Peter Island is traditionally a very popular destination on every BVI charter itinerary. This season Peter Island Resort features two exceptional opportunities; photo documentation of your snorkel or dive adventure and professional cooking classes. Both will let you cherish a bit of the island color and flavor long after your return home.

Peter Island has some of the most awe-inspiring reefs in the BVI. Hundreds of brilliantly colored species of fish, coral and numerous shipwrecks set the stage for an extraordinary underwater quest. Armando Jenik is available to escort charterers undersea and professionally photograph their experience.

Armando is a highly acclaimed underwater photographer and cinematographer, with published images in Geo Magazine, GQ and others. His work has appeared in commercials, documentaries and feature films and he was honored with the Mobius award for best commercial in 1990. He will organize the optimum snorkel or dive adventure and create a personalized photo document that captures your experience as a work of art.

October 24-31 is the resort’s first Guest Chef Program of the season, with Corporate Executive Chef Jason Drysdale of the Norwegian Caribbean Line. Jason is the Culinary Trainer for NCL America and a genius at preparing trendy gourmet cuisine. Jason, along with the resort’s executive chef, Lisa Sellers, offer this creative, intimate cooking class limited to ten couples. The class will ferry to a working farm on Tortola to select produce, then return to the kitchen at Falcon’s Nest to create signature items that will be featured on the restaurant’s menu. This is an ongoing program so if you are interested please inquire as to future dates.

To participate in either the underwater photography experience or the Guest Chef Program at Peter Island Resort charter guests are not required to be guests of the resort but should consider program registration in advance, especially during peak periods, due to very limited space. Please read more about Peter Island in our Peter Island Yacht Charter Guide.

12 days for the price of 10, 30% off, additional catering thrown in for free – we are seeing amazing deals coming across our screens for crewed motor yachts in the French Riviera this summer.

So, during a lull in the World Cup, why not spend a few minutes planning your summer holiday and checking out the amazing specials available?  Mangustas, Sunseekers, even Power Catamarans , of all sizes and configurations are available. Just click on our French Riviera Charter Specials Page to see a listing or contact one of our brokers who know of the best specials available on the market.

We recommend bookng now – many of these specials will go away at the end of June.  We look forward to helping you plan your French Riviera Vacation Holiday this summer!

Want to see the  Monaco Grand Prix in style?  There’s still time to experience the thrill of the Monaco Grand Prix from the sweeping decks of a luxury yacht. Enjoy magnificent views, impeccable service, richly appointed accommodations and unsurpassed cuisine onboard one of our select yachts berthed in Monaco for this spectacular event held May 13-16.

Here are these great yachts with berths available

Indulgence of Poole, Mangusta 85’ Flybridge

The main deck of this streamlined vessel features a convivial saloon with U-shaped couch and a separate dining room for formal or casual dining. Two double and two twin ensuite staterooms, with new mattresses, new linen and cushions, are configured to accommodate a total of eight guests. The spacious flybridge Jacuzzi is a magnate for sun worshippers, and perfect for observing all of the activities at the Monaco Grand Pris.  Those preferring a bit of shade with their cocktails will enjoy the well-appointed lounge. With a cruising speed of 24 knots this elegant vessel is the perfect choice for those who believe that getting there is half the fun. Charter rate: 28,000€ for five days.

Noon Tease, Alalunga 82’

Many thoughtful appointments onboard Noon Tease make chartering this yacht an unforgettable experience. Above the sumptuous bed in the full beam, ensuite master, a breathtaking view of the sky is revealed when the touch of a button opens the blinds. The salon cleverly extends to the master, offering the option of a voluminous master suite. Enjoy cocktails and conversation under cover of the shaded flybridge or soak up rays on sunbathing pads available forward and on the main deck. Whether the call is for quiet romance or a lively celebration, this thoroughly modern yacht perfectly suits any mood.  Charter rate for five days: 24,000€

