Scenic Sailing
The world looks different from out on the water, suddenly your perspective shifts, the horizon looks brighter and you realise that the possibilities are...
The pinnacle of perfect success, extravagant living, and the lore of exploration – a luxury yacht charter invites you to see the world like never before. There is no finer sense of freedom than setting sail in a superyacht to discover new horizons, calling at cultural ports and dream holiday destinations across the world while soaking up the sheer bliss of your own floating oasis. Taking a holiday on a charter yacht can be filled with simple pleasures, soft sights, and sublime moments that will stay with you for a lifetime.
Charter a luxury yacht
Choosing to go on a luxury yacht charter is all about embracing the freedom of the open ocean and mapping out your own path to a multitude of destinations. For those who don’t want to be hemmed in by traditional vacations, the chance to explore the shores of the Mediterranean or escape the winters for the sunshine of the Caribbean puts you in control of your own destiny and your own itineraries. From private space for your family and guests to sailing to different shores every day, making memories, and even building better business bonds, here’s a few reasons to say yes to the vacation of a lifetime on a yacht charter.
Pick Perfect Privacy
Even five-star hotels and lavish cruise ship holidays cannot compare to the experience onboard a personal crewed luxury yacht charter. When you choose to explore the world by private yacht charter, you are picking a place where you don’t have to compromise. A luxury yacht charter delivers divine privacy, the chance to live on your very own schedule and relax, and unrivalled attention from the crew and captains.
Explore Different Shores
When sailing on a luxury yacht charter, you aren’t confined to just one port of call; you can take your pick from a range of dream destinations and explore. Gliding across oceans – you and your captain can piece together a stunning itinerary. From island hopping in the South Pacific to seeing swathes of history and culture along the European Rivieras and the Mediterranean nowhere in the world is off limits to visit when you have access to an amazing luxury yachting vacation.
Make Magical Memories
Whether choosing dream honeymoon destination, family finesse holidays, or looking to raise the roof with a handpicked entourage – luxury charters are made from the building blocks of magical memories. From snorkelling with Manta Rays in the Caribbean to stepping on the red carpet at the Cannes film festival in the Mediterranean – this is the art of a life well lived.
Take Time Out
In a world that brims with the hustle and bustle, sometimes a step back can reignite the soul. A luxury superyacht charter gives you that space to take a deep breath and soak up the pristine views.
Embrace Better Business
Corporate luxury yacht charters encourage better business. Whether entertaining VIP clients at the Monaco Grand Prix or taking your team out across the Great Barrier Reef to bond and blaze with new ideas at amazing destinations; away from the confines of land, you can launch your business to dizzying new heights.
Organising your luxury yacht charter
From picking the right boat for your needs to selecting those key cruising destinations to discover whether the Mediterranean or the South Pacific, working out costs, and choosing a broker to help you seamlessly organise the best sailing experience, there’s lots to think about. Here are a few steps to take to organise your private yacht charter.
Considering your charter yacht
From luxury motor yachts to sailing yachts and superyachts - there are so many different styles and sizes of boat out there. From super high luxury to casual charters, everyone will have a different idea as to what they want their great yachting adventure to look like. Choosing the right kind of charter yachting vacation can be a fine balance between what you need and what you want. Knowing how many cabins you need, deciding what type of sailing you want to do, and where you want to discover will all play into this decision. At this stage, your broker will need their clients to have a clear idea of desires, cabin arrangements, and amenities.
Choose your broker
Once you know what kind of yacht charter you are looking for, it’s time to bring in a broker. A well-suited broker is essential for finding the perfect crewed charters. They deal with everything for their clients from contracts to costs and even the finer details such as helping you pick the most fantastic destinations, menu preferences and other special arrangements. For clients hiring a charter yacht, you won’t pay the broker as their fees are covered by the owner. Choosing the right broker is really about experience, ensuring they belong to a recognised company (the main four are AYCA, MYBA, FYBA, and CYBA International), and picking a broker that you click with.
Select your cruising destinations
After choosing your yacht and securing a good broker, the next step will be piecing together dream vacation itineraries and places you want to explore. Whether you want to take an expedition to the South Pacific or discover the Norwegian Fjords, tailored itineraries will ensure that you get to sail and step ashore according to preferences of where you want to visit. Some cruising destinations are best in certain seasons - for example summer yachting is all about the Mediterranean whereas winters are geared towards the Caribbean. Deciding how long you want to charter for, whether you want to browse the islands, hit up the top cultural sights, stay in the waters of one country or make it a multi-stop trip - all these choices will play their part in making a tailor-made adventure.
Shortlisting your selected charter yachts
Choosing from thousands of superyacht charters can be overwhelming, but a few key pointers will help you and your charter broker to create a shortlist. Size, style, location, budget, cabins, and facilities - these are all areas that should be assessed when breaking down exactly what boat you want to take you on your adventure.
The basics
Nailing down the basics should always be your first step - formality first, dreams later. The basics will include selecting a list of boats that meet your foundational needs. For example, this is where you would establish your budget, the cruising destinations you want to explore (not all charter yachts are suitable or available in different destinations), how many cabins you need, how big of a crew you need, what kind of access is needed, and whether you require your luxury yachts for charter to be child-friendly.
Amenities on board your luxury yacht
Once you have the basics covered for your shortlist, you can start to look at the different facilities and see what piques your interest and what areas are important to you in terms of picking a luxury yacht charter. This can be anything from tenders to water toys, spas and hot-tubs, and crewed expertise. Here are some extras you can consider when it comes to the luxury yacht charter of a lifetime
Water sports
From snorkels to underwater subs, most crewed superyachts come with a plethora of water sport toys to try. If you are a keen diver, you may even want to select a private yacht charter that comes with a certified diving instructor or expert team so you can access those deeper dives.
