Top 5 Things to Consider When Booking a Fully Crewed Yacht Charter

1. Are you looking to escape dreary weather? Then a trip to the Caribbean or Virgin Islands will be the perfect pick me up in the US or european winter season! Or perhaps the South Pacific has been calling you; think the islands of Fiji, The Marquesas Islands, or The Tuamotu Islands. The Mediterranean has so much to see in Italy, Greece, and France! Maybe you are a nature lover? How about a trip to Galapagos?
   
   
2. How many guests will be going? This will ultimately determine the type and how large of yacht you will need. Once you've determined the guests that are going, next step is the sleeping arrangements. Some yachts offer convertible cabins, i.e. two twins that can be slid together to make a queen or some other configuration, but more often the beds in each cabin are fixed. With this in mind, you may not want a yacht that has three queen beds in it if you have six singles going, conversely, you may not want a yacht with a queen and four singles if you have three couples going.
   
   
3. What type of charter yacht should you choose? There are reasons to carefully consider each of the following choices:
   
   
   • Mega yachts - Found in many ports around the world, the mega yacht is considered to be one over 101' long. In the Caribbean and Virgin Islands there are fewer choices during the summer than some other types of yachts. You will find a wide variety of mega yachts to choose from in the Mediterranean. The Bahamas has Mega yachts available year round.
     
     
   • Motor yachts - These yachts are less than 101' long. There smaller size allows for a much larger selection. These yachts are great for when you have a smaller group, when you have a tighter budget, or when you want to get from place to place faster.
     
     
   • Catamarans - The catamaran offers more stability than the traditional monohull sailboat. Like sailboats, you also spend less on fuel costs, as they can be wind powered or motor powered. The most popular destination with a wide variety of catamarans include the Virgin Islands, the Caribbean, and some parts of the Mediterranean. There are also catamarans that can be chartered in the Bahamas. This type of yacht is getting larger every year it seems and the newer larger ones can often many amenities previously only found on board much larger motor yachts.
     
     
   • Sailboats - The feeling that wells up inside the first time you experience the sails fill with air and the yacht move across the surface of the water under the power of the wind, call it spiritual, call it magical, or maybe there isn't a word for it, but that oneness with the sea is unique. A traditional sailboat will provide you that feeling. These come in all different sizes. You can choose a smaller yacht and crew, and many times the crew is happy to let you help sail. In Greece there are many options of sailing gulets, a sailing vessel with pilot house, allowing much more light into the salon and more space throughout the interior.
     
     
4. When will you be going? Sometimes the when is an open ended question and we would be happy to help you figure out when the best time to go on your fully crewed, luxury yacht charter, but here are a couple of things to keep in mind:
   • If you already have dates that you have to have, the earlier you plan and book your charter, the more choices you will have.
     
     
   • If your dates are any of the major holidays, especially Christmas or New Year's, expect there may be a premium in price and you may want to book a year or more in advance for the best choices.
     
     
5. What activities are most important? In order to choose the right fully crewed, luxury yacht charter it will be necessary to know what kind of activities you and your guests consider most important. As alluded to in number one, the world is open to you. A majority of the mega yachts and some of the motor yachts or larger sailing yachts have on deck Jacuzzis and all yachts will have some type of watersports onboard, so you'll want to consider which, if any, are most important to you. Many places, such as the Caribbean, and Virgin Islands offer excellent snorkeling and diving. Some areas are better for historical sightseeing. Activities can nclude exploring, shopping, watersports, wine tasting, exploring art galleries and museums, just recuperating onboard, and the list goes on and on. Once you've determined what's essential to your group, you can start narrowing down which yachts will offer these and we can help you here with what clients have enjoyed in the past.
   
   

After reading this article maybe you are able to put together a list of a few things to get you started, or maybe you have more questions now than before. Please give us a call. One of our yacht charter professionals will be happy to assist you in answering all of your questions. We have been in this business over twenty years and we have a way of asking you questions you didn't even know you had. It will be our pleasure to help you plan your ultimate, fully crewed, luxury yacht charter or just answer any questions you may have.