Should I sell by the berth or by the cabin?

Often both: by the berth for solo guests and groups of friends, the whole cabin for couples. KiteDeck handles both on the same departure, with a solo supplement when one guest takes a double cabin alone.

What margin should a kite cruise make?

It depends on your costs and on how many weeks your season lasts. The first number to know is your break-even: how many guests you need before the week earns anything.

Where do the charter costs go if a boat runs several departures?

Its cost is spread pro rata across the cruise days that use it, so each departure carries its share instead of the first one carrying it all.

Guide for operators

How to price a kite cruise

The price of a kite cruise has to pay for a boat for a whole week, a crew, food, fuel and coaching, whether the boat leaves full or not. Here is a simple way to build it from your costs, then check it against your break-even.

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List what the week costs you

The boat: its charter, or the running costs of your own boat.
The skipper, the crew and the kite instructors.
Food, drinks, fuel and water on board.
Marina fees, local taxes and park fees where they apply.
Kites, boards, the safety boat, and their wear over a season.
Payment fees on deposits and balances.
Your own time spent selling and answering guests.

Split fixed costs and per-guest costs

Fixed costs do not move whether four or ten guests come on board: the charter, the crew, most of the fuel. Per-guest costs grow with every booking: food, some taxes and fees.

Your break-even is the number of guests at which the week's income covers both. Below it, the departure loses money; above it, each extra berth is mostly margin.

Set the price from your break-even

Start from what a berth must bring in for the week to pay off with a realistic number of guests, not from the price on a competitor's website. Compare afterwards, once you know your floor.

Then shape the offer: a price per berth, a supplement for suites, a supplement for a solo guest who takes a double cabin, and an early-booking offer to fill the first cabins sooner.

Watch the margin while the boat fills

A price that works with ten guests can lose money with six. Follow each departure as it fills, so you can decide early whether to push an offer, merge two departures or keep the date as it is.

How KiteDeck helps

Enter a boat charter once: its cost is spread across the departures that use it.
Destination fees applied automatically, per person, per person per day, per day or per cruise.
For each cruise, the forecast margin, the actual margin from what has been collected, and the number of guests needed to break even.
The forecast margin for the whole season on your home screen.
Promo codes for early bookings and returning guests.

Frequently asked questions

Should I sell by the berth or by the cabin?: Often both: by the berth for solo guests and groups of friends, the whole cabin for couples. KiteDeck handles both on the same departure, with a solo supplement when one guest takes a double cabin alone.
What margin should a kite cruise make?: It depends on your costs and on how many weeks your season lasts. The first number to know is your break-even: how many guests you need before the week earns anything.
Where do the charter costs go if a boat runs several departures?: Its cost is spread pro rata across the cruise days that use it, so each departure carries its share instead of the first one carrying it all.

Ready for next season?

Create your account, declare your boat and open your first cruise. No subscription: you only pay on payments collected online.

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