Frequently Asked Questions.
How can we help you today? You will find the most commonly asked questions in this section. If you do not find your specific one, please email us and we will respond, usually within a few hours.
Practical advice (1)
Seasickness facts and remedies
Read more on this topic on this page.
Crew (1)
How much do I tip the crew?
Typically 10%. The crew works long hours throughout the charter to ensure that you receive exemplary service during your holiday. It is customary to recognise the effort that the Captain and Crew have added to your experience by leaving a gratuity of between 10% and 15% of the charter fee. If you are happy with the service provided and you would like to appreciate your crew, leave an envelope with the captain, who will split it evenly.
Tips and gratuities on Charter boats and many other places have gone from being optional to expected. Many crew members work mostly for tips and will work as hard as they can to impress you. As with any gratuity, if you receive bad service, it is well within your right to withhold some or all of the crews tips. The customary gratuity is 10-15% of the price of a charter, just like a restaurant. In other words, on the high end $100 for every $1,000 you spend. If the crew has gone considerably out of their way for you, you may tip more and you my tip the Captain. Having said that, if you do not catch a lot of fish, it doesn’t mean that the crew wasn’t good or didn’t work hard to make your trip enjoyable. There are days where the fish just aren’t biting! That’s why they call it fishing and not catching. These things are not always the crews fault. If you don’t catch a lot of fish and are considering an appropriate gratuity, consider how far out of their way did the crew go to try and find the fish, or to entertain you in other ways. Did the captain move the boat around in search of fish? Did the mate try different techniques, perhaps with different equipment or bait? If the answer is yes, than the crew likely did everything they could, and may have even worked much harder than on an ordinary day. In this case it would be appropriate to give them a generous tip. If, on the other hand, you didn’t catch fish, the crew was sour, or didn’t do anything to try and find the fish, then you probably have a good case for withholding a gratuity. If this ever happens, we’d like for you to contact and tell us about it.
Payments (2)
Can I pay with a Debit or Credit Card?
Yes, you can use a credit or debit card if you like. However, a 10-15% bank processing fee applies. European yacht owners are not accustomed to credit card processing platforms, as bank fees for such services are very high in Europe. The standard payment means is a bank transfer. This is backed by the yacht charter signed agreement and yacht charter invoice.
Can I pay when I embark?
No, all installments must be paid at least thirty days prior to embarkation. Standard international yacht charter payment terms are: 50% upon booking, 50% thirty days prior to embarkation. Because of the extreme seasonal nature of yachting business, this type of payment term was put in place long ago to reflect the need for allowing a minimum amount of time for re-placement of weeks that might otherwise be cancelled on late notice. This would make it impossible for owners to fill in the missing week in their booking schedule, hence experiencing a considerable loss given their extremely short time frame within which they have to make their living for the rest of the year (we are talking three working months out of twelve ). That is why these terms were made universal. Should you feel there might be a possibility of you not making it for any reasons, such as guests with particular health issues, you may find it useful to get a travel cancellation insurance. We recommend EIS insurance for this. As legal proof of payment you will sign the yacht charter agreement upon booking, together with receiving the invoice for your yacht charter stating all details and payment instructions.
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