Our friends at Trip Advisor recently sent us an email. “Stunning images of 20 awe-inspiring places you must see.” Most importantly, their members select the locations.
Several of the spots were accessible by yacht. Additionally, they are easily accessed by land during a luxury yacht charter vacation.
FIRST FAVORITE YACHT CHARTER DESTINATION OF 3
PULPIT ROCK – Ryfylke, Norway.
The Pulpit Rock (“Preikestolen” in Norwegian) soars 604 meters over the Lysefjord. This flat mountain plateau was most likely carved and formed from melting ice over 10,000 years ago.
Fjord yacht charters in the summertime certainly remain a popular choice. Uniquely among European customers from neighboring Soviet countries.
The Schooner sail yachtMONTIGNEoften offers Norway yacht charter vacations in the summertime. Her builder is Aegean Yachts. The 2009 super yacht MONTIGNE is a 57 meter (187 foot) three-masted staysail schooner. She accommodates 12 guests.
Her yacht charter rates start at $140,000 USD per week, plus expenses.
SECOND FAVORITE DESTINATION OF 3
PLITVICE LAKES – Plitvice Lakes National Park, Croatia.
Founded in 1949, Plitvice is the largest national park in Croatia. Above all, it draws more than 1,200,000 visitors annually. The park situates in the mountainous area of central Croatia. The national park connects the Croatian inland with the Adriatic coastal region. Most importantly, this is a highly popular yachting destination. On the positive side, the interest in Croatia yacht charters continues to grow.
In view of, each summer, clients look for alternatives to the crowded anchorages and overpriced marinas in France and Italy.
Motor yachtAIR, Benetti MINE GAMES, and James Bond boat, DIAMONDS ARE FOREVER, all spend time cruising the waters of the Adriatic yacht charter coastline.
THIRD FAVORITE YACHT CHARTER DESTINATION OF 3
SANTORINI – Cyclades, Greece.
You see photographs of blinding-white buildings with blue roofs. These are juxtaposed against a backdrop of the Mediterranean Sea. In other words, chances are that you are seeing Santorini. The views of the sea from the terraces of the ancient towns along the cliffs are mesmerizing. Arguably the most famous island in Greece, Santorini is easily reachable by yacht. Its location is just 120 miles southeast from Greece’s mainland.
In addition, popular Greek yacht charter vessels include motor yacht LADY BRITT and super yacht EXCELLENCE V.
The naval architects at Espen Oeino International S.A.R.L. continue to raise the bar of superyacht design. Their latest offering is Sunrise Yachts motor yacht IRIMARI.
Delivered to her owner in July, the 63 meter yacht is currently cruising in the Greek islands. So far there is no word if the vessel will be entering the Greek yacht charter fleet.
Sunrise 63 yacht IRIMARI makes her official debut at the 2015 Monaco Yacht Show.
Per our friends at Boat International, one exciting “superfeature” to be expected inside motoryacht Irimari is “…a video wall spanning two decks!”
Espen Oeino International is considered one of the leading design studios of private yacht charter vessels. They base in Monaco. Their specialty is in the category of Superyachts. Their portfolio includes Lurssen motor yacht MARTHA ANN, and the world’s largest yacht available for charter, Fincantieri yacht SERENE.
TURKISH BUILDER
The launch of yacht IRIMARI marks the first of the Sunrise 63 series to splash down for the Turkish builder. The Espen Oeino designed yacht features interiors by Focus Yacht Design and naval architecture by Unique Yacht Design. Built with a high tensile steel hull and aluminum superstructure, the yacht has a transatlantic range of 5,000 miles, and a top speed of 17 knots.
Her owner initially plans spending time onboard. We hope to see this beautiful yacht enter the charter marketplace.
A multihull hopes to fill her last available slot for a crewed catamaran charter this summer. The owner of Sunreef 62 sail catamaran ANASSA offers anastonishing discount of 50%. It is a leisurely cruise from Reggio, Italy to Kos, Greece.
RATE
This beautiful yacht is normally € 22,000 per week plus expenses. Her special reduced rate for the week is € 11,000 EUROS plus expenses. VAT is included.
