Charter a small ship vacations

Not many people need convincing of the benefits to your own ship: it’s not just the peace and privacy of your own private pad – but freedom, too – anchoring, popping in, deciding on another swim stop, waking up from an afternoon siesta in a different bay, or off a different island. It’s really fun – and relentlessly relaxing – especially if all the other guests are your nearest and dearest. You can decide the order of play every day. If you’ve come for peace and privacy, don’t spoil it by docking in busy harbours. Instead, your crew can take you to hidden gems over this year’s hotspot.

Our private yacht charter vacations operate in popular Mediterranean cruising destinations like Turkey and Greece. They also explore Croatia (the Dalmatian Coast is a great place for island hopping). You could try the Scottish islands – for less sunbathing, perhaps, but more opportunities for wildlife watching. Outside of Europe, the Indian Ocean idylls of Seychelles and the Maldives are fantastic, popular cruising grounds with island archipelagos, great weather and fantastic snorkelling, a warm sea and warm welcomes on beautiful beaches.

One of the most popular yachting destinations, thanks to its crystal-clear water and its thousand islands, private charter cruises in Croatia might see you exploring the coast between the cities of Dubrovnik and Split. Here you’ll find the Elaphiti Islands, a chain of long islands close to the mainland coast that are perfectly suited for cruising. You can visit small towns on Hvar, Brac or Korkula, and compare their quiet streets to the busier cities.

Croatia is a very popular summer cruise destination. By going on a small ship you can go to places that larger cruise ships cannot, and since you’re in charge of the itinerary, you can craft something with your captain that truly leaves the beaten track. There are lots of options available for chartering a small ship in Croatia – some have higher crew to guest ratios, as well as amenities like a Jacuzzi on the sun deck and other inclusions.

If you’re seeking the island-hopping seclusion of the Seychelles don’t compromise on sharing where you stay. If you opt for private charter you could choose a smaller sailing ship – common in this part of the world, where there’s excellent sailing between the islands – or a small motor ship, which can offer more room if there are more of you. The islands of the inner Seychelles – the most popular cruising area – are nice and close to each other; you can island-hop without too many long passages at sea. This means more time for exploring La Digue’s car-free settlements, Praslin’s Vallee de Mai nature reserve and fantastic snorkelling opportunities around the islands.

Imagine owning a boat as beautiful as this for a week. Turkish gulets, once used as sponge diving and fishing vessels off the Turkey’s Turquoise Coast, are mostly used for leisure cruising now. There are new models that have that classic yacht-white fibreglass look, and old models that have lots of varnished wood and traditional fittings.

Private gulet charter cruises in Turkey might see you hopping between pretty beach stops in the Gulf of Gokova. Many start from the city of Bodrum, exploring around Marmaris and Fethiye. You might cruise for between three and five hours a day, the rest of the time is for swimming, or going ashore to walk or eat.

Some of our small ship cruising vacations have certain ships in their fleet available for private use. Rental is usually for a week – covering the time period that would usually be used for other customers on regular small ship cruises.

Small ships often have far more bedrooms than a superyacht would – meaning you can take more friends, and the cost of charter per person is therefore a lot lower than it would be on a superyacht. But there’s no getting around the fact that private charter is expensive – as well as renting the ship you are paying for the cost of a crew, for fuel, and you can also expect to pay extra for mooring and port fees, for tips and for provisions. Some boats include all water sports in the price, so you can take out the kayaks or the paddleboards whenever you like – others may charge extra for motorised water sports. For even better service, elect for yachts with a higher crew to guest ratio – but expect a higher price.

What you get, though, is incredible freedom, amazing food and highly personal service. Spend a whole afternoon on your sun deck finishing a book, an afternoon snorkelling, or an evening wandering around a pretty town before dinner on board. Start building the perfect playlist to take you and your friends from sun lounging, through to cocktails and on to after-dinner dancing.