How to charter a yacht for holiday

If you’re wondering how to charter a yacht for holiday, or want to know about the different types of charters, then you’ve come to the right place.

A sailing holiday provides plenty of time to explore new islands, relax on beautiful beaches and snorkel in tropical seas while spending quality time with your family and friends. Combining adventure with relaxation, it’s a great way to spend your much-needed holiday.

Sound interesting? Discover how you can charter a yacht for holiday with us.

1. Decide where you want to charter

We have the widest choice of destinations, in fact we have more than 40 exquisite locations where you can hire a yacht for a holiday, including the Caribbean, Bahamas, Indian Ocean, Pacific, Asia and the Mediterranean to name a few.

Discover our exciting destinations.

2. Decide which yacht charter type is right for you

If you are wondering how to charter a yacht, you also need to decide which charter type is right for you. We offer bareboat yacht charters, skippered charters, by the cabin charters and crewed yacht charters.

• Bareboat yacht charters for sailors: If you have sailing experience, you can hire a yacht and sail yourself with our bareboat yacht charters. You can even sail one way from some locations. Unsure if you have the right sailing qualifications? Read our guide, are you qualified for a bareboat yacht charter? Explore our bareboat yacht charter fleet.
• Skippered charters for holidays with a difference: If you want to experience a sailing holiday and can’t sail, it’s likely you’re questioning how to rent a yacht. All you need to do is hire a skipper to sail the boat for you with our skippered yacht charters. No sailing experience is needed. The skipper will sail your yacht, look after your safety, track the weather and advise you on your route. Learn more about our skippered charters.
• By the cabin charters for hassle-free, exciting holidays: Reserve a stateroom with private bathroom and explore 15+ wonderful destinations worldwide with our hassle-free, organized cruises. All you need to do is book your flights, arrive and relax. Our experienced captain will sail the boat while a professional chef will prepare all your meals for you. Discover our by the cabin charters and read our FAQs.
• Crewed charters for the ultimate customised experience: If you’re looking for a nearly all-inclusive sailing holiday, our crewed charters offer premium service from a professional crew on board our private yachts. Relax with your guests and enjoy a completely personalised experience tailored to your preferences. You don’t need sailing experience, just an idea of your dream holiday. Experience our crewed charters and read our FAQs.
• Sabbatical yacht charters for adventure seekers: For those searching for an adventure of a lifetime, our sabbatical yacht charters are designed for bluewater sailing enthusiasts wanting to explore the world. Our sabbatical fleet is kitted out for voyages up to 12-months. Our long-term charter service includes training, support during your voyage and maintenance at our bases worldwide. Find out more about sabbatical yacht charters and read our FAQs.

3. Find your dream yacht

When looking for your dream yacht, the following points in our how to charter a yacht guide are important to consider. Our boats are priced according to their age, features, destination and season you are sailing. For advice on how to keep your charter affordable, read our guide on how much bareboat yacht charters cost under the FAQs tab.

Short on time? We can find your dream yacht for you. Contact our team.

Consider your yacht’s features

If you are heading to a tropical or remote destination, you may want to choose a watermaker, A/C plus yacht.

• Watermaker: You can shower on the yacht meaning you do not need to stop and use marina facilities, making you self-sufficient
• Air conditioning: It can be noisy at night and the hatches and sea breeze is often enough to keep cool

4. Plan your additional needs

When deciding how to charter a yacht for holiday, remember that there are many things you can do to make your time away even more memorable:

• Water toys: Talk to us about kayaks, paddleboards, jet skis, subwings, waterslides, towed inflatables, SEABOBs, Jet Levs and inflatable pools
• Provisioning: You can provision the boat yourself or we can help you provision the boat in advance if the service is available in your destination
• Skipper: If you can’t sail or want a break from sailing, add a skipper who can share their local knowledge and sail the boat for you
• Chef: If you don’t want to cook, you can add a chef to celebrate a special occasion or sample authentic local cuisine

5. Design your perfect Itinerary

Get some inspiration from our destination pages, which suggest one-week itinerary ideas, destination highlights and things to do on a yacht charter. Here are some things to consider before you depart:

• Agree with your guests how you want to spend your time. Do you want to be sailing, relaxing and swimming at anchor or exploring on land?
• Plan stops if you want to dine out or shop at local markets. You don’t want to find you’re in an area without facilities
• Agree in advance the must-see highlights. You can then maximize your time at anchor and on land with your itinerary
• Think about whether you need to use marinas. If you need to use marinas, plan early morning arrivals to ensure you get a berth

Now you know exactly how to charter a yacht with us, it’s time to turn that dream into a reality! If you have any questions, please contact our team, or for more sailing holiday inspiration, head on over to our blog.