Why Use a Broker?

In our opinion, a busy charter crew's first responsibility is to the guests on charter. Time constraints and technical communication problems make it very difficult for the boat to be available to field all the questions prospective guests may have. The broker should be the client/guests advocate throughout the process of boat selection and booking as well as be available for consultation and questions. The crewed charteryacht industry is full of personalities: the Guest, the Broker, and the Crew. First, find a broker that you connect with, someone who you feel you can work with and someone who knows the industry, the sailing area as well as the boats and their crews. One of the broker's jobs should be to match personalities so your vacation is as enjoyable as possible.

Your broker should ask you questions such as:

"How many people are in your party?"
They can recommend a boat that can accommodate you comfortably depending on the size of your group and your space needs. No one (crew included) should have to sleep in the saloon or cockpit because of lack of cabins, unless of course, they want to.

"Is there anyone in the party with special dietary requirements?"
While all the boat chefs are good cooks, it's an extra challenge for chefs that are not used to special diets. Some chefs have been cooking professionally all their lives and are more qualified to handle special diets.

"Does anyone in the party want to SCUBA dive?"
Some boats specialize in diving and carry all sorts of equipment for this, dive tanks, BCs, compressors, etc. There are many boats, like Phaedrus who are not divers but are happy to arrange a rendezvous dive with a full time professional dive company that knows the area. The company will come to the boat and pick you up, take you to the dive site, dive with you and bring you back to the boat when you have finished. This gives the crew of your yacht freedom to have lunch prepared, do a little cleaning, etc.

"Has anyone in your party sailed before? Is learning to sail an important element of your charter?"
By design, some boats just sail better and faster than others. Is performance important? For those who love a performance boat and want to take the helm, most captains are happy to accommodate. Brokers understand the various designs of boats and can help you choose the right boat.

"Is this a 'get wild & crazy' vacation or a wind down & relax vacation?"
Some crews are specialists in finding all the hot spots. Others know the places where there will only be a couple other boats in the anchorage & the only ones getting wild are the wildlife. That's one example where your broker needs to match personalities and expectations.

There are also questions YOU need to ask the broker and your party.

"How often are the sheets and towels changed and do I have a separate beach towel?"
The yachts all specialize in different aspects of service. Some change the sheets half way through the charter and towels every other day, and make & turn down your bed, while others do not. Some yachts use china, glass and table linen. This may or may not be important to you depending on the quality of service you are accustomed to.

"What is the size of the cabin compared to the rest of the boat? Is there privacy?"
The schematic of the yacht should be on the website the broker directs you to. Notice where your cabin is located and where the crew's quarters are.

"Wouldn't a bareboat, cruise ship or an all-inclusive resort be cheaper?"
In the long run, not necessarily. If you bareboat you get the boat and that's it. EVERYTHING else is extra - the food, the moorings & dockage, the custom & immigration fees, the captain if the bareboat company thinks you need one. Then there is the cooking, the cleaning (don't forget, your wife wants a vacation too.) navigating, reading the chart and knowing where to anchor so you don't plunk your 75 pound anchor down on our precious coral reefs. On a crewed yacht all you have to do is what you choose to do. If you want to sail, the captain is usually more than happy to hand over the helm. Resorts are usually crowded. You have to decide where you're going to eat and eating in restaurants in the Caribbean is not inexpensive. Most water related excursions are extra. An all inclusive crewed charteryacht vacation is an incredible value and a vacation of a lifetime.