Nevertheless, we have to admit, reluctantly perhaps, that the Sea Dream experience was absolutely superb and very relaxing. I think that two things jumped out at us during the voyage: the food (lots of it and very good) and secondly, the quality and the number of crew members available at all times. The service was certainly superb.

Our cruise started in Antigua, where we were attending the yacht show, then from Antigua we cruised Northwards to St. Barth, onward to Marigot, St. Martin, on to Anguilla, then West to Tortola, and finished up in San Juan Puerto Rico.

Everything worked seamlessly, from the registration and baggage handling to the smooth disembarkation process. We were frankly amazed. Our fellow guests were from all over the world, a nice eclectic mixture of Europeans, Latin Americans and Americans, mostly in their 50′s and 60′s.

Would we do it again? Yes; certainly, perhaps next time we’d love to cruise the Mediterranean on one of their regular scheduled voyages in the Greek Islands and Turkey or the Venice to Athens voyage that includes Croatia.  Even the Nice to Rome voyage that is remarkable.

Check the voyage schedules and details.  Bookings can be made through us here at American Yacht or by email at charters@americanyacht.net .

What was most surprising for us was the fact that that SHERAKHAN, in spite or her size and price point, is designed primarily as a family vacation ship.  Secondly, it was also surprising that, in spite of being a charter vessel, she faithfully maintains the style and décor imprinted by the owner. Put in another way, she is not an impersonal corporate ship but a very carefully maintained repository of the owner’s sense of style and his personal art collection.

Taking the style of the ship’s interior a step further, it should be noted that each state room, for example, is of identical size but carefully decorated in a unique decor.  Each stateroom is named after a famous author and is decorated in a style associated with that author. There is, for example an Ernest Hemingway stateroom, a James Conrad stateroom, an Agatha Christie stateroom, and so on.

There are two separate staterooms obviously designed for small children that have bunk beds and are painted in bright colors.

She maintains a crew of 22 with capacity for a maximum of 30 guests. The average size of her charter groups is around 20 guests.  As mentioned earlier, families represent about 80% of her charter activity with the balance of 20% divided equally between corporate groups and groups of friends. The nationality of the crew is mixed with Dutch being predominant. i.e. the captain is Dutch as are many of the officers and stewardesses.

Some of the highlights of our visit:

• A long table in the dining area that can seat up to 25 guests. This table is located under amazing modern chandeliers and a glass panel that forms the bottom of the 18 person Jacuzzi on the sun-deck.
• An incredible Spa and Jacuzzi and exercise room that has to be seen to be believed. A very private indulgence where the crew do not appear unless you call them. The lighting is subtle with relaxing music in the background.  There is a stocked bar area with coffee and tea making equipment and soft drinks available.
• A huge sundeck with a swimming pool and bar and a décor that is changed by the crew every couple of days or so. When we saw it, it was decorated in Polynesian style, and was due to be changed the next day to an African décor. Lots of space to relax and sunbathe.
• Being able to speak with the owner and know that he wants his guests to feel “at home” and enjoy the beautiful surroundings.
• Amazing array of water-toys including 2 wave-runners, 2 jet-skis, custom built wooden powerboat, 2 x 24’ tenders and the usual “towable” toys like wake-boards, etc.

13 cabins include a Master, 2 twin cabins, 8 double cabins with 2 of these convertible to twins 2 twin cabins for children or staff.

SHERAKHAN brings a wealth of design, individuality and flexibility to any charter. The attention to detail and the superbly maintained exterior and interior make SHERAKHAN an absolutely unique vessel in every way.

For booking information please use our charter inquiry form or see the detailed brochure.

Much is always written about the winners of the culinary competition so I won’t add to this other than to congratulate the winners, I know they worked really, really hard. The complete list can be seen here so I won’t add to that excellent coverage. What I will provide however, at the risk of being shot down by my colleagues, is a personal list of my favorite yachts. Need to add a caveat that I did not see ALL the yachts but I managed to cover about 2/3 of the participating yachts.  I have my own classification system and these reflect my personal taste. No offense intended.

Best overall in the “price is not an issue” department: SHERAKHAN and LEANDER. What can you really say about these two yachts? In spite of their size and elegance they remain essentially family yachts. Both reflect the character and taste of their respective owners. No holds barred, no excuses given.

Yacht I’d love to go to Alaska on: POLAR STAR. Great crew and comfortable, seaworthy and stable in adverse conditions.

