LIVE THE DREAM...

Selecting a charter yacht for a one-of-a kind cruise may seem like a daunting process, however the experienced team Sea Concept Yachts, with decades of experience, is available to guide you step by step to select a vessel and establish an itinerary that fulfills your highest expectations for your dream cruise.  From motor yachts to sailing yachts and catamarans, VCY’s portfolio of yachts from 10 to 100 meters includes some of the most popular charter vessels on the market today.  With a highly experienced professional crew at your disposal and a personalized itinerary for you and your guests, we will ensure that your cruise is an unforgettable one.

Key charter terms:
 

Price -
Most yachts quote their pricing on a weekly "plus all" basis. This generally means that you are paying for the hire of the yacht, the cost of her crew and the fixed operating expenses that occur during your trip. If you are taking the yacht for less than a full week then most yachts get a daily rate by dividing the weekly rate by six.

Minimum -
At some times of the year yacht owners request a minimum charter period. For example, most yachts request a ten day charter minimum over the New Year holiday.

Expenses -
In a standard "plus all" contract the charter client will be responsible for all operating expenses associated with the charter. These include all fuel, dockage, food, drinks and electricity. Depending upon the value of the charter you should budget from 15 to 30% more for expenses.

All inclusive -
A few, generally smaller, charter yachts offer "all inclusive" rates. The terms of these contracts vary on a case by case basis but may include "normal" food and fuel expenses plus a couple of nights dockage during a week long charter. Speak with your charter specialist for more details and seasonal "all inclusive" specials.

Advance Provisioning Allowance (APA) -
The APA is the contractual amount held by the captain to cover expenses during your trip. The captain will account for every dollar spent and provide you updates on expenditure during the charter upon request and a full accounting at the end of the charter.

Sales tax -
Yachts are subject to sales tax whenever claimed by the country in which the yacht is chartering. Check with your charter broker if this applies to your charter. Rates vary from 4% in the Bahamas to almost 20% in the Med.

Delivery fee -
Occasionally it is not possible to find a yacht in the port that you require and a yacht may charge a repositioning fee. This fee will be agreed before the signing of any contracts and shown on the contract as a delivery fee. If chargeable, it is normally calculated as 50% of the time plus the fuel costs. For example, Yacht A took two days to get to your pickup port and will take another two days to return to her home port at the end of your charter for a total of four days at sea. A normal delivery fee in this case would be two days of charter plus fuel costs.

MCA / Megayacht code -
The UK Marine and Coastguard Agency introduced a code of practice for luxury charter yachts which has been adapted to varying degrees by most international registries. The yacht that you charter should be suitably certified for the carriage of paying guests. The Megayacht code covers the carriage of safety equipment, training of crew and yacht construction.

Cancellation -
Yacht schedules are set a great deal in advance and cancellation is something that everyone wants to avoid however should a trip need to be cancelled please speak with your charter specialist for your options. In a best case scenario the yacht owner will allow you to move your dates to a more convenient time with no penalty.

Refunds -
You will receive a refund for your charter if there was a major failure onboard that resulted in the yacht not being available for the contracted dates. If the failure occurred during your vacation you will receive a prorated refund. In the unlikely event that the yacht does not exceed your expectations for any reason then it is essential that you notify your charter specialist immediately so that corrective action can be taken to resolve any issue and a formal complaint raised with the yacht's owner.