Catamaran sailboat ANASSA
YACHT SCHEDULE
Sailing catamaranANASSA is open the week of September 13th-20th . She is available to take her guests from the sun-kissed shores of the Italian Riviera. They then head to the delightfully warm and picturesque Greek Islands. Greece has traditional hillside, and whitewashed villages.
ABOUT THE BOAT
The catamaran launched in 2008. She is a popular fixture in the Greece yacht charter market for over 4 years. This sailing cat is well-equipped and offers a very nice interior style as well as teak decks right up to the bow. Accommodations for 8 to 10 guests are provided in 5 staterooms
ITINERARY FOR CHARTER SPECIAL
Captain Andreadis Prodromos has prepared a sample itinerary for this special cruise:
13th of September: Boarding at 5pm in Reggio and overnight sail to Cephalonia. Arrive in Cephalonia in the afternoon the next day.
Sept 14th: Overnight stay in Cephalonia
15th of Sept: Depart early in the morning for Trizonia, where you will spend the night.
Sept 16th: Early departure for the Corinth Canal and passage to Aegina. Overnight stay in Aegina
17th of September: Aegina to Syros
Sept 18th: Syros to Amorgos
19th of September: Amorgos to Kos
Sept 20th: Disembarkation in Kos at 5pm
September is a perfect time to cruise in the Mediterranean. The waters are still warm. Most of the summer tourists have departed for home. The anchorages are uncrowded and serene.
You’ve decided to charter a motor yacht in Greece for a week. What an exciting idea! You can’t decide whether you want to go on a Trinity Yacht Charter or a Feadship Yacht Charter, and you’re also thinking that sail boat charters are also a romantic way to vacation.
Planning the Trip
Thoughts go through your mind.
Do I need exercise to go yachting?
How do I prepare for the vacation?
Is a yacht charter physically difficult?
Regardless, all Greece yacht charters are fun, educational, and adventurous – no matter what kind of private yacht you enjoy.
EXERCISE BEFOREHAND – GET IN SHAPE
If you haven’t exercised in a long time, you’ll want to prepare your body with some basic exercises before heading to the Aegean.
Since you’ll be hiking up rocky hills and exploring historic landmarks like the Parthenon and the Acropolis, do a series of ankle stretches, ankle rolls, and knee bends to prepare.
STAIRS IN GREECE
Since all megayachts have stairs that you’ll descend and ascend each day on your boat, practice climbing stairs with a stairmaster, walking manual stairwells in your area, or just simply walking an inclined area where you live.
WALKING AT LANDMARKS
Visiting landmarks is wonderful, but it does entail a lot of walking. To maximize your cardio (heart) and overall fitness, just walk. Park your car far from a store when you grocery shop. Walk around the block and enjoy nature. Take your dog for a long overdue walk. Hop on the treadmill and go for a stroll.
GREECE DOES NOT REQUIRE EXERCISE…
No worries. The best thing is that you really don’t NEED exercise for your Mediterranean yacht charter event – it is just good for your heart, your mind, and your overall attitude! Your crew will do the majority of the exercising during your yacht charter, but you will also be exercising for fun in your daily activities onboard! The food on your yacht charter will be amazing, too, and it will be based on your desires!
YACHTING IS GOOD FOR THE MIND
Mega yacht charter vacations, whether on a sail boat charter or a superyacht, are a great way to travel – they are good for the mind as well as the body!
HOW TO BOOK YOUR YACHT CHARTER VACATION
For more information and to book your Mediterranean yacht charter, call 1-800-YACHTCHARTERS or email info@1800yachtcharters.com
Greece. The perfect vacation. Ideal for yacht charter. Although it is great to escape the cold weather for a few days with a Caribbean yacht charter, the exotic calls. For instance, you want to experience new and different locations. But where? Greece is the word. (See what we did there?)
Just imagine. Summer vacation. School’s out. The kids are home for several weeks. The chance to bask in the sun for an extended stay is the epitome of total relaxation beckons. You want to show the kids an exotic destination. One with education combined with family time. .
