charter guide

Sunreef Yachts Charter has years of industry experience with all types of luxury charter yachts worldwide, from racing monohulls to mega yachts and team of educated, informed, honest and reliable committed to working with you. Maintaining the highest levels of integrity, Sunreef Yachts Charter is a company that clients can put their trust in and return to for superlative service year after year.

If you would like to know more about Sunreef Yachts Charter please visit Why charter with us?

At Sunreef Yachts Charter, our guidance, expertise and service is available to you at no additional cost.

Sunreef Yachts Charter offers charter yachts available in destinations worldwide. There are number of options to choose from including the Bahamas, the Caribbean, Mexico, Europe, Asia, Central and South America, New England, the Pacific Northwest, and Alaska.

The type of charter yacht you select is a matter of personal preference with the main factors to consider being your budget, party size, and charter destinations. After selecting your ideal destination, you will need to determine whether you would like to charter a motor yacht or a sailing yacht, monohull or catamaran. Motor yachts tend to be faster and capable of traveling further distances while sailing yachts are more environmentally friendly and ideal for leisurely travels in a more quiet and relaxed environment. Power catamarans or sailing catamarans are a great charter option as they are highly fuel-efficient, unsurpassed in safety and stability, and extremely spacious. Because of their fuel efficiency, sailing yachts are available at much lower charter rates than motor yachts.

To ensure your pick of the best options available, it is best to start planning as far in advance as possible, particularly for yacht charters during the holidays and spring break. For these peak periods, we recommend booking your charter a year in advance.

Charter yachts have individual requirements, but frequently a yacht can be chartered for as long or short as you want. Whether you are seeking a 3 day charter or a month long charter, we will do our best to find the perfect charter yacht for your needs. We also have yachts that charter by the day as well as event yachts.

The possibilities are virtually endless, but they will mostly depend on the destination you choose as well as what type of yacht you would like to charter. You can snorkel and dive amongst coral reefs, sunbath on remote beaches, explore lush forests, discover ancient ruins and fishing villages or, finally, visit most big cities and its attractions.

Please contact us and ask for assistance with customizing an itinerary that will suit you best.

While most yachts do allow children, sometimes there is a minimum age requirement for passengers. In addition, some yachts may also require the services of a nanny.

Under SOLAS (Safety of Life at Sea), any vessel carrying more than 12 passengers regardless of whether it is being used as a private yacht or not, will be deemed a passenger ship, subject to the passenger ship rules and regulations. As these rules and regulations are very costly to implement, the exorbitant costs which would be passed down to the charterer are often not justifiable.

There are two main types of charters rates, all-inclusive or plus expenses (aka Advanced Provisioning Allowance or APA). For yachts offering all-inclusive rates, all of your meals, soft drinks, bar, fuel and water sports are included in the rate. For yachts that are plus expenses, the rate includes the yacht and the crew only and expenses such as fuel, dockage, food, and beverages are all additional. These additional expenses will be paid in advance with the APA.

Generally, the APA will be 20% - 30% of the base charter fee. All expenditures with receipts will be accounted for, with the details and balance accessible to you at any time. A full report will be provided at the end of the charter and if APA expenses are lower than the original amount prepaid, the difference can either be returned to you or used towards the crew gratuity.

Most charters depending on the yacht’s registration and area in which they will be chartering will not be applicable to taxation. In some countries (i.e. Bahamas, Greece) a specific local or government tax may be applicable on the charter fee.

Occasionally an itinerary that you select will include embarking or disembarking at a location other than the yacht's home port. When there is a significant distance between the two locations, a delivery and/or redelivery fee can be added to the charter rate to cover the additional expenses for fuel consumption.

The specific terms for charter cancellations will be outlined in the charter agreement, but depending on the yacht booked, cancellation by the charterer can result in loss of deposit or loss of entire charter fee. Because of this, we highly recommend that you take out travel insurance to cover any cancellation due to unforeseen circumstances and protect you from the loss of cancellation fees.

All of the food and drinks served onboard and the menus presented will be tailored around your specific preferences. Breakfast, lunch and dinner can be served at times that you set and you have the option of advising on what types of cuisine and ingredients suit your palette the best.

Many charter chefs can accommodate salt-free, low-carbohydrate, Kosher, or other diet preferences. Please notify us of any of these requests in advance.

In order fully secure a charter booking, a fully signed charter agreement must be completed. In addition a 50% deposit of the charter fee is required upon signature of the agreement.

A 50% deposit of the charter fee will be due upon signature of the charter agreement with the remaining balance due 4 to 6 weeks prior to the commencement of the charter.

Your charter can be paid by check or via a bank wire.

You will need to bring the charter agreement, a valid passport, and any requisite visas.

Almost all of the small convenience items you could ever need will already be onboard when you begin your charter. All linen, towels, basic toiletries, sun lotion, and hairdryers will be supplied. We recommend that you pack as light as possible, the less baggage you bring the better. If you will be visiting any locations that may have a strict dress code, please plan accordingly. It is also helpful to bring any over the counter medications or prescriptions that you may need. We also recommend bringing soft sided luggage to enable easier storage onboard.

Onboard guests can expect the utmost in professional service from the crew, whom will be at your disposal from the moment you board. The level of interaction between guests and crew will be determined by your preferences.

In general smoking is not permitted inside most yachts, but often is allowed outside on the deck areas. Please note though that each yacht varies in regards to their policy.

Most of the yachts that we offer for charter are equipped with the latest technology and communication gear such as cellular service and global satellite telecommunication so you will have no trouble staying in touch with work, friends, and family.

Many yachts will be able to provide services for small quantities of laundry though if time allows, professional laundry service can also be accommodated ashore.

While the overall travel will depend on your itinerary, it is recommend to cruise no more than four to six hours per day.

A crew gratuity while discretionary is customarily 10-20% scaled up or down depending on the level of service, but we recommend not giving anything less than 10%. The gratuity can be paid either in cash or with a traveler’s check and should be given to the captain upon disembarkation to be distributed amongst the other crew members. Alternatively, a set amount specifically allocated towards the gratuity can be held in escrow and either the full or partial amount can be released to the captain once the charter has ended.

If you have any questions please do not hesitate to contact us.