Luxury, style and elegance in the Med or the Caribbean: HUNTRESS 

Mega Sailing single-hull extravaganza: PANTHALASSA: Great crew, unbelievable technology, waaay -out design.

Affordable single-hull sailing yacht: VICTORIA D, affable crew, superb chef, fast boat.

Affordable large sailing catamaran: MUSE, and LADY ALLIAURA, superb crews, award winning cuisine.

Medium Motoryacht for the Caribbean and New England: TIVOLI, comfortable, affordable and a great captain, family oriented.

So much for that very personal experience. On a lighter note, we stayed at the Catamaran Hotel which was OK but a little out of the way for mainstream yacht hopping but reasonably priced if you don’t take the taxi fares into consideration. The restaurant next door, “The Captain’s Quarters” is now under new ownership and works well with excellent food and service.

Antigua continues to be a must for serious charter brokerage houses. It provides the opportunity to see the super mega yachts of the world and meet their crews, at a reasonable cost. Count us in for next year, Sara.

All the CYBA brokers were suitably decked out in green T-shirts on Thursday as we celebrated the “Going Green” movement in the industry with a special emphasis on replacing all plastic water-bottles with more eco-friendly containers that are refillable.

We had about 70 to 80 vessels to look over and meet the crews, but frankly it’s a pleasure to visit with some new and some old friends on board the different boats. To the new crews, we can only wish the best of luck; to the more established crews, hey, keep up the good work. Here’s the list of boats that took the honors, this year.

Best Monohull: Takapuna
Best Motor Yacht: Freedom
Best MultiHull (Under 50’): Nutmeg
Best MultiHull (Over 50’): Catsy
Best in Show: Avalon

Culinary Competition:

Best Appetizer/Salad: Soterion
Best Entrée: Soterion
Best Dessert: Akasha
Best Overall: Akasha

Between, the “yacht Hop”, The Day-sails, the visit to Scrub Island and the excellent reception hosted, as usual by the Hon. Boyd McCleary CMG CVO, Governor of the British Virgin Islands, all of the attendees, including the writer, need about a week’s R & R to rest and dry-out.

Please contact us for more information regarding the Charter Yacht Show or any of the vessels above or if you are thinking about a vacation on a crewed yacht or bareboat in the BVI.

OMG now the ANTIGUA Show….!!!

From my own perspective it’s always nice to see my Irwin Friends on THREE MOONS, SUBLIME and others. Among the newer boats, RHAPSODY , although not a new Irwin, yacht, is worthy of note, we predict great things for her.

CATATONIC has a new crew, we wish them well. LADY DOMINIQUE a new 74′ Privilege stole the show in my books. Based in St. Martin though.

For much more information on these boats and other fine yachts in the BVI and USVI please contact us.

It seems today that more and more brides are looking for that all-inclusive wedding package and especially when looking at a yacht wedding. Which, by the way, can be less expensive yet more glamorous than a land based wedding. How could it not be romantic to have a uniformed Captain perform your ceremony while drifting slowly on the beautiful waters of Biscayne Bay!

So, why go for a Wedding Package? Better still, Why NOT go for a Wedding Package?  We can put this together for you no problem from A – Z whether all guests are local or if some guests are coming in from out of town or we can organize a complete destination wedding here in South Florida on the yacht of your choice. No details are left undone leaving you free to think about your dress and having fun ….

Here is what we can include in all wedding packages (bear in mind that some of these items will come standard with the yacht charter proposal. Those are marked with an *):
1.  Private use of your chosen yacht for 3hour, 4 hours or longer *
2.  Fuel, dock fee and delivery fee if applicable *
3.  Menu options which we will customize with each bride individually *
4.  Bar options – full open bar, beer wine soda bar, non alcoholic bar or in some cases a cash bar (not available on all yachts)*
5.  Wedding Cake and Champagne Toast* In some cases the champagne toast will be complimentary if you opt for a full open bar and in some cases regardless there is a small fee. Wedding Cakes on the yachts will be from a Standard Collection but we can customize to get you the cake that you want (fees may be  incurred depending on choices made)
6.  Entertainment – DJ * most yachts have a preferred company that they work with but you are free to use any DJ that you want. In some cases there is a small fee for the use of an outside vendor. We can also find you live bands whether it is a Steel Pan Ban or a Jazz Group. We can also offer you dancers, greeters, cigar rollers – whatever you envision for your guests entertainment.
7.  Florals from wedding bouquets, center pieces to wedding arch decoration.
8.  Ceremony set up. This will include setting up of ceremony chairs on the top deck of the yacht and taking those chairs down after the ceremony; wedding arch if the yacht does not provide one (most will); aisle runners.
9.  All service fees and taxes* will be included leaving no surprises when the balance is due.
10. We can also make a suggestion on gratuity and add that to the final invoice if required.
We have an interesting article here on tipping.

