Is A Private Yacht Charter The Ultimate Social Distancing?

With the global pandemic affecting travel plans for vacationers worldwide, what role does yacht chartering play in your travel plans?

Whether you’re an experienced charterer who travels with your favorite charter crew every year, or have been considering booking your first charter experience, you’re probably wondering how the Coronavirus affects your travel plans. Is it safe to charter? Are there new standards for sanitation? Is a yacht charter a safer option than other means of transportation for an upcoming vacation? We’ll break down what you need to know to assess what is best for you and your health in light of the growing concerns.

Is It Safe To Charter?

Simply put: there is a risk with any amount of travel. However, chartering may be among the best options for those who want to keep their travel plans. Yacht charters are above all else, a private experience. With limited exposure to other people, your time on board is spent only interacting with guests you bring along, and a professional crew. That being said, we want to give you all the details on security measures that have been taken to assure you that your health is being prioritized in every step of the charter process.

What Safety Precautions Are Captains Taking?

Charter yachts are always held to exceptionally high standards of cleanliness year round, and the recent outbreak of the Coronavirus has made Captains even more vigilant in upkeeping these high standards. Several marine organizations have set regulations and recommendations for how to maintain healthy standards for those traveling at sea. The World Health Organization recently published a guide for managing COVID-19 cases and outbreaks on board ships, and our captains are committed to maintaining every recommendation possible.

Prior to your charter, your Captain will be vetting you and your guests to ensure that anyone who has shown signs of illness, has recently come in contact with anyone with COVID-19, has recently been on a cruise ship, or has taken a recent trip to China, opt to instead seek medical attention and not board the yacht and risk the health of your charter party.

Yacht charter crews pride themselves on keeping their charter yachts meticulously clean. Unlike cruise ships or hotels, where a cleaning crew has hundreds of rooms to clean and a limited amount of time to devote to each individual cabin, your charter yacht crew is devoted to maintaining the highest standards of cleanliness in your staterooms on board, giving you peace of mind.

What Are The Safest Locations To Travel?

If you don’t want to put your travel plans completely on hold indefinitely, we will be happy to take your secluded, private charter yacht to destinations that avoid risking your health as much as possible. Given the travel bans and uncertainty, traditionally popular charter destinations like the Med are to be avoided. The Bahamas and the Caribbean are always favorite destinations and have become increasingly popular even year-round. Or, head for the Northeast with destinations like Martha’s Vineyard, Nova Scotia, and Maine awaiting your next getaway.  These beautiful locations provide a tranquil escape, and at the date of this publishing, provide an excellent option for those looking to get away during the summer months.

We understand that regardless of how private your charter yacht may be, you still need to arrive at your charter yacht safely. With recent recommendations for social distancing, we encourage you to opt for a private plane to fly you to your port, which in many instances may be less expensive than you might imagine. However, we understand that many commercial airlines have taken new measures to prioritize your health as well. In either case, our in-house charter experts can advise you in your travel plans to and from your private yacht every step of the way. 

What Are My Options For Booking A Charter? How Flexible Are My Charter Plans?

We respect that you want the freedom to change your mind. If the Coronavirus escalates to a place that makes you feel unsafe with your plans to travel, we have solutions for you. If you’re booking an upcoming charter trip, we provide plenty of options to give you peace of mind, with trip insurance covering you in the event of trip cancellation, trip interruption, or travel delay. We are doing everything in our power to protect both our charter clients and owners of our charter boats by working with charter authorities and associations to work with you, creating addendums and trip cancellation policies, giving you the freedom to reschedule or cancel based on what makes you feel safest.  

Is Chartering Safer Than Other Vacation Options?

Yes. Rest assured, a charter yacht experience is completely private. In times that call for seclusion, the benefits of chartering are unparalleled to a traditional vacation.

Choose your guests: Avoid the uncertainty of crowds and health hazards. On a private charter yacht, you choose your guests, ensuring you are only surrounded by those you love most and a professional crew.

Choose your meals: In addition, you’ll have a much higher control over how you nourish your body. As opposed to a restaurant, or cruise ship buffet, a charter yacht ensures meals are upkept to your personal preferences and standards. With a personal chef creating every meal exactly the way you want, and a clean kitchen in plain view, a charter yacht’s meals can give you the peace of mind you need.

Choose your itinerary: With a greater need to exert control over where you travel, the ability to choose your itinerary is more desirable than ever. Have the freedom to change course anytime you want, accompanied by warm weather, fresh air, and a healthy dose of Vitamin D.

Ready to explore your options of a private charter vacation?