Yachts With Crew

A crewed yacht charter provides a captain and cook. The price includes meals and in most cases house wines and open bar. You decide the itinerary. You can sail the yacht yourself, do as much or as little in the running of the yacht as you wish. There is no cleaning or cooking to worry about.

Gourmet meals are prepared to your taste.

What sets one crewed yacht apart from another are the people who care for her and for you. Whether it is helping decide your itinerary, teaching you how to sail or the finer points of yacht handling, helping organize activities for children the "right" crew is important. Some of the yachts we represent offer discounts for children.

One of the most important services we provide is getting the "people chemistry" right aboard your yacht. If you are interested in diving, wind surfing, water skiing, sea kayaking, eco tours or just stretching out on a secluded beach tell us about you and your guests and what you want to do and we will match your party with a suitable crew.

The cost of a crewed charter will vary depending on the size of vessel, power or sail, number of people on board, etc. The duration of the charter is usually a week, but can be any length. Generally, all food, beverages and water activities are included. Diving is usually extra.

The price per person starts around $1200. Motor yachts cost more than sail. Groups on larger yachts can often be less expensive per person than a couple on a small yacht. Yachts are available for parties of 2 or more. Large groups may prefer to charter more than 1 yacht and travel as a flotilla. This is very common, especially for corporate groups.

The summer season may be less expensive than winter in the Caribbean. Summer season is May 1st to December 14th. Winter season is December 15th to April 30th.

Xmas and New Years usually have an additional fee. Dockage and shore excursions are extra.

Gratuities are the norm when the service merits it. Your crew work hard to ensure your vacation is a great one. They are your chef, bartender, tour guide, waiter, ....

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What should you bring?

First, only bring soft-sided luggage, such as a duffle bag, since space is limited and storage is easier. Hard luggage can damage woodwork and paint and does not fit in most yacht storage lockers.

For clothing bring casual wear, mostly shorts and T-shirts, and swimsuits. A few of the more formal restaurants require long pants and collared shirts. "Smart casual" is the norm.

Your own mask and snorkel if you're inclined, but all yachts carry an assortment of sizes. If you are expecting to scuba dive, check with us to make sure of the available equipment on board the yacht.

Most crewed yachts carry sunscreen of the type they prefer, so generally it is on board. If you bring your own, please don't use oily lotions as it stains the yachts upholstery and can make the decks and hand holds slippery.

What activities are there to do?

All yachts have water sports and depending on the yacht you charter may include snorkeling, Scuba Diving, knee-boarding, water-skiing, windsurfing, kayaks, fishing and, of course, sailing.

Most water sports are included but some are extra, and can be arranged by your crew. These would typically include diving and parasailing.

On shore activities can be recommended by your crew and will vary depending on the island.

What does it cost?

With a crewed charter the cost will vary depending on the size of vessel, sail or power, how may guests on board, etc. Most charters are usually for a week to ten days but can be any length. You pay a surcharge for 5 days or less. Generally speaking, all food, beverages and water activities are included in the charter fee.   Scuba Diving is often extra.

The per person price starts around $225-255 per day. This is based on 8 day 7 night charter (Approximately $1400 - $1500 per person per week). Motor yachts tend to cost more than sailing yachts. Groups of 4 or more on larger yachts will usually be less expensive per person than a couple on a small yacht. Larger groups often prefer to charter 2 or more yachts and travel as a flotilla. This is especially common for large corporate groups.

Many yachts are less expensive in the summer than the winter in the Caribbean .
May 1 st to December 14 th is the summer season. December 15 th to April 30 th is the winter season most cases.

Christmas and New Year usually have an additional fee of a 10-15% surcharge.

Shore excursions, communications and dockage are extra.

Gratuities of 15% - 20% of the charter fee are the norm when the service merits it. Please remember that your crew work hard to ensure your vacation is a great one that will be remembered for many years. They are your chef, bartender, waiter, tour guide, ....

What food and drinks are served?

The menus are designed around your food preferences. The chefs are excellent and can usually prepare any dish requested.

Drinks such as wine, beer and alcohol are included as part of the "ships bar". The amount and variety will vary depending on the cost of the charter with larger, more expensive yachts providing finer wines and premium liquors.

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Where do we go?

The itinerary is based on your preferences of activities. The crew know the territory very well and will tailor the cruise to fit your requests. The Virgin Islands offer an outstanding variety of bays, anchorages and interesting places to visit.

It isn't possible to see everything in one visit, however, and you may need to adjust your itinerary to accommodate your schedule and the activities you have chosen.

Where Can We Cruise?

Generally your cruising would be contained within the British and U.S. Virgin Islands.
To cruise other areas in the Caribbean is possible, but it will require more planning and usually cost, due to airfare, provisioning, etc. Check with us for more information.

Are Special Cruises Offered?

There are cruises to meet almost every need. Some of these include:

Scuba Diving
Many programs are available for diving from beginner up to Advanced Diver. The variety of diving and the beauty is unmatched in the Caribbean and includes reef, night, cave and wreck dives.

Learn To Sail
Most yachts are happy to share their knowledge of sailing with you and there will be opportunities to steer the boat and adjust the sails if your want. There are, however, captains that are qualified sailing instructors for those charter guests that are interested in learning more.

Regatta Yacht Racing

Captain Only
A few yachts are available with the captain only. The yacht is available with the captain at a lower rate than fully crewed and the charter guest pays all the expenses. These would be provisions (including enough for the Captain), fuel, water, taxes, etc. Also, you prepare the meals and look after your cabins. This might be a good choice for those that want to eat ashore frequently and don't need the personal service that a fully crewed charter includes.

Here is some general information on crewed yacht charters. Browse this section and if you are interested chartering a yacht please visit our crewed YACHT CHARTER website.