The short version: if you're a couple or a solo traveller on a budget and you don't mind sharing the boat, a shared trip is excellent value and gets you there. If you're a family or a group of friends who want the lagoon without the midday crush — your own route, your own deck to swim from, no strangers aboard — a private charter is worth the premium, and the per-head gap narrows fast the more of you there are. The rest of this guide is the detail behind that, including the maths most pages skip.
The honest cost comparison
This is where the two options look most different, so it's worth being precise rather than hand-wavy. A seat on a shared day-trip boat to the Blue Lagoon typically starts from around €25–45 per person, depending on the boat, the season and how long you're out. You pay per head, and the boat fills up with other guests.
A private charter is priced for the whole boat, not per person — so the headline number looks big, but it's split across your whole group and doesn't change whether two of you board or eight. That single fact is what the per-head comparison turns on.
What a private day actually costs per person
Figures based on the Bandama day charter (€1,850 for the whole boat, full day). A private charter stays more expensive per head than a shared seat — what changes is what that money buys: the entire boat, your own route, and a full day rather than a couple of hours. The premium shrinks as the group grows.
So no — a private charter is not "the same price as a shared trip once you split it." That claim does the rounds and it isn't true for a premium full-day boat. What is true: the more of you there are, the smaller the gap, and at a full group the difference per person buys a completely different day on the water. For a deeper breakdown of what drives charter pricing, see our guide to private boat charter costs in Malta.
Side by side
| Shared trip | Private charter | |
|---|---|---|
| Price | From ~€25–45 per person | One price for the whole boat, split across your group |
| Who's aboard | You plus other guests you've not met | Only your group — up to 8 on Bandama, more on a larger catamaran |
| Route & stops | Fixed timetable and itinerary | Yours to shape with the skipper — coves, caves, swim stops |
| Crowds & swimming | Arrive at the busy hours; swim from a packed shore or platform | Anchor away from the crush; swim straight off the deck |
| Space & comfort | Larger boats may add a bar, toilets, shade and a slide — shared with everyone | The whole deck, saloon and shade are yours for the day |
| Departure | Often the northern terminals; you follow the schedule | Ta' Xbiex Creek beside Sliema; a relaxed start to your day |
| Best for | Solo travellers, couples on a budget, a social atmosphere | Families, friend groups, occasions, anyone wanting quiet and flexibility |
What a shared trip does well
Plenty of pages are too quick to dismiss the shared boat. It's the right answer more often than operators like to admit.
When a shared trip is the better buy
- You're solo or a couple and want the lowest price to the lagoon
- You actively enjoy the sociable, party-boat atmosphere
- You only want a few hours at Comino, not a full day at sea
- You want big-boat amenities — a bar, toilets, shade, sometimes a water slide
- You're happy to work around a fixed timetable and itinerary
If that's you, book the shared trip with a clear conscience — you'll have a great day and keep a lot of cash in your pocket.
What a private charter does well
The case for going private isn't really about luxury for its own sake. It's about control over the two things that make or break a Blue Lagoon day: crowds and time.
When a private charter earns its premium
- You anchor and swim straight from your own boat — no jostling for a patch of rock ashore
- Your skipper times the lagoon for the quiet windows instead of the ferry timetable
- When it gets busy, you simply up-anchor for a quieter cove or sea cave the day-boats can't reach
- It's a full day on the water — roughly 09:30 to 17:30 — not a couple of hours squeezed between transfers
- The whole boat is yours: no strangers, your own pace, your own playlist
This is where departure point quietly matters. The Bandama day charter leaves from Ta' Xbiex Creek Marina — the sheltered harbour marina beside Sliema, a ten-minute walk along the waterfront from the Sliema ferries, on the southern Valletta side of the island rather than the busy northern terminals. Bandama is a luxury Beneteau Swift Trawler 47 for up to 8 guests, run with a professional skipper and crew, out for a full day around Comino, the Blue Lagoon and the southern coast of Gozo. Because the day is yours, the skipper can plan the run to hit the quieter hours and move on the moment the lagoon fills up.
What if your group is bigger than eight?
Bandama tops out at eight guests, which covers most families and friend groups comfortably. If you're a larger party — a bigger family gathering, a hen or stag group, a small company day out — a private catamaran is the better fit: far more deck space, room to spread out, and the same private-boat logic of anchoring away from the crowds and swimming straight off the back. It's still a private charter, not a shared party cruise — the whole boat is yours. Catamaran Malta runs exactly that kind of day for bigger groups.
One thing both options share: the landing rules
Since May 2025 there's a registration step worth knowing about. To manage overcrowding, anyone setting foot on Comino at the Blue Lagoon now registers in advance — it's free, you receive a QR code, and you're given a wristband for a time slot, with a daily cap on numbers. This applies to people who step ashore, whether they arrived on a shared boat or a private one. If you spend the day at anchor and swim from the deck rather than landing, the shore time-slot system isn't what shapes your day. As with any new and evolving rule, confirm the current details on the official registration site close to your travel date.
Want to sidestep the crush by timing instead? See our guide to the best time to visit the Blue Lagoon.
The verdict
There's no single right answer — it genuinely depends on who you are. Choose a shared trip if price is the priority, you're in a small party, and a sociable boat appeals. Choose a private charter if you're a family or a group, you want the Blue Lagoon at its calmest, and you'd rather own the day than ride someone else's schedule. For most groups of four or more chasing a relaxed, crowd-free day, the private boat is the one they remember — and the per-head premium is smaller than the headline suggests.