There’s no kind of vacation quite as luxurious as a charter yacht cruise.
You and your party — most typically a dozen or fewer — will be catered to by a top-notch crew who will prepare mouthwatering meals and drinks, keep your cabins impeccable and fulfill your every whim while you enjoy such amenities as glass-bottomed pools, beach club services, wellness facilities with massage rooms and gyms and watersports toys like Jet Skis and windsails.
Add lavish master cabins, cinemas, live entertainment and beauticians and you may not ever want to disembark, but destinations like these will seriously tempt you to go ashore.
Seychelles
You will be hard-pressed not to call this nation off the east coast of Africa anything but paradise, with 115 islands with towering palms, inviting beaches and stunning granite cliffs polished by an unknowable number of high tides.
Praslin, Mahé, La Digue and its other islands have the famous “double coconuts,” giant tortoises and endless opportunities to snorkel, dive, sail and eat through its gorgeous scenery and culture.
Bahamas
You may have been to Nassau a time or two, but have you had a chance to see the “real Bahamas?” The Exuma islands have astonishingly white sand at idyllic beaches, stunning blue water that can be seen from outer space and chances to swim with sharks and pigs. (Yes, pigs. They’re adorable.)
Throughout the Caribbean nation you can fish for mahi mahi, dive for lobsters, snorkel through sea caverns and Jet Ski through channels or sip champagne on deck while watching this world swim by.
Croatia
With 2,500 miles of coastline and more than 1,000 offshore islands, it’s rapidly becoming one of the most popular spots for charter yacht cruises in Europe.
Also known as the Dalmatian Coast, you’ll be able to visit castles, fortresses and other historic sites as well as savor some of the continent’s best seafood, with plenty of time left to dive, sail or simply gaze at the deep blue sea.
The modern city of Split is built around still-existing Roman ruins, and the island of Hvar is the big draw for jet-setters.
Thailand
Hop islands and beaches along the shore of this long, lean nation with a spellbinding culture and cuisine. You can dive, snorkel and swim away from your cares along the way and explore the golden beaches and nightlife offered by the largest island of Phuket.
You won’t be able to miss its 150-foot Buddha! You can also see the mangrove rivers of James Bond Island (Ko Phing Kan, where Man with the Golden Gun was filmed) and the quieter beaches of the Raksha Islands.
Greece and Turkey
No other location seems as tailor-made for luxury yachting as the Greek Islands, tumbling into the Mediterranean out of the seat of modern civilization.
Whether you’re seeking history, architecture, cuisine, nightlife or beach reverie, you’ll find it in the Ionian, Cyclades or Sarconic islands. Some itineraries include the lovely Turkish Turquoise Coast, with iconic beaches at Ölüdeniz, Patara, and İztuzu and a diverse range of communities and ancient relics.
