Website: Boatbookings.com
Yacht Types: Sailing yachts, Catamarans, Motor Yachts, Gullets
Cruising Areas: Worldwide
Year built: 2005
Charter Type: Crewed, Bareboat
About Boatbookings
Founded over a decade ago in 2005, Boatbookings Yacht Charter brings together the leading professionals in the sailing industry to deliver a world-class yacht chartering experience to customers worldwide.
Arguably one of the most visited yacht charter websites, Boatbookings, a yacht charter broker service, also claims a number of other firsts, including the most content-rich yacht charter portal as well as the largest selection of boats available.
Their website makes it explicitly clear that Boatbookings are exclusively in the business of yacht charter and do not deal with the sale, purchase, or management of yachts. Their exclusive focus on the yacht charter business helps them deliver a superior customer experience. In this Boatbookings review, we shall take a detailed look at their service and customer support on a number of parameters.
Boatbookings Destinations
One of the major advantages of booking your yacht through Boatbookings is its unparalleled global reach. Unlike many yacht charter companies that are limited in their geographical reach, Boatbookings have a truly global footprint, allowing customers to choose among the most celebrated sailing destinations.
For example, in the Caribbean, Boatbookings can allow you to book a yacht to major destinations, including the British Virgin Islands, Bahamas, Leeward Islands, and the Windward Islands. They also serve prominent North American destinations, including Florida, Pacific Northwest, San Francisco, and New England.
Aside from other prominent destinations, including the Mediterranean and Southeast Asia, they also allow customers to choose among destinations in Oceania, Northern Europe, and the Indian Ocean. Whether it is the exotic islands in Oceania and the Indian Ocean, such as Tahiti, Fiji, Seychelles, and the Maldives, or North European destinations, such as Scotland and Sweden, customers are truly spoiled for choice.
Type of Yachts
Boatbookings allows customers to choose from a variety of boats, depending on their specific needs and requirements.
For example, customers who wish to enjoy a relaxing and fully serviced sailing experience can choose from a number of crewed and skippered yachts. Boatbookings provides crewed motor yachts, multihulls, and monohulls of varying sizes, from small and simple yachts to superyachts.
Similarly, those who have a sailing experience of their own and do not require a skipper or crew can choose a bareboat charter. Just like the crewed charter, the bareboat charter includes boats of all kinds and sizes, including motor yachts, catamarans, and high-performance monohulls.
Who is Boatbookings For?
With their comprehensive global coverage and focus on the yacht charter business, Boatbookings is ideal for everyone who intends to enjoy the thrill of sailing at exotic sailing destinations the world over.
Whether you are a family who wants to enjoy a luxurious sailing holiday while being served by a helpful crew, or an experienced sailor who wants to taste the thrill of a performance monohull, Boatbookings has something for everyone.
With over 12,000 boats in their inventory, Boatbookings have an unparalleled selection of boats, which makes them well equipped to make available exactly the type of boat their customers need and require.
Advantages of Sailing Through Boatbookings
Aside from their unrivaled global presence, there is a host of other reasons that make sailing through Boatbookings an extremely attractive proposition. To begin with, their network of professionals with deep experience in the sailing industry means that they know exactly what it takes to deliver a perfect yacht chartering experience.
Secondly, at Boatbookings, you would get truly independent and unbiased reports and reviews about the right boat for you.
Thirdly, to further sweeten the deal, Boatbookings guarantee the best prices in the industry, which would be better or equal to the prices charged by owners and operators.
Pros & Cons of Boatbookings
Pros
1) A worldwide presence that allows customers to choose from any of their favorite destinations across the globe.
2) A massive selection of 12,000 boats of all types and sizes that cater to the needs of everyone. Whether you are an experienced sailor looking for a bareboat high-performance yacht, or a family looking for an idyllic sailing experience, there is a boat for one and all.
3) Beyond the smooth yacht chartering experience, Boatbookings provide impeccable customer support if things go wrong, particularly in foreign jurisdictions owing to local customs and language.
4) Extremely competitive price means that you will not be shelling extra for your dream sailing trip.
Cons
1) Didn’t find any!
In Conclusion
Boatbookings is essentially a broker charter service that, over the last decade, has earned a name for itself on account of its professionalism. If you are someone who is looking for a charter company that allows you to choose from most of the global destinations at unbeatable prices, then you should look no further than Boatbookings. With their extensive inventory of boats, you can be sure to find a yacht that perfectly meets your requirements.
If you have any questions, please feel free to leave a comment below; I’ll be more than happy to help!
Daniella has been passionate about travel, the sea, and nature for many years. As a child, she frequently traveled throughout the Mediterranean and continued with her journeys throughout her adult life.
Her experiences have created the desire within her to share her love for traveling with other passionate and adventurers who want to discover beautiful horizons and new cultures.
I thought this was an excellent review on a service that provides a really awesome experience to those who partake in it.
This is a really cool substitute for the standard cruise that people take with hundreds of strangers. I think that a yacht or catamaran trip would be very enjoyable and offer a much better level of privacy.
Great post!