At Boat Miami, which is the event planning division of American Yacht, we can also add transport for the bride and groom and/or guests; hotel accommodations and flights via our affiliated Travel Agent who we will put you directly in contact with; on site assistance for the day of your wedding (fee according to what is required and which we will discuss with each individual bride); linens for those who do not want to use the yacht’s standard colors; additional tableware for those who want to add that splash of color or a theme to the tables; chair covers and/or sashes.

In summary, we can offer you a full wedding package or a customized wedding package. As much or as little as you need. We work with all budgets and we are always on your side. At Boat Miami we take Customer Satisfaction to the next level and we will do our utmost to make your Wedding Day as special as it deserves to be.
We have no fees for meeting with you and touring yachts and no admin fees for preparing proposals and contracts.  So you might ask, how do we make money if we put together these packages for FREE? Yes FREE WEDDING PROPOSALS AND FREE CONSULTATIONS AT THE YACHTS. We are paid by the yachts that we represent! Simple as that. We are paid to guide each and every bride to the yacht that will best suit the type of wedding being planned and the number of guests expected. Our role is to guide you to the right yacht at the right price and with the right wedding package for you.

We are waiting to hear from you!

Are you looking for new ways to provide an incentive to your top winners? What about a new location for that annual Corporate Retreat or Board Meeting?

Why not consider an all inclusive charter on the beautiful Seadream Yacht? Seadream offers the ultimate in luxury with 3 outdoor dining decks and one air conditioned dining salon that can seat everyone onboard if required. The staterooms are 195 sq ft and offer luxurious Egyptian cotton sheets and Turkish cotton bathrobes along with high speed internet access (for those who need to stay in touch 24/7), flat panel TV screens,DVDand CD capabilities in every room.

What about entertainment outside your cabin? How about a casino, a piano bar, library and internet café? These are standard on Seadream yachts. Seadream will also customize your entertainment packages or your entire corporate cruise.

Some of the many customized options available include your company logo decal at the bottom of the swimming pool, banners with your message and flags to represent your guests (National or International). Even your cuisine can be fully customized to your event.

Unlike cruise ships, Seadream yachts only take 110 passengers per ship with a crew of 95 – that is unsurpassed. Only 2 yachts in service.

We can book groups from 12-50 or as many as the yacht can hold. We can book a whole deck if you like or the whole yacht. We can even book both yachts together to sail in tandem. The options are endless. The destinations are mouthwatering. The most popular itineraries cover the French and Italian Riviera and the Greek Islands/Croatian coast. These yachts are so popular that you really need to book at least 6 months in advance or a year if possible. Payment schedules are available with deposits as low as 25%.

Boarding locations in Puerto Rico and the Mediterranean only.

OTHER CORPORATE CRUISE OPTIONS:

American Yacht is affiliated with Expedia Cruise Ship Centers and can offer a one stop shop for your corporate incentive cruise; employee recognition cruise; client appreciation events; corporate retreats to name just a few. We can help you to find the perfect itinerary from 3 days to 3 weeks or longer. We have access to all the top cruise ship companies in the business and can help you to plan all the activities; food and bar options and cabin allocations.

The cost to take your employees or clients on a 3 day cruise from Miami can be as low as a dinner with drinks a top South Florida Restaurant. Measure that cost against what you gain and how can you not do this? How many times do you entertain clients at top restaurants and spend $200 ++ per person on just one dinner. Hard to believe that you can spend less than that for a 3 day cruise. Of course there would be extras to pay for but rooms and food are all inclusive. What a great way to thank your top producers or your top clients. What a morale booster in these tough economic times.

All you need to do is call us or email us with your requirements and we will do the rest. We look forward to speaking with you …………..

