Written by Gediminas Vengrauskas, licensed Coastal Skipper · ICC · VHF. Updated October 2026
The short answer
For most families on a skippered week in Greece, a catamaran is the better boat, and it costs roughly a quarter to 60% more per week than a comparable monohull. It sits flat, gives children a big safe deck, keeps the cabins well apart and anchors in shallower water. A monohull is the cheaper choice, the one that feels most like real sailing, and perfectly comfortable for a crew that does not mind the boat leaning over.
The honest catch is that the weekly price is only half the story. The cabin plan matters more than the number of hulls, because who sleeps where decides your cost per person. Below are real 2026 prices from a Greek fleet, the cost per person for six and for eight guests, and how I would choose. I have skippered both kinds: the Lagoon 42 and Bali Catspace catamarans, and the Beneteau Oceanis 46 and Jeanneau Sun Odyssey 42 monohulls.
Key takeaways
At Ionian Charter's 2026 prices, a Lagoon 42 costs 53-63% more per week than an Oceanis 46.1, and a smaller Bali Catspace 24-33% more.
For eight guests in the mid season, the Lagoon 42 works out at about €1,388 each for boat, skipper and cleaning, against about €963 on a five-cabin Oceanis 46.1.
Count cabins, not hulls: the skipper needs a cabin of his own, and some catamarans have two small extra cabins in the bows for exactly that.
A catamaran draws 1.1-1.3 m against 1.75-2.65 m for a 46 ft monohull, but it is around 7 m wide, which costs more in marinas that bill by length and beam.
Choose a catamaran for small children, nervous sailors and lazy days at anchor; choose a monohull for budget, a smaller crew or the feel of a boat under sail.
What is the real difference between a catamaran and a monohull?
A monohull has one hull and a heavy keel, so it leans (heels) when the wind fills the sails; a catamaran has two hulls joined by a wide deck, so it stays level. Almost everything else follows from that. The catamaran's living space is on one floor: a big cockpit and saloon between the hulls, with the cabins down in the hulls on either side. On a monohull you step down into the saloon, and the cabins sit fore and aft of it.
The numbers make the shape obvious. A Lagoon 42 is 13.22 m long and 7.68 m wide. A Beneteau Oceanis 46.1 is longer, at 14.6 m, but only 4.5 m wide, so the catamaran is about 1.7 times as wide on a shorter boat. That width is where the deck space, the separate cabins and the steadiness come from, and also where most of its extra costs come from.
How much more does a catamaran cost to charter in Greece?
At one Greek fleet's published 2026 prices, a four-cabin catamaran costs between about a quarter and 60% more per week than a comparable monohull. I used Ionian Charter, which runs bases in Lefkas and Athens and publishes every boat's price for its three seasons. Period A is the peak (25 July to 22 August), B is the mid season (9 May to 25 July and 22 August to 3 October), and C is the rest.
Per week, in euros, for boats of a similar age:
Lagoon 42 catamaran (2020-2025), four cabins plus two small bow cabins: €11,000 peak, €9,200 mid, €6,700 low.
Bali Catspace catamaran (2020-2023), four cabins: €9,300 peak, €7,900 mid, €5,100 low.
Beneteau Oceanis 46.1 monohull (2019-2025), four or five cabins: €7,000 peak, €6,000 mid, €4,100 low.
Jeanneau Sun Odyssey 440 monohull (2018-2024), four cabins: €6,500 peak, €5,900 mid, €4,200 low.
So the Lagoon 42 is 53-63% dearer than the Oceanis 46.1 across the three seasons, and the smaller Catspace 24-33% dearer. Move up to a big catamaran and the gap widens: a Lagoon 46 is €13,500 in the peak, almost double the Oceanis 46.1. These are 2026 figures; the fleet had not published 2027 prices when I checked in October 2026, so treat them as a guide to the gap rather than a quote.
Is a catamaran cheaper per person?
Usually not, but the gap shrinks when you fill it. The fair comparison is boat plus skipper plus the compulsory end cleaning, divided by the people who actually sleep on board. Take a mid-season week for eight guests:
Lagoon 42: €9,200 boat + €1,500 my weekly fee for a catamaran + €400 cleaning = €11,100, or about €1,388 each.
Oceanis 46.1, five-cabin version: €6,000 + €1,400 my weekly fee for a monohull + €300 cleaning = €7,700, or about €963 each.
That is about €425 more per person for the catamaran, before fuel, moorings and food, which are higher on a catamaran too. For six guests the picture changes in the monohull's favour: the four-cabin Oceanis 46.1 comes to €7,650, about €1,275 each, while the Lagoon 42 rises to about €1,850 each because you are paying for space you do not use.
