Not to say that there aren’t notable exceptions, but I’m sorry to report that these exceptions can get quite pricey since the better food is probably found at the more expensive resorts like Peter Island, The Bitter End, Scrub Island, Biras Creek and Charlie’s in The Moorings compound, and others.  Having made my sweeping statement I need to qualify it by re-affirming that it’s not the lack of expertise, it’s mainly the lack of fresh ingredients. Everything is imported from the mainland by ship and in containers. Salads tend to be soggy. Non-local fish is mostly frozen. Nothing is grown or raised on the islands themselves.

That’s the sorry result when you find pricing disparities like this: a dozen eggs in the supermarket cost more that a bottle of rum..!!

When it comes to BARS though and good ones with atmosphere and history, the Islands really come into their own. Local concoctions are amazing: Pain Killers, Bushwhackers, Daiquiris, Margaritas, hey, you name it. Here are some of my favorite watering holes: Foxy’s (of course), and the Soggy Dollar Bar on Jost van Dyke.  Marina Cay, Cooper Island Resort, Willie T’s (not for the faint of heart), Village Cay Marina Bar in Road town, and countless others.

The food quality issue can be mostly overcome by having your meals aboard your fully crewed and provisioned yacht or catamaran. The mostly excellent quality of the chefs on board and their ability to provide pre-planned menus for their guests makes it easier for them to look for the freshest ingredients from the local super-markets. This makes a big difference and so, again, where possible, try to eat on-board it’s better and less expensive.

Bareboaters and “Skipper-only” charterers beware. If your idea is to save money by chartering without a chef and eating ashore to save money, don’t even think about it..!! If you go to the supermarket yourself and provision and do your meal prep yourselves, that’s a money saver – but not by much.

Bon apetit and check out our great bareboat selection.

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.