Thinking
About
Chartering?
Experience life’s luxuries onboard your luxury charter yacht in dreamlike destinations.
A superyacht charter offers the ultimate vacation, unique in every aspect, from a dedicated crew delivering Seven-Star Service to tailor-made activities and itineraries. Your luxury yacht charter provides the perfect balance to enjoy ample quality time to make treasured moments with family and friends.
With charter activities catering to you and your families every need – you can wake up each morning to a new adventure and a different view. Spend the day relaxing, entertaining, sun-worshipping, or enjoying the thrill of your yacht’s water toys, including Sea Bobs, jet skis, powered surfboards, inflatables, and entire water parks; there’s an unimaginable amount of fun for the whole family.
WHAT TO CONSIDER
Charter Destinations
Embrace the urge to explore. Drop anchor in secluded bays, dive into crystal clear waters and discover an underwater world of marine activity. Chartering offers captivating, thought-provoking and stimulating experiences that are simply inaccessible by any other means – where in the world do you want to go?
Charter Yacht Accommodation
Are you renting a yacht with family or friends, with children or grandparents – how many guests will there be onboard, what cabin configurations are you looking for to host your guests comfortably? The more our charter consultants know about your charter guests, the more they can select the perfect charter yacht for you.
Charter Amenities & Toys
What activities are you looking forward to while on vacation? Superyachts have a huge variety of amenities and toys onboard to cater for everyone from thrill seekers and adrenaline junkies to relaxing spa treatments, outdoor cinemas, and even private nightclubs with their very own mixologists. A luxury superyacht charter is tailored to you.
Superyacht Crew
The crew are arguably the most important (and often overseen) elements of any superyacht charter. The yacht is their home and they take great pride in their work. They love creating themed nights, arranging beach BBQs, and celebrating birthdays and anniversaries. Your crew will want to create incredible memories for you that last forever.
Luxury Yacht Charter: A Step-by-Step Guide
SALT Charter Consultants are well-versed in charter regulations and knowledgeable about charter destinations. They meticulously select and shortlist yachts according to your brief and budget from the global charter fleet to minimise your time in searching.
They aim to comprehensively grasp your requirements and the needs of your charter guests. Gathering ample information about your charter requirements and the activities you intend to enjoy onboard will streamline the process of selecting the ideal charter yacht for you.
There are natural seasonal charter destinations. The most popular charter destinations are the Mediterranean and Northern Europe in the summer, while the Caribbean and the Bahamas are perfect for winter charters. Your charter dates, to a certain degree, will dictate the best destination for you.
However, there’s a world to explore while on charter – the South Pacific, Indonesia, the Red Sea, Central America, and Antarctica, to name a few. Our Charter Consultants can advise on the best time of year to visit these more off-the-beaten-path charter destinations, guide you on what to expect when you arrive, and customise the itineraries to match your preferences.
Your charter budget should be broken down into 5 areas.
- The charter fee – is defined by the weekly charter rate or the pro-rata daily rate for hiring the yacht. 50% is required on booking, with all remaining funds paid 4-6 weeks prior to your charter.
- Tax or VAT – charged based on the country where you embark or disembark. This is a percentage of the net charter fee.
- Delivery costs – applied if you want your yacht delivered to a specific port of embarkation or disembarkation.
- Provisioning and expenses are added as a percentage of the charter fee and cover all fuel, food, berthing, and other expenditures, commonly referred to as the APA (Advanced Provisioning Allowance).
- Tips – discretionary gratitude depends on the level of service you feel you have received. The yacht crew works exceptionally hard during the charter; showing gratitude through a tip is generally customary.
Visit our FAQ on charter to get more details on charter finances.
Our Charter Consultants will provide significant value in finding the perfect yacht, they review the yachts’ testimonials and industry colleagues’ comments to compile and complete a shortlist. They then negotiate the best price for you and handle all contractual requirements.
Once you receive your shortlist, it is important to confirm your choice swiftly. All yachts remain available until an offer has been accepted. To avoid disappointment, select and confirm a yacht as quickly as possible.
Our Charter Consultants work closely with you to ensure all charter arrangements are in place. This involves itinerary planning, booking activities and excursions ashore, making restaurant and spa reservations, and even organising live entertainment onboard. Every charter detail is covered, from arranging transfers to the yacht to provisioning lists that encompass all dietary requirements, daily newspapers, flowers, fine wines – you name it, we will make it happen.
We introduce you to your captain at the appropriate time, who will confirm that all those final tiny details are in place. We remain in contact with you and the captain while you are on charter and monitor the APA to ensure there are sufficient funds to cover your expenses during the charter period.
Featured Charter Destination
CROATIA
The seemingly endless coastline of Croatia is speckled with hundreds of magnificent islands offering a profusion of spectacular cruising opportunities, from the tiny, verdant and unpopulated to the massive, arid and sporting ancient towns and villages. Don’t miss out on the mouthwatering Croatian cuisine. Some of these fine dining and Michelin-star restaurants are the best in the world.