My own fee is on the Hire a Captain page with what it covers, including my travel to the Athens or Lefkada base when you book me directly. The extras that come on top of any charter, from fuel to moorings, are in what sailing in Greece actually costs beyond the charter fee.
Where does the skipper sleep on each boat?
In a cabin of his own, and that one cabin can change your sums more than the choice of hull. A skipper is working and needs proper sleep, so on my own direct bookings a cabin of my own is part of the terms. On a four-cabin monohull, then, one cabin goes to the skipper and three doubles are left, which is six guests. The five-cabin Oceanis 46.1 leaves four doubles, which is eight.
Catamaran lists often say "4+2". The "+2" means two small extra berths in the bows, usually reached from the foredeck. On a skippered week, ask the fleet to confirm one of them is fitted out for the skipper; if it is, all four double cabins stay with your crew. A plain four-cabin catamaran such as the Bali Catspace has no such space, so the skipper takes one of the four and you are back to six guests on a boat that costs more than a monohull. It is the first thing I would check before booking.
Is a catamaran better for small children and seasickness?
For small children, yes, in my view without much argument; for seasickness it helps most people, but it is not a cure. A catamaran does not heel, so a cup stays on the table, a toddler can walk across the saloon and nobody has to brace against a sloping floor. The deck is wide and flat, the cockpit and saloon are on one level, so the adults can see the children while they cook, and there is netting between the bows.
Motion is different, not absent. A monohull rolls and leans in a slow, regular way; a catamaran stays level but can move in a quicker, jerkier way when short waves hit both hulls at once. Some people who feel queasy on a leaning boat feel fine on a catamaran, and a few find the opposite. At anchor the difference is clearer: a catamaran rolls far less in a swell, which matters at night and with young children asleep. Whichever boat you choose, the route matters more: in my guide to the best time to sail the Greek islands the calmest months and areas are set out month by month.
Which one actually sails better?
A good monohull, if by "sails better" you mean the feeling of sailing; a catamaran, if you mean arriving relaxed. A monohull leans into the wind, answers the helm and points closer to the wind, so beating up a channel feels like sailing should. A catamaran is steadier and roomier but does not point as high, so on an upwind day a catamaran is more likely to motor for a stretch.
If someone in your crew wants to learn, a monohull teaches more about how a sailing boat works, though either will do. If the plan is mostly short hops, swimming stops and long lunches at anchor, the catamaran's comfort wins most days. Neither boat is safer in itself; what keeps a family week safe is choosing the right area and the right days, which is the skipper's job.
Can a catamaran get into the same harbours and bays?
Into the bays, more easily; into busy harbours, with more planning. Draft is the depth of water a boat needs. The Lagoon 42 draws 1.26 m and the Bali Catspace 1.10 m, against 1.75-2.65 m for an Oceanis 46.1 depending on its keel. That lets a catamaran anchor closer to the beach in shallow bays, which is exactly where families want to be.
Width works the other way. Greek town quays are mostly stern-to, side by side, and a 7 m-wide boat takes the room of almost two monohulls. In a crowded harbour in August that can mean arriving earlier or anchoring off. Marinas also notice: Athens' Flisvos Marina bills berths by length times beam and says special rates apply to catamarans. Sunsail's own Greece guide puts town quays at €10-35 a night and full-service marinas at €130 or more, so on a catamaran I would plan more nights at anchor or on town quays, which suits most families anyway.
What else costs more on a catamaran?
Cleaning, the security deposit, fuel and usually moorings, plus €100 on my weekly fee. At Ionian Charter the end cleaning is €350 for catamarans up to 42 ft and €400 for 42-45 ft, against €250 for a four-cabin monohull and €300 for five cabins. The refundable security deposit is €3,500 on the Lagoon 42 against €3,000 on the Oceanis 46.1, and on the fleet's biggest catamarans €6,000, or €5,000 with a skipper. How deposits and waivers work is in my guide to charter security deposits in Greece and Croatia.
A catamaran has two engines and bigger tanks: 570 litres of fuel on the Lagoon 42 against 200 litres on the Oceanis 46.1. Sunsail's guide puts a week's fuel in Greece anywhere between about £300 and £1,425, and a catamaran that motors a lot sits towards the top of that range. On a calm passage it is normal to run on one engine to save fuel. Water is the surprise: the Lagoon 42 carries 300 litres against 370 on the Oceanis 46.1, while the Catspace carries 760, so check the tank, not the hull count, if your crew likes long showers.
Does it matter whether I sail the Ionian or the Cyclades?
