Yacht charter provisioning is a crucial yet often overlooked aspect of planning an exceptional yachting vacation. From fresh ingredients to the finest wines, the right provisions ensure that charter guests enjoy not only the natural beauty of their destination but also the ultimate culinary experience onboard. Whether you’re embarking on a week-long journey through the Mediterranean or a quick getaway in the Caribbean, provisioning involves meticulous planning, expert selection, and coordination with local suppliers. This process is especially important for those aiming to cater to a variety of dietary preferences and unique guest requests. As a charter guest, you’ll be given a preference sheet where you can list every request and detail – from the types of wine or beer you drink, down to the types of meals you want, and any food intolerances, etc.
Essential Steps for Unforgettable Yacht Provisioning
In this guide, we’ll delve into the essential steps and considerations to ensure that your yacht is fully stocked with everything you need to create an unforgettable charter experience as the crew in charge of provisioning. From planning your meals based on guest preferences to sourcing local specialties, we’ll cover tips to simplify the provisioning process and optimize each element for a smooth and stress-free journey. As well, we will discuss what this means if you’re the charter guest and how to complete a preference sheet and why it is such a key part of your yacht charter experience.
Elevating the Onboard Experience
As you read through, you’ll find insights on everything from creating a flexible, gourmet menu to selecting high-quality ingredients that meet dietary needs and keep well at sea. The right provisioning approach not only elevates the culinary experience on board but also ensures seamless service and comfort throughout the trip. With this guide, you’ll be prepared to enhance your charter’s value by tailoring each detail to meet and exceed guest expectations, ultimately creating memorable moments both on and off the water.
Table of contents
- Essential Steps for Unforgettable Yacht Provisioning
- Elevating the Onboard Experience
- What is yacht charter provisioning?
- What are the provisions for a charter yacht?
- Who pays for provisions on a yacht?
- Do yacht guests pay for provisions on a yacht?
- Is food and drink included in a charter yacht?
- When you charter a yacht is alcohol included?
- How much stronger is alcohol on a yacht?
- Can you smoke cigarettes on a charter yacht?
- Is a crew included in a charter yacht?
- What is better Caribbean or Mediterranean yacht charter?
- Yacht Charter Guides
What is yacht charter provisioning?
Yacht charter provisioning is when the boat or yacht you are chartering will purchase and acquire all of your requested food and drinks ahead of your yacht rental.
During the booking and planning phase of your yacht charter, your yacht broker will send you a “Preference Sheet” which you will fill out with your fellow charter guests to give the crew an idea of what you like to eat. Not only will this ensure your favorite items are onboard for you; but it will also help your luxury chef prepare some amazing and delicious gourmet meals for you all.
What are the provisions for a charter yacht?
The provisions for a charter yacht include any and all items you’d like to request the yacht purchases ahead of your arrival.
From breakfast, lunch, and dinner ideas to your favorite snack foods and drink options and brands, the yacht crew will be happy to provision this for you before your yacht charter begins.
Who pays for provisions on a yacht?
The charter yacht food provisioning is paid for by the charterer as part of their Advanced Provisioning Allowance (APA).
To err on the safe side, we usually recommend budgeting around an additional 35% of the base price of the yacht charter fee to go toward your APA. If you are into top shelf liquors and vintage wine, this could increase; whereas, if you aren’t heavy drinkers or don’t have many special requests, this percentage could be lower.
What this means is, if you are booking a yacht charter that has a base price of $100,000 for the week, your APA will cost somewhere around $35,000 for the week. All of these costs will be discussed at the time of the contract signature, so you won’t have any surprises while on your yacht charter.
Do yacht guests pay for provisions on a yacht?
Yes, the yacht guests will pay for the yacht provisioning, however this will all be agreed upon and discussed when you confirm your booking, so you won’t have to pay for any food or drinks in person on the yacht.
Your charter yacht broker will be happy to guide you through the entire process of charter yacht food provisioning. Please search for a reputable charter broker near you now.
Is food and drink included in a charter yacht?
While food and drinks aren’t included in the base price of the yacht you’ll see published on websites when booking your yacht charter, it will be included in the additional fees for the charter, which will all be paid as part of the same package. So, yes, food and drink will ultimately be included in your charter yacht.
