Tips for booking a Yacht Charter
You as a broker must ensure your clients get the yachts they desire. Simple as that! But of course they need your expert guidance. Few other industries offer the absolute privacy, or the world-class standard of luxury, which can be offered aboard a crewed charter yacht. Still… Picking the yacht and destination can be a mammoth task for the client, so here are some of the top tips for first-time charterers in order for you to comfortably guide them.
Make sure your client is aware that they need to look into booking your charter well ahead of time.
You’ll be highly surprised how busy yachts are, in Croatia for example yachts are booked back-to-back for 4 months straight a year in advance. And some of the very popular yachts will have repeat clients that always secure their spot. Yacht charter is in high demand, and vessels in sought after destinations, particularly in peak season, are booked up fast.
You should motivate your client to eliminate the chance of disappointment and give them the best chance of securing their dream yacht charter. But how? Some yachts will have early bird discounts to push for people to book in advance, make sure to push these discounts to your clients.
Make sure you understand your client in order to perfectly accommodate them and exceed their expectations.
Again the how? Ask questions and don’t be afraid to do so! The more questions you ask the better you understand each other and the more confidence the client has. A small gist of questions can be found below, but I would advise to brainstorm with a friend or ChatGPT to come up with more questions to make sure you go into these meetings with clients confidently.
Where do they want to go? Why this location? Why the dates they specified? Why a motor yacht or a catamaran?
What does their group like? Is it is a family or a group of friends?
Do they have a budget in mind? Or if they do not have a specific budget, what are must haves to have onboard?
Make sure your information is clear from the beginning.
Confusion is the last thing you want when booking a yacht charter. An example: For first-time charterers, defining the final costs can be confusing, so make sure to clear up the total costs of the charter.
Almost all charters have an additional provisional allowance, be it for food, petrol, drinks or port tax, and these are not calculated within the initial charter fee. And depending on the country where the charter takes place there will be VAT applicable, again seemingly innocent but on a €1,000,000 in France there will be €200,000 VAT applicable.
Make sure the guests plan enough time for their yacht charter.
It is important to ensure that enough time is factored into your charter to maximise enjoyment. Rather than rushing from point to point during your trip, make the whole trip as relaxing and enjoyable as possible by allowing enough time in each destination. This is most likely going to be the most relaxing and exciting vacation they have ever had, so ensure an itinerary that allows for your guests to have enough time in each destination to fully enjoy the yacht, the features and the food during this unique experience.
As you can see it is all about guidance, the academy will ensure your not just confident in finding the perfect yacht for your clients but we’ll take a deep dive into the entire process from the moment you meet them untill they step of the yacht and are excited to book again! This is just the tip of the ice-berg!