Nowhere is the idea of extended rest and relaxation more evident than in the Greek islands. Here, in the ancient land of the Gods, it sometimes seems as if time stands still.
A Greek yacht charter adventure features a wide array of itineraries with a heavy emphasis on the sheer pleasure of sailing in a locale so steeped in history and yet so amenable to the sailor looking for all the luxuries and convenience of the modern world.
The shimmering waters, superlative beaches, and intriguing towns and villages make Greece a must-visit summer destination.
First the bad news – recent legislation in Greece has led to an increase in the country’s VAT rates.
Now for the good news – the increase is small, and depending upon the duration of your superyacht experience, the “effective rate” should have a minimal effect on most Greek yacht charters this summer.
A new VAT rate of 24% has been announced for Greece, and it will affect all yacht charters commencing on or after June 1st, 2016. The old rate was 23% – making the maximum increase 1%.
While 24% VAT sounds sky-high, don’t fall out of your chair just yet: there are significant built-in discounts that can reduce the effective VAT rate by up to 60% – depending upon the duration of your charter vacation.
Here’s the math:
I) Charter duration of 3 days or more.
Luxury yacht charter vessels performing international cruises have a discount of 60%. This makes the effective VAT rate 9.6% (up from 9.2%).
Charter vessels cruises within Greek waters will earn a discount of 50%, setting the effective VAT rate at 12% ( previously 11.5%).
II) Charter duration up to 48 hours.
This is where you get hammered as a charterer for taking a day excursion or a trip shorter than 48 hours. There is NO discount, regardless of where the vessel cruises. A full VAT of 24% is due (instead of the previous 23%).
In summary – avoid short-term charters in Greece if you can. As long as you can extend your charter beyond 48 hours, the impact of the effective change in VAT is less than 1%. Mykonos and Santorini here we come – Opa!!!
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For information about renting a luxury charter yacht in Greece, or anywhere else in the Mediterranean this summer, contact 1-800 Yacht Charters at +1.800.922.4824 (toll-free North America) or +1.305.253.7245 (international), use our online inquiry form here, or email info@1800yachtcharters.com
She’s not scheduled to splash down until 2018, but that’s not keeping eager Greek yacht charter clients from placing deposits for vacations next summer on this new 40 meter yacht.
The Sunseeker 131 motor yacht AQUA LIBRA 131 is still in her build shed in Dorset, but the buzz surrounding the opportunity to secure a brand new yacht to explore the Greek islands has prospective customers stepping forward to secure prime dates.
“Two reservations have already been secured for summer 2018,” says a smiling Jana Sheeder, President of 1-800 Yacht Charters. “One client has secured 4 nights in late June and another grabbed the first 14 days of July. It’s always so great to see dates locked down a full year in advance.”
THE REASON
While it is true that affluent travelers are not inclined to secure private luxury yacht charter vacations so far in advance, they will pony up early when they see a unique opportunity. Motor yacht AQUA LIBRA 131 presents such a scenario.
For years, Greece has remained one of the most popular summer cruising destinations – dozens of islands can be visited, and the number of historical points of interest dated to the beginning of civilization are in the hundreds. Oh yeah – the warm weather in the summer is spectacular!
But for all the destination’s allure, the yachts that offered charters in Greece were often considered inferior in overall comfort and quality to those yachts HNWI’s could charter in France and Monaco, along the Côte d’Azur.
GREEK YACHTS
Greek yacht operators, in a testament to their seafaring heritage, often offered wooden ships, called motorsailers (or “gulets” as they are known in neighboring Turkey) to the charter market. As charming as these traditional vessels are, they simply lack the sophistication of ultra-modern superyachts. Whereas you are hard-pressed to find a motorsailer with an open-air Jacuzzi-style tub on the deck, it is nearly impossible to find a superyacht that doesn’t have at least one hot tub on deck – as well as other luxury amenities like onboard cinemas, spas, beauty salons, and helipads.
Yacht owners in Greece, and indeed the Greek people themselves, are a wonderful and proud lot – and they should be! They live in the cradle of civilization, and so much of our modern technical gains in math and the sciences can be traced back to the Hellenic culture. It is understandable to see why they have held to their traditional ways – and their traditional yachts.
