Ed Hamilton, Ed Hamilton & Co.
We have always placed a lot of emphasis on our preference booklet, which has been refined over the years based on input from both charterers and crews.
    Most charterers, either from a fear of appearing too picky or from feeling preferences are unimportant, are not nearly specific enough. Part of what makes a crewed charter so incredibly unique in this world of prepackaged holidays is that the crew genuinely try to create a customized experience, where the menu is specifically designed around your tastes and you get to do the things you enjoy each day. It really helps the crew if they can have as much detailed information as possible on not only meal and liquor preferences, but also what activities you enjoy.
    Second, except for a single-family charter, it is generally a mistake for one person to fill out preferences for everyone. We encourage multiple sheets by supplying individual provisioning pages for each guest. A meal (and a vacation) can be ruined because the lead charterer didn’t know one guest breaks out in a rash if they eat red onions!
    Everyone has likes and dislikes, and people often think they are less picky about food than they really are.  The whole group should take some time to give their individual requests.

Gertrud Annevelink, Charter Experience
The most common mistake with the preference sheet is that we brokers don’t get enough information from our clients.
    The more information the crew gets, the better they can prepare and the smoother the charters will go. Chefs like to know if the guests have any food allergies or dislikes. The stewardess would like to know what the preferred drinks are, so she can have ample stock. The captain wants to know what the clients expect to prepare the perfect itinerary. And so on. The more we know, the better service the guests will get and the more the guests will enjoy their stay onboard their chosen yacht.
    I advise clients to be as precise and detailed as possible so they get exactly what they want. It is their holiday, and it should be exactly the way they want it. And I will do all in my power to make that happen for them. But to do so, I need that preference sheet information.

Beverly Parsons, Interpac Yachts
The most common mistake charter clients make on their preference sheets is not carefully consulting all of the guests when completing the form. You can imagine how difficult is for the chef when he or she presents a seafood extravaganza ... only to find that two or three of the guests are allergic to shellfish!   
    On the other hand, it is common these days for charter parties to distribute the forms to everyone in their group.  We have received up to ten completed questionnaires for one charter. We must then perform careful detective work to find out if they really want 40 cases of wine on a seven-day charter , or are they ordering for everyone?
    Many charter guests do not realize that they should not wait until the last minute to complete their charter questionnaires. The more advance notice they give, the more time the crew has to find the requested items.  We also have received some unreasonable requests, for example Charmin toilet paper in the San Blas Islands or California wines in Turkey.
    In general, charter guests are getting better and better and completing their forms.  Our company generally types up the forms in advance for our regular clients. We then e-mail the draft to the client, who usually updates it immediately.