Looking to charter this summer? Book now to avoid disappointment

With hope on the horizon in terms of international travel later this summer, demand for yacht charters is high, and after a year of staying at home, many guests are booking for longer.

This, coupled with the fact that a large number of bookings from last year have had to be carried over, means that some yachts are already fully booked or running with very limited availability.

In 2020, 44% of charters booked were postponed until this year, meaning our fleet is filling up quickly. 

Owner’s use is up too, according to Robert Shepherd: “Fewer and fewer yachts are still available this year, so if you want a yacht for this summer you need to start booking very soon. The scarcity is due in part to postponements that rolled over from 2020 into 2021, and in part due to increased plans for owner use – the pandemic has seen owners choose to spend more time on board their own yachts. And given that all charter bookings carry the benefit of COVID cancellation agreements, people are not necessarily waiting to see what happens before booking, as they know they can cancel if things don’t improve. In short, yachts are booking up fast"

In July last year when restrictions were lifted, Edmiston saw the number of bookings for the summer double, with the increase continuing into August and September. However, with postponements taking up a large number of dates, last-minute bookings like these may not be possible this year.

Charter broker, Vanessa Lebreton, says: “We expect an increase in demand when travel restrictions ease within Europe and for visitors from outside Europe. You probably will be able to have a wider selection of yachts to choose from and be able to negotiate a better price for your holiday now than if you wait to confirm your booking later in the spring or at the beginning of the summer.”

This summer, the average duration of charter bookings is already up 17.8% over the same period last year, with a high number of two-week bookings and one charter booked for over 50 days, further restricting availability.

Yachts that are fully booked or with limited availability for the summer include ARBEMA, SHAMANNA, SEVERIN*S, SOULMATE, SATORI, ROX STAR and SAFE HAVEN. LA DATCHA, the brand-new global explorer, only has one remaining gap left, while the 86m Oceanco built motor yacht SUNRAYS has all her peak season dates fully booked.

If you are still hoping to book a yacht charter this summer, then yachts with good availability include the luxuriously-appointed sailing yachts AQUIJO or ROSEHEARTY and motor yachts HELIOS, ILLUSION I, EMERALD, DE-DE and BLEU DE NÎMES, which all underwent major refits in 2019, 2020 or 2021.

The motor yachts LIONESS V, BINA, MYSTIC, CHRISTINA G, SUD, and DIANE are also available and are geared up for sunshine cruising in the Med, while for an adventure further afield, book a charter on explorer yacht ZULU.

Charter broker, Matthew Gant, says: “July and August have always been the prime months for the Mediterranean but with the postponements from last year’s season moved to this year, there is not much space left. Demand is definitely out-weighing the supply – look to get your charter wrapped up before May!”

For more information on chartering this summer, please contact us.