What is a Yacht Cruise?

There is some overlap between Skippered Charter and Yacht Cruise. Skippered Charter generally implies that guests are pre-established group, either family or friends or both who want to enjoy a yachting holiday together, on a yacht of their choice. Yacht cruise is also known as 'cabin charter' and implies that either individuals, couples or families join others for a week full of fun and sailing, on a pre-selected yacht departing from a pre-selected base.

What should I expect from this type of holiday?

This type of sailing holiday is an excellent opportunity to enjoy some sailing, explore somewhere new and meet new friends. They are also an opportunity to get a little bit of sailing practice if you are a sailor already or build up your cruising miles.

Most skippers are more than happy to take full charge of the navigation, passage planning and yacht handling but will also involve and engage the guests to an extent they deem safe, should the guests wish to get involved.

Skippers on these cruises are mostly locals who know the area like the back of their hand. They will take you to beautiful and lesser known places for swimming, snorkeling, paddle boarding, etc. They will also hook up with other skippers and organise impromptu boat parties, if the guests on board are interested.

If you would like to know more about our other clients' experience with yacht cruise, you can read about it here.

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I am not sure about spending my holiday with strangers on board

These cruises are designed to bring guests of similar ages and interests together on a fun filled sailing holiday. Other guests may be strangers but only for a short while. Once you set sail, you are all friends, sharing the experience. The crew are highly trained professionals with years of experience in bringing people together and making sure that everyone is enjoying themselves.

It is customary that breakfast and lunch are had on board, and dinner ashore, in a restaurant.

If you decide that you need a little bit of time away from the group, there are plenty of opportunities for some time alone, or with your partner. These cruises incorporate sight seeing, dining ashore, etc. all of which you can do with the group or on your own. You are also assigned your private cabin which you share with either your partner / companion or have all to yourself.

Who normally comes on these cruises?

This varies from one client to another and their circumstances. Some of the examples are:

Couples or singles who have no sailing experience and want to try it out.

Couples or singles with sailing experience who couldn't gather a large enough group for either bareboat or skippered charter.

Singles looking for new experiences and who want to make new friends

Sailors looking for a flexible means of improving their sailing skills, building up their cruising miles and learning a trick or two from an experienced skipper.

Our cruises are suitable for all age groups. Yachts and cabins are assigned very close to the departure time so that the best and most suitable mix of guests can be achieved on each yacht.

What type of yacht should I expect?

All yachts are available for cruises. However, we find the sailing catamarans most suitable for these trips. Catamarans are very stable on the water, extremely spacious and comfortable.

We do however offer yacht cruises on sailing monohulls and motor yachts upon request. Just make sure to tell us as much as possible about your wishes and expectations so we can fully customise and peronalise your experience.

How do I select a yacht cruise that suits me best?

The principle is quite similar to selecting any holiday.

There are several considerations to take into account when selecting your cruise. Our team members have plenty of experience in this area and are standing by to help. However, you should carefully consider the following:

Where would you like to explore?

Check that you can relatively easily get to the base (starting point). Our cruises do not include airfare or transport to base.

Make sure to tell us as much as possible about yourself, whether you have been on similar trip before, what you expect from it, ... so we can make sure that the trip at the very least meets all your expectations.

Where can I go on a cruise?

We work with operators in over 50 countries worldwide. Being an Irish company, our primary focus is on the Mediterranean sailing destinations such as Croatia, Italy, Greece, Turkey, France and Spain but we also have fleets in the Caribbean, Bahamas, French Polynesia and many other parts of the world.

How much does it cost to go on a yacht cruise?

There is no one answer to this question. The cost of yacht cruise depends on the cruising area, time of year, etc. Having said that, we pride ourselves on our ability to organise a cruise which will not leave anyone disappointed. Having over 9,000 yachts on our registry makes it possible and easy, so please talk to us and tell us as much as you can about your expectations, needs, interests and we will tailor a sailing experience for you.

As a general rule, it costs around €1,000 per person per week, based on full occupancy of the yacht in the mid-season (May / June & September). This includes cabin rental, skipper's fee, yacht cleaning and sanitation after each set of guests, toys & inflatables (dinghy, paddle boards, kayak, etc.), transit log and all other mandatory administration.

Are there any other costs I should know about?

Other costs typically involve the 'boat kitty' which is used for purchase of produce for breakfast and lunch, soft drinks, overnight marina stays, etc. and generally don't exceed €200 per person per week. Dining ashore is separate and it is customary for the guests to pay for skipper's dinner, if s/he is dining with the guests.

It is not mandatory but it is customary to tip your skipper. There are no hard and fast rules about this and it's up to each guest to decide whether to tip the skipper and how much.

Some countries require base staff to collect tourist tax. In Croatia this costs around €1.40 per person, per day

All operators will require a fully refundable security deposit for the domestic items, such as cushions, bedding, crockery, etc. The amount of it depends on the size, age and value of the yacht you are cruising on. It generally doesn't exceed €200 per cabin and is payable at check in either by cash or swipe of the credit card. If you use your credit card, the funds are only 'reserved' rather than charged to your card.

We clearly outline all mandatory and optional extras on all our offers so you know exactly how much your cruise will cost. In case of any ambiguities, we are more than happy to discuss each individual item with you and explain what it is.

When do I need to pay for my cruise?

Once you have selected your cruise, we will issue you with an invoice with the full breakdown of costs payable to WannaGoSailing.com and at base.

You should transfer your 50% deposit straight away to us. Once we have received your deposit, we will confirm your booking in writing.

Approximately 7 weeks prior to your cruise commencement you will receive a reminder from us that your balance is due for payment in the next 7 - 10 days and a list of documents you need to submit. This is normally information on your passport, which is required by the port authorities who receive details of all passengers and crew on commercial vessels.

If you booked your cruise less than 6 weeks prior to your selected commencement date, full cruise fee is payable straight away in order to secure a booking.

Why should I book my cruise with WannaGoSailing?

You don't have to and we can't make you. We still enjoy sharing our extensive knowledge of sailing, cruising and chartering. But if you decide to give us a chance, we can promise you the following:

We are committed to service all our clients in a way that best matches their requirements and expectations
We will make sure that all our clients are receiving the best value on the market.
We work only with most professional operators and offer only the most reliable and best maintained yachts with proven track record. Same applies to all our base staff and skippers.
You will receive all the information that will make your sailing holiday a memorable and enjoyable experience, including nearest airport, suggested sailing routes, general information about the weather, what to bring on your holiday, information on points of interest in your selected sailing area, etc.
We will arrange any ancillary services you may require, such as airport transfers, provisioning, early check in, etc.
We will be at your disposal 24/7 should you need any assistance during your holiday.

Our clients keep coming back which is a true testament to the effort we put in and personal attention we give to each and every client and their booking.