Call or email for further information.

gail@americanyacht.net

305.758.2500

AFTER YOU HAVE SIGNED A CONTRACT:

• You will sign your contract and pay a deposit specific to the yacht you are booking. Each yacht may have a different deposit policy but generally all will be approximately 25% of your estimated invoice total.
• Once your contract and deposit is received your yacht of choice will be blocked off the calendar for your date and we will issue a confirmation stating this.
• No later than 2 weeks before your event we will need your menu choices.
• If you are customizing a menu we will need to get you a revised cost from the Chef.
• All outside vendors contact information needs to be provided and any outside vendor must have liability insurance coverage.
• If this is a wedding we need to know who will be performing the ceremony – Captain of the Yacht or your own Officiant.
• We will need to know if you require a wedding ceremony set up and if this is not included in the proposal we will need to add this cost. This cost is variable.
• If you are booking any entertainment yourself we need to know who this will be and if a live band, how many members? Liability insurance must be carried.
• Guest numbers can be increased up until one week prior to charter.
• Guest numbers can only be increased to the maximum number of guests your yacht is certified to hold.
• Guest numbers can be decreased to the minimum number per each yacht. Some yachts will have no minimum.
• Final payment will be due 21 days before event.
• All pricing given will reflect a 3% discount for payments by check or wire transfer.
• Credit cards cannot be taken for final balances unless a signed letter of authorization is provided.
• If an onboard coordinator of events is provided by the Yacht chosen you will be given contact information and that person will be given yours so that all details are correct.
• All cancellation policies will be detailed in the contract and should be read carefully as not all Yachts offer refunds if you, the client, cancels for any reason.
• You will always have access to the person you booked with either by email or phone.
• For Corporate charters we will provide a W9 if required.
• If you are a Not for Profit Organization we will need proof of this on file to eliminate tax on your invoice.

Call us at 305.758.2500 or email gail@americanyacht.net  Check our website. 

1. High Season – Low Season – in the Caribbean there are no defined seasons so the High / Low season pricing shown refers to the number of people on board. Since the charters are inclusive of meals and beverages, the low rate is for the minimum number of guests and the high rate for the maximum number of guests on board. The only exception to this is the Christmas / New Year holiday season that will have a 10% to 15% premium. The rest of the year there is no change. Notwithstanding, during the hurricane months of late summer, it is sometimes possible to negotiate a rate with the owner if the bookings are slow. I will be happy to do this for you after you have chosen a boat or boats from the long list into a short list.

2. April and May are very nice months and unlikely to have any special offers or discounts, September / October may be more negotiable price-wise but this is right in the middle of the hurricane season. A word about hurricanes: If you book a charter in the hurricane season there will usually be a “rain-check” clause or addendum to the contract so that you can re-schedule for up to 12 months from the date of the original charter if there is a named storm on a track to the BVI or close. Also, if you book for a summer charter it’s wise to take out trip cancellation insurance. We offer some neat packages from Travel Guard that you can see on-line at http://www.boatbvi.com/travel-insurance.htm

3. There are no hidden costs or extra fees. The boats are normally chartered on an “inclusive” basis which includes all meals snacks and beverages. You can book for a week or more. If you book less than a week there may be a 10% surcharge. The rates shown are for one week comprising 7 nights and 8 days. The charter fee does NOT cover: Airfares, land transportation, dockage or marina fees other than the pick up and drop-off locations, fine wines or exotic liqueurs. You will need to take GRATUITY into consideration however, this is normally 10% to 15% of the base charter rate, depending on service  and payable in cash to the skipper when you leave the boat. This is discretionary but customary. If the boat you choose is USVI based they may charge you the BVI cruising taxes and National Park Fees. However, in the scheme of things this is a relatively modest expense of about $4.00 per person per day + a flat fee for the boat depending on length. Total about $100 to $150. Most charter boats anchor out in the many different bays and anchorages. There are also moorings balls available at a cost of about $20 per night. The captain may ask you if you’d like to be on a mooring ball (these are generally placed in the best locations in the anchorages) and if you’d like to be closer in, or if the sea is a little bumpy it may be wise to use a mooring ball. Many BVI based boats will already have the BVI tax thing taken care of.

4. After you choose a yacht or catamaran that you feel comfortable with (and I feel comfortable with, since I know most of the boats and their crews), I will put a “hold” on the boat of your choice. This hold is basically a 7 day right of first refusal that gives me time to draw up the contract, email it to you, get it signed by you, and receive a deposit from you. Once I have a signed contract and a deposit the boat is YOURS and the deposit is non-refundable. 60 days before the start of your charter you should be ready to remit the balance of the funds. If you book more than 6 months away from the actual charter date, we can get away with 25% deposit. A second deposit would be due at the 6 month mark, and the balance as I mentioned before, 60 days before the charter date. If you book within 6 months of the charter date I’ll need a 50% deposit.

