Chartering a luxury yacht offers you the experience of a lifetime but it needs to be uniquely tailored to fulfil this promise.
Not only is every yacht one of a kind, but you and your guests all have your own budgets, desires and preferences. You need to spend time determining what you want to get from your experience before you speak to a broker, so that they can help you find the perfect yacht charter.
So, what factors should you consider?
In this article, we’ll share three things to consider before chartering a luxury yacht.
- Budget
Unless you have an unlimited supply of cash, you’ll need to determine your budget before you start planning your charter itinerary. Having a set figure in mind will allow you to better determine the most important aspects of the charter, such as the yacht size and the destination.
Many first timers are surprised to find out that the charter fee isn’t all-inclusive, it’s just a baseline figure. The charter fee covers everything that’s linked to the yacht, such as the hire, crew and insurance. Anything else costs extra, including food and drink, fuel and docking fees.
You’ll need to budget for an additional 30% of the base charter fee to accommodate these costs. It’s also customary to tip the crew between 10-20% of the charter fee – anything less than this indicates that you’re especially dissatisfied with the service.
- Destination
While an Antarctic adventure might sound appealing, remote destinations don’t make the best choice for your first-ever yacht charter. In the first place, they’re typically more expensive. But they’re also harder to get to, meaning they eat up a sizeable chunk of your time onboard.
Countries in the Mediterranean are top destinations for first time charterers for a reason. You’re likely to find more yacht options to choose from, as well as proven cruising grounds with plenty of well-known and safe anchorages.
Consult the different members of your group and see if there are any destinations you all have in mind. Don’t worry if you can’t come up with a single, specific location, as your broker will propose a selection of destinations for you to consider and choose from.
- Preferences
Once you’ve decided on your yacht and destination, you’ll need to complete a guest preference sheet. This will help the crew personalise every aspect of you charter, giving you the best experience possible. The more information you can provide the crew with, the better the chances of them making your charter perfect. So, it’s worth documenting your preferences long before the crew asks for it.
Consider the following:
- Medical conditions
- Special dietary requirements
- Any special dates that will take place during the charter, such as birthdays or anniversaries
- Preferred magazines and newspapers
- Preferred water sport activities
- Sizes for wetsuits and fins
- Any shoreside trips you want to make, including guided tours, shopping trips, and visits to restaurants and bars
Chartering a yacht offers you the opportunity to experience the holiday of a lifetime. You’ll be dedicating a significant amount of money towards this experience, so planning it isn’t a matter to take lightly. Come up with a rough blueprint in advance, and you’ll increase the chances of your broker and crew crafting the perfect experience for you.