Experiences
A yacht of your own
A charter puts a yacht and its crew at your disposal for the week. You choose the coves, the hours and the table, and the captain plans the passage around them.
In summer: the Balearics, the French Riviera, Italy, Croatia, Greece and Turkey. In winter: the Caribbean, the Indian Ocean and South East Asia. For a family who sails, a catamaran with or without a skipper; for everyone else, a fully crewed yacht, from a few cabins to a superyacht.
So that nothing surprises you, this is how the cost works. The charter fee covers the yacht, its crew and its insurance. Fuel, food, drink and berthing come from an advance held by the captain, usually 25 to 40 per cent of the fee, accounted for at the end, with any balance returned. VAT is usually charged on top, and the crew's gratuity is customarily 10 to 20 per cent.
Journeys on the water
Alaska Ice, Hawaiian Fire: Glaciers and bears in Alaska, then volcanoes and beaches in Hawaii. 11 nights, United States.
Antarctica, Flying to the Peninsula: Seven nights from Punta Arenas, flying to King George Island and spending five nights aboard a small expedition ship off the Antarctic Peninsula. Seven nights, Chile, Antarctica.
Athens, the Peloponnese and Santorini: Ancient sites, a Peloponnese hilltop and the caldera in eight nights. Eight nights, Greece.
Lošinj and the Kvarner Islands: Five quiet nights on Lošinj, among pine woods, harbours and resident dolphins. Six nights, Croatia.
Oslo and the Norwegian Fjords: Oslo's museums, then the fjords of Sunnmøre by boat and on foot. Six nights, Norway.
Outback, Rainforest and Reef: Australia's great landscapes in 12 nights, for a first visit. 12 nights, Australia.
Raja Ampat by Private Yacht: Nine nights among the reefs and karst islands of Raja Ampat, from Sorong and back. Nine nights, Indonesia.
Copenhagen, Stockholm and Oslo: Three Scandinavian capitals in nine nights, with museums opened after hours. Nine nights, Denmark, Sweden, Norway.
Singapore, Bali, Komodo and Java: Singapore, then Ubud, two nights under sail in Komodo National Park, and the temples of Central Java. 11 nights, Singapore, Indonesia.
Versailles and Paris, Privately: Two nights in the grounds of Versailles, then three in Paris. Five nights, France.
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When you’re ready