Janet Bloomfield, International Yacht Charter Group
“It really comes down to who is offering the best deal, what captains are willing to play ball, and who is maintaining their yachts. I get so nervous when we get into recessions like this. If a boat is not maintained, the charter client will pay the price. Salt water is a horrific environment. Money needs to be spent.”
    “So for me, I’m not necessarily looking for hot new boats coming onto the market. The price is usually high on those boats, the crew might not have credibility yet, and I don’t necessarily want my clients to be the first people on the boat. What I’m looking for, instead, is boats that are providing a consistent level of service, and whose owners are willing to discuss price corrections given the continuing state of the overall charter market.”

Rebecca Riley, Paradise Yacht Charters
The Hakvoort motoryacht Perle Bleue is one of my favorite yachts in the Caribbean this winter. Her clean, contemporary interior, by Donald Starkey, is ideal for charter. She is elegant, yet not intimidating. Her exceptional design gives the yacht spacious rooms and lots of great areas for guests to enjoy the charter, like the Portuguese seating area forward of the bridge–one of my favorites. You would find me there every morning enjoying the sunrise and my coffee. Capt. Gianni Brill shared that this one of his favorite spots on board, as well.
    Another one of my favorites is La Dolce Vita. There are several yachts with similar names; this one is the 80-foot Lazarra built in 2004 with Capt. Mark Schwegman at the helm. I have had outstanding reviews from charter clients who love the yacht and adore the crew. The yacht features three double staterooms, one king and two queens, which is unusual in a yacht this size. She also offers diving from the yacht, another feature that sets her apart from most other yachts that only allow rendezvous diving. 
 
Nicole Caulfield, Robert J. Cury  and Associates
The 80-foot motoryacht Cheoy Lee Aquarius, which was built in 2008, just joined our fleet for charter. She is a three-stateroom yacht that features a king-size bed in the master cabin plus two queen-bed cabins,  so every guest will feel equally comfortable. Aquarius is going to base in the U.S. Virgin Islands and is still available for the holidays this winter.
    I was just aboard, and Aquarius is new, pristine, and finished to the highest level of luxury. She has all of the options that larger charter yacht offer, including lots of water toys as well as an experienced charter captain and chef. She really is an exciting yacht for the upcoming winter charter season.