Would you like to charter a yacht for an unforgettable vacation?
You are aware that there are risks involved when this type of stay is not sufficiently prepared. This may be your first time chartering a yacht and you are afraid of making rookie mistakes. Indeed, some mistakes can make your charter complicated, painful, or even dangerous! No panic, here we take stock of the worst and most frequent mistakes to avoid when chartering a boat. After this briefing, you are assured to live your private cruise in complete serenity.
1. Focus only on the dimensions of the rented boat
Size isn’t everything. While it is, of course, important to charter a boat that is big enough for privacy and comfort, consider the crew profile, the feeling, and the sailing potential that the yacht gives you.
A sailing multihull, trimarans, or catamarans are wider than sailing monohulls and give you the impression to be closer to the water. They are adapted for families with young children or groups of friends. For example, the Lagoon Seventy 7, the largest catamaran of the Lagoon shipyard, is a great option and we have several available for charter all over the world.
Credit: N. Claris.
If you like sailing, stability, and you are attached to be able to experience an iconic yacht, then sailing monohulls such as Sharlou are the best options.
Finally, if you want to hop between islands quickly, be able to use lots of water toys, have a sports equipment room, massage room, jacuzzi, all at the same time on your yacht, then a motor yacht will be the right pick for you.
If you are in a region where the mooring may be windy, make sure your yacht has zero speed stabilizer such as the Alalunga Freedom available for charter in Greece.
Your broker will go over these details with you. It’s about taking the right yacht with the crew corresponding to your profile.
2. Underestimate the budget of your stay at sea
One of the main mistakes encountered when chartering a yacht is to neglect the budget part. Your yacht advisor will propose yachts corresponding to your budget and your profile. The charter price includes the cost of chartering the yacht itself and its insurance, the crew’s salary, and water toys. On top of these fees, there may be VAT and advance provisioning allowance (APA) to cover all “extras”, such as fuel, food, drinks, cigarettes/cigars or other pleasures, mooring fees, national park entrance fees, communication, and all special requests. Ask your yacht broker for advice before signing the special contract.
Do not hesitate to set up your APA at least 1 month before embarkation. It is often estimated between 20 and 40% of the yacht charter price. In some region of the world, it may difficult to have access to ATM machine to withdraw money, so if you are in the middle of the Tuamotu on a diving cruise, make you sure you have sufficient amount on your APA.
Read also :The Advance Provisioning Allowance explained.
Any remaining amount on the APA will be reimbursed to you at the end of your cruise.
Read also: What is the cost of chartering a yacht.
3. Not being specific
Before boarding, your broker will ask you to fill out a preference list. This needs to be sent to the crew as soon as possible and as specific as possible. You don’t like spicy food, you would like very light meals served at 11 am?
Your crew needs to make sure they will have your favorite things on board, of the brand you wish (cereals for the kids, a specific brand of champagne).
Also, if you wish to head to specific places, your captain will need to know it in advance to prepare the itinerary accordingly. You wish to see North Croatia and you embark in Split? We will need to organize the cruise and port of disembarkation at the time you wish.
The secret is to make the guests feel at home, the more detail the crew have about you, the better your time onboard will be.
4. Packing at the last minute
It is rarely a good idea to pack at the last minute, especially when staying in unfamiliar areas. If you need anything on board you cannot bring or that cannot be easily found in the region you will be chartering, you may ask for broker to have things delivered to your yacht before your embarkation.
Here is a little recap of the essentials :
For your clothes, take into account the length of your stay. Washing your clothes will not always be easy. Consult the weather forecast of your destination a few days before departure. If it is rare to forget your swimsuit during a yacht charter, don’t forget that nights onboard can be cool. Bring a rain jacket or windbreaker, pants and a sweater can be useful. Find the right balance between too much and too little. Finally, prefer soft bags for storage purposes.
Also, plan for all the accessories you may need. As far as electronics are concerned, take your laptop and computer chargers, battery chargers (camera, …), and adapters. Ask beforehand about the type of plugs and voltage of the boat.
Don’t forget your toiletries, wellness, and health products. Don’t forget to bring your sun cream (if possible eco-responsible so as not to destroy the corals), soaps, toothpaste, … and especially your sea-sickness medication and other important treatments. Medications are different from one country to another.
Finally, make sure you take all the necessary documents, such as your passport, visas, tickets, licenses, graphics, information about your destination, the boat, the ports, …
5. Not respecting the rules on board
There is a sort of intrinsic good practices to life on board.
The ultimate rule is not to engage in any illegal activity. The law remains the same on land and onboard.
Please pay attention to the technical and safety advice when you get your boat in hand. Listen to your captain and respect your crew.
In general, shoes are not allowed on board all boats, however, you can ask your crew if you can wear boat shoes, this actually may have some style. Smoking is not permitted in the interior areas. Please inquire beforehand about the smoking rules of the boat, if you are concerned. If you are traveling with pets or children, you must also inform your charter company at the time of booking to avoid disappointment.
Finally, please respect the premises. Consider the yacht as your own home and do not pollute the sea.
6. Not using your yacht entirely
Don’t be shy and use the boat fully: use the watersports, have morning private yoga lessons (experience sailing catamaran Namaste and her special morning routine), plan diving session, kitesurf lessons, hairdresser, also be aware the chef can cook anything you wish at the time you wish!
You have all the yacht for yourself, and the crew is here to make you have the best time ever.
7. Not going ashore
When chartering a luxurious yacht with a nice crew, you can be reluctant to get off the boat. However, your captain can steer you across nice places to discover, and your hostess can get you reservations at the best restaurants. Enjoy to visit museums, go to food markets, take nice cocktails on the beach, your crew will help organize those wonderful visits.
8. Not being nice to your neighbours
Even though you are with your close friends and family on your superyacht and you feel privileged, yachties love being part of a community so you can wave at people when you are moored close to another yacht. Numbers of celebrities are chartering boats every year so you may end up having a chat with Heidi Klum or Pharrell Williams.
Read also : The top 5 exclusive celebrity weddings on a yacht.
9. Chartering a yacht from a dubious charter company
If you have the slightest doubt about the charter company from which you want to rent your boat, run away. Whether you have doubts about the price, its seriousness, or its reliability, turn to another company. Signing a contract with a questionable charter company can have dramatic consequences.
Imagine, for example, that you have a breakdown or other problem on the open sea and your company is not serious and/or does not have good customer service. No reinforcements or help will be notified or taken care of, and the same goes for insurance. Good customer service is then essential.
Consult feedbacks, ask for recommendations. When you sign your contract, read all the clauses and be vigilant of what it covers. Most charter contracts are MYBA which is a standard contract between the charter company and the charterer. The OWNER agrees to let the Yacht to the CHARTERER and not to enter into any other Agreement for the Charter of the Yacht for the same period.
Ask about insurance (boat, cancellation, crew…), refund and cancellation policy, … If your contract does not cover you sufficiently according to you, do not hesitate to subscribe to additional coverage with your insurer.
Plan your private cruise with a company with a certain reputation and experience. We put at your service a team of experts, operating in the sector for years. We are committed to providing you with accurate and transparent information. We will inform you about the regulations of the countries you visit, visas, access to your yacht (possibility to book a private flight), we also guarantee you quality and well-maintained yachts, with top-of-the-range crews.
