Private Boat Charter or Shared Tour in the Seychelles? Cost Break-Even Table
On public November 2026 prices the 8-seat private boat priced here never gets as cheap per head as a €90 shared full-day tour. Here is the sum, the table for 2, 4, 6 and 8 people, and what to ask before paying.
By Ivy Underhill (editorial pen name), November 2026
- Shared tour: €90 per adult, 09:00 to about 16:00 or 16:30, 6 to 22 people, barbecue lunch and snorkel gear included (Angel Tours listing on Seyvillas).
- Private boat for 8, full day: from €1,150 per boat. Fuel, skipper, snorkel gear, water and soft drinks are included. The park ticket is not, and the barbecue lunch costs extra (KOEK listing).
- Break-even against €90: about 13 people for the €1,150 boat. The 8-seat Serenity does not get there.
- Park fee: SCR 300 per non-resident over 12 at Curieuse, paid by card on site (SPGA). SPGA says visitors booking through tour operators "normally have entry fees included in the package". The Angel Tours, Swell Boat and Serenity full-day listings exclude it; the others do not mention it.
- What the extra money buys: your own timetable and your own group, not a lower price.
On this page
The 8-seat Serenity, the private boat priced here, never gets as cheap per head as a €90 shared full-day tour. That holds on public November 2026 prices. It costs €1,150 for a full day, about €144 each at 8 people. It would need 12.8 people to reach €90 (1,150 ÷ 90).
One cheaper boat, the Ocean Breeze at €529 per boat for a half day, has no stated capacity. So I cannot say where it breaks even. Before you pay anyone, ask for the final total in euros and whether the park fee is in it.
Picture the jetty at 8:45: a boat of strangers, a barbecue booked and a snorkel mask with someone else's name on it. Or a small boat that leaves when you say. Paradise, it turns out, still comes with a price list. The real question is what the extra €28 to €485 a head is worth to you. The low end is the Serenity half day with 8 people; the high end is its full day with 2.
What this page covers
Small local boats around Praslin are the subject here: speed boats and day boats for 2 to 8 people that run Curieuse, St Pierre and nearby islands. Crewed yachts and bareboat sailing are a different market, so look at yacht charter brokers for those.
We are an independent guide. We do not sell, book or run trips, and we earn nothing from the operators named here. Their public listings are the price sources, nothing more.
The break-even table
The table divides each price by the number of people. Park fees are left out because they are the same either way.
| People | Shared tour (Angel Tours, full day, with lunch) | Small private tour (Angel Tours, 2 to 4 people, no lunch) | Private boat, half day (Serenity, max 8; listing does not say per boat) | Private boat, full day (Serenity, max 8) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Price basis | €90 per adult | €500 for 2 adults, €80 per extra adult | €946 per boat | €1,150 per boat |
| 2 | €90 | €250 | €473 | €575 |
| 4 | €90 | €165 (€660 ÷ 4) | €237 | €288 |
| 6 | €90 | not offered (max 4) | €158 | €192 |
| 8 | €90 | not offered (max 4) | €118 | €144 |
Scroll sideways for more columns.
How to read it:
- Shared tour: the price does not move with your group size. The tour needs at least 6 people in the boat, but they do not have to be your friends.
- Small private tour: the listing says "price for 4 people", while its terms say the €500 covers 2 adults, or 2 adults plus 2 children under 12. The table follows the terms. Lunch is extra at €40 per adult, so four adults pay about €205 each with food.
- Serenity half day: €118 a head at 8 people is closer to €90 than the full day. The listing gives no hours and does not say whether €946 is per boat. The table assumes it is, because the trip is private. Ask.
- Serenity full day: lunch is not among the listed inclusions. The Curieuse barbecue is an extra SCR 300 per person.
All prices are "from" prices on third-party listings, so treat them as ranges, not quotes. One option sits in between. The Swell Boat Charter runs a small-group tour at €113 per adult for 2 to 6 people. It includes lunch, snorkel gear and a soft drink (Swell Boat listing on Seyvillas). That is the cheapest small-group boat among the listings priced here. The listing does not say whether the group is only your party. The Ocean Breeze half day (€529 per boat, capacity not stated) could be cheaper for a larger group, so ask how many it takes.
A worked example: four adults
Four adults want Curieuse and St Pierre in one day. The SCR 300 park fee per adult is left out of all four options below, because it applies to each of them.
- Shared tour: 4 × €90 = €360. Lunch and snorkel gear are included. You share the boat with up to 18 other people (the listing allows 22 on board).
- Swell Boat small group: 4 × €113 = €452. Lunch, gear and a soft drink are included. The group is capped at 6 people.
- Small private tour: €500 + 2 × €80 = €660, plus 4 × €40 lunch = €820. Your party only.
- Serenity full day: €1,150, plus 4 × SCR 300 for the barbecue. That is SCR 1,200, about €74, and it is a separate charge from the park fee, which has the same figure. The total is about €1,224. Your party only, on a boat that seats 8.
So the two private options cost roughly €460 to €864 more than the shared tour for four adults. The Swell Boat option costs €92 more.
The rupee figures are converted at the Central Bank of Seychelles mid-rate of 10 November 2026 (€1 = SCR 16.26). The rate moves, so redo the sum when you book.
My picks, as opinions rather than rules:
- Two couples who want tortoises and a snorkel: take the shared tour and keep the money for dinner.
- A family with a small child who naps at noon: the small private tour is worth the extra, because the timetable is yours.