Tenders
To get to shore from private superyachts you will need a tender. Most luxury yachts for chartering will come with a tender but for those who want to discover stashed away destinations and explore deeper or travel further, you may want to consider a cruising boat with space for a helicopter.
Spa and Exercise
Some yachts for charter will also come with spa facilities and a gym if you want to get active or relax. If you don’t want to skip your workout while on your vacation, you can choose yachts for charter that come with access to everything from a full-size gym to crewed superyachts with yoga teachers and personal trainers.
Food and entertainment
On deck cinemas, highly qualified chefs, private sommeliers, and even cigar rooms - wining, dining, and entertaining is another side to the sophisticated ocean life that can be catered to suit you. Depending on how much entertaining you want to do on your vacation, you can look for charter yachts with access to dance floors, beach clubs, and impressive dining spaces.
Preparing to leave for your yacht charter
Before you head out on your luxury crewed superyacht, you should fill in a preference form with your private charter broker. This will cover everything from the menu to be catered to wine preferences to guest lists, any medical information, and travel and tour arrangements during your visit. This will be handed to the captain and crew so they can prepare for you and your guests' arrival.
The yachting charter agreement will also need to be signed and the advance provisioning allowance paid in advance to cover those early costs. Later, the full cost will need to be paid according to the chartering agreement before you cruise.
If you have a crewed charter yacht, then you won’t need to worry about any sailing or maintenance cheques prior to setting sail. All you need to do is pack your beachwear, passport, and dream holiday clothes and get ready for the adventure of a lifetime at sea.
Frequently Asked Questions
SHOULD I CHARTER A LUXURY MOTOR YACHT OR A SAILING YACHT?
Luxury Motor yachts for charter may be better for those wanting speed to discover a range of cruising destinations. For those who are passionate about the sailing element of the experience, a sailboat will better fulfil that need.
CAN I CHARTER A YACHT FOR LESS THAN A WEEK?
It is standard practise to chartering yachts for a week or more, but you can charter for less than a week if the terms of the charter in question allows.
CAN I SELECT WHICH DAY THE CHARTER STARTS?
Yes, depending on availability, you can choose whichever date works for you when starting your sea-bound adventure of a lifetime.
HOW DO I WORK OUT THE CHARTER RATE?
Usually, the rate will be quoted on a weekly basis. The rate will also differ between high and low seasons. You can recalculate the yacht fee by dividing depending on the length of the charter and ascertaining an expected daily rate if you want to charter for fewer or more days.
WHAT IS INCLUDED IN THE YACHTING RENTAL FEE?
The rental fee will include the superyacht charter and all its facilities and will also cover the cost of the crew along with insurance. Marina fees, local taxes, fuel charges, and VAT are usually not covered by the charter yachts rental fee.
HOW CAN I BOOK MY CHARTER?
The best way to book your yacht for charter is to work with reputable charter brokers and an expert team who can take charge of the booking process. We will assist you in sourcing the very best charter broker.
SECURING THE RIGHT YACHT FROM A SHORT LIST?
Once you have decided on your yachts and the broker has checked their availability in your selected destination you should receive your itinerary and rental agreement and will be asked to pay a deposit. This will ensure that the yacht you have booked is secured providing you meet the agreement terms.
WHAT IS THE CANCELATION POLICY?
The cancellation policy will vary depending on the contract and the company. Always read the fine print for further details and discuss with your charter broker.
CAN I SELECT THE ITINERARY FOR MY YACHTING CRUISE?
Working closely with your broker, you can create itineraries that meet the personal dreams and desires of a lifetime. Charter yachts will usually have specific locations they can go and other factors like weather, visas, and speed will impact the choice of itineraries.
CAN I USE THE AMENITIES AND WATER TOYS ON THE YACHTS?
Yes, the whole private yacht charter is there for you and your guests to enjoy and discover. Water toys can also be used at leisure depending on the rules and regulations of certain marine areas - cheque with your charter yacht broker when mapping out itineraries.
AM I ALLOWED TO USE THE SCUBA DIVING EQUIPMENT?
To use the diving equipment guests will either need to be a PADI licence holder or similar, some yachts offer training or rendezvous diving.
CAN I SMOKE ONBOARD THE YACHTS?
Smoking is usually prohibited to certain outdoor areas onboard the yacht although again, this will vary so be sure to cheque with your broker on the guest smoking arrangements.
HOW MUCH SHOULD I TIP THE CREW?
Tipping is at the guests discretion and is normally around 10-20% of the total charter fee.
HOW MANY PEOPLE ARE ALLOWED ON BOARD THE YACHTS?
The number of people allowed on luxury yachts for charter will normally depend on the size. Usually, the maximum number of people allowed to sleep on the superyacht charter is 12 but again this can vary depending on cabins and layout.
HOW DO I MAKE SURE I HAVE EVERYTHING I NEED ON BOARD?
Before you set sail your charter broker will ask you to fill in a preference form which will ask about tastes, wine, allergies, medical issues, activities, and other specifics to make sure that when yachting, you have everything you need.
CAN I PLAN EXTRA ACTIVITIES DURING THE CHARTER?
Talk to your broker about any tours, restaurants or sightseeing destinations you want to discover during your superyacht charter and they will liaise with the captain to plan out the best itineraries to cover everything.
SHOULD I PURCHASE LIABILITY OR CANCELLATION INSURANCE?
It’s always a good idea to be prepared for the unexpected which is why liability and cancellation insurance is advised before you set out to discover the world, this should be discussed with your selected broker.
