GENERAL CONDITIONS
1. Finding the right charter yacht.
The real task of a professional yacht broker is to figure out which yacht suits best for your needs. It needs a huge knowledge of the international charter business, empathy and intuition and last but not least a professional method.
In order to help you finding your dream yacht, we will ask you a list of things that will help us to find a quick and satisfying solution for you. Before your reservation you should figure out the following points:
Bareboat or crewed yachts?
Do you need a professional crew or would you like to be your own captain? Am I seeking 5-star service or would I prefer to be independent?
Which type of vessel should I choose?
Do you prefer motoryachts, sailing yachts, gulets or catamarans for your cruise? What are the priorities for your holiday?
My favorite charter destination?
Where would you like to go? Which country and navigation area would you like to explore? Do you require a suggestion?
What are my travel dates?
Which charter period is most suitable for me and my friends or family? Am I looking for a short period or a whole charter week?
What yacht size do I require?
How many people will be on board? How many cabins are needed and with which bed configuration? How many single and double beds?
My approximate budget?
How much would I like to spend for the charter and for the whole holiday inclusive of food, moorings, fuel, tips, transfer and activities?
2. The booking procedure.
Once we figured out the right yacht for you, we can proceed with the booking. Usually a short option (maximum 1 week) is given on the yacht of your choice in order to get all the paperwork done.
It mainly consists in paying a deposit in order to block the yacht and in signing the charter contract with the yacht owner company.
Payment terms.
Usually owners ask for a
- 50 % of the charter rate at the moment of the booking, and
- 50 % of the charter rate one month before charter begin,
even though, depending on the yacht owner company, it can slightly vary (from a 30 % to a 70 % approximately).
Private travel cancellation insurances are recommended. You can contact your personal insurance or we can send you an offer through our trusted insurance broker.
Charter terms.
The charter contract will be signed by two parties: the charterer and the yacht owner.
Yacht brokers sign as witnesses of the agreement only.
Some yacht owners have their own charter contract and other of them use the most common charter agreements of the Mediterranean Sea.
Just to name some of them:
- MYBA Charter Agreement (the official contract of the “Mediterranean Yacht Broker Association”)
- ISYBA Charter Contract (the official contract of the “Italian Ship and Yacht Broker Association”)
We mainly distinguish two crewed charter formulas:
- West Mediterranean Terms (WMT): In the Western Mediterranean (mainly Italy, France, Spain, Greece) the charter rate usually includes only the yacht charter fee and the crew. All the extra costs, such as fuel for the engine, generators and dinghy, food, moorings, local taxes, entrance to National parks, additional services etc. are not included.
In addition the client will pay a so called “Advanced Provisioning Allowance” (“APA”), that varies from 20 to 40 % and generally covers the expenses on board.
At the end of the charter, any outstanding amounts should be paid directly to the captain. Alternatively, if there are any unused funds, a refund will be issued for the amount not spent. - East Mediterranean Terms (EMT): When these terms apply, the charter rate already includes the fuel for 3 – 4 navigation hours per day and usually there will be different food options (half or full board) with a fix price per person to be paid in advance or directly on board of the vessel.
- Caribbean Terms Inclusive (CTI): The charter rate includes the crewed yacht itself and usually also three meals per day for the guests on board. Additionally an APA is requested for the remaining expenses such as fuel or moorings.
Crew tips.
Crew gratuities are never included in the charter rate and are a common use on board of a skippered or crewed charter yacht. Usually a 5 – 15 % of the charter rate, depending on your personal satisfaction, is appropriate.
3. Getting ready for your cruise
After the booking we have a lot of time to organise your cruise at its best.
We will gather all the documents we need from you, send you a food provisioning list or, for crewed charters, the more detailed preference list for your life on board, organise required additional services such as transfers to the charter base or similar and, if requested, prepare a draft itinerary for you and give you all the further information that you may need.
4. Taking over your charter yacht.
Once you arrived at the charter base you will meet the base manager or be welcomed directly by the crew.
You will be introduced to your vessel and its features so that you can get comfortable on board. Check-in and check-out times are usually the following ones.
Bareboat charters.
- Check-In: Saturday at 5.00 – 7.00 pm
- Return to the charter base: Friday evening
- Check-Out: Saturday at 8.00 – 10.00 am
Crewed charters.
- Check-In: 12.00 pm, any day of the week that had been previously agreed (in EMT usually charters start and end on Saturdays)
- Check-Out: 12.00 pm, on Saturdays or on the day chosen by the charterer
5. What happens during your charter?
The base manager or the yacht crew will be your contact persons for any assistance you may need at the base or during your cruise.
Before the check-in you will receive all the contact numbers and base details you will require.
For crewed charters, an itinerary to the most hidden bays, the best local restaurants, panoramic islands and picturesque towns will be studied by the professional crew for you.
Interesting land excursions to monuments and attractions, aperitifs at sunset, sport activities such as hiking, biking, horse riding, bird watching, paragliding, windsurf can be organised to make your yacht charter a unique experience.
Of course our Bluebird Yachting team will be in contact with you and make sure everything is proceeding accordingly to the charter contract. We will be available anytime for you for any inconvenience.