Quid Pro Quo, Benetti Tradition 99′

Exterior elegance, interior sophistication and spacious open architecture characterize this stunning 2007 Benetti Tradition. French designer Michel Sagbini’s juxtaposition of pale fabric, paneling and upholstery against richly toned woods impart an airy modernism throughout. Relax with friends on the ample L-shaped couch in the main salon, delight your senses with a gourmet meal served on the bridge deck, or soak up the sun reclining on a top deck lounge. New to the charter market this year, Quid Pro Quo offers sumptuous accommodation for up to 10 guests in five cabins including full beam master suite, and a VIP double cabin with adjacent twin, a perfect solution for families with young children. And whether the mood is formal or playful, the highly skilled crew of six takes meticulous care of all guests, to insure a most memorable charter experience.
Charter rate: 54,165€ for five days
Private berth for the Monaco Grand Prix, Riva jetty (by Stars and Bars): 35,000€

Koko, Sunseeker 66’ Flybridge

This gorgeous yacht provides luxurious accommodation for six guests featuring a spacious master, VIP and twin cabins. While the roomy main salon beckons relaxation, the flybridge, equipped with a large rise and fall dining table, is the ideal spot for dining, socializing and enjoying the breathtaking Mediterranean views. Turn on the ultra high-tech entertainment system and launch any gathering into high gear.
4 day Minimum charter period
€4,400/day + all expenses
Berth for the Monaco Grand Prix on pontoon between Stars ‘n’ Bars and the Monaco Yacht club

Click here for all the details if  you’re interested in a Monaco Grand Prix Yacht Charter – there’s still time to charter for this amazing event.

Boatbookings.com has launched a twitter feed that shows ONLY charter deals – all deals all the time as they say.  So if you are on twitter and you want to see the best specials, discounts, one-leg charters, unique availabilities and just plain great deals, just follow the feed here!

Follow Charterdeals!

Social Media is the hot news today – everyone seems to be talking about Twitter, Facebook and Blogs.  We are fully in support of this trend, because fundamentally it allows us to speak directly to people that are interested in our articles, advice and deals – allowing communication in a more personalised manner than was possible before.  We support most of the popular social media sites: You can follow us on twitter, become a fan on facebook, and watch our videos on Youtube.  We look forward to being in touch with you the way that works best for you!

We haven’t seen this before – we now have a deal where you can cross the Atlantic Ocean, from Rodney Bay, St Lucia to Alcudia, Mallorca – total charter fee only EUR 6000!  The boat is a nice, new (2008) Bavaria 50 cruiser with 5 cabins and 3 heads.  Includes GPS, plotter, autopilot, radar, Epirb, SSB, bowthruster, dingy with outboard.

This charter is for 6 weeks – 17th of April  – 29th of May 2010.

So this is your chance. If you’ve dreamed about it, now you can do it!

Read more on the Atlantic Crossing Bareboat deal here.

This is the time of year that our charter operators begin setting pricing for the next year.  As we’ve written before, our expectation was that after a difficult 2009, there is a very good chance that prices will go up, anywhere between 5- 10% on many charter yachts.  From the price lists we’ve seen so far from the first operators to send out their new rates, this is in fact happening.

The good news for you is that these prices normally don’t hit until January, or if they have been raised already you can often get early booking discounts.  So, if you’re looking for a charter in 2010, we recommend you contact us soon!

No crowds, great weather, fantastic food, culture everywhere, and a relaxed lifestyle. All this and more in wonderful Croatia.

There are lots of last minute charter deals available in Croatia this fall with discounts of up to 30 % on some beautiful boats. You can see the best Croatia Special Deals here, or simply contact Boatbookings.com for a complete list and discussion about the best boat for you.

Everyone asks us how the summer went and what is going on in the charter market these days, so here are our views on the market and and a few of our expectations for the remainder of the year.

About midway through July, demand for Mediterranean charters picked up dramatically – last minute charters came out of the woodwork and we’ve been inundated ever since. Anecdotal stories from other industries such as villa rentals generally say that same thing. People wanted deals, but in the end they still wanted a great holiday, despite the recession.

