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Ship provisions cost calculator

Estimate a vessel's provisioning budget in seconds. Enter crew size, voyage length and your victualling rate to see the provisions and bonded-stores cost, per day and per person, then let Tidal turn the actual RFQ into a priced, margin-protected quote.

Crew size Voyage duration (days) Victualling rate (USD / person / day) Bonded stores (USD / person / day) optional

Estimated total budget $0

Provisions$0

Bonded stores$0

Cost per day$0

Cost per person / day$0

Estimate only. Actual cost depends on menu, region, freight and supplier pricing. Victualling rates commonly sit around $10–$15 per person per day — set your own.

Turn a real RFQ into a quote

To estimate a ship's provisioning cost, multiply crew size × voyage days × victualling rate (the cost to feed one crew member per day), then add bonded stores and freight. For a 22-crew vessel on a 30-day voyage at a $12 victualling rate, that is 22 × 30 × $12 = $7,920 in provisions before bonded stores.

✓Provisions budget = crew × days × victualling rate
✓Bonded stores (tobacco, alcohol, toiletries) are budgeted separately, per person per day
✓Typical victualling rates commonly fall around $10–$15 per person per day
✓This estimates the budget; Tidal builds the actual priced, IMPA/ISSA-coded quote

From budget estimate to a real quote

A calculator gives you the ballpark; a chandler still has to price the actual order. Tidal's vessel provisioning software reads the inbound provisions RFQ, normalises the units and pack sizes, matches every line to your catalogue and IMPA and ISSA codes, applies your margins, and returns a margin-protected quote in under 30 minutes. See it on the interactive intake demo.

Book a demo

See Tidal quote your provisioning RFQs in 30 minutes

Leave your work email and the port or company you supply. We will set up a live demo on your own RFQs, no slideware. Live in about a week, from $2,500 per month.

✓ Quotes back in under 30 minutes
✓ IMPA and ISSA matching at over 90% first pass
✓ No spam, a reply within one business day

Frequently asked questions

How do you calculate a ship's provisioning cost?

Multiply the crew size by the number of voyage days by the victualling rate (the cost of feeding one crew member per day). For example, 22 crew for 30 days at a $12 victualling rate is 22 × 30 × 12 = $7,920. Add bonded stores (tobacco, alcohol, toiletries) and any freight or delivery charges for the total provisioning budget.

What is a victualling rate?

A victualling rate is the budgeted cost of provisioning one crew member for one day, covering fresh, frozen and dry provisions for the galley. It is set per person per day and varies by trade, region and menu standard; many operators budget somewhere around $10 to $15 per person per day, but you should use your own figure.

What is included in ship provisions versus bonded stores?

Provisions are the food and catering supplies for the crew: fresh, frozen, chilled and dry goods. Bonded stores are duty-free items such as tobacco, alcohol and some toiletries, ordered and accounted for separately. This calculator lets you budget both, per person per day.

How does Tidal help with provisioning quotes?

Tidal is AI vessel provisioning software: it reads an inbound provisions RFQ, matches each line to your catalogue and IMPA or ISSA codes, applies your margins, and returns a margin-protected quote in under 30 minutes. This calculator estimates the budget; Tidal builds the actual priced quote.