Guide To Choosing The Perfect Charter Broker
What does a yacht charter broker do? It’s probably easiest to think of them as matchmakers between you and your perfect charter yacht. Best of all, this entire service is free: the charter broker is paid by the yacht owner, not you.
Choosing the Right Yacht to Charter
Firstly, a yacht charter broker helps you to decide what size and style of charter yacht you might like – whether it’s sail or motor, fast or slower, deep draft or shallow. Here you can view our featured charter yachts and every charter yacht available worldwide. They’ll then establish what your priorities and expectations are for your yacht charter. What kinds of activities are important to you? Is having an award-winning chef important, and is high speed internet a priority? Do you need a yacht with some twin cabins for the kids, or is it all adults? What kinds of water sports equipment do you want the yacht to carry? Do you demand a high crew-to-guest ratio and formal service, or are you after a more relaxed, family-style charter? Do you like sumptuous, even ostentatious décor, or is modern and minimalist more your style?
Your charter broker will then use their industry contacts and expertise to find a matching yacht to your specifications and budget – and remember, charter brokers know the best-value charters in the business if you’re looking for a good deal.
Charter Itinerary Planning
A yacht charter broker is also really important when it comes to choosing the right charter destination, as they have years of experience in planning yacht charter itineraries. You might not think this is necessary – after all, you have your heart set on the Bahamas or perhaps the Greek islands – but had you taken into account the shallow waters of the Bahamas, or the strong summer winds experienced in certain parts of Greece? Your experienced charter broker knows all of this, and a whole lot more. Even if you’re already certain of the destination, a yacht charter broker is a goldmine of information about local restaurants and experiences.
Negotiating Yacht Charter Contracts
A yacht charter broker really comes into their own at contract time. Yacht charters are well-versed in marine law and contracts, and yacht charter contracts can be quite complex given their international nature. A charter broker’s job is to make all of this a breeze for you, after all, they deal with these contracts every single day of their career.
Communicating with Crew
Once you’ve signed the contract, the yacht charter broker acts as the conduit to the yacht’s crew, making sure everything is set up the way you like it before you get there. You’ll let the broker know your dining, drinking and service preferences via a preference sheet, which the broker will then pass onto the crew. A charter broker will also organize the Advance Provisioning Allowance (APA), which is a deposit of money that you make to cover food, fuel and berthing fees during your trip. They’ll also advise you on tipping, onboard etiquette (for example- you can’t wear your shoes onboard), and what you can and can’t expect to be included on your yacht charter. If you’re a first time charterer, this inside knowledge can make you feel entirely at ease from the second you step aboard.
Dealing with any Issues
Finally, once you arrive at the yacht, if something is not to your liking, you just call the charter broker and let them know, and they’ll do everything they can to remedy the issue. Your broker is available to you right through the charter.
How to Find a Good Yacht Charter Broker
Finding a good yacht charter broker is vital; you’ll often use them year after year, because they get to know your preferences, which yachts you really loved and which new yachts on the market might impress you (or let you know when there’s a great deal going).
Worth Avenue Yachts do things a bit differently than the more traditional brokerage houses. Most charter yacht brokers work independently for their own commissions, but at Worth Avenue Yachts we recognized that was hurting you, the client. So we’ve pooled our resources and we now work as one unified team. You’ll still have a dedicated broker, but they have the global support and knowledge base of everyone behind them: the ‘hive mind’ of all the Worth Avenue Yachts brokers. Considering that Worth Avenue Brokers have sold over a billion dollars’ worth of yachts and have over a century’s experience between them, that’s an impressive knowledge-base to tap into!
If you’re thinking about a yacht charter, get in touch with our team, we offer a free service to yacht charter clients, and have a wealth of experience! We can start planning your next private charter vacation right away!