There was an interesting article in this weekend’s Arizona Daily Star newspaper about how cruise ships want to become less regimented–as fast as they can.

Carolyn Spencer Brown, editor of the online magazine Cruise Critic, is quoted as saying that within the next five years, the priority onboard cruse ships will be “more on experiencing individual vacations than in participating in group-esque tours. That means, in a word, cruise travelers will expect choice.”

Gee, I wonder where the cruise ship industry got that idea! Could it possibly be from the increased competition coming from private yacht charter vacations, which are all about choice and personalization?

As the saying goes, imitation is the sincerest form of flattery, and I love the idea that cruise ships are now trying to be more like yachts. For one thing, it shows that private yacht charters simply are a better vacation choice than cruise ships.

More important to me, though, is that no matter how hard cruise ships try, they will never be able to attain the level of personalization and choice that private yacht charters offer. When there are 3,000 people onboard a ship–versus just you and your family onboard a yacht–I think the odds are pretty well in your favor of having more choice and personalization onboard the yacht.

Cruise ships can try to accommodate the public’s growing demand for better cruise options, but they’ll never succeed simply because they can’t change what they are: massive floating cities that by definition cannot offer personalized experiences. They can never become what private yacht charters already are.

But good on ‘em for trying to be more like us. We in the world of charter yachts appreciate the compliment and look forward to helping more customers actually experience what cruise ships can only try to promise.

International Yacht Collection sent out a press release this week welcoming the 112-foot motoryacht Andiamo into its charter fleet. It was a routine press release, but it caught my eye because, toward the end of the announcement, after all the information about the boat itself, it explained that Andiamo’s new captain is none other than CharterWave favorite David Laird.

I know Capt. Laird from a charter I did with him several years ago in the Bahamas onboard the motoryacht Princess Marcie. It was one of those charters that could’ve been a horrible disaster, as brutal wind storms kept us stuck at the dock on Harbour Island. A lesser captain and crew would’ve had guests bored to tears and upset about the weather, but Capt. Laird and his crew made the most of Mother Nature’s wrath and showed me a fantastic time.

That’s the kind of can-do attitude that separates good captains from great ones, the ones reputable brokers recommend because they know the captain will make their client’s vacation great no matter what happens with the weather. From my own personal experience, I can say with full authority that Capt. Laird falls into that can-do category.

If you’ve been thinking about chartering in New England this summer and are looking for a motoryacht that takes eight guests, give Andiamo a look. Capt. Laird is a good bet for a great charter vacation.

This week alone, I received three e-mails from people who run “luxury travel websites.” It seems CharterWave’s steadily increasing readership and exclusive editorial information are attractive to these folks. All of them tell me I should link to their websites because my readers will find their content useful. Invariably, they say something like, “we cover charter too.”

Usually, I go to their websites and see that their “editorial coverage” is nothing more than press releases written by charter companies with no editorial oversight whatsoever. Every story is the same: “Company A is the best for charter!” “Company B is the one you can trust!” Invariably, these “articles” are in between similar promotions for cruise ships.

Usually, at this point, I delete the request to have a link from CharterWave and go on about my life. But once this week, in a particularly heinous case, I took the time to reply that CharterWave simply does not affiliate itself with websites that run paid-for content while pretending it is unbiased editorial.

That website’s creator was on my phone faster than lickety-split, telling me his was the highest-quality editorial available and I didn’t know what I was talking about. While he was shouting at me, I went to his site, picked out an “article” about a boat I’ve been onboard several times (with problems every time), and asked him to tell me why he thought it was so fantastic. He admitted he didn’t know that boat personally, and that the owner had paid to be featured. Then he hung up without me having to say another word.

I know I harp on this point a lot here on CharterWave, but it really is important these days to know the source of what you’re reading on the Internet.

The majority of our content here on CharterWave is editorial, pure and simple. Paid-for content is labeled as “sponsored” so you can tell the difference without question. We are fair and honest in our evaluations, and we take the time to get onboard boats and interview crew, just to see with our own eyes that what they’re promising is actually what you’ll find when you book a charter.

In this, I believe we are a far cry from pretty much every “luxury travel” website out there. I hope you’ll give us your continued readership and support so that CharterWave can continue to set the standard you can trust.