Have You Ever Heard Of Superyacht Charter Etiquette?

Superyachts are a window into a parallel universe – more luxurious, more escapist, and more indulgent than any other vacation on the planet. However, because life on a yacht is so dreamily different than on land, there are also a few points of etiquette that differ as well.

Here are a few etiquette tips to make sure you fit into the superyacht set seamlessly when chartering a superyacht:

Give as much notice as possible about your dining plans.

If you’re inviting company for dinner or want to throw a glamorous party, do give the chef and chief stewardess as much notice as possible so that they can prepare in time and go ashore for more supplies if necessary.

Also, if you’re having fun ashore and decide not to come back to the yacht for the next meal, then it’s nice to give the captain a call so the chef doesn’t waste the food. These courtesies aren’t only good manners, they’re practical — they can save you money as you will get billed for the food the chef buys and cooks on your behalf, regardless of whether you eat it.

Show respect to the crew.

Being dismissive or rude toward the crew risks undermining the quality and enthusiasm of the service you will receive. No matter how you behave, professional crew will always perform their duties to a high standard, but human nature dictates that staff will always go the extra mile for those who treat them well.

Also, don’t make the mistake of assuming the crew are unskilled hospitality workers, for not only do they know how to run a high-tech superyacht and keep you all safe, but many of them are also extremely well educated.

Over the years in this business we’ve met biochemist stewardesses, astrophysicist deckhands, law school graduate first officers, stockbroker captains, and an engineer who used to work for NASA. (Yachts pay better than space agencies, as it turns out).

Don’t enter the crew quarters unless expressly invited.

This is the crew’s private space. Due to the busy 24-hour schedule of yacht crew, someone will almost always be sleeping in the cabins, and crew won’t be in uniform or ready to entertain guests. You’re welcome to request a quick tour of the crew accommodations if you’re interested, but this area is generally off-limits unless a senior crew member invites you in.

Babysitting is unfortunately not part of the service.

Many first-time charterers (quite understandably) think that the crew will act as child-carers while the adults drink, dine and play. Unfortunately, while the crew will always be there to very happily teach your children watersports and play a few games on board such as treasure hunts, the crew rarely have time in their schedule to act as babysitters, and simply won’t be able to take responsibility for your children if you go ashore for the evening and want to leave the kids behind.

It might help to understand that a yacht crew’s average day on charter stretches from long before you are awake to long after you are asleep, so there are only so many activities they can fit in above their normal guest duties. Because of this, most yacht charter contracts require that a nanny is brought on board for children under a certain age if the adults want to enjoy some time to relax. Please contact your charter broker for more details on this.

Don’t bring hard-shell luggage if you can help it.

We’ve discussed this elsewhere in our ‘what to pack’ guide, but in short: bring soft luggage, as it folds up and can be stored away easily during your trip. Superyachts are a miracle of storage solutions, but a large rigid suitcase is unlikely to find a home in the bilge, and may therefore spend the whole trip staring at you from the corner of your cabin.

High heels are not welcome (and neither are your favorite sneakers).

You might be agonizing over what to pack and wondering which shoes you’ll wear while you’re lazing about onboard. Well, agonize no more, as you won’t be wearing any shoes on board at all, as “street shoes” dirty and damage the expensive teak decking and plush carpets. On that note, high heels are definitely out of the question.

If you don’t want to go barefoot, a nice alternative is to wear the fluffy white slippers that some yachts will provide. Of course you can still pack your high heels and favorite street shoes for when you go ashore; you just can’t step on board wearing them.

Be conscious and cautious about marine toilet systems.

The septic systems on yachts are very delicate and will become clogged if anything is flushed down them other than toilet paper. There will typically be reminders about this posted in the cabin heads, but this cannot be emphasized enough. One of the fastest ways to ruin your luxury accommodations onboard is to create an issue with the toilet system that leaves it inoperable, or worse-yet, a line-item charge on your charter expense report.

Remove heavy makeup before bed to avoid staining the bed linen.

The last thing you want is a bill arriving after you get home from the charter because the pillowcases have been ruined by your un-budgeable waterproof makeup. Many yachts will include a darker makeup washcloth in the stateroom baths in order to avoid staining their pristine white towels. If disposable makeup wipes are provided, remember that these are to be thrown away in the wastebasket and never flushed down the toilets.

Also, suntan oil isn’t particularly welcome on yachts as it stains the teak decking and furniture fabrics, often irreversibly. If you’re unsure about what products are safe to use on board, ask your charter manager for advice or just use the sun products provided on board.

Involving the crew in your activities is up to your discretion.

If you want to have the captain join you for a drink or dinner, don’t hesitate to ask. Please don’t be offended if the captain declines your offer: running a yacht is a time-consuming business, and captains will often be operating the yacht during the night and accordingly need to rest at unusual hours. While it is always hugely appreciated when guests invite the crew along for a dive or shore excursion, they sometimes have to say no due to time constraints.

Tell a crew member if you’re planning to go for a swim or leave the yacht.

Generally, crew will keep an eye on guests, but if you don’t see anyone around when you’re about to launch off the swim platform for your pre-breakfast swim, please go and find someone and let them know your plans. Superyachts are very safe, but only because the crew make them so. Your crew will be aware of ocean currents, weather warnings, jellyfish alerts, and busy shipping channels that you may not know about.

The crew also will have been briefed on the security situation ashore, such as whether there are pickpockets about or if certain areas are safe after dark, so please use their knowledge to ensure that you have a fabulous and safe trip. If you are in a foreign country, test your phone service before going ashore or you can inquire with the captain about local SIM cards and/or mobile phones available for guest use.

Don’t forget there are still laws at sea.

Some charter guests have made the mistake of thinking that drifting away from land gives them carte blanche to engage in certain illegal recreational activities. This is not the case. If the activity is illegal, the crew simply cannot allow it to continue onboard, otherwise the yacht can be seized by the authorities and the captain risks losing his license.

Smoke respectfully.

Very few charter yachts these days allow smoking inside, but most yachts allow smoking on designated areas on an outside deck. Find out from your charter manager what the rules are on your chosen yacht regarding smoking, and if you do smoke on deck, try to make sure the smoke doesn’t blow back on other guests or into the yacht’s interior.

If you’re unhappy with something, tell the captain.

New charterers often don’t realize the strict chain of command on a yacht, so they might complain to a junior stew about the service, or to a deckhand about an uncomfortable night’s sleep. To keep things simple: if you’re unhappy about something, the captain is always the person you should speak with.

The captain will come and talk to you each morning around breakfast time to discuss the day’s itinerary, so please use this opportunity to raise any issues so they can be immediately resolved. If for any reason the captain is not amenable to your suggestion, please call your charter broker so they can resolve the problem for you.

Know the tipping protocol.

Leaving a gratuity is standard practice on most superyacht charters — assuming that you’re happy with the service. Industry standard generally ranges between 10% and 20% of the charter fee, but your charter broker can advise you further in this regard if you’re unsure.

This may seem like rather a lot of suggestions on etiquette for your first superyacht charter, but these very same “rules” will help make yachting the special and completely unique experience that it is. If you have any questions whatsoever, please give us a call to discuss them.