Yacht Charters for Events

Happily there are fabulous charter yachts on the market able to cruise with up to 50 guests. The selection of yachts is small but diverse and our charter brokers work with each yacht, carefully co-ordinating every detail to provide the ultimate in luxury entertainment at sea.

Each yacht holds a license from their flag state, permitting them to cruise with more than the standard 12 guests. This covers coastal waters during daylight hours. This is a lengthy process and costly hence the selection is small. However the yachts that choose to apply for this license are understandably very popular. We would especially advise any client looking to charter a yacht during a Cannes event to book as early as possible.

How to choose the right yacht for your event

In order to select the best charter yacht please consider the following helpful points:

How many guests do you anticipate hosting?

Most of these charter yachts can cruise with 36 guests but a few can take up to 50. To host an event at anchor with no cruising, one yacht can host 150 guests at anchor. The only important consideration is that the number of passengers permitted to cruise is strictly regulated so any additional catering or entertainment staff will be counted as passengers and will therefore reduce the number of guests that can attend the event. This only applies to cruising, events hosted in port can cater to much larger guest numbers.

Do you have a budget? 

We are experts at tailoring yacht charters to fit within budget and can advise on the most cost effective way of hosting the event whilst losing non of the “pizzaz” and flamboyance that comes with celebrating a special event on a yacht.

Do you wish to enjoy a formal sit down lunch or a buffet? 

Some of the yachts can host formal dining for more guests than others. Depending on the yacht it may be necessary to hire additional furniture. All of these charter yachts have excellent chefs on board, but most are happy to work with outside caterers if you have a specific preference. Yacht charter brokers have many contacts for outside catering from top Indian chefs to Japanese chefs preparing food in front of guests. One of the most unusual tastes I’ve experienced on board a yacht is fresh, warm foie gras wrapped in freshly spun candy floss!! - A delicious taste sensation and fascinating to watch! Often clients will request a traditional flying buffet, with delicious mediterranean canapés with a separate specialist station set up on deck to show off a particular dish, be it foie gras candy floss, a sushi bar, flambéed gambas, Swedish reindeer, or an artful display of sugar spinning.

How far do you wish to cruise? 

Many yacht charter clients wish to host a private lunch or cocktail reception at anchor with minimal cruising, and others are looking for a fun way to transport guests to a lunch rendezvous. If working within a budget, fuel costs are a consideration when deciding how far to cruise and we assist with suggested itineraries to get the most out of your day.

Where do you wish to cruise?  

Most of the large capacity charter yachts are based in Cannes and Monaco, with the largest yachts based in Greece who tend to “float” around the Cannes to St Tropez area during the summer months. This is where most charters on board these yachts take place, however most are prepared to travel further afield, although delivery fees will usually apply to cover the cost of moving yachts from their home port.

Do you wish to have additional entertainment on board?

Bespoke Yacht Charter can provide every type of entertainment you could possibly think of! Whether you’d like a DJ playing summer tunes en route to Pampelonne Beach, a live band to play after dinner, a magician to entertain children during a wedding reception, or a wine tasting evening for a corporate team building day, we have contacts for absolutely everything!

What type of event are you planning?

For a corporate team building day or product launch, you may wish to have branded materials on board, such as napkins, cushions, deck slippers, sun lotions etc. Our charter brokers can assist with all types of branding from napkins to large banners and flags. AV equipment is frequently requested as many clients wish to make presentations on board, we can assist with all requirements although most yachts are already well equipped. For a family birthday party, perhaps a special cake would be a great surprise? For a cruise with friends to St Tropez a DJ, dancers and a flair-barman maybe fun? For a wedding, we can assist with table favours, flowers, celebrants, entertainment, transport to the yacht by speedboat……the opportunities are endless and we look forward to making every detail perfect!

Large capacity yachts for sleeping

Bespoke Yacht Charter are able to offer a wonderful range of large capacity charter yachts perfectly suited to large groups be this families who enjoy to holiday together, large groups of friends and family, together to celebrate a wedding, large families who prefer to travel with their own staff. These yachts are considered by maritime law as passenger vessels, rather than yachts, most of whom are permitted to only cruise and to sleep a maximum of 12 guests.

