Shannon Webster is a longtime AYCA member. She books yachts worldwide from 80 to 400 feet long. Email Shannon
Liz Howard joined Fraser Yachts as a charter broker in 2002 after more than 15 years in the maritime industry. E-mail Liz.
Beverly Parsons has been chartering since 1969. She is a licensed, bonded broker and a founding member of the professional groups AYCA and CYBA International. Contact Beverly.
Ed Hamilton has worked in every part of the charter industry over the last 37 years and heads one of the largest, most respected charter brokerages.
Nicole Caulfield is licensed, bonded, and a longtime member of FYBA and AYCA. She brings a unique perspective as a broker, having worked aboard yachts for nearly 10 years. Email Nicole
Trina Howes has 10 years of experience in the charter industry finding great pleasure in creating the best yachting vacations possible. E-mail Trina
Sharon Bahmer is an expert at booking charters in the Americas, from Alaska to Brazil. She's also a member of FYBA and CYBA. E-mail Sharon
| Caribbean Cruise Itineraries |
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 In the language of yachting, the southern Caribbean is called the Windward Islands and the northern Caribbean is described as the Leeward Islands.Both are popular charter destinations, but the Leewards tend to have more boats available. The Leewards comprise about 120 miles’ worth of individual islands from Anguilla in the north to Dominica in the south. The Leewards are not as big a bareboating destination as the Virgin Islands to their north, but they are the home of St. Maarten, a hub for power-driven megayachts, and of Antigua, a home base for many fully crewed sailing yachts. If you want to charter a fully or partially crewed yacht during the winter months, the Leewards usually offer you the most choices. In fact, each December there are industry-only charter yacht shows held on St. Maarten and Antigua. Charter brokers tour dozens upon dozens of yachts to see what kind of shape they’re in, which crew members have come and gone, and other details that they can later use to help you book the right boat for your needs. Because many yachts attend these boat shows and then stay in their slips at the marinas after the boat shows end, St. Maarten and Antigua are often recommended as beginning and/or ending points for charter vacations. What might a Caribbean cruise itinerary look like during a week onboard a charter yacht? It will vary from yacht to yacht—depending on what you, your charter broker, and your yacht captain decide you want to do given the local weather and your personal desires. With that in mind, though, here’s one option for which islands you might cruise to visit on each day of a weeklong Caribbean vacation. Don’t be surprised if you see the names of islands you’ve never heard of before; most charter yachts are small enough to get into places that the bigger cruise ships have to pass by.
For a look at additional Caribbean cruise itineraries (including round-trip options), along with charter yacht itineraries in other parts of the world, you can read Dream Cruises: The Insider’s Guide to Private Yacht Charter Vacations, from which this information is adapted. |