Hi Alec,
You are absolutely right about the privacy you get on a boat trip, which you don’t have at all on a cruise ship. Hopefully, we all have different tastes:) Cruise ships are great as well, but then again, it depends on the kind of holidays you wish to have. Here is a nice article about yacht vs cruise , I am sure you’ll find it very useful!
Thank you very much for the comment and I wish you to sail soon!
Hi there.
I found your article to be very informative. Cruises and sailing have always been something I have wanted to do for many years. I live in South Florida and have spent time on the river but never got round to chartering. But after reading this I think it will be something i do very soon. Thank you so much for this.
Kevin
Hi Kevin,
I am glad that this review has inspired you to sail and I hope you’ll make your wishes reality soon:)
Thank you for the comment and wish you a great day!
Wow!!! I never even knew that this existed! How awesome is this!
Is this something that only the rich and famous can enjoy? How affordable are we talking?
Also…does this company have set scheduled destinations or is it pick and choose your own destinations and timeframes!
Very interesting! Thanks so much for opening my eyes that something like this is out there!
Hi Dr.Baker,
Contrarily to what people think, renting a yacht for holidays is not only for the rich and famous:) Anyone on a budget can rent a yacht and have fun, there are so many kind and sizes of yachts to choose from. The rich and the famous won’t charter a bareboat or rent a cabin, they usually own or rent a private yacht.
Unfortunately, I won’t be able to tell you how much exactly the cost for a yacht charter because as I’ve mentioned it above, it will depend on the boat as well as the destinations, the type of charter and many other factors.
If you charter a bareboat, then you’ll be completely free to choose your own time frames, but if you hire a crewed yacht, then the yacht charter company with the skipper will plan the itinerary according to the weather. If you have a favorite spot, they usually take it into consideration and maybe he will make a small detour if the time permits him to do so:)
I hope this helped and if you need more information, please feel free to contact me at any time, I’ll be more than happy to assist!
Thank you for the comment and wish you a wonderful day!
Very interesting review! It sounds like boatbookings can really come in handy to the many travelers out there. Although I am not very familiar with boatbookings, or any other yacht charter companies for that matter, I still really enjoyed this review, and learned a lot of things that I didn’t know before hand. You did a very good job explaining in depth, with pros and cons and the many advantages to come with boatbookongs, which definitely helped me better understand the hole process behind boatbookings and why they are at the top of your list! Thanks again for the interesting read. Keep up the good work!
-Daniel
Hi Daniel,
I am glad you like the review, I really appreciate!
It is very important to know with whom we are dealing with, and this applies to everything in life:)
Thank you very much for the comment and I wish you a fantastic day!
Daniella,
This was such an interesting read and an excellent review of boatbookings! I recently took a trip in a catamaran around a few of the Greek Islands and had a great experience. Its nice to know about this company is around for when I’m looking into my next sailing adventure. I loved how throughout you were in describing all of the product and services this company has to offer. Your site also had a very nice aesthetic and is simple and easy to navigate. Thank you so much for the valuable information!
Have you ever used boatbookings to book a trip? If you have I would love to hear about your experience and where you went!
Hi there,
I am happy that you enjoyed navigating in my website, great to know:) Thank you!
I can imagine the good times you had in Greece, especially on a catamaran!
Would you mind sharing on which catamaran you’ve sailed and where in Greece? I’ll be happy to know:)
Some friends of mine have booked through Boatbooking and they had a very good experience with this company. I am planning to book a crewed yacht with Boatbooking for my next sailing excursion in Seychelles with a group of women:) I’ll share my experience when I’ll come back!
Thank you for the comment and wish you a fantastic day!
Dear Danielle
I was always under the impression that yachts, catamarans etc were for the very wealthy. Your review was so informative and interesting to read. Your images of yachts and people enjoying themselves in exotic places wanted me to dive into the picture myself. I would love to have this experience with my wife and my adult kids someday. I am looking into booking a 21day cruise from South Africa to Venice with MSC Tours in 2017.
Thanks for Sharing
Richard
Hi Richard,
I am glad you liked the reading and that the pictures have inspired you:)
Many people think that yachts are only for the wealthy and this is not the reality at all. You can find a yacht for every budget. I’ve never been to South Africa but I was in Venice last year with my family and we had such good times and the food was amazingly delicious. We would definitely go back.
Thank you for the comment and I wish you a wonderful trip!
You won’t believe how incompetent they are!
Boatbookings confirmed my charter, received my payment and provided no boat in the end, all on short notice. I was told stories and excuses which in the end turned out to be untruthful. We had agreed on a 3 day charter for a specific boat. The local agent later told me grinningly that they could charter this specific boat for 3 weeks on short notice not knowing who I was. So they had simply cancelled my contract. Then they proposed replacement no. 1 at almost double the price which later was not available when I accepted 3 hours after their quote. Replacement no. 2 was quoted when I was already in Sardinia. So I drove to the marina for a confirmed meeting to see the boat. It was out on the sea for a few days so it could by no means have been in. (That was when he unintentionally told me the true story about the 3 week charter…) When I accepted to charter this smaller and older boat at a lower price it all of a sudden was not available again. Their simple solution was: we will send back the money, stop bothering us.