In the Ionian, either boat is a good choice; in the Cyclades in July and August, the catamaran's comfort counts for more. The Ionian has the gentlest conditions in Greece, with short hops and sheltered water, which is why it is my first suggestion for families; my 7-day Ionian itinerary from Lefkada works on either kind of boat. The Cyclades get the Meltemi, the strong summer north wind, and longer open-water crossings between islands.On a windy Cyclades crossing a monohull will lean hard and some guests will not enjoy it; a catamaran stays level but needs a skipper who picks the days carefully, because it does not like a steep sea on the nose. The route and the timing still decide more than the boat, so tell me your crew and your dates and I will be honest about which fits.
So which should you choose?
Choose a catamaran if:
you have children under about ten, or anyone nervous about the boat leaning;
you are eight guests and can get a "4+2" layout, so the skipper is not in a guest cabin;
your idea of a good day is a swim, a long lunch at anchor and a short sail in the afternoon;
the budget stretches to roughly €350-600 more per person for the week.
Choose a monohull if:
you are six or fewer, or the cost per person matters most;
someone on board wants to learn to sail and feel the boat working;
you want to slip into small, busy harbours without planning around the boat's width;
you are happy with a boat that leans a little in exchange for a lower price.
If you are undecided, the cabin count usually settles it. Work out who sleeps where first, including me, and the cheaper sensible boat becomes obvious. Catamarans are my own priority for 2027, but I would rather sail you on the right monohull than on the wrong catamaran. The skippered-holiday side of a week in Greece, from bases to routes, is on my Greece sailing page, and if you are still choosing your dates, my guide to when to book a skippered charter in Greece covers deposits and cancellation.
FAQ
Is a catamaran or a monohull better for a family sailing holiday in Greece?
For families with young children, usually a catamaran. It stays level, has a big flat deck and keeps the cabins apart, and it anchors in shallower water. A monohull is the better value for six or fewer guests who do not mind the boat leaning.
How much more does a catamaran cost to charter in Greece?
At Ionian Charter's 2026 prices, a Lagoon 42 costs 53-63% more per week than an Oceanis 46.1 monohull, and a Bali Catspace 24-33% more. Large catamarans can cost almost double.
Is a catamaran cheaper per person if we fill it?
Rarely, but the gap narrows. For eight guests in the mid season, a Lagoon 42 with a skipper and cleaning comes to about €1,388 each against about €963 on a five-cabin Oceanis 46.1, before fuel, moorings and food.
Do catamarans make you less seasick?
Many people find them easier because they do not lean and roll far less at anchor. The motion is quicker in short waves, though, so it helps most people rather than everyone.
Where does the skipper sleep on a catamaran?
In a cabin of his own. On "4+2" catamarans one of the two small bow cabins can often be used, leaving all four doubles for guests; ask the fleet to confirm it on your boat.
Can a catamaran anchor closer to the beach?
Yes. A Lagoon 42 draws 1.26 m and a Bali Catspace 1.10 m, against 1.75-2.65 m for an Oceanis 46.1, so it can sit in shallower water.
Are marina fees higher for a catamaran in Greece?
Usually. Marinas such as Flisvos in Athens bill by length and beam and apply special rates to catamarans. Town quays and anchoring keep the difference small.
Which boats have you skippered?
The Lagoon 42 and Bali Catspace catamarans, and the Beneteau Oceanis 46 and Jeanneau Sun Odyssey 42 monohulls. Catamarans are my priority for 2027.
About the author
I am Gediminas Vengrauskas, a Lithuanian captain with six years of sailing and about 1,000 nautical miles logged. I hold a Coastal Skipper licence for sail and motor vessels up to 24 metres, day and night, up to 12 miles offshore, plus an ICC, a VHF radio certificate and a 2026 first-aid certificate. The boats I have skippered are the Bali Catspace and Lagoon 42 catamarans and the Beneteau Oceanis 46 and Jeanneau Sun Odyssey 42 monohulls, and I have sailed the Ionian, the Saronic and the Cyclades in Greece, Dalmatia in Croatia, and the Baltic. I do not own a fleet; your boat comes from a licensed partner charter company, and I skipper it.
Catamaran or monohull for your week?
Tell me how many of you there are, the ages of any children and the week you have in mind through the contact form, and I will suggest the boat and layout that fit, with the cost per person. 2027 dates are open, and I reply within 24 hours.
Sources checked 26 October 2026: Ionian Charter's 2026 price list; Lagoon 42 specifications; Beneteau Oceanis 46.1 specifications; Bali Catspace specifications (Navigare Yachting); Flisvos Marina price list; Sunsail's guide to charter costs in Greece.