The charter of a passenger vessel is the epitome of luxury and sophistication. Not only is the Captain and chief officers on hand to ensure the charter exceeds all expectations but there is also a team of additional crew lead by the hotel manager. A holiday on board one of these yachts is far more akin to a vacation in one of the world’s top hotels.

Some of the vessels are purpose built for chartering to large groups and others are older vessels converted into luxury yachts. All of them offer superb attention to detail and a sublime experience. For large groups, the only thing that can come close is to rent your own private island, only this one moves along from one exotic location to another!

Choosing the best charter yacht for your needs is a fairly simple process but here are some important points to bear in mind:

How many guests will be in the party?

The sleeping capacity of these yachts ranges from 32-70 guests. Most guests will have an idea of numbers in advance, but some clients will tailor their guest numbers depending on which yacht they prefer and is available for their dates. For clients traveling with staff, knowing in advance how many passengers are staff is very useful. Sleeping arrangements are usually discussed in advance with the hotel manager so they can allocate cabins accordingly. Please note large capacity yachts are very often booked early so advance planning is highly advisable. Please also bear in mind that cruising capacity is strictly monitored so additional guests/staff for large parties maybe better taking place in port should you be hosting a party on board. 

Are there any special requirements?

With an international client base, guests often have differing requirements all of which can be accommodated with ease. All requirements are best discussed well in advance to ensure the yacht charter is carefully planned and runs smoothly. 

Where do you wish to cruise?

During the summer months most of the large capacity yachts are based in the western Med, but many have home berths in Greece and often charter bookings keep them in the east Med during the peak season. Either way, there will be a yacht in the right location for your charter. But these yachts are usually very happy to travel, please bear in mind that repositioning fees generally apply. Once you’ve chosen a charter destination, we will work with you and the Captain to produce the perfect itinerary, paying attention to the limitations of the vessel whilst making sure guests miss out on nothing at all! Passenger yachts are permitted into only certain ports with the assistance of pilot boats. Although they are able to stay at anchor for long periods, they will need to enter port to take on water for longer charters and this needs to be carefully planned into the itinerary with port slots booked in advance. Chartering large vessels does slightly take away the possibility of spontaneity but with careful planning, this way of chartering can be a dream come true!  

Shore based excursions

Many guests chartering large vessels require additional security when traveling ashore. Our yacht charter brokers with a range of companies who provide, secure land based transport whether guests wish to head to a remote hill top restaurant to admire the views and exceptional cuisine or head to the shops for a afternoons private shopping, whilst your mega yacht refuels and takes on water. Again most excursions are planned in advance to ensure flawless delivery, we are happy to make suggestions but are equally happy to arrange anything guests have their heart set on!

Onboard Entertainment

For many clients, the key reason to charter is to celebrate a special event, be it a wedding, birthday or anniversary. Bespoke Yacht Charter can provide every type of entertainment you can possibly imagine! Whether you’d like a DJ blasting out summer tunes for a funky party, your favourite band to dance to at your wedding, a flair barman to entertain guests with flamboyant cocktails, a magician to entertain children, we have contacts and ideas for absolutely everything to make your event one to be remembered by everyone - for all the right reasons!

Large Capacity Yachts for in Port Entertaining

Bespoke Yacht Charter welcomes many corporate guests to the French Riviera throughout the year, many of whom charter yachts during the various events taking place in Cannes such as MIPIM and Cannes Lions. Most, if not all of these clients host wonderful parties on board yachts in port, where guest numbers can be far greater than those taking place at anchor. Clearly hosting a large party on board a yacht has certain logistical considerations that shore based venues do not, however with careful planning the possibilities are endless! 

Selecting the right charter yacht is the most important first step in planning a large event. Here are a few things to consider before making your selection.

How many guests are invited?

