Private Yacht Rental: What to Know Before You Go

Private yacht rental studies show that the demand for yacht charter has increased significantly over the last few years.

Have you ever considered renting a yacht? Renting a private yacht could turn into a new summertime tradition with family and friends.

But what questions do you have about how the process works? Who would you bring with you onto the boat?

Keep reading to learn more about private yacht rental and what to look for as you plan your trip.

Decide on a Time to Go

Similar to planning a vacation, it is important to get an idea of when you would like to rent a private yacht. As soon as you know the date that you would like to go, it is important to book in advance during the short summer season. A deposit is typically required to hold the date for you and your party.

Planning the trip in advance allows you to work out the other details as the date draws closer and maximize your experience on the yacht. There are a variety of options, from an all-day experience to staying multiple nights on the yacht.

Put Together a Guest List

Who will join you on the yacht? Do you want to celebrate a birthday? Are you looking to spend the day on the water with your family and friends?

Regardless of which occasion you are celebrating, knowing the number of people in your party will be an important detail when booking.

The yacht will have a maximum capacity of people that it can hold, along with the crew. So it is important to get an accurate estimate of this number before you look at where to rent from.

This will also help you when determining the budget of what you can spend on the rental. If it is a situation in which everyone that participates is paying, you may be able to spend more than if one person is taking care of the bill. 

Informing your guests that you need an approximate number will help motivate them to commit to the trip sooner and ideally, prevent any last-minute cancellations. 

Take a Private Yacht Rental Tour 

Getting a look at the yacht that you could potentially rent is important because you want to match your expectations with the experience and not have surprises when you show up to the dock.

Yacht rentals are a significant investment, so being thorough in your search is important. Something as simple as checking if parking is available for your party can save you time and a headache on the day you leave.

This could be as simple as walking to the dock at which the yacht is parked in order to see the size in person. Asking for additional photos or videos from the company can help give you a better idea as well if an in-person tour is not available.

Read Reviews

While the photos and tour of the yacht may seem incredible, some of the best feedback you can get on the experience as a whole is from people that have rented a private yacht before. 

Reading the reviews can help guide your expectations on what certain packages look like or how they liked their trip on the water during a Chicago summer.

You may have considered doing a day trip and learn through the reviews that the weekend trip with specific add-ons was a great experience that you may like more than what you had originally planned. 

Pick a Private Yacht Rental

How do you choose between yachts? Instead of making the boat the main focus of the decision, it may be helpful to look at the big picture of the entire experience.

This could involve getting off at a location or including event photography and drone videography to capture incredible photos and footage of your day on the water. Including something like this in your package could save you the stress of trying to capture the event and allow you to enjoy the day, knowing it will be documented by professionals.

Writing down what is important to be included in the experience will help guide you in this area and find a charter that matches what you want. We are happy to answer any questions you have about how the process works and what experiences that you can add to enhance your trip. 

Personalize the Experience

Once you have decided on a private yacht rental, you can begin to personalize your experience. 

This is the area where you can make it feel like it’s your boat that you are taking out on the water. Deciding what food will be served or what specific cocktails that you would like can add to the experience for your guests. 

We offer event decoration as well if you are boarding the yacht to celebrate a specific occasion. This can save you time and energy worrying about how to prepare for a party and just focus on showing up to the yacht with everything already taken care of. 

You can add on experiences based on the weather as well. If it is going to be a hot summer day, the swimming package may be a great fit for your party to cool off in the waters of Lake Michigan.

If your guests are coming in from out of town, they might enjoy focusing on the scenic views of the Chicago skyline from a yacht. 

Get on the Water Today with a Private Yacht Rental

Now that you have read more about how to approach private yacht rental, you can get started with planning your trip today.

Please contact us with any questions about renting our yacht and experiencing Chicago from the water. We look forward to working with you for this incredible experience!