WE GIVE CLIENTS WHAT THEY WANT AND DESERVE
Still, HNWI’s want what they want – and for the well-heeled, a superyacht filled with modern amenities is the preferred mode of transport during an ultraluxury holiday.
THE YACHT
That leads us to Sunseeker motoryacht AQUA LIBRA 131, now accepting charter reservations a full year before her build is completed. The British-built tri-deck Sunseeker 131 epitomizes everything that HNWI’s seek in their superyacht experience: accommodations in sublime surroundings, immense scale, and a layout that lends to relaxing and socializing with friends and special guests.
SUNSEEKER COMMENTS
Here’s how Sunseeker describes their own 131 model:
“Expertly finished using ultra-modern materials and techniques, the 131 Yacht is one of the finest examples of modern day superyacht building. The main deck features a lounge, separate dining area and full galley, while on the upper deck you’ll find the sky lounge, cocktail bar and access to the skydeck; where comfort and lavishness reach new levels. As impressive out in open water as it is in the harbour, this icon of design is unlike any other.”
ACCOMMODATIONS
Guest accommodations are available for up to 10 passengers in 5 staterooms:
Master cabin – situated on the main deck, with king size bed, private dressing room, and his and hers bathrooms
Two VIP cabins – each with queen sized beds
Two twin cabins – convertible to double cabins with king size bed. One cabin also features a Pullman berth.
As you would expect, all staterooms offer ensuite facilities.
ENTERTAINMENT
For indoor entertainment , the yacht offers a Sonos AV System, with video on demand, as well as Apple TVs, and full satellite services. Of course, the yacht offers Wi-Fi on all decks.
WHAT MAKES GREECE A CHARTER DESTINATION?
Don’t plan on staying indoors too long, because Greece is all about the scenery and the warm Aegean sea. To enjoy the ocean, this new yacht will have a complete inventory of watersports equipment, including:
There are many other Sunseeker models currently in charter in the Mediterranean. While builders with classical style yachts such as Lurssen and Benetti tend to attract older charterers, Sunseeker yacht charters appeal to young entrepreneurs and their families. There’s a modern, contemporary “Vibe” onboard a Sunseeker. No shot at Lurssen and the classic models – Sunseeker simply offers a different feel, and for a different charter client.
OTHER SUNSEEKER MODELS AVAILABLE
Additional Sunseeker vessels currently available include:
As the new AQUA LIBRA 131 Sunseeker continues to attract attention – and bookings, it is likely that more and more owners of new-build yachts will forgo the traditional Western Med ports of France and Monaco, and position for the summer in the Eastern Med in Greece – Opa!!!
Even the little Kallikantzari hobgoblins will crawl out from the underground when this beautiful, new yacht is delivered to Greece next summer — like a Christmas gift during the summertime!
Superyacht ATHOS Schooner. Photo by Rick Tomlinson
At 62 meters (203ft) in length, the massive sail yacht ATHOS enters her second Greek yacht charter season as the largest sailing vessel for hire in the Greek islands.
Designed by Andre Hoek and built by Holland Jachtbouw, yacht ATHOSis registered as the world’s largest privately-owned schooner and the most technologically sophisticated classic sail yacht on the seas.
Accommodations are available for 10 guests in 3 doubles staterooms, plus 2 twins (convertible) cabins. A captain and crew compliment of 8 are on hand to attend to the guests as well as the safe operation of the superyacht.
DECKHOUSE
The yacht’s 11-meter beam (the width of the vessel) creates an unprecedented amount of volume. The interior includes a luxurious owners’ suite, with private cockpit and deckhouse. The main deckhouse offers a formal dining area as well as an entertainment lounge.
Unique points of interest:
A centerboard keel allowing her to access shallow waters that other vessels of her size cannot contemplate
Amazing deck space and luxurious accommodation impressing any guests invited on board
Large assortment of watertoys are available, including an inflatable flying boat
RATES
Charter rates begin at €180,000 EUROS per week, plus running expenses.
