Yacht Charter Etiquette
A GUIDE TO PROPER CONDUCT ON A YACHT
T H E D O ’ S
01 Respect you home: The crew wants you to feel at home and equally the boat owner will appreciate care taken with his property.
02 Respect the crew: Address the crew with respect, using polite language and gestures. Each one is there entirely to make sure your holiday exceeds expectations.
03 Listen carefully to the security briefings: Safety is the prime responsibility for the captain and crew, and they take it very seriously. You will have a safety briefing about life jackets and life rafts, so ensure you digest the information given. It is a requirement of both insurance and maritime laws.
04 Do allow time for housekeeping: Give the crew a chance to make up the beds, do the laundry and perhaps service the various systems while you spend
time onshore exploring or shopping. If there’s no chance of getting off the yacht, do try to leave the crew time to do their job while you sunbathe and
swim.
05 Do look after your children at all times: Make sure to look after your children at all times. Parents should take the liability of watching their children around the water.
06 Do be flexible on your itinerary (weather dependent): Your captain and crew will do everything possible to follow your itinerary suggestions. But remember: Safety is always the most important. Weather can throw your plans off course; it’s helpful to be understanding if the changes have to be made for weather-related reasons.
07 Do tip the crew: Crew gratuity is typically 10% (from 30m yachts and more) to 15% (from 30m yacht and less) of the total charter fee. This, of course, is up to your discretion. It can be scaled up or down depending on your satisfaction of the service. At the end of your charter, you can hand an envelope with the tip to the captain, who will divide it equally among the crew, unless otherwise specified.
08 Enjoy yourself: Relax and have fun! This is what a yacht charter is all about.
T H E D O N T ’ S
01 Don’t forget the barefoot rule: Shoes are typically not allowed on a yacht, as they can damage the deck or leave marks on the surfaces.
02 Don’t forget the smoking policy: Smoking is only allowed at the exterior areas of the yacht.
03 Don’t enter the crew areas without permission: Certain spaces on the yacht are reserved for crew members only (galley, crew’s cabins). So please do respect their privacy and avoid entering crew quarters unless invited to do so.
04 Pay attention to toilet rules: Toilets on a yacht differ from those on land. Be conscious and cautious about marine toilet systems (“heads”) as they are not always flushed or operated in the same way as household toilets. Follow the crew’s instructions on how to use them correctly. Otherwise, you may waste a day at a port in order to fix a broken sewage system. Don’t flush any “baby wipes” , foreign objects or even toilet paper. Many yachts also do not allow toilet paper to be flushed. Don’t be concerned as this is normal. Place the used toilet paper in a provided bin lined with a plastic bag, which will be emptied by the crew as soon as you leave the heads.
05 Don’t cause damage: Take care not to damage the yacht or its equipment, and report any damages as soon as they occur.
06 Don’t do anything illegal: There is zero tolerance aboard yachts for illegal or illicit activities. The penalty for any such behavior is the yacht itself being seized and the license lost.
Therefore, the captain and crew will end your charter and return you to shore, if any illegal activities have taken place.
Therefore, the captain and crew will end your charter and return you to shore, if any illegal activities have taken place.
07 Don’t forget the crew’s rest hours: It is of high importance for the crew to get rest, since they wake up very early in the morning, even if you are getting up later during your vacation, in order to prepare everything for your day. Please allow them to get rest from 11:30pm (12:00am the latest).
THE LAST & MORE IMPORTANT
Don’t forget the main reason you are there, and that is to have fun, relax and enjoy your time.
Don’t get caught up thinking about too many rules, the crew is always there to give a friendly reminder.
So kick off your shoes, relax, and enjoy the luxury and beauty of a yacht charter.
