Sardinia cruise costs – Italia by Natalia

The yacht rental together with additional services such as towels, bedding, dinghy motor, SUP or skipper services are by far the biggest cost of the cruise, but not the total. Food, stopovers at marinas or possible sightseeing in the area should be added to this. I would like to talk about these costs using the example of a week-long cruise along the northeast coast of Sardinia, which we took with a group of friends and a hired skipper in the first decade of June.

We assumed in advance that we would do best by stocking up on the groceries we needed before we set sail. So we went to a supermarket in Olbia with the intention of stocking up for the whole cruise. We assumed that we would buy individual missing products when needed, but whatever could be bought cheaper in the big city, we would take with us. We were convinced that this was the most economical solution. Was it right? Over time, we found that the same products in the shops in the marinas we visited were only slightly more expensive. What's more, while shopping we got carried away and bought too much food. In total, we paid 480 euro. If we had only fed on the yacht, we would have used up almost all the products and a small amount of supplementary shopping in the second part of the cruise would certainly have been necessary.

We took a taxi to Punta Nuraghe marina, where the yacht was waiting for us. A nine-passenger bus with a large luggage compartment charged €80 to cover the 18 km distance. We were full of concerns as to whether our huge purchases would fit on the boat and be able to be stowed in the cupboards and fridge. It turned out that not only did we pack everything in without a problem, but there was still some room left. Our Dufour 430 yacht turned out to be a very spacious one, full of hidden compartments in the floor and under the seats, among other things. Thus loaded, we set sail with the assumption that we would feed ourselves partly by cooking on the boat and partly by dining in restaurants. We had no plans to do any sightseeing ashore; we wanted to make the most of the yacht and enjoy the beauty of the sea.

Cruise costs and restaurant prices.

We visited a total of three marinas, of which we spent as many as three nights in one. We went both for pizza and to good seafood restaurants. I was surprised that the prices were not significantly different from restaurants in other parts of Sardinia. In one restaurant we paid as much as €80 per person, but we went crazy with wine and seafood, including raw frutti di mare, which is an expensive delicacy. In another restaurant, the seafood cost less, we paid around €45-50 per person. Here I must point out that, in Italy, it is not appropriate to divide the bill at the table according to who ate and drank what and for how much. The Italian custom is to divide the bill into equal parts. I would also add that the skipper does not contribute to the bill, nor does he cook or wash up after the meals prepared on the yacht. When we went to a pizzeria for dinner, the bill was in the region of 25-30 euros per person. A pizza is an expense of roughly 7 to 13 euros, depending on the ingredients. Beer is about 6 euros for a large glass, dessert is 6-8 euros. A large ice cream waffle is €4.5, a cappuccino at the bar served to the table is €2.5, as is an Italian filled croissant, or cornetto.

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As we were grounded in the marina for one whole day due to the high tide, part of the team took an excursion to visit Nuraghe, an ancient building very characteristic of the Sardinian area. We booked a taxi, which cost €80 for the trip (20 km one way) including a stop at the site. The entrance ticket to the Nuraghe San Pietro site costs €4 per person. We paid no more than €50 per day for a stopover at the marinas including recharging and refilling our water supply.

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In conclusion, I have to admit that our purchases turned out to be too much. We used up about 70% of what we brought from Olbia, and gave about 30% of the products - unopened - to the yacht operator's staff. I can therefore advise that when shopping before a cruise, don't get carried away by your emotions, and discuss the topic with your fellow travelers and prepare a list, even a general one, before going to the shop. Don't be afraid of the prices in the shops in the marinas either, because although they are a little higher, the differences are not very significant. It is better from an economic point of view to buy something for a higher amount than to give away a huge bag of unused products. Those who want to save as much as possible can successfully rely solely on food on the yacht. The well-equipped kitchen and grill on the upper deck allowed us to prepare delicious and varied meals. In fact, we went to the restaurant more out of a desire to go ashore and enjoy an evening's entertainment.

With sailing greetings
Natalia from Italia by Natialia

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