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It is not too late to plan holiday charters, as there is still a good selection of quality yachts available for Christmas and New Year’s. Many charter yachts are willing to consider seven nights instead of the standard 10 nights, which was the standard in previous years. To qualify for a seven-day booking, your charter dates must be positioned so that the yacht can receive two bookings during the holidays. While the New Year’s week is always the first to book and offers limited opportunity at this time, you can still find ample availability for Christmas. And with some flexibility on the part of the client, there is still considerable value to be found.
In the Caribbean, some of my favorite picks for Christmas availability are the 99-foot sailing catamaran Allures, the 173-foot Perini Navi sailing yacht Atmosphere, the 130-foot Westport motoryacht Arioso, the 152-foot Feadship motoryacht Charisma, the 110-foot Lazzara motoryacht Le Reve, the 120-foot Northcoast motoryacht Scott Free, and the 140-foot CMN motoryacht Paramour.
In the Bahamas, numerous popular charter yachts are open during both holidays. They include the 150-foot Trinity motoryacht Carpe Diem, the 130-foot Hatteras motoryacht Charisma, the 100-foot Hargrave motoryacht Da Bubba, the 116-foot Intermarine motoryacht Kipany, and the 112-foot Westport motoryacht True North.
Bookings are shaping up really well for the holiday season and beyond. Most of the crewed catamarans and power yachts under 100 feet are now booked for New Year’s week, so finding availability has been tricky recently. There is still some good availability for Christmas week. Things appear to be returning to normal with clients now booking in advance for the winter season in the Caribbean rather than leaving it to the last minute.
It all depends on what type of charter you are seeking. Every year, larger yachts (over say 90 feet) tend to book later, so for charters over $35,000 per week, Christmas and New Year’s availability is still reasonable and on a par with last year. However, the popular mid-size range (55 to 75 feet) is a different story. One look at the larger Virgin Islands management company calendars shows there is almost nothing open for eight guests and little for six guests, and it has been this way for some months now. We have repeatedly urged people looking in this range to book early, and the ones who did have ended up with the best boats. The time to book one of those popular Virgin Island catamarans for New Year’s 2012 is right after New Year’s 2011!
Holiday bookings are up for mid-size boats, and everything points to a very busy Caribbean season.
Regardless of size, when looking for deals we look for the best value with boats we know are reliable, rather than going for the lowest price—it’s not a deal if you don't enjoy your charter!
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Trina Howes has 10 years of experience in the charter industry finding great pleasure in creating the best yachting vacations possible. E-mail Trina
Shannon Webster is a longtime AYCA member. She books yachts worldwide from 80 to 400 feet long. Email Shannon
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
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
DJ Parker has been a leader in the charter industry since 1980. She is currently president of the American Yacht Charter Association. E-mail DJ
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.
Shannon Webster, 
Ed Hamilton,