St. Maarten, Antigua or Bust

This December yacht brokers will have a tough decision to make, between the Antigua and St. Maarten Charter Yacht Shows. In a recent press release, MYBA announced the acquisition of the St. Maarten Charter Yacht show. The show will be managed by both MYBA and the St. Maarten Marine Trades Association (SMMTA), and will proudly wear the new title of the MYBA St. Maarten Charter Show. The exhibition show is scheduled to run December 4-8, 2007.

This announcement leaves many brokers with the difficult decision of which show they will attend if not both. The St. Maarten show is only in its third year and has received a great amount of criticism from the yachting community for having a weak turnout in the past. Last year the show exhibited less than 30 boats. Since MYBA has stepped in, the brokerage community is expecting MYBA to bring the St. Maarten event up to the caliber of its sister show in Genoa which has been a huge success.

The St. Maarten Show will overlap the Antigua Show although it has been set to run December 5-10, 2007 for some time. The Antigua show will be held at three venues this year, Nelson's Dockyard Marina in English Harbour, the Falmouth Harbour Marina and the Antigua Yacht Club Marina both located in Falmouth Harbour. Antigua has been the most highly anticipated charter show in the Caribbean in past years. It has always been timed perfectly before the official tourist season and the Falmouth marina makes room for only charter boats during the show. St. Maarten has been criticized for being small, but if Fort Lauderdale can continue to make space every year than St.Maarten will surely be able to make it work despite their late start this year.

Time is money and brokers will need to decide which show will be worth their time. Antigua Yacht Charter show has been confirmed for some time now, locking in brokerages such as Camper Nicholsons in place. While they and other brokers are remaining loyal to their commitment to the Antigua show, the overlapping of the events is causing a major controversy.

Large brokerage houses are able to attend both shows but the smaller brokerages can’t afford the costs of participating or the time away from their offices. Since MYBA’s announcement that the shows will be overlapping, attending both shows will pose a challenge to most brokers. Should the South Florida brokers shell out the investment to see the same boats they are probably going to come across in October at the Fort Lauderdale Show?

With the winter Caribbean Yacht Charter and Tourism season beginning December 15 it is likely that MYBA may not have had a choice but to schedule the show for those dates. After December 15, many of the resorts and marinas begin charging high season rates. Either way, this year’s Caribbean Yacht Charter Shows should be exciting. It will be interesting to see what MYBA has planned for St. Maarten in the future.

Tips for a Luxury Yacht Charter Vacation

· What type of Yacht Charter Vacation do you want?

Exactly what kind of get away are you planning for? Will this be a corporate event, featuring business and pleasure, a romantic honeymoon vacation or a family vacation? What sort of activities do you have in mind for the trip?All of these details will help you narrow down what type of boat and the region you will want to explore.

· When do you want to go on your Luxury Yacht Charter Vacation?

Timing is everything. If you know the exact dates you want to book, planning and logistics will be much easier to accommodate. Certain times of the year are better for certain parts of the world than others. During the summer months the winds are most favorable in New England, Alaska and the Mediterranean. During the winter months the most enjoyable vacation charters are in the Caribbean. Also if you are looking to book near the holidays or for a particular large event, you will probably need to book early as charters are very popular during those times.

· Where is your Luxury Yacht Charter Vacation going to take you?

If you can choose the region or country that you wish to travel to and how long you plan to stay, E Yacht Charter can offer several detailed itineraries to take you exactly where you want to go. This may influence when you charter and the duration of your vacation.

· Who will be in your party?

If this is a romantic get away, how many couples where there be? Will you be hosting an event or arranging a summer vacation with the kids? Knowing exactly the number of people in your party will be a key factor in choosing the right boat. EYC has thousands of luxury charter yachts to choose from, if you know how many state rooms you will need we can narrow down your choices. Also, if you know about the people in the party and their individual interests we can design an itinerary to meet all requests and include activities for everyone.

· How much are you willing to budget for the entire Luxury Yacht Charter Vacation?

It is important to have a general idea for your budget. This will be instrumental in choosing the duration, destination, and the type of Yacht you wish to charter. Don’t forget that provisioning; food, beverages and crew are all in addition to the cost of the charter and insurance.

· Which Style Yacht Charter Vacation would you prefer?

Depending on the duration and where you choose to vacation, what type of Charter are you looking for. Would you like to have a Crewed Charter with an experienced captain and a stew to wait on you? Or would you prefer to be your own captain and have an adventure with just you and your party in the boat of your dreams with a Bare-boat Charter. Also do you prefer a power motor yacht or a large sailboat?

· Did you do your homework?

Once you have answered the whom, what and where, do some research and narrow down the choices. E Yacht Charter will only offer you highly recommended vessels that we have personally inspected and have an experienced crew but feel free to ask questions and do your own research. We also have fantastic references from past clients who have written to us about the success and pleasure of their past luxury yacht charter vacation. Contacting past charterers, may give you some more insight and recommendations as to the details of your charter vacation. Explore all of your options and know what you want.

· Have you considered all of the details?

E Yacht Charter has a team of seasoned professionals who specialize in provisioning and the logistics for your vacation. We take great pride in your party’s happiness and will only consider the best for our clients. We take pleasure in handling all details so that you can enjoy. If you have any particular requests we will do our very best to accommodate any and all of your needs. A full menu, provisioning sheet and captain itinerary will be presented for your approval,

ALL ABOARD! Put on your sunglasses and step aboard for some champagne to celebrate the vacation of a lifetime! When nothing but the best will do, a luxury yacht charter vacation will be perfectly suited for you!

Learn more about our Luxury Yacht Charter Vacation at http://www.eyachtcharter.com/