We believe that there is much more confidence amongst charterers, and that this will continue into the Caribbean, Indian Ocean and Asia/Pacific high seasons from December through April. We’ve seen our traffic and enquiries accelerate (more than double from last September when the world was falling apart) and our operators in the Caribbean say that Christmas and New Years availability is becoming scarce. If you’re planning a charter during this peak period in the Caribbean, especially the BVI, then best to contact Boatbookings.com soon to discuss the boats that are remaining (we’ve created a nice listing of BVI Yacht Charter Availability here. Unfortunately, with the rebound in the economy, the possibility of “deals” during this peak period is dramatically diminished.

We’ve also seen a significant pick-up in demand for the Indian Ocean – especially in the Seychelles and Maldives. Because these are longer haul destinations, they seem to be picking up a bit more slowly, so there is still good availability, but if the current trend continues we wouldn’t recommend waiting until the last minute and looking for deals, or you may be disappointed.

Thailand got hit with a double whammy at the end of 2008. Just as the world economy was falling apart, the Bangkok international airport was closed by political protesters, heavily impacting the tourism sector in general. This lead to much lower demand in the first half of 2009, and some amazing charter deals being available to counteract all the bad publicity.

But just as our Asia Charter Manager was starting to wonder if the world was still in love with Thailand, July/August has seen a dramatic rise in enquiries and bookings for Thailand charters. As Europeans return from their summer vacations, we expect this increase in demand to continue. In fact, like every year, most cats are already booked up many months in advance for the peak periods of Christmas and New Year in Phuket.

As for the Mediterranean next summer – it’s anybody’s guess, but we certainly expect that next summer will be significantly stronger than this year, so don’t expect the type of deals that we were seeing this year. It may sound self serving, but the best way to guarantee the current prices and get a bit of a discount as well is to get an early booking discount – which generally means booking your summer charter before the end of the year.

We believe that mobile computing will fundamentally change the yacht charter market, and the entire yachting business as well. Amazing products such as the iphone and blackberry, which essentially are small mobile computers, provide the ideal platform for delivering timely information about yachts and yachting. And they’re only going to get better!

If you are with friends planning a charter, you should be able to research boats together, contact the broker, reserve a boat and flights, look at weather patterns and research itineraries, all while sharing a beer at a local watering hole.  This is our goal, and we have released the first version of our iPhone app designed to provide exactly these features.

The initial version of the Boatbookings iPhone app, the first in the industry, allows you to track special offers to find great deals, search the entire database of boats for charter, and even calculate CO2 emissions from your voyage. The App is free, and downloadable immediately. Just go to iTunes and search for boat bookings, and you’ll find it!

About the App

Using our simple search page, you can find the right boat for your next charter, and actually book it on your iPhone! You can also track our special deals, and calculate and your carbon footprint from the charter. Over time, we will be adding many new features for charter enthusiasts of all types. Below is a description of the current features.

YACHT CHARTER SPECIAL DEALS

See real time the best yacht charter deals available – special prices, reductions, cheap one-way offers, and unique availabilities on hundreds of yachts.

SEARCH FOR YOUR YACHT

Choose the type of boat (motor, sail, catamaran), crew type (bareboat or crewed), and location of the boat you want, and then pull in the search results from over 6000 boats on the Boatbookings.com website. You can see complete yacht information, including images, specifications, descriptions, pricing and real time availability. From there you can make an enquiry directly on your iPhone.

CALCULATE YOUR CO2 EMISSIONS

This nifty tool allows you to enter your hourly fuel consumption and determine your carbon footprint from your charter. It also tells you how much it would cost to offset the emissions so the you can charter your boat carbon neutral! This is the first tool of its kind for the Yacht Charter industry, and the first on the iPhone.

COMING SOON

Soon you will have a map-based application so that you can calculate distances, routes, timing and costs from your next boating itinerary.

So download the Boatbookings.com app, and plan your next charter on your iPhone!