HOW TO CHARTER A YACHT
We can find you any yacht available for charter in your chosen location. Even if they are not in our fleet, we have access to all registered yachts to find your perfect charter available.
STEP 1 – INITIAL ENQUIRY & CRITERIA
When you initially enquire about chartering a yacht, there are some details and information we need. We need your basic requirements in order to find the best selection of yachts:
- Your full name, address and nationality (to register you as our client)
- Dates for the charter (are they flexible?)
- Location of the charter and cruising area
- Number of passengers and number of cabins
- Type of yacht (Motor, Sailing, Catamaran)
- Budget (Often hard to give a budget but a rough estimate will help our search)
- Depending of the size of the yacht: Crewed or Bareboat or Skipper
STEP 2 – YACHT SELECTION
Here at Flensburger Yacht Service, we spend time getting to know you and your preferences to understand what is your perfect yacht. We then take our time to search through availabilities and produce a PDF document including all the yachts within your requirements. Within the PDF, we will add the base price, VAT of the country, 30% APA (Advanced Provisioning Allowance) and the possible extra charges. You will then be able to consider all the options and get back to us with your chosen charter or altered requirements.
We highly recommend you being thorough in your decision making but also not taking too long to decide. Yachts get booked up very quickly, even months in advance!
STEP 3 – NEGOTIATION & OFFER
Once you are happy and have decided on your dream charter, we will negotiate on your behalf with the yacht’s representative. Any additional extras or special requirements can be discussed.
STEP 4 – CHARTER AGREEMENT
After the offer has been agreed by all parties, we then create a Charter Agreement which needs to be signed by all parties and is a binding contract to confirm the charter
Due to COVID-19, most yachts have a COVID policy which usually includes and covers all parties in case of any unforeseen circumstances due to the coronavirus pandemic.
STEP 5 – DEPOSIT PAYMENT
Upon signature of the contract, a deposit needs to be paid within 5 days, which is 50% of the Charter Fee. The remaining 50% will be paid 4 weeks before the charter.
If the charter is organised and the Charter Agreement signed within 4 weeks of the charter commencing, then the full amount would need to be paid.
STEP 6 – CHARTER PLANNING
After the Charter Agreement is signed and the deposit is paid, we will send you all the information that you and your guests will need to know about your cruising area, and best places to go and explore. We will also start creating a custom itinerary together with you and the yacht Captain. The yacht will send you a ‘Charter Information Sheet’ for you and your guests to fill out which includes: dietary requirements, allergies, food and drink preferences as well as any important information you would like your crew to know.
STEP 7 – BALANCE PAYMENT
4 weeks before the start of your charter, the remaining charter amount will need to be paid. This includes the remaining 50% of the charter fee as well as the APA and VAT.
APA includes costs incurred during the charter. This includes: food, drinks, fuel, marine fees etc. Any unused APA amount will be returned to you at the end of the charter. In case the costs exceed the paid APA amount, you will be asked to pay the outstanding amount directly to the captain.
STEP 8 – EMBARKATION
The day of embarkation has finally arrived! The yacht and crew will be eagerly awaiting your arrival. You will be greeted at the dock where you will be welcomed onboard and your bags will be taken for you. The stewardess will give you a tour of the yacht and explain the safety protocols.
STEP 9 – MANAGE GUEST EXPERIENCE
Throughout your stay on board, the crew will be very happy to assist in any requirements you may have. We will also always be available to help in any way.
STEP 10 – APA CONSOLIDATION
At the end of your charter, the captain will take a final calculation of the APA account. Any funds that have not been spent during the trip will be refunded to you.
STEP 11 – DISEMBARKATION
The last day has sadly arrived and Flensburger Yacht Service hope you have had the best possible experience.
A gratuity fee to the crew to express how much you enjoyed your incredible stay on board is expected.
OUR RECOMMENDATIONS
We highly recommend organising a charter, months in advance (before the season has started). This gives you all the best possible options without needing to compromise. We will find you all possible boats available within your requirements. If they are not quite what you want then you can adjust your requirements and we will continue our search. Once you decide on your perfect charter, we recommend you proceeding with the booking within a week so you don’t miss out on the opportunity.
Short notice charters – It is highly recommended that once you are offered boats within your requirements that you act quickly (same day booking) before it becomes unavailable. You will also have to pay the full amount due to it being within 4 weeks of the charter commencing.
Flensburger Yacht Service will always do our best to find the perfect charter for you, but we cannot assure the availability once you decide to book it.