Choosing a charter yacht is fun! It can be confusing if you’re not an expert but there’s truly nothing that is too technical for you to understand. You need not be overwhelmed with options and jargons as choosing a charter yacht is very simple. All you need to do is consider the following factors that we’d enlist and you’d be set! Happy sailing!
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5 Factors to Consider When Choosing a Charter Yacht
Your budget.
You need to be clear with your budget. Having a definite amount will instantly make choosing easy for you. Will you be sharing the costs with others? If you are, then all the more the need to set a fixed amount.
If you’d be choosing a charter yacht as a group, it’s best to be clear with everyone’s budget limit. In computing for costs, you should consider the following additional fees:
- Skipper fees
- Fuel
- Deposit
- Docking charges
- Extra charges that some marinas might require
- Extra fees for additional sails and linens, a private boat hire Phuket charter can even give you a personal chef and a masseuse on board. If you want that, then that should be included in computing for your expenses
- Outboard engine fees if you prefer one
You, or everyone in the group, should have a definite amount that can be easily referred to when it comes to dividing costs. You can have a set-up where all expenses will be equally divided among all or a more liberal set-up where anyone is free to request extra features and particular activities provided that they’d be the one to pay for it. The clearer your set-up is, the better.
Having a budget limit will also streamline your yacht choices. A budget filter always works to simplify matters!
Your purpose.
What are you chartering a yacht for? Is it for business or pleasure? Will you be on your own or will you be with a group? Do you want to explore and go all-out on adventures or do you simply want to relax?
Knowing the core reason as to why you’d be renting a yacht will make choosing easy for you.
If you’re up for a grand holiday and you simply want to relax, then you should look for a luxurious yacht that comes with a first-class crew. Such a crew comes with a personal chef and can even come with a masseuse.
If you’re planning to sail alone, then choose a yacht that fits your level of expertise. Look for one that you can confidently maneuver and operate. Opting for a technically superior boat is advised.
How long your holiday will be.
How many days will you be sailing?
If you’d only be on sailing holiday for a weekend, choosing a smaller boat is ideal. However, if you’d be sailing for more than two weeks, it’s best to opt for a yacht with more space. Cabin fever is a thing and you’d want to make sure that everyone in your cruise feels comfortable and has enough personal space.
Your holiday’s duration will also greatly affect your expenses. It’s easy to assume that you’d be paying for more if you’d have a longer holiday. But chartering a yacht can be different in that way. This is because most companies offer big discounts to clients that opt for long rental periods. You’d be shocked at the amount of savings you’d get. When inquiring, closely consider and compare the prices of different packages visa vis set periods.
Your space needs.
Be definite with how much space you need. And you can only do this by answering this question: how many people will be with you?
Will you be with friends and relatives? Will you be with families with kids? How many cabins will you need?
Space will not be an issue if you’d be on your own or you’d just be with a single person (yacht honeymoons are always fun!). It will only be a big point of consideration if you’d be with a group.
When with a group, you should prioritize their relationships with each other. Are some strangers to one another? Will you be with couples? Being with friends won’t be complicated as all will be familiar with each other and choosing anyone to share a cabin with will be easy should there be a need to share. If you’d be with couples, then you need to make sure that each has their own cabins with equal (try!) spaces. If you’d have kids on board, a large cabin with bunk beds would be perfect!
If you can, do avoid having someone sleep in the salon. Lack of privacy and space limitations can easily ruin a well-planned holiday trip!
Yacht layout.
Lastly, what kind of yacht layout do you want? You don’t need to research different yacht layouts to answer this (although you could easily Google it). All you have to know is what you need. Simply start with what you’d need and you’d easily find the perfect yacht for you.
A good layout will ensure that everyone has privacy. Cabin walls are not thick so you better be clear with things that will work for you. Do you have special needs? Will you be with a baby? If you have no particular needs, then looking for a good yacht layout will be easy if you’d simply know the number of people you’d be with. If you’d be with six people, simply look for a yacht that can comfortably accommodate everyone.