These extra fees usually amount to around 50-55% of the base price listed on the charter yacht listing. So, if you have a base yacht price charter in the French Riviera for $100,000 for the week, the APA, local taxes, fuel, and optional crew tip will amount to around $55,000 so your total yacht charter cost will be around $155,000. All these additional fees (except the crew tip which is given at the end of your yacht charter and up to the discretion of the charterer), will be confirmed at the time of the contract signing so you won’t have any surprises.
When you charter a yacht is alcohol included?
Yes, alcohol is included on a yacht charter. Based on your preference sheet note, the crew will source and purchase your preferred alcoholic beverages before your charter begins. Alcohol is part of that charter yacht provisioning APA allowance.
How much stronger is alcohol on a yacht?
The percentage of alcohol will be the same whether consumed on water or on land. However, there are more hazards when drinking alcohol on a yacht (waves, sun, heat, etc.) so it’s important to know your limits and drink within them.
Can you smoke cigarettes on a charter yacht?
Smoking onboard will be at the discretion of the yacht owner – some will have strict no smoking policies; while others may have a dedicated outdoor space where you may smoke. If this is important to you and your charter guests, be sure to let your yacht charter broker know as soon as you start looking at yachts available so they can confirm with the yacht owner or yacht management company.
Is a crew included in a charter yacht?
Yes, when looking at charter yachts available to rent, yacht crew always comes with the package. In fact, the base price you see listed is the cost of the yacht rental and your crew, with all of those extras mentioned above being quoted after.
The only time you won’t have a crew included on a yacht rental is if you are booking a “bareboat charter.” This means you are in charge of navigating the boat and no crew will be onboard to help you or provide cooking and services. It is rare to see yachts available for bareboat charter given the size of yachts being 79ft and above. Smaller sailboat and catamaran bareboat charters are quite popular in certain places around the world, but all of the yachts you see for charter on YATCO.com will include a full-time crew.
What is better Caribbean or Mediterranean yacht charter?
There is no “winner takes all” in yacht charter destinations. Different people will be partial to different regions as their tastes and vacation preferences change. Not only that, but some locations are better depending on the season.
Most will prefer a yacht charter in the Caribbean during the winter months, while the western Mediterranean with popular ports in France, Italy, and Spain, or the burgeoning eastern Mediterranean with Croatia and Greece growing in interest, will always be popular over the summer months.
Yacht Charter Guides
Booking your first yacht charter will come with an abundance of questions, but don’t worry, YATCO has you covered. We have a plethora of Charter Guides to help you make the booking process as seamless as possible. For a complete list of our Charter FAQ’s and Guides, please click here.
- Yacht Charter 101: When booking your yacht rental or yacht charter, you’ll want to come to terms with some of the basic questions. See below for some of the most popular questions we get when booking a yacht charter, and links to their answers:
- Charter Destinations: Perhaps before getting into the nitty gritty of your yacht charter, you already know where you want to go. With so many yacht destinations emerging, it’s never been easier (or more fun) to tick these places off your bucket list from the bow of your own luxury charter yacht. Some of the most popular yachting destinations now include:
- Chartering a Yacht in Turkey
- How Much it Costs to Charter a Yacht in Italy
- Caribbean Boat Charters
- Best Caribbean Islands to Visit on a Yacht Charter
- Taking your Boat from Florida to the Bahamas
- Sailing the Caribbean Islands
- Caribbean Islands Boating and Yachting Guide
- Top 10 Popular Yacht Charter Destinations in the Mediterranean
- The Best Restaurants in Capri
- A Yacht Charter Guide to Sailing the South Pacific
- The Best Off the Beaten Track Yacht Charter Destinations
- Charter Seasons: If certain destinations are important to you, you’ll want to keep in mind the best time of year to visit certain locales. You’ll first want to explore when a charter season begins and ends in certain places. And, if you’re looking for the warmest Caribbean islands to visit in January, or where to spend the winter on a charter yacht, YATCO can help.
- Charter Management: Have questions about yacht charter management? YATCO has a Guide for that too.
Yacht charter provisioning is something you will need to consider when booking your next yacht charter or yacht rental. Your charter broker will be able to guide you through the process, and work with you on compiling your preference sheet for the yacht crew.