Although many more guests can be accommodated in port than at anchor, some yachts are happy to welcome on board more than others and it’s not always down to the size of the vessel. When viewing the initial selection of available yachts knowing how many guests will be attending the event is a great starting point. Also bear in mind that if a yacht has a maximum capacity of 50 guests, for example, many more can attend your event providing that they are not all on board at the same time, so the duration and length of the event is also an important factor. Some yachts are happy to entertain guests on the quayside too, which can help if too many guests arrive at the same time! As a rough guide most yachts of 20-30 metres are happy to host around 25 guests, 30-50 metre yachts are happy with around 40 - 60, some yachts up to 80 guests and 1 or 2 yachts up to and over 100 guests at any one time.

What style of yacht best suits your image?

Bearing in mind that many of the newest yachts will often be less likely to host huge numbers of guests, the style of the vessel can be paramount in setting the scene for your party. Are you looking for a sexy, slick yacht with a steady flow of guests on and off throughout the evening or are you looking for maximum capacity only? Both are possible and we are here to help get the balance just right. 

On board branding/décor

Clients are very welcome to band the yacht thus turning the vessel into a highly unique venue dedicated solely to your event. Our charter brokers work with captains and clients to discuss dimensions and branding possibilities. Perhaps simple banners and a kite flags are required, or maybe additional branding such as deck slippers (popular with winter events, or for the rare occasions when protective carpeting is not used), scatter cushions, branded highball tables, etc. Also consider any additional furniture that may be required. Many charter yachts have highly versatile layouts and it is sometimes possible to remove or rearrange much of the interior furniture in order to provide the best setting for your event. Tents are also popular for evening events in port. Many yachts have their own biminis or hard tops and are able to waterproof their upper decks. Other yachts will arrange for tents to be placed on decks to provide shelter from the elements. Some guests, particularly in the summer prefer not to have tented decks and simply enjoy the open evening air.

Flowers are also a consideration. Most guests enjoy beautiful flower arrangements and these can be designed to suit company colours, or the style of the yacht or to make a huge statement - whatever works best for you we are happy to arrange. Some clients prefer no flowers and instead to make more use of the space to display marketing materiel, or as an additional buffet stations or individual chef’s area. Branding is of course unique and our aim is to bring together the style of the yacht with that of your company to maximise your brand and create a very unique atmosphere for your event.

Catering

There are some chefs who prefer to remain in charge of all catering on board and take a sous-chef to assist, but most yachts demand that over a certain number of guests, outside caterers are used. This is usually because of the logistical difficulties of producing food for large numbers of guests in small yacht galleys, although what is delivered from smaller galleys is nothing but astonishing - yacht chefs are very very good at maximising and using the available space! However, we work with some wonderful catering companies and can offer the most sublime menus within all price ranges. We can make provide sample menus or suggest companies depending on your ideas and preferences.

Entertainment

Hosting a party in port opens up endless entertainment options. Choose from a single DJ, to a rock band, a classic quartet, dancers, magicians, or a bit of each! Perhaps classic strings for early aperitif to a DJ with dancers after dinner? Maybe you’d like a poker table set up, for a practice before hitting the casinos later, or a masseuse to massage that next deal from a potential client! Maybe you’d like to host a themed evening? A James Bond evening, a Roaring 20s evening, a Brazilian or “Pirates of the Caribbean” theme? Crew love dressing up and would be more than happy to put together ideas!  The only thing to remember when in port is to be respectful to your neighbours. The ports are quite flexible but they do have set times by when the noise levels must be reduced so all night DJ sets aren’t really practical in port. We will liaise between the yacht and the entertainment providers to ensure all equipment is suitable for the yacht and will arrange installation in advance so no equipment has to be set up in front of guests. Of course sometimes guests may have been cruising during the day and the window for set ups is quite small, but with careful planning all of this is taken care of and planned to perfection. We are also experts in the “change of plan”! We understand that ideas may change, guest numbers might not be quite as originally planned and the host may decide that the lunch in St Tropez just has to be done. Anything that is possible we will do, anything impossible we will make possible and we look forward to planning your next bespoke luxury event.

Written by Rachel Blundy - Senior Charter Broker and Co-Founder of Bespoke Yacht Charter