Dreaming of a charter yacht holiday? All of your questions answered by the Swisspath team…
Does my charter have to be a week long or is it flexible?
During high season it is often the case that the minimum charter period is one week as standard, however there are exceptions. Sometimes yachts have gaps they want to fill and offer last minute short break deals. During low season there is often more flexibility with regards to the length of the booking and shorter charters can often be negotiated.
What type of boat shall I charter?
Deciding on what yacht to charter is a highly personalised process. Discussing your requirements with one of our experienced charter brokers will help you decide which boats are most suited to the style of holiday you are after. Do you enjoy an exhilarating sail or is the stability of motor yachts more appealing? Are you looking for family-friendly fun in the Balearics or an exclusive floating party pad in Ibiza? From cabin configurations to crew personalities, knowledge is essential when it comes to picking the right yacht and your charter broker will be able to advise you as to which yachts would best fit your requirements.
How far ahead do I need to book my charter?
In order to secure your preferred yacht or have a wider choice of options available to you, it is advisable that you book a yacht as far ahead as possible. That being said many yachts do not actually plan their calendars and cruising locations until anywhere between a year to six months in advance. If a last minute vacation is on the cards, charters can be booked as close as a week or two prior to the charter commencing. In this situation however, it is important to expect that the choice of yachts available to you would be limited and flexibility is likely to be required regarding your cruising location and/or holiday dates.
Can you suggest a tailor-made itinerary for me?
Yes most certainly. If you require some initial inspiration, here at Swisspath Yachting we have first-hand experience of many the most popular cruising locations and have various sample itineraries on file to ignite your imagination. However, once you have booked a yacht we will work with the crew to provide you with your very own tailor-made itinerary based on the preferences you supply.
Can you recommend places of interest eg. restaurants and bars to check out in my chosen destination?
As ex-crew ourselves, here at Swisspath Yachting we can personally recommend many places of interest and restaurants in a whole range of cruising locations. Once a yacht has been booked the Captain will also have great recommendations of places for you to visit and the best shoreside restaurants to dine at whilst onboard.
Do I need certification or any qualifications to charter a yacht?
No, you do not require any specific certification or qualifications to charter a crewed yacht. However, if you are chartering a yacht with Jet Skis and you do not already hold a license to drive a jet ski, you will be required to complete a short training course in order to do so. Many charter yachts with jet skis now offer the option to complete this training session whilst onboard with a specially certified crew member and can issue a vessel-specific license that will last you the duration of the charter.
Can you tell me more about the crew onboard my chosen superyacht?
Yes, in most cases we will be able to provide you with a brief profile of the crew onboard. Occasionally there are instances where one of the seasonal crew members information is not available at the time of booking, especially if you have booked quite far in advance, however, we should be able to get this to you prior to the charter commencing. Profiles for the Captains and other heads of department are more readily available upon booking as they tend to work in more permanent roles. We can also supply you with feedback about the yacht and crew from previous charter clients.
Can we select the Menu?
Prior to your charter commencing you will be sent a client preference form which once completed is sent over to the Captain to assist with the tailor-made preparations for your charter. Within this form you will be able to detail exactly what your personal preferences are relating to food, liquor and any allergies or intolerances you or your guests may have. From the information you provide the chef will prepare a tailor-made menu in preparation for your trip. Should you wish to view a menu and discuss the specific selections prior to your arrival, we can assist in putting you in contact with the chef onboard to do so.
What type of activities can we do on the yacht?
We can suggest various activities open to you specific to the cruising location and size/type of yacht you have selected. These range from various water sports such as waterskiing and jet skis to perhaps utilising the onboard spa facilities with a massage or keeping active with workouts in an onboard gym.
Do we get a choice where can cruise?
Yes, there is a huge range of cruising locations available to yacht charters these days. The choice of location will determine the yachts available to you as most yachts will spend their season cruising specific areas, for example, western Mediterranean or eastern Mediterranean. Depending on how far in advance you book, once the general cruising location has been determined you can work with the captain in creating an itinerary that best fits your preferences.
Are you able to work around a budget?
Yes if a client has a specific budget they wish to keep we can select yachts that would fit within that budget taking into account all the ‘added extras’ such as VAT and the Advance Provisioning Allowance (APA).
Aside from the charter itself, what are the other main additional costs?
The main additional costs to take into account when booking a charter are the VAT and Advance Provisioning Allowance (APA). The APA is generally charged as 30% of the cost of the charter fee and is used by the crew to pay for items such as food, wine, dockage and fuel. The APA spending can be tracked through discussions with the captain whilst onboard and any funds outstanding at the end of the charter will be reimbursed to you. If expenses exceed the APA you will be expected to reimburse the yacht upon departure or even top up funds during the trip, however, the need for this is rare and only really likely if extensive cruising has required a higher than average use of fuel or high season dockage charges have applied.
