I’ve just heard back from Camper & Nicholsons regarding this morning’s blog post–and the news is shockingly good.

For a 150-foot motoryacht to offset the environmental damage of cruising a typical Virgin Islands itinerary, the cost would be about $300. For the same-size motoryacht to offset a Cote d’Azur charter (typically covering more miles than a Virgins itinerary), the cost would be about $740.

Those figures are pennies on top of charter fees starting around $45,000 a week and going well into six figures, proving just how easy it can be to do your part in easing the current climate crisis–or at least not adding to it through your vacation activities.

The folks at Camper & Nicholsons have an entire chart outlining typical charter yacht itineraries and the cost for offsetting environmental impact. It’s in the back of their latest charter brochure. Ask for Miriam Cain at the company if you want to get a copy.

That’s the question that Camper & Nicholsons International is asking everyone who books a charter onboard one of its yachts, according to a press release that I received yesterday.

The company has been working since 2003 with The CarbonNeutral Company to offset its own emission-causing activities, from electricity consumption to employee air travel. Camper & Nicholsons offsets these activities by making donations to renewable energy and sustainable forestry programs worldwide. At next week’s Fort Lauderdale International Boat Show, for the first time, Camper & Nicholsons’ complimentary shuttle for clients will be a fleet of hybrid cars.

That’s a great idea–as is Camper & Nicholsons’ continuing effort to ask charter customers whether they want to make a donation through The CarbonNeutral Company every time they book a charter (and burn fuel while cruising around unspoiled environments at sea). Yachts don’t cause nearly as much environmental damage as cruise ships, of course, but they do burn fuel, and every little bit of effort helps in the midst of current climate change.

I asked the folks at Camper & Nicholsons just how much a person would have to donate to offset a 100- or 150-foot motoryacht charter, which can come with a weekly base rate of anywhere from $45,000 to $200,000 a week depending on the yacht’s age and amenities.

I’m still waiting to hear back–and I’ll let you know the answer so that no matter which reputable broker you choose to work with during your next charter yacht vacation, you can discuss making a donation to offset your environmental impact.

You’d be surprised at how many people who book top-dollar charter yachts are interested in finding good deals. Not cheap deals, but good value for their money. I find that even when people are spending $150,000 a week on a vacation, they want to make sure they’re getting their money’s worth. And if they can get the same yacht and service for $145,000, many people in this income bracket still look to save that $5,000 difference.

It’s this crowd that I think International Yacht Collection is trying to reach with a promotion that it sent out early today for the 146-foot motoryacht Balaju, which it is welcoming into its fleet by offering $10,000 off the standard weekly base rate of $145,000 to the first five people who charter in the Caribbean during the upcoming months.

Now, I’ve seen “new to fleet” discounts before, but the “be the first to book” angle is a new one to me. And though $10,000 may seem like pennies on top of a $145,000-a-week base rate, it’s just the sort of enticement that might lure value-seeking clients into booking a charter onboard. And fast.

I haven’t been onboard Balaju so can’t speak to her quality, but I do know that she is under the command of Capt. David Linebaugh, one of the nicest and hardest-working charter captains out there. Balaju is a big step up in size and cost from his previous charter yacht, and perhaps International Yacht Collection is trying to create an incentive for repeat customers to follow him into a higher price bracket.

Nothing wrong with that at all. And hey, if the promotion saves you $10,000 on a great charter, that’s all the more cash you can save toward your next charter vacation onboard an even bigger yacht in the future.