Motor sailor gulet yacht IRAKLIS L was an instant success story when she entered charter. She is the perfect platform for a luxury sailing charter holiday.
Within 2 months of entering charter, she secured 90 days of charter reservations!
ACCOMMODATIONS
Six spacious cabins accommodate up to 14 passengers. Her master stateroom is on the main deck and has a double bed. Her VIP cabin, located on the lower deck, also offers a double bed. Two guest cabins have double beds and one single bed/sofa, making them perfect for children, a couple, or kids and a nanny. There is one cabin with a double bed and the last guest cabin has two twin berths.
INTERIOR DESIGN
Designed by Lally Poulias, each cabin features en suite bathrooms. These bathrooms have hydro-jet showers and marble appointments. Some feature double sinks for added convenience. All cabins offer flat screen TV with satellite programming, including DVD, CD, and MP3 players.
SALON AND DINING AREA
The salon and the dining area create a large open area. The panoramic windows throughout offer breathtaking views. Rich red-tone woods exist throughout the vessel. For musical fun, there is a Glavinova karaoke piano in the salon.
DECK
The deck includes a large, elevated area for sun-worshipers. Forward of this, there is room for sitting and enjoying the views.
SPECIAL FEATURE
Zero speed stabilizers ensure total comfort in rough seas. This feature is rarely found on similar traditional Greek motor sailors and Turkish gulets.
ACTIVITIES
The yacht carries a 5.5-meter tender with a 150 hp engine. It has enough power to pull guests on waterskis. There are watersports toys onboard, for instance, a three-seat 210 hp Yamaha waverunner, a windsurfer, snorkeling equipment, and fishing gear. Iraklis L carries a full complement of SCUBA gear and an air compressor.
AVAILABLE CHARTER DATES
Here are her remaining available dates for charter:
May – available May 1 through 7 in Naples, Italy, Amalfi Coast
June – no available dates
July – available July 4 through 12 in Athens, Greece
August – available all month
September – available Sept 1 through 10, Athens, Greece
CHARTER RATE
The yacht is priced at €49,000 per week, plus expenses. Similar gullets available in both Greece and Turkey include G-FORCE and ESMA SULTAN.
A finalist for the World Superyacht Awards in 2012, motor yacht O’PATI combines high performance and sexy Italian styling in a modern design. With sleek, powerful lines designed by Giorgio Vafiadis & Associates, the 40 meter motor yacht O’PATI exudes elegance and power, while her dark hull conceals so much more.
FAST YACHT
With a top speed of 32 knots, yacht O’PATI can effortlessly take guests from a secluded Ionian beach to a cosmopolitan port in the Cyclades in what seems the blink of an eye.
CREW
Her professional crew of 8 stand ready to tend each charter guest’s every need.
SEDUCTIVE
While this superyacht has a seductive appearance, there is much more to be discovered beyond the first visual impression. Spacious deck areas from the bow, to the flybridge, to the main aft deck offering ample comfort.
FLYBRIDGE
The flybridge features inviting setting, with large sunbeds for lounging in a private setting. The bow is a sunbather’s paradise, boasting a large sofa and table, along with roomy sunbeds, while the aft deck offers ample space for al fresco meals. A retractable awning on the aft deck, easily transforms the area from a setting for meals into a sun-drenched lounging space.
EXTERIOR AND INTERIOR
The vessel’s dark exterior is in pleasing contrast to the fresh, bright interior spaces. Leather, wood and high-quality fabrics offer a minimalist Italian-design both contemporary and comfortable. The main salon flaunts a palette of whites and creamy tones, blended with natural dark woods. Sight lines are modern and moderately curvy in the salon, and highlight a room of space and finesse.
ACCOMMODATIONS
She accommodates up to 12 passengers, including the Master stateroom. All accommodations are located #belowdeck. Each room is decorated in slightly different variations of her interior style.
WATERSPORTS TOYS
An array of recreational toys are onboard for the use of the guests. For example, a three-seat waverunner, two tenders, snorkeling gear, waterskiing equipment, fishing gear, and wakeboards.
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