Q: What is the Cost of a Crewed Charter?
A: The cost of crewed charters vary greatly depending on the size of vessel, power or sail, number of people on board, etc. The duration of the charter is usually a week, but it can be for more than a week or as little as 3 to 4 nights. Our suggestion is take at least 5 nights in order to experience what a crewed charter really has to offer (a new island and anchorage every day) and to make it cost effective.
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The price per person can be as low as $1,200 for a week. The median average is generally in the $1,500 to $2,500 per person. While this may appear to be more expensive at first glance, it compares favorably to your typical Caribbean resort holiday. When one stays at a resort, even one that includes meals, you will still have additional expenses such as: island tours, taxis, car rental, watersports excursions and activities such as sailing and scuba diving, etc. Typically with a crewed charter, 90% of your trips expenses are paid up front, no surprises in the middle of your holiday, thus making this type of holiday easier to budget and get a handle on your total expenses for your entire trip.
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Groups of four to eight on a larger yacht can often be less expensive per person than a couple on a small yacht. Power yachts are significantly more expensive than sailing yachts. Large groups may prefer to charter more than 1 yacht and sail as a flotilla. This is very common, especially for corporate groups.
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The summer season may be a little less expensive than the winter in the Caribbean. Summer season starts May 1st and lasts until December 14th. Winter season is December 15th and runs till April 30th.
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Christmas and New Years are usually a ten to fifteen per cent premium over regular winter rates.
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Gratuities are the norm when service merits it. Remember that your crew work hard to ensure your holiday is a great one. They are your Captain, Chef, Bartender, Tour Guide, Scuba and Snorkel Instructor, Concierge, etc….

Q: What kinds of activities are there to do?
A: All yachts have water sports and will vary depending on the equipment. These might include snorkeling, scuba diving, knee-boarding, water-skiing, kayaks, fishing, and of course sailing. Most water sports are included but some are extra (depending on the yacht), and can be easily arranged by your crew. These would be scuba diving and para-sailing.
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On shore activities can be recommended by your crew and will vary depending on the island.

Q: What type of food and drinks are served?
A: The menus are designed around your food preferences. A detailed food and beverage preference sheet will be sent to the yacht before your charter to provision your favorite foods and beverages to be prepared to your liking, often by a professionally trained chef. Yet some yachts specialize in different styles of cuisine; true gourmet, "nouvelle cuisine" for lighter meals, or homestyle.

Drinks such as wine, beer, and alcohol are included as part of the "ships bar". The amount and variety will vary depending on the cost of the charter with larger, more expensive yachts providing finer wines and premium liquors.

Q: What's our itinerary going to be like?
A: The itinerary is based on your preferences of activities. The crew know the territory very well and will tailor the cruise to fit your requests. When you book with us, we will send you a complimentary copy of the 300 page "Cruising Guide to the Virgin Islands". There you will find in depth descriptions of the 60 some islands; points of interest, what to do and see, etc. This will help you in determining your itinerary when you sit down with your Captain to chart a course.

Q: What should I bring?
A: Try to bring only soft sided luggage since space is limited and storage is easier. Also hard luggage can damage woodwork and paint.

For clothing, bring casual wear, mostly shorts and T-shirts, and swimsuits. A few of the more formal restaurants require long pants and collared shirts and occasionally a jacket, but "smart casual" is the norm.

Your own mask and fins if you are inclined, but all yachts carry an assortment of sizes. If you are expecting to scuba dive, check with us to make sure that the yacht has equipment available on board.

Most yachts carry sunscreen of the type they prefer, so generally it is on board. If you bring your own, please don't use the oily lotions as they stain the yachts teak and upholstery.

Q: What is the weather like?
A: The extremely consistent weather conditions in the Virgin Islands are one of the reasons this area is considered to be one of the best cruising grounds in the world.

The tradewinds are nearly constant ranging from 10 to 25 knots, allowing for wonderful sailing. It also keeps it nice and pleasant for sunbathers. The water temperature ranges from 24 degrees Celsius to 29 degrees Celsius (76 degrees to 85 degrees Fahrenheit).

For today's weather and forecast go to www.caribwx.com. This weather station is located in Road Town, Tortola, British Virgin Islands.

Hurricane Season officially begins in June and runs through the last of November with 90% of the activity occurring between the last two weeks in August, all of September and until the third week of October. Most yachts take this time of year to sail south from the Virgin Islands to the Grenadines Islands. St. Vincent, The Grenadines, Grenada, Trinidad & Tobago islands are "out of the Hurricane Belt", and are a popular destination during this time of year. Otherwise, most yachts will take September and October to haul-out and do required maintenance and refurbishment's to be ready for next year's season, which begins in November.

Q: Which Islands can we visit during our charter?
A: The three most popular cruising areas in the Caribbean are:

· The Virgin Islands: U.S. & British
· Leeward Islands: St. Martin, St. Barts, Antigua, Anguilla, Nevis and St. Kitts.
· Windward Islands: St. Lucia, St. Vincent, The Grenadines, and Grenada.

Generally your week to ten-day cruise would be contained within the island group mentioned above. Charters of two weeks or more would allow you to visit two or all three of the island groups.