Family Vacation: Celebrating Special Events

Family Vacation Charter Vacations

 Family vacations make family history.

Family vacation with meaning. This year Dad turns 75! What to do to celebrate his birthday? Mom and Dad will have their 50th wedding anniversary. Your daughter graduates law school. Whatever the celebration, bringing the extended family together for a special family vacation is an exciting option. Where can you take a multigenerational vacation? There will have to be lots of activities for the kids. Dad and Mom love the sun and the beach. They like to scuba dive, snorkel, and enjoy swimming.

Most likely you’re already considering the Caribbean. But which island can keep everyone amused for an entire week? Perhaps you’ve been looking at the Virgin Islands. You could spend a week on St. Thomas, but St. John is also amazing, and Tortola has it’s own unique magic. There are snorkeling trails for the kids, hiking and biking for the teens, and of course great diving. Well, before you make your decision, here’s an alternative you absolutely must consider. Charter a private yacht and do it all!

I find that most people are unfamiliar with the vacation industry of private yacht charters. It seems logical to assume that it’s going to be costly. But hold on, let’s take a closer look at the very affordable family vacation option to charter your own motor or sailing yacht with a professional crew. We can compare a yachting vacation to a hotel stay. As an example, we’ll consider a family vacation for six adults and three children, arriving St. Thomas, US Virgin Islands, as our starting point.

Charter Yacht Cabins vs Hotel Rooms

Budget Your Trip has a table of average expenses for budget travelers to the Virgin Islands. They calculate that the an adult couple will spend $2,133.00 per week, excluding children, toy rentals and tours. Our extended family will require at least three hotel rooms. One per adult couple, shared with their children.

By comparison, most charter yachts of 50-feet or larger offer four or five private guest cabins. Each has a private bathroom and shower. (It’s called a “head” on a yacht.) This means the kids could have their own cabin. A big plus! In addition, many yachts offer special rates or discounts for accompanying children. Bear in mind, charter yacht rates differ just as hotel rates vary, according ratings and amenities.

Lets look beyond the price difference. A family charter yacht vacation means absolute freedom to morning, afternoon and evening in a different, fabulous spot. You really get to experience the many exquisite beaches, beautiful seaside towns and picture-perfect anchorages that make these islands such an enchanting place to visit.

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Dining Out on a Family Vacation

Meals can be a huge factor in the overall picture. Family members have different tastes, especially children. In the islands almost everything has to be imported. This makes prices higher than what you’d expect to pay back home. Let’s assume you’ll be dining at your hotel most of the time. We’ll factor $100/day per adult and half that for the kids. That’s $6,300 per week. Family vacations on a catamaran or sailing yacht are usually all-inclusive. Meals, ships bar, lots of water toys, snorkeling and fishing gear are all included.

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On your private charter yacht, your chef creates meals to suit your tastes. They are adept at accommodating children as well. The chef will discuss your meal preferences in advance of your trip. This way the yacht can be provisioned with the foods and beverages of your choice. The chefs on charter yachts are fabulous. This is not just my personal opinion, our post-charter reviews re-confirm this over and over. In fact, many yacht chefs have been trained at top culinary schools and worked in prestigious restaurants worldwide.

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Cost wise, the hotel stay really loses out to a private yacht charter when it comes to family vacation activities and adventures. Before your charter begins, your Captain will discuss your family’s interests. This let’s him design the perfect itinerary for your group. You will snorkel, dive or swim in the most amazing spots. You can bike or hike primeval forests, or visit places of history and beauty; ancient churches, colonial rum plantations, botanical gardens.

Family Vacation Charter Vacations

Your crew are your personal guides. They will share one-of-a-kind places that most vacationers will never know about! Sail into breathtaking anchorages to enjoy the Caribbean sunsets. Watch for the elusive green flash. Dance to live bands at the beach bars on Cane Garden Bay. Visit the local artist on Virgin Gorda who makes elegant, unique jewelry out of recycled glass. Lime like an islander.

Yacht to some of the world’s most beautiful beaches.

No need to reserve your sun tanning spot when you charter a yacht. Your crew, trained in the art of hospitality, is eager to assist you. They’ll set your family up with towels, lotions, and tropical drinks, on the most comfortable place on your spacious deck. They’ll escort you into the dinghy with your snorkel gear and motor you off to explore a dazzling cove. There are kayaks and paddle boards and all kinds of fun water toys to keep kids of all ages entertained. If nobody is camera shy, the crew will video your family vacation escapades. That evening, everyone can watch the very entertaining playback.

For scuba divers, a sailing yacht that offers onboard diving is equipped with dive gear. Often crew are master divers and dive instructors. They love to dive and are always eager to share their passion with guests. It’s definitely the way to go deep.

And then there’s the sailing. The relaxing rhythm of life in the islands. A perfect complement to the leisure of a family vacation aboard a private charter yacht. Imagine sailing on gentle breezes past powder white sand beaches. You’re headed to your next anchorage. Your chef is busy preparing another scrumptious dinner.

Are all family vacations equal?

Where do we net out in our comparison? The total price tag for each vacation is right around $20,000. However, I say that the yacht charter family vacation clearly wins out. Just compare a week at the hotel, with beach, pool, and restaurant, to all the ‘extras’ of a yachting vacation. The personalized service of a professional crew at your disposable is a rare privilege. The pure fun of enjoying a multi-million dollar yacht is an inspiration! Take your loved ones on the family vacation they deserve. Let them love you forever for it.

Call Select Yachts today and our highly knowledgeable staff will help you choose the perfect yacht and crew for your very special vacation, one that will have you saying – it was the best vacation ever!

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