Discover Boats

Who hasn’t dreamed of vacationing on a yacht? Spending lazy days cruising between islands, swimming in warm, turquoise water, and having your every need catered to. It doesn’t have to be just a dream – there are ways to make it a quite affordable reality.

Here are 8 ways that can help you save a bit of money and still have that perfect vacation:

1. Travel with a group of friends/family. It’s always less expensive to share the costs with a group. As an example, I found a crewed sailing yacht in Italy for $9,800/week that sleeps 12 – that breaks down to $816/person. Or how about a skippered boat in the British Virgin Islands for $4,895 that sleeps 6-8? That comes out to $611 – $815/person.

2. Discounts and rebates. Thanks to the current economic situation, many charter companies and boat owners have lowered their rates, and new discounts are being offered all the time. To stay on top of the latest deals, sign up for newsletters and email alerts from yachting magazines, charter companies and yachting websites.

3. Negotiate the price. Again, thanks to the less than stellar economic climate, prices are not set in stone, even if you charter through a company. Also ask about the hidden or extra costs – can they be included in the listing price?

4. Getting to your destination. If you’re chartering through a company, ask them if they offer airfare discounts. Many of the larger charter companies can negotiate lower prices on airlines flying to their charter base than what you are able to find online.

5. Look for last minute deals. Again, signing up for newsletters and setting up Google alerts are great ways to find out about them. There are even entire websites devoted to last minute yacht charters, so do a bit of browsing as well.

6. Go slightly off-season when the weather is still nice but the crowds are lighter and there are more deals available. Late September/early October in the Mediterranean and April-June in the Caribbean are good times to go.

7. Avoid spending the first night in a hotel – instead ask for an “evening boarding” or “early boarding”, which allows to you spend the night before your charter start date on the yacht. There is sometimes a fee associated with this, but it’s usually less than a hotel room, and you only have to unpack once.

8. If you own a boat yourself, check out “boat swapping”. This fairly new way of vacationing is like a home exchange but with boats – a great affordable way to see faraway oceans while not spending a fortune. If you don’t own a boat but are an experienced sailor (you’ll need documents to prove it), see if you can swap your home for someone’s boat.