FAQ Yacht Rental Charter Types
Time for part # 3 on our FAQ Yacht Rental Charter Types.
Here are the links for Part 1 ( What is your relationship with a Yacht Charter Broker and how does it work) and Part 2 (reserving ad booking a yacht charter vacation)if you want to catch up on finding out about your relationship with your yacht charter broker and the booking process and charter agreements to book your charter experience.
What are the types of Yacht Charters we can book?
We can find different types of yachts and charters (our yacht search engine) in many parts of the world. The kinds of vacations available can be extensive. I want to go over a few of the leading charter types today.
What is a Fully Crewed and Inclusive Yacht Charter?
The fully crewed and inclusive yacht charter originally came out of the Caribbean, and that is where you will still find a lot of yachts that offer crewed yacht charters.
The charter fee encompasses the services of the Captain and Cook. In the case of larger boats, it may also include a deckhand, stewardess, or Dive Instructor, depending on the specific vessel.
It includes the Boat, the Furnishings, the Water Toys aboard, and MOSTLY all the expenses. Three meals, snacks, desserts, beverages, standard ships, bar, wifi, and more.
You pay the entire fee upfront, (check out the link to find out the booking process) and on the charter, you cover your incidentals such as anything you chose to eat or drink inland; perhaps SCUBA diving could be an extra charge, any upgrades on the wine and liquor, and any dockage that YOU request during the week.
The crew facilitates everything you want to do. The Captain and Crew are very good at anticipating your needs, and their attention to detail provides you with a high level of service.
At the end of your vacation, a gratuity (tip) for the crew who have taken care of you all week long is appropriate. 15-20% is the “Industry-standard” and you adjust it up or down depending on the service you feel that you have received.
What is a Partial Board or Half Board Charter?
A Partial Board Charter means that you agree to take a certain amount of your food and beverage meals ashore during the week.
A Half Board is seven breakfasts on board, four lunches, and three dinners
included in your base charter fee. The rest is at your expense.
Do I get preferences on the Food and Beverage Onboard?
The crew will receive a preference sheet (View a sample preference sheet here for fully crewed and inclusive yacht charters) from you and provision the boat as best they can from your preferences.
Boats have a standard ship bar that includes all the regular spirits like vodka, gin rum, and more, including ship’s wines and beers. Each yacht and price point has a different budget for the bar.
If you need more liquor, your cost will be what it costs the yacht provision.
Check out our further blog post on Inclusive Yacht Charters and Half Board Charters
What is a Captain Only Yacht Charter?
A Captain Only Yacht Charter is where you charter a vessel, and it comes with a captain and sometimes a mate as well. The captain will be fully responsible for the boat at all times.
He may require some help to sail or set anchor etc. Any tasks he needs help with will be fully explained to you before you do the job. What a fantastic way to increase your boating knowledge!
The captain will provide you with the opportunity to gain additional experience beyond assisting with their specific needs, should you desire.
The charter terms of a Captain Only Yacht have you rent the boat and Captain only. All expenses are on top of that which you pay.
You will need to do the cooking and cleaning for your group as well as the Captain. You do not have to take them out to eat with you every time, but you should leave provisions for him on board or give him the dinner cost to have dinner by himself.
Certain captains are willing to take on the role of cooking for one or two nights during the week. Additionally, some captains are open to gathering provisions of your choice before your arrival. You may also encounter captains who prefer to navigate the boat between different locations as part of their approach.
You do tip the Captain at the end of the week.
What is a Bareboat Yacht Charter?
A bareboat yacht charter is just as it says — a sole boat with nothing or no one in it.
They usually come with linens and towels, although in some parts of the world, you are required to bring your own.
Bareboats generally do come with a starter kit that contains dish soap, dish sponge, etc. The rest is up to you.
You need to provision the boat yourself, drive the boat yourself, and cook and clean yourself.
You will fill out a boating resume in advance to show that you have the experience to take out the yacht you want.
Generally, they are looking for experience within about ten feet of the boat that you want to rent on a bareboat charter.
Unlike the Caribbean, where you can rent a yacht on your experience alone, many parts of Europe and Asia expect you to have an Internationally recognized Captain’s License and an in date VHF certification.
What is a Cabin Only Yacht Charter?
Cabin Only Yacht Charter is where you do not exclusively rent the entire yacht, but rather a single or double cabin or even a bunk in a shared cabin, on a mixed client vacation. These yachts do have private washrooms for each cabin.
Cabin Only Charters do not have as much flexibility in trip planning as compared to your private yacht, but we do have loose itineraries for each one.
It is a great way to explore an area and make new friends. Usually, these trips run from Saturday to Saturday, with you being required to have a couple of meals onshore.
There is often a no children policy on these trips.
What is a Plus All Expenses Yacht Charter?
Commonly found on the Luxury yachts in the Caribbean, as well as traditionally in most parts of the world. Your charter fee pays for the boat, the crew, the furnishings, and the toys on board. All expenses and crew gratuity are on top of that. You also have more say in the food and beverage as you are paying for it.
The yachts know what it cost to run the charter in various parts of the world. When you send the final payment, you will add a percentage of the charter fee (typically between 20-35%), which the crew uses for provisioning the yacht.
The Captain keeps track of receipts and invoices for your APA (which stands for Advance Provisioning Allowance in Industry Terms). You will know at all times what you have spent.
Why book with H2O Luxury Yachts?
We understand the ins and outs of every type of Yacht Charter available and stand by for questions! Hopefully, your understanding of the differences in FAQ Yacht Rental Charter types is clearer now.
Reach out to Kerry, let’s start planning your yacht vacation.
What’s Coming up?
Part #4 of our FAQ and go into more detail on the types of yachts is now out!. We have Sailing Yachts, Motor Sailors, Motor Yachts, Super Yachts, Gulets, Monohulls, Catamarans. Your kind of yacht charter depends on your type of charter yacht many times. The yachts and crew vary quite a bit depending on where you are.