Let’s be honest, many people look at the rate of a Charter and quickly dismiss it, but NOT SO FAST!!!  Charters come in all shapes, sizes and budgets and there are some simple tips to make them more affordable!

First, think about your last vacation…by the time you were “All-in”, what did you spend?  Excursions, meals, drinks at resort prices, car rentals, equipment rentals, theme park entrance fees (only to have crappy theme park food–yuck!) etc, etc.  It all adds up!  Now, think about the time and energy you spent finding restaurants to dine at, making reservations or worse–preparing meals, not to mention the logistics of getting places, navigating a tourist town, dealing with crowds and lines and worst of all cleaning up after the family on your own vacation!  Book a Charter Vacation and wipe all of that away!!!

When you see the price of an Caribbean All Inclusive Charter, take some of the sticker shock out and look at the value of what you get! Erase the vision of the All-Inclusive resort in Cancun and replace it with All INCLUSIVE concept of meals prepared by a chef who knows your preferences of food, accommodates special dietary needs and presents it with the most beautiful culinary twist!  And imagine your crew ready to greet you with your favorite drinks and snacks throughout each day.  Think of the Captain and crew who know  all of the island hotspots and hidden gems!  No waiting in lines, no boarding transfer busses, no cheesy tour guides!  It’s immediately a 5-star experience of a lifetime!         

SIMPLE TIPS to make a Charter Vacation more “affordable” (yep, I used that word!)

  1. Charter as a group of couples or do a multi-familty trip and divide the cost.  (Just make sure you like them!)  Ha! No, really it’s quite easy!  Everyone is generally on their best behavior on Charter because, well, why wouldn’t you be–it’s paradise!  Don’t be afraid to join forces.
  2. Pick non-holiday weeks to charter.  Christmas and New Year’s weeks have a premium rate of 10-20% and generally a 7 day minimum.  Spring Break does not have a premium rate though!
  3. Charter during “low season”.  May 1-Dec.14th in the Caribbean offers lower charter rates. (Note: Prime hurricane season is Sept-October)
  4. Book 9-12 months in advance.  The “more affordable” yachts with the best crews are the ones that tend to book up to a year in advance, so don’t delay!
  5. Wait for a SPECIAL to hit!  (WHOA–did’t I just say book in advance?!) Ok, here’s the scoop!  You know what you want and you like what you like–so you better hop on it 9-12 months in advance, no joke!  But, if you are laid back and don’t mind the “leftovers”, there are some sweet SPECIALS that pop up generally because a yacht is trying to fill some empty slots and generally last minute, so if you are a flexible traveler (aka, you don’t have kids schedules dictating your life), then waiting for a special might be for you.
  6. Book a shorter duration.  I don’t recommend anything shorter than 4 nights, but the yachts will pro-rate their weekly rates for a shorter duration and it’s a great way to “dip your toes” into the Charter world!  

Here’s the teaser–let’s play around with quote!  Email or call us with your desired travel window, a description of your group (ages, relationship) and your desired budget and we’ll “Make A Plan!”

Click HERE to Explore a sample of Available Yachts!

Brochure for featured yacht on today’s blog:  AVALON http://www.charterbrochure.com/chillaxincharters/robynmccarty/avalon62

 

Note:  Most catamarans operate on an All-Inclusive rate that includes a reasonable bar and a wine budget, but may charge an additional fee if the client requests high priced fine wines or an overstock on alcohol or specialty liquors.  Most Power Yachts operate on an APA (Advanced Provisioning Allowance–to be discussed in a future blog).