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When it comes to comparing a crewed yacht charter to a Cruise Ship holiday you immediately think of Privacy, Freedom, Crew at your disposal and visit hidden places where big ships can't get to... The charter yachts are smaller than the cruise ships, and your charter yacht will cover less distance in a week than a typical cruise ship, but after your charter vacation you would have visited the places more in depth than in a Cruise Ship and your itinerary is more flexible.
There are Bareboat charters in which you sail/motor the boat and you have the full command of all aspects of your charter in terms of sailing, itinerary, moorings, anchorages... (see our bareboat charter section). Skippered charters in which you hire a freelance skipper that sails the boat for you and Crewed charters, where there is a permanent crew, it can be a captain-only where the captain will have the full command of all the aspects of getting your around but you are responsible for the cooking and the cleaning of the boat, Captain and Cook or Captain + Crew (see our crewed charter section).
For sailing boats it is usually one week in the Mediterranean during high season from Saturday to Saturday. In the low and medium season there is always more flexibility. In the Caribbean minimum 5 days duration for some companies and minimum 7 days for others with surcharge for less than 7 days. For motor boats the minimum period is more flexible, but most owners are reluctant to block a day charter in advance for high season so you have to wait until the last minute to book in advance and there are fantastic boats for day charters exclusively.
On Bareboat charters it depends on the destination. In the Caribbean, any day of the week, generally from 12 (noon) to 12 (noon) with some exceptions. However, in the Mediterranean, as the high season is shorter, charters start/end on Saturdays (from 1 pm to 6 pm - depending on the charter company) and generally you have to come back to the home port on Friday to do the check out (before 6 pm) but you can sleep in the boat at the marina and leave the boat on Saturday morning. Crewed yacht charters can start and end any day of the week, with some exceptions.
On Bareboat Charters, the charter rate includes your exclusive use of the boat and the boat's insurance. As Extras you will find: final cleaning, outboard engine, bed linen set, fuel, provisions, moorings outside home port, cruising permits.. etc. In our quotes we will give you an exact breakdown of expenses.
On Crewed Charters there are two types of rates: "all inclusive" or "plus expenses". The All Inclusive Rate, generally includes: the crew, all the meals, standard ship's bar, water toys and all running expenses. The charter fee does not include (optional) crew gratuities (10-20% of the charter fee), scuba diving, scuba equipment, premium beverages and fine wines, excessive alcohol consumption, off yacht excursions, dockage, telephone, airport transfers or similar expenses.
The Plus Expenses Rate, only includes the use of the yacht, the crew and the yacht's insurance. The charterer will be charged for all other expenses such as food, beverage, fuel for the main engines, generators and water sports engines, cruising taxes, harbours and dockages and national parks permits fees. For all the expenses an "Advance Provisioning Allowance" (APA) of the 25-35% of the charter fee is collected along with the second installment of your calendar of payments.
The APA is a deposit used to cover all the expenses pertaining to your charter not included in the charter fee. These expenses are generally food, beverages, consumables, fuel for the main engines, generators, and water sports engines, cruising taxes, harbours and dockages, national parks and cruising permits fees. The Captain is responsible for keeping accounts for all the expenses with receipts and the breakdown will be presented to you at the end of the charter period. Any APA not used will be returned to you at the end of the charter, however, if the expenses exceed the APA, additional payment will be required, in the middle or at the end of the charter. The APA is collected along with the second installment of your calendar of payments. In the event of cancellation of the charter, the APA is refundable.
The Preference Sheet is a questionnaire that you complete, that shows your preferences to the Crew. This document is crucial for the success of your charter and it lets your crew know about your food preferences, special diets, allergies and helps the crew to prepare the type of services that you expect. It is important not to wait until the last minute to complete the charter questionnaires and it is important to have in mind the likes and dislikes of the whole group. The more advance notice you give, the more time the crew has to find the requested items - at least a few weeks before the charter begins as many provisions must be ordered in advance. Not only allergies, birthdays and food and beverages preferences, it is also important to mention if you want long or short cruising days, if you prefer to anchor or sleep in marinas, early or late dinners, favorite music .....
Always check the cancelation clause of your Charter Agreement to be aware of what happens if the charter is cancelled by you because of some circumstances - the signed Charter Agreement will govern the law and cancellation process. For peace of mind we strongly recommend our clients to purchase Travel Insurance.
Most charter companies will offer to stock your charter with food and beverages for a fee. If the company does not give the option of provisioning your boat or you prefer to do it prior the commencement of your charter you can go to the local supermarket and provision the boat yourself.
Snorkeling , Scuba Diving, Waterskiing, Tubing, Wakeboarding, Kneeboarding …
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