Never do Boatbookings! They are unreliable and do not feel responsible. In the end they are trying to blame the local business partner they have chosen to meet their promises.
Michael Veeser
Hi Michael,
First of all, I would like to thank you for having taken the time to write this review!
I am sorry to hear you’ve had a bad experience with Boatbookings; unfortunately, no company or business is perfect, now this is something that potentially all of us will have to deal with at some point or another.
However, I hope that your disappointment won’t have any bad influence on your next sailing holiday. The only solution I can suggest is to find another charter company where I hope, you’ll have better relations.
Thank you again for this important comment that will help many readers to weigh the pros and cons of Boatbookings company!
Have a wonderful day!
What a great way to have a boat, without owning a boat. I used to have a friend with a 30 foot sailboat (he moved away). It was great fun when he invited us out to sail past Waikiki and Diamond Head for the day. I think he even took it on trips to Maui. But I never envied the constant up-keep and maintenance. This seems liek the best of both worlds!
Hi Joe,
I totally agree, you don’t need to own a boat to go sailing, you can just rent it. In fact, it is even cheaper than owning a boat. It’s great to have a friend that own a boat! You must have had a lot of fun:)
Thank you for the comment and wish a fantastic day!
This sounds wonderful! We are planning our two week vacation to the BVI, and had basically decided on a hotel (with kitchen) and then doing some island hopping. I am wondering if booking a boat might be a better choice. Then we are on our own schedule. I do have a couple questions. Do you think the price for booking a boat will be a lot higher than paying for hotel accommodations? And will they provide a captain to drive the boat?
Hi Matt,
There are several factors to consider when chartering a yacht such as the type of charter, the year, destination, duration to name a few. Anyway, in my opinion, a yacht charter is much more agreeable than a hotel. With a yacht, you are able to visit more places and if you share the boat with friends or family, it can definitely be more advantageous in term of price and comfort. As for the captain, the company provides a skipper or a crew according to your requirements.
Here is a useful article about yacht charter vs. a hotel. You should take a look, I am sure you’ll find all the information you are looking for.
I hope it helps! Don’t hesitate to contact me with any question. I am always happy to assist!
Thank you for the comment and wish you all the best!
I am extremely disappointed in the lack of compassion and business professionalism with BoatBookings.com and would absolutely recommend extreme caution before using them for any charter. They are in their office in the UK and seem to be unaware of the boats they are chartering.
I contacted BoatBookings.com in early August 2022 inquiring about booking a boat / catamaran for a 50th anniversary trip with another close couple in April 2023. I contacted BoatBookings.com mainly because they offered a pick up location at Scrub Island in the BVI.
We were guided by James Teague to a late model catamaran that he affirmed would be perfect for our trip. I have chartered boats (mainly powerboats) for 35 years from the BVI. I sent the wire to BoatBookings.com for 50% of the total charter cost in September 2022. I was booking a private water taxi from St Thomas to Scrub Island in February 2023, and the water taxi company advised me that there were no boats from BoatBookings.com and Dream Yacht Charter in Scrub Island as they had moved in the Fall of 2022. I contacted James Teague and he said that he would have to check with his contact at Dream Yacht Charter as he knew nothing of them moving the fleet from Scrub Island (4 or 5 months after they moved).
I spoke with Dream Yacht Charter and they advised me that they had advised BoatBookings.com of their move in the fall of 2022. This to say the least was difficult for me to adjust, but I changed my plans. I arrived at Dream Yacht Charter the day of the pick up and it had not been communicated to them that I was to depart the same day. The manager, Richard at Dream Yacht Charter was accommodating and got me a quick walk through. I discovered that day that the boat had no air conditioning (and no generator). Our group is all in our 70’s and no ac is not an option.
The people at Dream Yacht Charter were very understanding. They accepted the boat back, and we did not use it. Richard requested that I reach out to BoatBookings.com and request a refund. I have asked for consideration from BoatBookings.com and they have refused to consider any refund.
One only has one 50th anniversary in ones life, and BoatBookings.com is unfit for business.
Hi Ken,
I’m sorry to hear about your negative experience with BoatBookings.com. Unfortunately, it sounds like some issues arose during booking your boat charter, including miscommunication about the location of the boats, lack of awareness about the boats they were chartering, and, ultimately, the boat not meeting your needs due to the lack of air conditioning.
It is understandable that you would feel disappointed and frustrated, particularly given the significance of the trip you had planned. While I cannot comment on the specific policies or practices of BoatBookings.com, it is always important for companies to prioritize customer satisfaction and handle any issues with professionalism and compassion.
If you have not already done so, you may want to consider reaching out to BoatBookings.com one more time to request a refund or some form of compensation for the difficulties you experienced. You could also consider leaving a review or rating of the company to help others make informed decisions when considering a boat charter.
Thank you for the comment and I hope you’ll have a better experience next time you book a boat with the charter compagny of your choice.