When it comes to yachts, bigger isn’t always better - but according to fresh data from CrewScore, it might just feel that way on board.
Across hundreds of verified ratings left by crew, a subtle but steady trend emerges: as yacht size increases, so does overall satisfaction. Core experience scores - an average of leadership, morale, safety, and accommodation - climb from just under 6.0 on sub-40m vessels to over 7.4 on yachts between 100–149m.
The jump isn’t dramatic, but it’s consistent. In simple terms: the bigger the boat, the smoother the ride.
Leadership and Safety: Where the Big Boats Shine
Leadership scores rise from around 5.6 on smaller yachts to nearly 7 on the 100m+ crowd, suggesting that structure and professionalism scale with size. Safety follows suit - smaller vessels average 6.5, while the 100m+ fleet hits 8.3. It seems that when you’ve got a team the size of a small hotel, procedures tend to click into place.
Leave Days Tell Another Story
Leave allowances tell a slightly different tale. Crew on 60–99m yachts reported between 80–96 days off annually, but jump aboard the 100m+ range and that average shoots to almost 140 days. Clearly, the world’s largest yachts know that rested crew are happier crew.
Still, the 150m+ ultra-elite category showed erratic results - fewer data points and more extremes (from dream gigs to horror stories).
So… Does Size Really Matter? 👀
In some ways, yes. The data suggests bigger vessels generally offer more stability, structure, and benefits - but they can also be less personal.
What’s certain is that crew on well-run yachts - of any size - consistently outperform the rest. Good leadership, safety culture, and fair leave are universal game-changers, whether you’re scrubbing stainless on a 45m or managing deck ops on a 120m.
Because at the end of the day, it’s not just about the size of the yacht.
It’s about the size of the program behind it.
TL;DR
Bigger yachts do tend to score higher - but not by much. Crew on 100m+ vessels report stronger leadership, better safety, and almost double the leave days of smaller boats. Still, a great program on a 50m beats a bad one on a 100m every time.