- A group of 6 to 8 who want Coco Island or Félicité as well: ask the Serenity skipper for a plan, since the listings say the route can be customised.
What you gain and what you lose
A private boat gives you control of the clock and the route. A shared tour gives you a lower price and, usually, a bigger boat.
| Shared tour | Private small boat | |
|---|---|---|
| Time at each stop | Fixed by the schedule. The Angel Tours listing gives 45 minutes of snorkelling at St Pierre | Agreed with the skipper. Listings call the trips customisable, so ask before you pay |
| Route | Curieuse, then St Pierre | The Serenity half-day and Ocean Breeze full-day listings name Coco Island and Félicité as options |
| Crowds on the islands | Up to 22 people from your boat, plus others from other boats | Only your group on the boat. The islands are still shared |
| Sea comfort | Bigger boat, usually | Smaller and faster boat. Expect more movement in a swell |
| Cancellation for weather | Operator may cancel or postpone in rough seas (Angel Tours, Swell Boat) | The Ocean Breeze half-day listing says you can pick another date or get a refund if the operator will not sail |
| Price | Lowest per head | Higher per head for the 8-seat Serenity and the Angel Tours private tour; the Ocean Breeze capacity is not stated |
Two honest notes. The crowd point is judgement: a private boat does not make Curieuse empty, it only changes who is on your deck. The seasickness point is general boat sense, not a measured fact. If ferries make you queasy, a small speed boat will not help.
Questions to ask before you pay
Ask these in writing, by email or message, so you have the answers later. Only the first two rest on official sources. The rest is advice.
- Which licence does the boat hold, and is it insured? The Tourism Department's Boat Charter Policy (2019) covers charter boats licensed as hire craft. It says operators "are required to have appropriate insurance policies". It also requires clear emergency and evacuation procedures. A good operator can tell you the licence details and show that the boat name matches your booking.
- Who pays the park fee? SPGA charges non-residents over 12 SCR 300 for Curieuse, about €18. The fee is paid by card on site: "No cash payments will be accepted" (see SPGA's visitor information). SPGA says tour packages normally include it, but the Serenity full-day, Angel Tours and Swell Boat listings do not. Ask whether your quote includes it, and carry a card.
- What does the price include? Fuel, lunch, drinks, snorkel gear, hotel pickup. The Serenity full-day listing includes fuel and gear but not lunch or pickup. The Ocean Breeze half-day listing includes lunch, snacks, snorkel gear and life jackets.
- Are there life jackets for every passenger, in children's sizes? No official text I could read makes this a rule, so treat it as advice. A good operator answers in one line.
- What time are we back? Agree a return time and the order of stops. Most listings give no exact hours for private trips.
- What happens if the sea is rough? Ask who decides and whether you get a refund or a new date. Some listings offer free cancellation 24 or 48 hours ahead, and weather terms are often missing.
- Is the price per boat or per person? Several listings say "from" and do not say which. Ask for the final total in euros.
The Seychelles Maritime Safety Authority (Licenses) Regulations 2023 took effect on 1 February 2023, and the Authority began issuing maritime licences then, according to the Nation. I could not read the regulation text, so ask for the licence details as advice, not as a legal test.
The cheaper middle options and the official ticket
A shared tour is the cheapest way onto Curieuse. The Swell Boat small-group tour is the middle path. Whichever you pick, you can buy the Curieuse park ticket straight from SPGA. Its visitor page says online payment is "strongly encouraged", and a ticket bought there shows exactly what you paid for.
FAQ
Is a private boat charter in the Seychelles worth it for two people?
Not on price. On these listings two people pay €250 to €575 each against €90 on a shared tour. It is worth it if you want a fixed start, or a child or a health reason makes a long group day hard.
How much is a private boat charter around Praslin?
In November 2026, listings start at €529 per boat for a half day on the Ocean Breeze, whose capacity is not stated. A full day on the same boat is €863. The 8-seat Serenity is €946 (the listing does not say per boat) for a half day and €1,150 for a full day. Park fees, lunch and pickup may be extra.
Do I pay the Curieuse park fee on a private charter?
Check the quote. SPGA says visitors booking through tour operators normally have entry fees included, but the Serenity full-day listing excludes it. The fee is SCR 300 for non-residents over 12, paid by card.
Can I do a private trip to Curieuse and St Pierre in one day?
Yes. The private half-day and full-day listings name both islands, and some add Coco Island and Félicité. Ask the skipper what fits in the hours you have.
Sources
- SeyVillas: Angel Tours Curieuse & St Pierre full day tour (shared, listing), seyvillas.com
- SeyVillas: Angel Tours private guided tour Curieuse, St Pierre (listing), seyvillas.com
- SeyVillas: Swell Boat Curieuse and St Pierre full day tour (listing), seyvillas.com
- KOEK: Serenity half-day private boat trip (listing), koek.sc
- KOEK: Serenity full-day private VIP boat excursion (listing, per boat), koek.sc
- KOEK: Ocean Breeze half-day private boat trip (listing, per boat), koek.sc
- KOEK: Ocean Breeze full-day bespoke private tour (listing, per boat), koek.sc
- SPGA: Visitor information (fees, payment), spga.gov.sc
- Tourism Department: Boat Charter Policy 2019 (PDF), tourism.gov.sc
- Nation: Seychelles Maritime Safety Authority licences, 1 Feb 2023, nation.sc
- Central Bank of Seychelles: Consolidated average rates of authorised dealers (EUR mid 16.2645, 10 Nov 2026), cbs.sc
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