Environmentally friendly charters are going to be the Next Big Thing. So much so that CYBA International, a leading professional group for charter brokers, has started an Environmental Committee. Its first goal will be to eliminate the use of bottled water on charter yachts, since the bottles cannot be recycled in many tropical destinations.

Business is picking up for the first time in a year. Maybe not as much as brokers would like for the Caribbean this winter, but definitely for the Mediterranean during summer 2010. This could be a blip, or it could be the beginning of the end of the global recession’s effects on the charter industry. Stay tuned.

The ability to upload fast is the new “must have” charter yacht amenity. In recent years, charter clients looked to ensure their yachts would have 24/7 WiFi and satellite television. Now, yachts are seeing more requests for the ability to upload large data files, such as video that can be viewed during conference calls. The first batch of “early adopters” include the 139-foot Feadship motoryacht Never Enough, which is part of the charter fleet at Camper & Nicholsons International.

“Equivalent currency bookings” are becoming more prominent. Managers at Sunreef Yachts say they are now accepting offers on euro-priced boats in U.S. dollars, and then ensuring that “balance due” payments reflect the value of the U.S. dollar at the time the boat was booked, as opposed to at the time when the charter begins—to help charter clients defend their wallets against currency fluctuations.

Interior volume equals luxury. The 252-foot motoryacht Samar, which is part of the charter fleet at Edmiston & Company, was the talk of the docks even though she is already three years old. That’s because the ceilings on her main deck are nearly 10 feet high, making spaces like the guest salon and formal dining room feel massive compared to rooms of the same width and length aboard other motoryachts.

Your charter contract matters—especially in the current marketplace. Yacht management companies use various types of contracts, but not all of those contracts offer you, the charter client, “liquidated damages” should the yacht’s owner sell the yacht before the dates of your charter vacation. A representative from the professional brokers’ association MYBA said its contract clearly protects charter clients under this scenario, which is all the more important as some yacht owners become eager to sell their yachts at lower and lower prices during the continuing global recession.

You really can do almost anything you want during a charter yacht vacation. The 97-foot Hargrave motoryacht Hooter Patrol IV, part of the fleet at The Sacks Group Yachting Professionals, is now offering spearfishing. The 220-foot motoryacht Allure, part of the fleet at International Yacht Collection, offers a Hummer for island roaming (plus a massive hangar that converts into a discotheque).

Being proud of who you are is a great way to go. The 142-foot sailing yacht Ohana, part of the Perini Navi charter fleet, proudly claims to be the smallest modern Perini Navi available for charter today. “We can offer all the space and comfort,” the captain says, “but also a real sailing experience.”

Not all big boats are going to the Mediterranean this summer. For instance, the 124-foot Oceanfast motoryacht Perseverance II, part of the Luxury Yacht Group charter fleet, will be offering charters out of Chicago instead.

There really is a charter yacht out there for everybody. See our newly posted review of about a dozen of the show’s best yachts—all of which are priced, designed, and outfitted entirely differently, to meet any and all possible charter client expectations.