There are several reasons why we think crewed yacht charters are heads-above renting a 'bareboat' and doing it yourself for the week.
Vacation is a time to let go of the stresses in your life, hang out with friends and/or family, enjoy the scenery of the Virgin Islands, and RELAX.
Having a crew onboard ensures that you do get to relax and de-stress. If you know how to sail and want to take the helm, you are free to do so--your crew will happily sit back and let you crank the winches, raise the sails, tack and jibe, and read the charts to figure out where you want to go. But you'll do all of this stress-free because you'll know that your crew won't let you hit a reef, go to a bad anchorage, jibe when you should tack, anchor when you don't really want to, etc. If you don't know how to sail, your crew is happy to teach you, or just serve you a cocktail as you sit on the bow and enjoy the breeze and scenery.
You won't have to deal with the stress of trying to accurately steer a yacht you've never been on to a mooring ball. Or try to safely anchor and use a windlass that you've never used before, all the while shouting at your friends on the bow who can't hear you anyway....
For the wives/husbands/friends of sailors, how do you feel about trying to learn how to use a gimbaled propane stove and cook with the sparse equipment and dull knives provided on a bareboat charter? How about trying to provision? Know where the stores are? Know when the fresh fruit and vegetable shipments come to those stores? know what to find and where and when? No?
How about this: Your personal chef has provisioned the yacht with all the foods that you know and love (based on a preference sheet that you've filled out a few weeks before your arrival) and will serve you 5 gourmet meals daily (breakfast, lunch, apps, dinner, dessert)! Oh, and add to that a fully stocked and included bar with your preference liquors ready to go as well as signature drinks made daily by your crew for you to enjoy at your leisure.
And, your crew onboard a crewed yacht are the best possible tour guides... they know where the best restaurants are if you want to go out for lunch or dinner. They know where the best snorkeling is, they know where the best dive sites are. They have their favorite beach bars, and their favorite out-of-the-way harbors. You want to go to The Baths on Virgin Gorda? They'll know the best time to go to avoid the crowds. You want to hear Michael Beans at Marina Cay? They know what time he starts and what time the yacht needs to be there to get a spot for the night (it gets crowded when he's in town!). You'll get to do so much more, and see all the most incredible spots simply because your crew knows where to go and how to get your there in style!
You crew will also make sure that your yacht is clean and in ship-shape at all times!
Crewed yacht charters come in all shapes and sizes from the purist sailor crew to the posh refined mega yacht crew. The yachts can be simply outfitted to lush and lavishly
appointed.
From a cost perspective, a crewed yacht vacation is all-inclusive, which usually means all cruising permits, mooring permits, taxes, fuel, water, ships bar, all food onboard, use of toys onboard, (and some yachts offer free SCUBA diving), are all included. Not to mention a personal chef and a captain. When you break it down, it can be a really cost effective type of vacation.
Think about a crewed yacht vacation the next time you're considering renting a boat for a week. Give yourself and your family/friends a break this year and let EVERYONE de-stress and relax. It's the best way to enjoy cruising in the Virgin Islands.
