For those charterers with personal yachting experience, it can sometimes be tempting to consider a bareboat yacht charter rather than a crewed charter. After all, you know how to drive and dock the boat, and your friends and family can help throw a line and pitch in with dinner in the galley, right?
Sure they can. But as anyone who’s ever had the luxury of a crewed yacht charter will tell you, yachting vacations are much, much better when you don’t have to do the washing up.
With a crewed yacht charter, you don’t have to concern yourself with navigation equipment and worrying about that ominous storm cloud on the horizon. You certainly don’t have to think about provisioning the fridges, making sure there’s sufficient water onboard, or heading to the fuel dock to fill up the tank.
Above all, you don’t have to lift a finger. You’re just there to relax and spend long lazy days moving from deckchair to dining table to a perfect beach…and back again.
How do the Crew Add to your Perfect Holiday?
The yacht’s private chef is there to prepare gourmet menus for you throughout the day, from a buffet cooked breakfast to canapes to five course seafood dinners. The yacht is stocked with all your favorite food and drink, and anything you want, you just have to ask.
The stewardesses are there to make your life effortless, as they pour your champagne, serve your dinner, and make sure the yacht is spotless and beautiful at all times.
The friendly deck crew are there to run you ashore in the tender, take you on diving and snorkeling adventures, and teach you and your kids how to use the watertoys.
While you’re sleeping like a baby in your deliriously comfortable bed, the captain and deck team will be on watch to keep you safe, whether the yacht is at anchor or underway to the next beautiful destination. You’ll soon find that there’s something absolutely magical about going to sleep in one place, and waking up to look out your porthole to another glorious anchorage, white sand and palm trees in the distance. When you leave the yacht’s operations to professional crew, you just get to relax and enjoy the journey.
On larger yachts you’ll also have a dedicated engineer, who’s on hand to fix any problems on the rare occasion they arise. You don’t want to be down in the bilges smelling of diesel when you’d prefer to be swimming off the back of the yacht and lazing on a deckchair. That’s not a holiday!
Crewed yacht charters are the final word in indulgence. They mean that you can truly switch off and spend quality time with family and friends, without having to listen to the daily weather report, book your own restaurant tables, or make your own bed.
And for those of you wondering if having crew will infringe on your privacy, fear not. Crew are trained to be inconspicuous yet attentive, and will quickly adapt to how much privacy you want. Believe us, you won’t resent the person coming to deliver your cocktail in the Jacuzzi, or handing you a soft towel as you climb out of the water.
How to choose the right crewed charter yacht?
When choosing your charter yacht, have a discussion with your charter yacht broker about what kind of service you prefer, and what special skills might be useful in the crew.
For instance, many yachts have watersport instructors on the crew such as dive or fishing instructors, while others offer chefs who are expert in particular cuisines, or stewardesses with masseuse qualifications. Some yachts have crew that excel at silver service, while other crews have a reputation for throwing exceptional onboard parties or going the extra mile with children.
While all yacht crew are professionally trained in delivering exceptional service and cuisine, your charter yacht broker will be able to advise you of yachts with crews that are particularly well-matched to your personal needs. A broker’s inside knowledge of yacht’s amenities and crews are incredibly important in ensuring you have the perfect holiday, so make sure you find a charter broker who genuinely cares about your crewed yacht charter preferences.
Experienced charterers know that the crew are often the most wonderful aspect of a yacht charter, the one that can make the difference between an enjoyable vacation, and the one you and your family will talk about forever.
