Guests who have never taken a crewed private yacht charter before may not know what to expect from the experience. Is it going to be an adventurous yachting expedition or a spa-like experience catering to the client’s every whim?
Happily, the answer is both!
The difference is all about the yacht and crew that are chosen and exactly what type of yacht charter experience is wanted. But don’t worry, you do not need to make that decision yourself. Every private crewed yacht charter is booked through a yacht charter broker. It is an experienced yacht charter broker that will guide prospective yachters to the right yacht charter choice with just the right questions.
Here at Northrop-Johnson Yacht Charters, we have the expertise and experience to ask all the right questions to make sure your charter is exactly that experience of your dreams, whether a pampered spa-like experience or an adventurous yachting expedition out on the water or something in between. No matter what the experience, think of a crewed private yacht as a moving luxury hotel, complete with complimentary amenities, high-quality linens, and expert crews trained to anticipate and handle all guests’ needs and logistics issues that may arise during the charter. Northrop and Johnson Yacht Charters makes sure that the crew have all the information needed for each and every charter for each charter to be a fully customized private experience.
We pay attention to every detail, so our clients can relax in comfort and serenity, enjoying beautiful scenic backdrops as they cruise to each exciting port or anchorage on an exhilarating sea excursion. We provide an exclusive private vacation to locations only accessible by boat, and an indulgent luxury experience all wrapped up into one package.
These are the luxury amenities and services to which we pay close attention to help assure that your yacht charter booked with us is the best charter you will ever have.
Dedicated Crew
Every crew member assigned to a yacht is an expert at keeping that yacht performing optimally in their given area. Whether it’s sailing, navigation, maintenance, cooking, cleaning, serving great meals, providing cooling drinks, or arranging onshore private tours, there is someone on every yacht ready for every task.
Yacht captains, for instance, handle more than just sailing the yacht from place to place. They are experts in local customs and immigrations laws. They also have all of the local knowledge and can reserve private tours that only those “in the know” are aware of to see and do, as provided by their local ship’s agent. They are happy to arrange onshore dining reservations for any special occasions aboard the yacht. For example, guests may request that the captain “dress ship” by hanging all of the yacht’s signal flags in a pattern down the length of the boat. It’s a fun way to give the yacht a bit of color during special occasions in port.
Each crew member is usually easily identifiable by the crew uniform. This may be a polo shirt and shorts in carefully selected colors, a short-sleeved white uniform for daytime, or a full-dress uniform with a navy-blue jacket for evenings and special occasions, depending on the size and cost of the charter.
Gourmet Food
Your very own Chef
One crew member who contributes extensively to the guests’ experience is the on-board chef. Usually a gourmet-trained chef, he or she provides delectable dishes for every meal while guests are on board. In fact, often the cuisine served on board the yacht surpasses even the finest restaurants on shore.
Food is served with both flavor and presentation in mind. Not only are meals served on china plates, but many yachts in the fleet have multiple lovely china dinnerware sets in various patterns that are used during the journey. It’s not unusual to sit down to dinner and find a tablescape complete with detailed decorations and china that fits the overall theme of the meal. In fact, crew members often compete in tablescape contests, assembling elaborate presentations that they can then carry over to their work on a crewed yacht charter.
Dining is a customizable experience aboard the yacht. Guests may order specific dishes or even bring back—or have the chef purchase—fresh ingredients from local fish markets and specialty stores. They may choose to have their meal on the yacht, as a picnic on a sandy beach, or as a barbeque in a scenic spot on shore.
Clean, Comfortable Surroundings
Clients are asked to remain barefoot while aboard the yacht unless medical conditions or other circumstances prevent it. If someone must wear shoes, shoes should be clean and free of any debris stuck in the treads. This policy keeps yacht floors and furniture clean, sparkling, and varnished floors free of scuffs and scratches. Any shoes for on-board wear, are worn just while aboard, while another pair should be brought to wear just ashore.
Yacht Charter Lifestyle
Guests may, of course, bring shoes on board to wear while on shore. These will be kept in a designated area for easy access while disembarking.
Attention to cleanliness, comfort, and detail is also apparent in the provided selection of high-quality linens, robes, and complimentary bathroom accessories such as shampoos, soaps, and lotions similar to those in luxury hotels on land. Towels are crisp, clean, and often monogrammed with the name of the yacht.
A typical morning might include waking up to the fresh sea air, sipping a piping hot cup of coffee or tea on deck, and eating a gourmet breakfast served on fine-patterned china with crisp white linens. While clients enjoy their food, crew members will be busy cleaning staterooms, and planning the day’s activities, while ensuring every surface is spotless and tidy.
Entertainment And Privacy
We understand that guests may want a lively, upbeat crew experience, a serene, relaxing atmosphere with plenty of privacy, or something in between. The crew will do their best to anticipate these needs and preferences and be available without being intrusive. Crew members know when to step in and offer assistance, always with a smile and a positive attitude, or retreat and allow the guests to enjoy some privacy and time alone.
Guests on sunbeds
When clients prefer a more interactive experience, and perhaps help with booking a tour or reserving a venue on shore, the crew is more than capable and happy to help. Every morning, the captain will discuss the day’s itinerary with each guest and make the necessary arrangements on shore that the guests might want. Because yacht charter activities are so customizable, clients may choose to sunbathe on the beach, explore a nearby island, drop anchor and enjoy some snorkeling or scuba diving opportunities, seek out some exciting nightlife, have a private shoreside guided tour, visit a museum, shop, or any number of other options. Often when headed ashore, a crew member will accompany the guests to help with anything needed.
We recommend reading yacht charter itineraries beforehand to get an idea of which activities sound the most appealing, but those who want to live in the moment can do so without stress. Guests don’t need to know ahead of time that a certain location provides the opportunity to dive with dolphins, hike through a forest to see ancient ruins, tour a medieval cathedral, or dine under the stars. The captain knows the cruising area very well and can provide all of the inside information on what to do and see to accommodate a wide variety of tastes.
Often, activities involve VIP opportunities not available to the general public. Instead of arranging for a standard guided tour of a location, for example, guests may be treated to a behind-the-scenes tours, such as special tastings of local foods, or a visit to see a historic relic that only a chosen few are allowed to see, or a tour of rooms in a museum that are hidden from public view. Other VIP opportunities include special nightclub or party access, hidden snorkeling or swimming spots, secret beaches that can only be reached by yacht, and private dinners in palazzos or villas.
The crew also understands that sometimes feelings and plans change. If guests request a quiet day at the beach but then grow restless for some social activities, plans can change. It is as easy as that—the crew will always accommodate wishes as best as possible.
And, Of Course, Stunning Destinations
On Deck Amenities on Luxury Yacht Charter
While time aboard the yacht should feel as close as possible to time spent in a luxury hotel, yachts have one distinct advantage over ordinary hotels. No land-bound hotel can offer stunning panoramic scenery, fresh air and the scent of the sea with ever-changing vistas and constantly new nearby attractions.
Sailing on a private luxury yacht charter is about taking a vacation to multiple exotic and exciting destinations in succession while still living in complete comfort and luxury with a personal butler, chef, amenities, and open-air living spaces.
From the turquoise waters of the tropics to the historic towns of Europe and the ritzy beaches in places such as St. Tropez and Monaco, every private yacht charter vacation offers many immersive and exciting destinations throughout the duration of the trip. Wake up to the gently rocking waves in the harbor of one port and enjoy lunch on the beach in a completely different anchorage or port just a few hours later, bringing your friends, or family and all your comforts with you. There’s simply no other vacation to compare to a crewed luxury yacht charter.
