Private Crewed Yachting Vacations

While yacht charters are offered worldwide, the most popular charter destination is the Virgin Islands. The Virgin Islands consists of two island groups – the British Virgin Islands and the US Virgin Islands. Your itinerary may include one of these island groups, or both, depending on the yacht’s registration. Our Charter Experts will assist you in choosing the best yacht for the itinerary you desire, and once on board the captain and crew will customize your route. The Virgin Islands is highly attractive because of the close distances between islands and therefore the protected, easy sailing waters. The Bahamas and Belize offer a similar sailing adventure with other unique qualities. White sandy beaches are in abundance, as well are the cold Caribbean cocktails. The local environment is friendly and every island has its unique personality – whether there’s an infamous beach bar or amazing mountain view… the sunset is always breathtaking!

All-Inclusive catamarans are the most popular types of yachts. They are spacious with roomy cabins, bathrooms and inside lounging areas. Outside where you’ll spend most of your time consists of covered dining areas where the chef serves gourmet meals, several places for sitting and lounging in the sun or shade where the captain ensures you have a cocktail, and great access to the ocean so that you can jump in as much as you’d like. In addition to being spacious, catamarans are also stable sailing yachts which makes sailing both fun and safe. These crewed catamarans are outfitted with amenities to keep you comfortable – air conditioning, great sound systems, and some have additional entertainment features like TVs and gaming systems.

There are a lot of excellent choices, so choosing the best yacht and crew to suit your group can be overwhelming. The absolute most beneficial thing you can do is speak to one of our Charter Experts – Emily, Ellen, Lisa and Kelly. They each have decades of experience working with crewed yacht charters, meet as many of the captain and chef crews in person as possible and work with the management companies daily. We only book the yachts we know are delivering excellent charters and that have the support of a trustworthy management company. Without utilizing their extent of knowledge and experience, there could be some crucial details that you miss. There is no fee for our expertise – we’ll assist you with booking the best yacht, ensuring you get the best rate and will assist you throughout your planning process. 

The menus are customized to your group. The most common feedback we get from clients is how impressed they are with the meals. Whether you prefer healthy meals or to splurge for an indulgent vacation, you’ll be served delicious meals that satisfy your palate and your senses! You’ll complete a preference form in advance which is very detailed about your likes, dislikes, favorite types of foods, etc. The chefs are very experienced and often formally trained so that they can accommodate special requests and dietary restrictions, plus enjoy creating an impressive presentation.

Alcohol is included on crewed yachts in the Caribbean – wine, beer and liquor are included as part of the “ship’s bar”.

You’ll complete a preference form in advance to ensure the crew stocks the bar accordingly. The higher end luxury yachts will have a larger budget to include fine wines and premium liquors. The mid-priced yachts often also include premium liquors, depending on the quantities of all beverages requested. The more economically priced yachts will include good quality local brands of alcohol. Of the thousands of crewed yacht charters we’ve arranged, it has been very rare that clients request more alcohol than what’s included – we know you drink more when you’re on vacation!

When you see the inviting clear blue sparkling water of the Caribbean Ocean, you just can’t resist jumping in! All the yachts are equipped with snorkeling gear to explore the many lively coral reefs, kayaks and / or stand up paddle boards for exploring the anchorages and a variety of floats for your afternoon chill sessions. Every yacht has a dinghy for transportation from the yacht to shore, and pulling any towable toys. The larger the yacht, the more water toys will be included – water skis, wakeboards, seabobs, and so on. Scuba diving is offered from many yachts for an additional fee.

The cost of a crewed charter does not include:

• Anything you do ashore – drinks at a local bar, island tour, souvenirs.
• Flights and transfers to the yacht.
• Dockage if requested, though not common as the yacht typically anchors just offshore.
• Cruising tax & port fees – depending on the cruising area there may be a small cruising tax & port fee.
• Gratuity for the yacht’s crew. The industry standard is15%-20% of the charter fee. The crews work hard to ensure your vacation exceeds your expectations.

2 Guests

• Lowest $9,000-$12,000
• Shared Yachts $4,000/couple

4 Guests

• Lowest $11,000-$14,000
  Popular $15,000-$18,000
• High End $20,000-$26,000

6 Guests

• Lowest $16,000-$18,000
• Popular $20,000-$24,000
• High End $25,000-$32,000

8 Guests

• Lowest $20,000-$23,000
• Popular $24,000-$30,000
• High End $34,000-$50,000

10 Guests

• Lowest $25,000
• Popular $30,000-$40,000
• High End $45,000-$70,000

12 Guests

• Lowest $33,000-$35,000
• Popular $40,000-$50,000
• High End $65,000-$100,000

Charter For Less Nights

First, you can consider chartering for 6 nights. The weekly charter fee is for 7 nights and would be prorated equally for 6 nights. This strategy only works for 6 nights because for 5 nights there is a surcharge that makes the rate only a couple hundred dollars less than the rate for 6 nights. While 7 nights is the optimum amount of time on board, a fulfilling itinerary is definitely possible during 6 nights!

Share the Cost

The sweet spot for the best per person rate is a group of 6 or 8. Therefore, consider increasing or reducing your group to 6 or 8 guests. If you are a couple looking for a luxury yacht vacation, consider a Shared Yacht Charter. If you have a large group of 12 or more, we can assist you in comparing the price of two 6-8 person yachts for a tandem charter versus one large yacht.

Book Early

The best value and most popular yachts are always the yachts that are booked first. The best value doesn’t always mean these are the lowest priced yachts, but instead means you get the most value for your money. For example, if a 52′ catamaran and a 45′ catamaran both charter for $25,000.

No Half Board Option

It’s a common misconception that by choosing a “half board” option you will save money. A half board option means that instead of all meals being included in the charter cost, that 7 meals (combination of lunches and dinners) are not included and therefore the upfront charter rate is reduced. However, this doesn’t save money overall because while the charter fee is reduced by approximately $25-$30/meal, the meals at local restaurants will cost $40-$50/meal. The quality of the meals on board is excellent, but you may have a desire to experience some of the local restaurants. In that case, we recommend “local fare” which only excludes 3 meals.

Our Charter Experts each have 10-30 years of experience arranging successful crewed yacht charters worldwide. They will listen to your requirements and recommend high quality yachts and crews.

They have relationships with crews that have been in the industry for years and meet as many new crews in person as possible. They tour the yachts at yearly broker-only boat shows and communicate daily with the yacht management companies.

Virgin Island Sailing® is the top Caribbean charter broker and therefore our partnerships are crucial in ensuring you have an exciting, adventurous, and hassle-free sailing holiday.

Our goal is to ensure you get the best rate for the vacation experience you desire. There are no additional fees for booking or credit card payments when you book with us.

Each of our clients is treated like a VIP by our Concierge Team with a complimentary cruising guide book & planning package by mail. You will also have an online portal with a personalized vacation planner to access your booking details.