5. About a week or two before the charter date, you will have an opportunity to talk to either the captain or the chef (many times these are husband / wife or boyfriend / girlfriend teams where she does most of the customer contact). If you like a boat but would like to talk to the crew before committing, I can arrange that as well.

6. About 30 days before your charter date, I send you what is called a Preference Sheet. This will give me and the crew a much better idea of your likes and dislikes and will provide a blueprint for the crew to provision the boat accordingly. It usual for you, the skipper and the chef to have a conversation regarding the preferences after they have this document in their hands and they will probably have questions.  So you can expect a call from the crew at this point. A note about bringing liquor on-board but since this is included in your inclusive price, there’s really no need. liquor is cheap and plentiful in the islands.

7. Charters run from 12:00 noon on the first day to 12:00 noon on the 8th day. Many of my clients like to arrive a day or so before the charter and spend the night at a hotel either in St. Thomas or Tortola. Sometimes and depending on the boat, you can make arrangements for a late arrival and “sleepaboard” the boat the night before your charter begins. Other boats however discourage this since they use the day before and the morning of your charter to provision and clean up everything so the boat is spick and span for your arrival.

8. Last but not least, everyone will need a passport. Best to fly into St. Thomas (STT) that has direct major carrier access from many major US cities. Spirit Air is always a favorite of ours. If your boat can only pick up in Tortola, you should take the ferry from Red Hook ,St. Thomas, to West End, Tortola which is a 30 minute ride. Here is the link to the ferry schedules: http://www.vinow.com/general_usvi/interisland_ferry/

Caribbean:
What immediately comes to mind are white sandy beaches, crystal clear turquoise waters and swaying palms in a light tropical breeze. That is the Caribbean that dreams are made of and that is THE CARIBBEAN.

We can arrange to have you picked up off your flight into Road Town on the island of Tortola and taken to the marina to board your yacht. Many choices of yachts for many budgets. This is something that can fit everyone’s budget and is not just for the “rich and famous” anymore. There are two passenger sailing yachts with queen size cabins and private bathrooms equipped with flat screen T.V.’s  and movie selections; DVD and CD players with assorted music selections to suit everyone to large and opulent power yachts with every luxury imaginable on a yacht. Even a jacuzzi is possible. But, no matter what your budget you will enjoy the services of a great Chef who will prepare food to your personal liking. The bar will be stocked with your favorite beverages and all snacks and soft drinks will be added according to your taste. It would be fair to say that in the Caribbean you could pay from approximately $7,500 upwards for a week of luxury with all inclusive food and drinks; Captain and Chef/First Mate. And how about a bottle of champagne on ice for your first night aboard paired with strawberries dipped in chocolate? The Bahamas is also a great honeymoon location for sailing and motor yachts, however you need to be careful of the weather in Winter since it can get chilly.

Mediterranean:
This is an entirely different experience. Still romantic and memorable but different. The main difference is the color of the water. It is deep blue. In many locations, like the Turkish Coast for example, the water laps gently onto a half mooned shaped beach with towering hills behind dotted with the greenest of pine trees stretching up into the sky.  Your private yacht can anchor in most of these bays and you can enjoy a beautiful dinner prepared by your private Chef and served Al Fresco on the aft deck where you can enjoy the view.
Distances between locations are a little longer than in the Caribbean but still close enough to be in a different location every night if needed.
There are many different cruising grounds in the Mediterranean and you can choose how you want to spend your honeymoon. Do you want to go ashore and walk through local villages and eat dinner in a local restaurant? Are you looking for glitzy night life that you will find along the French Riviera or the Italian Riviera or do you want quiet places off the beaten track?

One thing that is certain is that a honeymoon spent cruising on the beautiful waters of the Caribbean or the Mediterranean on a private yacht with your private chef and crew is one of life’s greatest joys and is now affordable for most of us. You too can now enjoy a week living like Royalty and being pampered at every turn.
Contact charters@Americanyacht.net  for further details and complete pricing for your Honeymoon – Luna de Miel – Lua de Mel  If you’d like to look at some possible boats or yachts for your honeymoon check our website search engine.