Catching Up With the Yacht Charter Team at the Miami Boat Show: Q&A With Charter Broker Kristina Gagliardi

Denison Charter Specialist Kristina Gagliardi answers all your burning yacht charter questions.

If you’ve been thinking about chartering a yacht for a while but have yet to take the plunge–literally–you’re not alone. Potential charterers often have a million questions. Where should we go? What if I don’t find a charter yacht I like? Will they have the right food for my picky eaters?

Denison charter broker Kristina Gagliardi sat down with us at this year’s Miami Boat Show for a Q&A session on everything charter. Read on for all your burning questions–answered.

What are typical inquiries you get at the boat show when someone comes to the Denison booth regarding charter?

Most people want to know about price. They may ask where a specific charter boat they are interested in goes, or why one specific boat is recommended versus others. It’s very important to explain that we can set up a charter with any boat, anywhere, with any company. It is similar to real estate–a charter broker represents the client. Alternatively, charter management represents the boat.

What questions do people who haven’t chartered in the past ask you?

People who haven’t chartered in the past always ask: can we only charter Denison boats? And the answer is, obviously, no. We have access to any charter yacht in the world. Otherwise, they may ask: why charter this boat specifically [referring to a particular charter yacht]? I like to run down the process…like you let me know what you’re looking for, let me know what’s important to you–whether you want to do water sports, or if you’re really just looking for sandy beaches, or if you really like scuba diving or snorkeling; we can facilitate pretty much anything. I just need to know in advance so that we can find you the right boat. Going to all the boat shows and having a huge network of people, coworkers, and a support system–we know which boats are good and which boats aren’t good.

Do you recommend charters based on destination, or are you finding it’s more about the specific type of yacht?

Some people know exactly where they want to charter and others have no idea. So, if somebody says they want to charter in the Bahamas–or wherever–then, obviously, it narrows your search down. If somebody says: “I want to go somewhere warm and beautiful”, obviously, then you have a little bit more flexibility. And then, you know, I think that it kind of just goes by what are they envisioning and at what price point? It really gets down to that. Some people want to relax with a book the whole time on the boat and eat fabulous meals and just hang out in the Jacuzzi, and other people want to do water sports, they want to do all the land excursions…so it’s really about that–what each boat has to offer.

Is chartering realistic for everyone?

I would say that we can work with almost any budget. What a lot of clients do is that if they’re wanting to get on a really large yacht and it’s not necessarily in their price point, they’ll get a group of six couples together so they can split the cost six ways. So, you can get on a 150-foot boat for what you would pay just for you and your husband or wife to go on a very small yacht. That’s a very popular option among people who charter–they want to go with their friends anyways.

Are there any hidden fees when it comes to chartering?

In terms of pricing, I think it’s important to outline there’s the charter fee, and then there is an additional APA percent that’s usually 30-40%…depending on where you charter, there’s probably going to be some sort of tax in that country, and then there’s also a crew gratuity at the end. So, it’s not just the charter fee, which is the main point.

How can charterers rest assured that their needs will be met?

Once you’re fully booked, I send out a preference sheet and that really runs through all the different questions–what you like to eat, what you don’t like to eat, what you like to drink, if there are any food allergies, what you want to be doing on the charter. And then what I do with that info is that I pass it on to the captain and the crew and that’s how they provision the yacht, how we plan the itinerary. So it’s really totally bespoke–it’s up to the client, whatever they want to do.

Do you find that clients are usually repeat customers, or are they more often first-time charterers?

In general, I’d say that once people charter, they’re going to charter again, because it’s such an awesome experience. No one charters a yacht and says: “you know, that was fine”. If you charter, you’re going to want to come back. So, I’d say that once you’re a charter client, you are going to probably be a repeat, but there are more and more people new to charter all the time.

Is there anything else you think people should know that they don’t think of before chartering?

I guess I get asked a lot where my clients are and the answer is that they can be literally anywhere in the world. I don’t just work with people in Charleston or the US…we also have the Monaco office now, so we have people in Europe. I think that’s important to mention, too. Also worth mentioning: if you’re looking to buy a boat, chartering is a great way to test it out.

How long is a yacht charter vacation usually?

Most charter yachts are usually seven days–so a week. But a lot of charter yachts will entertain five days….some will do less, but it is not very common.

Overall, why do you recommend chartering?

The experience is one-of-a-kind. The most amazing thing is to see the world by yacht. I mean, you can’t beat it. It’s a completely bespoke experience, itinerary, culinarily…everything is just totally to your liking. But then you can also get off the boat, do all of your land excursions, and then have the best of both worlds.

Attending the Miami Boat Show? Stop by the Denison booth to speak with a charter specialist for any questions you may have about chartering with us.

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