Charter

Moorings Opens Charter Base in Beautiful St. Lucia

By Peter Janssen on July 1, 2021 Charter

The Moorings just opened its large charter base in St. Lucia on July 1, providing crewed and bareboat power and sail boats for cruising in some of the most beautiful waters in the Caribbean. The Moorings’ base is in Rodney Bay Marina on the northwest tip of St. Lucia, and it is an easy jumping off spot for exploring St. Lucia itself, with its enchanting mix of African, English and French culture, or heading north to nearby Martinique or south to St. Vincent and the Grenadines, with Bequia and Mustique. Navigation in the area is straightforward, and the winds generally…

Cost of Charters, and New Boats, Going Up

By Peter Janssen on June 20, 2021 Charter, Cruising Life

For the past year or so, as a result of the pandemic, the cost of charters has been going up. It’s a classic case of supply and demand; more people want to take a charter than there are charter boats available. To make matters worse, some of the yachts that used to be in the charter market have been sold, since the price of boats, particularly large yachts, has been going up too. In the old days, say three years ago, people wanting to charter a yacht often had some bargaining power; they could ask for a flat discount, or…

Boatsetter Launches Luxury Yacht Rentals

By Peter Janssen on June 15, 2021 Charter, Cruising Life

Boatsetter, the global peer-to-peer boat rental company, is moving uptown. Indeed, Boatsetter just announced that it’s starting Boatsetter Lux, aimed at high-end day or term yacht charters with a dedicated concierge team in more than 600 locations around the world. Boatsetter started in Fort Lauderdale in 2012, and it has been growing ever since. It started a partnership with Geico, for example, to handle insurance on its rental boats. Boatsetter Lux is now a partnership between the parent Boatsetter and Airbnb Luxe and Luxury Retreats, offering access to yachts to people staying in Airbnb’s luxury homes and villas. Each yacht…

Luxury Canal Barges Starting Up Again in Europe

By Peter Janssen on June 9, 2021 Charter

As parts of Europe are recovering from the Covid pandemic and starting to open up their borders, luxury hotel barges are resuming their voyages down the canals and waterways on the continent and the UK. European Waterways operates the largest fleet of canal barges. They usually hold no more than a dozen passengers, and they offer a slow, leisurely and immersive vacation through some of the most beautiful, and historic, countryside in Europe. The barges cruise at only 3 mph, often just feet from shore, and often cover just 70 miles on a six-night trip. That slow pace, say Derek…

The Moorings Opens Charter Base in Historic Corfu

By Peter Janssen on June 1, 2021 Charter, Cruising Life, Destinations

The Moorings just announced that their marina in Corfu, in the northwest corner of Greece on the Ionian Sea, is now open for charters. One of the most glamorous destinations in the world, Corfu is one of the seven Ionian islands, and offers everything from gorgeous beaches and snug harbors to lively tavernas and waterfront resorts. With a charter from Corfu, you can explore the smaller Ionian islands, as well as make forays to historic ports of call along the Greek mainland. Many cruisers think the Corfu waters offer the best cruising in Greece. They certainly are among the most…

Captain of Dream Charter “Odorous” and “Abusive” Suits Say

By Peter Janssen on May 18, 2021 Charter, Cruising Life

Here’s a story about a dream charter in the Bahamas over the Christmas holidays that went terribly wrong, ending with two lawsuits seeking $10 million in damages and charging that the captain was “odorous, ill-tempered, curt and dismissive, outright angry and abusive.” The suits also say that instead of dropping the passengers off on Exuma Island, he cruised back to Nassau, leading to “false imprisonment” and “panic attacks, trauma, fear of death.” The name of the yacht is Dream, and it’s a 196’9” Abeking & Rasmussen launched in 2001. It charters from Burgess for $420,000 a week, and it has…

New Covid Protocols Start May 15 in the BVI

By Peter Janssen on May 11, 2021 Charter, Destinations

The government of the British Virgin Islands has announced an update to its Covid-19 protocols that go into effect on Saturday, May 19. The BVI, of course, are some of the most coveted charter and cruising destinations in the world, and are the home of major charter operations including The Moorings and MarineMax Vacations. Here’s a recap of the new protocols are reported by The Moorings: Fully vaccinated travelers will be immediately released from quarantine upon receiving negative results from their Covid-19 test on arrival. The results take 24 to 36 hours to process. For unvaccinated adults, the previous four-day…

Dream Yacht Charter Starts New Flexible Program

By Peter Janssen on April 27, 2021 Charter, Destinations

The world’s leading yacht charter company, Dream Yacht Charter, just launched a new Sail Pass program to help you plan ahead in these uncertain times. With the Sail Pass, you can charter up to three times a year, twice in high season and once in low season, for one annual price. The actual price varies depending on the size and type of charter yacht you want. The people at Dream Yacht Charter recognize that with the world-wide Covid-19 pandemic in the past year, many people have postponed their vacations and some may be reluctant even now to commit themselves to…

The Moorings Starts Charters in Key West

By Peter Janssen on April 21, 2021 Charter, Destinations

The Moorings just opened its latest charter operation in Key West, the southernmost point in the United States; it’s actually closer to Havana than it is to Miami. Key West, just in case you haven’t been there, also exists in a different mind-set than the rest of the United States; it’s fun, it’s historic, and the boating is sensational. Once the home of Ernest Hemingway, Tennessee Williams and Jimmy Buffet, Key West offers a vacation, on land or on the water, that you won’t forget. It has a unique architecture, and is full of pastel homes and colorful bars. You…

EYOS Expeditions: Leaders in Adventure Charter

By Peter Janssen on April 5, 2021 Charter

In the good old days, before the pandemic hit, the adventure charter business was booming. Then, of course, it crashed. People still wanted to cruise to remote parts of the world, to have new experiences, but they couldn’t even get past the Covid-related travel restrictions to get to the charter boat. Now things are starting to open up again. Indeed, EYOS-Expeditions, a worldwide company that puts together charters for “once in a lifetime experiences,” is expecting another boom. They are booking more charters for the Arctic this summer than ever before, and more for the Antarctic’s next season as well.…

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