How to book a yacht charter

Three steps, no fee and no obligation. This is what actually happens between your first message and the moment you step aboard — what we need from you, what comes back from us, and why using a broker costs you nothing.

Step One

Step 1: Tell us what you have in mind

One conversation, by email or on the phone, is usually enough to start. We want to know when you can travel and how flexible those dates are, how many of you there are and whether there are children aboard, where you are drawn to — or nothing at all, if you would rather we suggested it — and what would make the week for you: diving, a quiet anchorage every night, a chef who can cook around a dietary requirement, a birthday worth marking. There is no charge for any of this and no obligation to go further.

Step Two

Step 2: We shortlist, you choose

We go through the yachts genuinely free for your dates — not only the ones in a single company’s fleet — and come back with a handful worth considering rather than a catalogue. For each one you get the crew, the cabin layout, what the rate covers and what it does not, and an honest word on where the boat is strong and where it is not. From there we narrow it down together and shape the route around what you actually want to do.

Step Three

Step 3: Contract, then the run-up to your week

Once you have chosen, we put a complimentary hold on your dates so nobody else takes the yacht while the booking is finalised, then prepare the contract. A 50% deposit confirms it and the balance falls due 60 days before you sail; for charters more than six months out, some yachts take 25% now and 25% at the six-month mark. Your money sits in escrow until shortly before the charter begins. Once the owner countersigns you can book flights with confidence — and we stay with the booking after that: preference forms, dietary requirements, transfers, a cake for an anniversary, a diving day on the Tuesday. None of it is yours to chase.

Before You Call

What to have ready

You do not need a plan. You need enough for us to tell the difference between the yachts that would suit you and the ones that would not. In practice it comes down to seven things, and most people have five of them in their head already.

What we ask	Why it matters
Your dates, and how flexible they are	Availability drives everything. A week either side often opens up a better yacht.
How many of you, and how old	Sets the size of the yacht and the cabin layout. Children change which crews we suggest.
How many cabins you need	Four couples and eight friends want very different boats from the same eight berths.
Where you are drawn to — or nothing at all	If you are open, we will tell you where the sailing is best for the weeks you have.
A budget range	So the shortlist is worth reading rather than aspirational.
What would make the week	Diving, fishing, a chef who can cook around a diet, a quiet anchorage every night, a birthday.
What you are doing either side	Flights, a night ashore before boarding, an inland trip afterwards — we can shape around it.

You do not need all of it to start a conversation — dates and group size are enough.

The Question Everyone Asks

Does it cost more to book through a broker?

No. The price of a charter is the same whether you book through a broker or go to the charter company yourself. The broker’s commission is paid by the yacht owner or the operator out of the rate, not added to your bill — it is how the industry has always worked. We charge nothing for an enquiry, a consultation or any of the work in between, and you can walk away at any point. What you gain is someone comparing boats across several fleets instead of selling you the one they happen to have free.

Timing

How far ahead should you book?

There is no deadline, only availability. The popular weeks in each destination go first, and Christmas and New Year go first of all — in most places those weeks also carry a higher rate and a minimum stay of a week. If your dates are fixed, ask early. If you can move by a week either way, you have far more choice than you would expect, and flexible enquiries often end up on the better boat.

Booking a yacht charter: your questions answered

Ask which yachts they have actually been aboard and which crews they know by name. Ask what the rate includes and what it does not — fuel, dockage, drinks and taxes are handled differently from one contract to the next. Ask what the yacht is like in the conditions you will get in that particular month, not in the brochure. Ask who picks up the phone if something goes wrong while you are aboard. And ask who pays them: if the broker is paid by the owner rather than by you, as we are, you know their fee does not sit on top of your rate.

A 50% deposit books the charter, and the remaining 50% falls due 60 days before it begins. For charters more than six months away some yachts accept 25% up front and a further 25% at the six-month mark. Your money sits in escrow until shortly before the charter starts, when the yacht is paid.

We place a complimentary hold on your dates so the yacht cannot be taken while things are finalised, then draw up a contract setting out the booking. Your deposit follows, the owner countersigns, and at that point the charter is confirmed and you can book your travel.

All payments are non-refundable. If the yacht manages to book the same dates with someone else, a partial refund becomes possible, and in some situations your deposit can be moved to a future date instead. This is standard across the industry rather than our own policy — it is why charter insurance is worth considering.

In the Caribbean most yachts have a minimum of four nights. In the Mediterranean during high season most yachts run a full week, typically Friday to Friday, Saturday to Saturday or Sunday to Sunday. Minimums are open to negotiation depending on the yacht’s availability, so tell us your dates and we will ask.

No. The rate is the same whether you book through a broker or go to the charter company yourself. The broker’s commission is paid by the yacht owner or the operator out of that rate, not added to your bill. What you gain by using a broker is someone comparing yachts across several fleets rather than selling you the one they happen to own.

Nothing. We do not charge for an enquiry, a consultation or any of the work in between, there are no upfront fees, and you are free to stop at any point without owing us anything.

There is no deadline, only availability. The popular weeks in each destination go first, and Christmas and New Year go first of all — in most places those weeks also carry a higher rate and a minimum stay of a week. If your dates are fixed, ask early. If you can move by a week either way, you have far more choice than you would expect.

Dates and how flexible they are, how many of you there are and whether there are children aboard, how many cabins you need, a budget range, and anything that would make the week — diving, fishing, a dietary requirement, a celebration. A destination helps but is not required; if you are open we will suggest where the sailing is best for your dates.

Not on a crewed charter. The captain sails the yacht and knows the cruising ground; you are welcome to take the helm and be as hands-on as you like, or to do nothing at all. Bareboat charters are the ones that require qualifications and experience.

Yes. The route is built around what you want to see and do, and it is reshaped day by day by your captain according to the weather and the sea state. That judgement is the point of a crewed charter: it is what keeps the anchorages comfortable and gets you to the good snorkelling on the day the wind allows it.

Your captain rebuilds the week around it — a different anchorage, the route run in reverse, two days swapped. On a crewed charter that is routine rather than a crisis, and it is one of the reasons a good captain matters more than a good brochure.

Destination

The Caribbean

Experience and knowledge
We focus on the Virgin Islands, the Bahamas and the Mediterranean. We’ve been to all destinations we offer. You are in good hands!

Yachts for all tastes and budgets
Catamaran, power yacht, or perhaps a traditional gullet? We offer an extensive selection of all inclusive crewed vessels to cater to your preferences. We also provide bare – boat yacht charters.