FAQ Yacht Charter Types Part 4
Discover FAQ Yacht Charter Types: Part 4 of an ongoing series!
1) Your relationship with a Yacht Charter Broker
3) FAQ Yacht Rental Charter Types
4) This page! Let’s continue talking about FAQ Yacht Charter Types
Let’s explore the exciting possibilities that await by examining the variety of yacht models and charters available.
When is the most affordable time of year for yacht vacations?
“It depends,” of course, in what part of the world. I will go over a couple of the main areas here.
In the Caribbean, there are three distinct seasons with varying prices: High season, Low season, and a Holiday period that coincides with the high season. The Holiday season spans from December 16th to January 5th.
These dates usually have a 15-20% or more surcharge over the high season rates. The high season is from November 1st through April 30th, and the low season is from May 1st through October 31st.
High-season rates are generally higher than low-season rates. Many more boats are available during high season, as many ships leave the Caribbean in low season to charter either in the Mediterranean or the east coast of the United States.
Over the last few years, I have seen a trend in the Caribbean where the base charter fee is the same in the high and low seasons.
Most of the Mediterranean also has three distinct periods. The high season is July and August.
The shoulder season is June and September.
The low season is the rest of the year.
Many yachts in the Med only offer charter experiences until the end of October. It becomes too cold in the area.
Croatia has a unique pricing structure. Each week leading up to the peak season and then descending into the low season has a different price, providing a dynamic charter experience.
What is a Yacht “Sleepaboard”
Some boats offer sleep-aboard as their calendar permits. This is predominantly in the Caribbean and has developed because some of the islands lack hotel rooms.
A sleep-aboard allows you to use the boat as overnight accommodation before the start of your charter.
You can sleep on board, but no other services are provided, just like a hotel room. Most yachts do offer a welcome cocktail upon boarding and continental breakfast. You will go out to dinner at a convenient nearby restaurant.
With the sleep-aboard option, you can enjoy a stress-free evening. You won’t need to move rooms for dinner or to get your beverages, making it a convenient and relaxing choice when available.
I recommend it when I have charter guests coming in mid to late afternoon.
What is boarding time on your first day of the charter?
Your yacht will be available at noon on pick-up day, and guests will depart by noon on departure day.
Some yachts have a late afternoon boarding, especially if you are looking at a Cabin Only Sailing Model that will run from 5 PM on Saturday and guests depart by ten the following Saturday.
Do Yacht Charters start on the same day every week?
No. In general, the yacht will take bookings wherever its calendar is free. We do try to help the boat avoid 5-night gaps between charters, so you may be asked if you can be flexible by a day or two.
In the Mediterranean, there are some catamaran fleets that only run on a Saturday-to-Saturday basis.
An exception is Christmas and New Year’s week, as all the yachts want to finish two charter weeks at the maximum amount they can for those hectic weeks.
What is a Tandem Yacht Charter?
If you have 30 guests and no yacht is available that takes that many, you can ask for a tandem charter. We will pair up matching boats to your requirements, and all the yachts will follow the same route and stay at the same anchorage overnight.
We can even pair up different types of yachts if some are more interested in sailing boats and others are looking for a motor yacht. Remember that these yachts can travel at vastly different speeds, so pairing like yachts is often the best.
Monohulls versus Multihulls
A monohull has just one hull, where a multihull may have 2 or 3 hulls. 2 hulls make it a catamaran, and three hulls make it a trimaran.
Multihulls are much more stable when at anchor than monohulls. They tend to have more interior volume and more deck space. Also, they do not lean while sailing as a monohull does.
Both sail and powerboats come in either mono or multihull. Multihulls hold more guests and are generally slightly more expensive to charter than monohulls. There are many more multihulls in charter than monohulls.
If you fear seasickness or are first-timers, then a multihull is the right choice.
Huge luxury yachts in the hundreds of feet will usually have stabilizers onboard. These are an excellent choice as they stop rolling at anchor and underway.
What is the ideal duration for a yacht charter vacation?
There are no set rules; some boats have a minimum number of nights they will go out for, and some also have a maximum.
The most usual number of nights for a charter is 7. This has much to do with the workweek rather than the perfect vacation length. From my observations while doing hundreds of charters, I think up to four nights is too short. It takes the first two days to settle slowly and find your way around the boat. Many yachts will not take a charter for less than five nights.
Long Charters
For some, more than eight days is starting to become too long. Dirty laundry is beginning to pile up, and being away from home for more than a week seems to have a psychological barrier. Small kids under seven are out of their schedule while on vacation.
By night five, they are showing signs of being overtired. It’s hard to get them to go to bed before they fall asleep with all the excitement going on. Then, they are up before the roosters. So 6 or 7 nights is about right.
Teenagers have a blast once they get over the first two days of “I refuse to let my parents see me have fun” mode. Teenage girls always hang on to the mast at the end of the week, crying and saying, “No, you can’t make me leave”!
When is Hurricane Season in the Caribbean?
Hurricane season runs from the first of June until the end of November. These dates are driven by insurance companies as well as the hurricanes.
However, each area has only a two-month period during which hurricanes reach the more probable stage, although they are possible throughout the season but not common.
The Virgin Islands 2 high months are from mid-August to mid-October. I always recommend that guests take insurance at any time of the year. Do take out trip insurance during these months. Most of the crewed charter yachts in this area close for this period.
If you’re on a charter and a hurricane is approaching, you must be prepared for potential disruptions. Depending on the severity, the Captain and crew may need to find a secure anchorage for the night, and you may experience some rain.
Some insurance companies and yachts may have a rule that at a certain point out from a named storm, you have to cancel the charter and prepare the boat. This is where Hurricane Insurance plays a crucial role, protecting you from potential financial losses and ensuring your peace of mind.
How do I get more information?
Our next FAQ Blog entry will answer questions about more types of charters
Honeymooners and Anniversaries, Family, SCUBA, Children on board. It will also cover water sports and water toys available
I hope you enjoyed Part 4 of our FAQ Yacht Charter Types.