Featured Charter Destination
BAHAMAS
The sun-kissed archipelago of the Bahamas boasts an enchanting array of islands, each with its own unique charm and allure. From secluded, palm-fringed islets to larger expanses adorned with vibrant towns and historic settlements, the Bahamas offers a wealth of captivating destinations for an unforgettable cruising experience. Indulge in the delectable Bahamian cuisine, where local flavors and culinary artistry converge in a symphony of taste. Explore renowned dining establishments, some of which have garnered international acclaim and Michelin-worthy recognition, making the Bahamas a gastronomic paradise for discerning palates.
EXPERIENCE
A LUXURY
YACHT
CHARTER
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FAQ
In most cases you will be required to pay (by wire transfer) a deposit of 50% of the total charter fee upon signing the Charter Agreement. The remaining 50% of the charter fee plus the Advance Provisioning Allowance (APA), and any applicable taxes, delivery fees and security deposit are due no less than one month before the beginning of your charter.
The charter fee generally covers the rental cost of the yacht and any crew that comes with it. There are some exceptions particularly seen in the Indian Ocean and South East Asia cruising area, these yachts may be detailed as “all inclusive”. In addition to the charter fee the APA covers all other variable expenses such as: fuel, berthing,customs, communications, food and drink. The APA essentially creates a bank account for the Captain (and chef) on the yachts to provision on your behalf.
Most cruising destinations do have a local tax or VAT levy to pay which is a percentage of the charter fee (not on the APA). It is fairly complex and varies depending on the region you charter in. Your charter consultant will advise you on this in more detail once you have a better idea of the destination.
If your charter has been everything you hoped it would be, by all means, show your appreciation with a gratuity. However, please note that although crew gratuities are customary, they are left at your sole discretion. As a guideline, we would suggest between 10% and 20% of the charter fee to be split equally between the crew depending on the level of service.
We would strongly recommend you take out Cancellation and Curtailment Insurance to protect your investment if unforeseen circumstances prevent or curtail your charter plans. Additionally, all guests should be covered by Personal Accident and Medical Insurance, with their personal effects insured against theft, loss or damage. Other forms of insurance, such as Charterer’s Liability may also be prudent. Our Charter Consultants will be pleased to assist you with additional advice in this matter.
It is common practice on most yachts for small quantities of personal laundry to be carried out by the yacht’s crew as a service. Please note that these terms also allow the crew to refuse politely to do excessive quantities of laundry on board or to handle particularly delicate items. It may be possible to have certain laundry done ashore professionally if time allows, the cost of which will be deducted from the APA.
Throughout the pandemic, Most owners were flexible and understood that you might have concerns over travel restrictions. During this period we include a special clause to the charter contract allowing a change to the dates or ports if you were not able to travel to the place of embarkation or disembarkation for the charter period.
Clauses varied depending on the individual owner and the yacht’s schedule. We initiated a 12-month postponement clause to be written into the contract and in some instances, Owners offered a full cancellation if there was a restriction on travel to the yacht’s destination. COVID tests were arranged for crews before guests boarded the yacht and longer periods between bookings were mandatory to allow yachts to undertake a thorough COVID clean.
Should we find a similar situation occur in the future – the charter industry is able to adapt to the specific requirements set out by health and Safety guidelines.
We suggest packing your personal items in soft luggage bags as this enables easier storage on board.
No pets are allowed on board unless previously agreed and permitted by the Owner.
Culinary excellence is often the highlight of any charter and your yacht’s chef will customise this and arrange a menu selection in advance. Prior to your charter we will ask you to complete an information sheet noting your culinary preferences or any special dietary requirements, beverages, newspapers, flowers or other special requests. Details on any medical issues, allergies and special occasions can be noted. We encourage you to give as much information as possible, as it helps the crew to have a detailed understanding before you step on board.
It is perfectly acceptable to go barefoot on the yacht, most guests find it is more comfortable as well! Deck shoes may be worn but shoes for ashore should be taken off before coming back on board.
Cruising distances will vary according to your preferred itinerary; however, to maximise your enjoyment, we suggest cruising no more than 4 hours during the day and being flexible to change course for weather or more time to enjoy a particular new location. If longer cruising periods are required, we suggest discussing with your captain the options to cruise during the night.
In many cruising destinations, the use of personal watercraft (i.e. wave-runners) is restricted or forbidden unless the operator holds a PWC Licence based on local operating regulations. We can advise where these licences are required, though it remains the charters’ and their guests’ responsibility to obtain the correct licence should they wish to operate the yachts’ personal watercraft while on charter.
If a yacht does not advertise scuba diving as a guest facility, it is usually possible to arrange a local shore based diving company to bring all the necessary equipment and take you and your guests on a specific diving trip subject to local law restrictions. This is commonly referred to as “rendezvous diving”.
In most cases, smoking is not permitted inside the yacht for safety reasons. Many yachts operate a policy of smoking permitted on deck only, however, please check the policy as each yacht varies in their approach to smoking on board.