Who’s Who (And Who’s Where)
I had barely made it to Genoa, Italy, this morning when I was once again reminded of how much better some charter brokers are than others.
If you’re a regular reader of CharterWave, then you know I always suggest booking your yacht vacation through a reputable charter broker. How do you tell a reputable broker from one who is not? You can start by asking your crewed yacht broker of choice which boat show she most recently attended. If the answer is Antigua or Genoa, you are probably in good hands.
Those two places, you see, sponsor the world’s largest industry-only charter yacht shows each year. If you are working with a broker who has not attended these shows, then you are by definition working with a broker who has not personally inspected the yachts and interviewed the crews she intends to book you, your family and your friends with for a week or longer.
I believe brokers who take the time and make the effort to view even a portion of the (73!) yachts that are on display here in Genoa this week are much more professional than those who do not.
Among those American brokers I have seen already, in the airport earlier today, are DJ Parker from Neptune Yachting Group, Leann Morris-Pliske of The Sacks Group, Patty Wilson of International Yacht Charter Group, Ann Landry of Merrill-Stevens and Agnes Howard of Camper & Nicholsons International.
You can be sure that these five women (and all the other American and European brokers who make it here to the show) will be far better informed and able to help you with insider information that is not available in brochures when it comes time to book the crewed charter vacation of your dreams.