent by international tourists in the Western Cape in 2025, about a quarter of South Africa's international tourism revenue.

I cannot say how fast the yacht books out, because the listing shows no availability data. Holidays raise demand in general: the next South African public holidays are 4 November, 16 December, 25 December and 26 December, according to the Nager.Date API.

When is the best time for a private yacht cruise?

November to March is the best window, because the days are longest, the average highs are 24 to 28 °C, and rain days stay between 2 and 5 a month.

The listing does not state which start times exist, so the last column shows the latest start that still ends at sunset on the 15th.

June has 11.1 rain days and a 18.3 °C average high, so a winter charter needs a wind plan. The listing recommends sunglasses, swimwear, a camera and sunscreen.

Who should skip this charter?

Skip it if anyone in your group cannot swim, gets seasick easily, or travels with pets.

• Non-swimmers: listed as not suitable.
• Seasickness: also listed; the Atlantic swell can be big and I cannot judge it from the listing.
• Pets and smoking: not allowed on board.
• Small groups: two guests pay $2,817 each, so choose a shared cruise.
• Reviews: the listing has no rating yet, so you book on the operator's description alone.

For other kinds of day on the water, go back to the Cape Town boat tour hub.

How do you book the Only One Yacht cruise?

1. Pick a date and a start time that ends before sunset.
2. Split the cost by guest count before you commit.
3. Ask the operator about photography, drinks limits and the swim stop.

Frequently asked questions

Sources: GetYourGuide listing (checked 2026-10-17); City of Cape Town beach alerts (water quality, sharks); Western Cape Government (tourism spend); sunrise-sunset.org, Open-Meteo, Frankfurter and Nager.Date APIs (fetched 2026-10-17).