Boatbookings Review - Is It Worth It? [Full Breakdown]
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Boatbookings
Boatbookings is a yacht charter broker service that lets you feel like kings and queens on boats you don’t have to own.
It’s a service that helps you plan the perfect boat trip by decreasing costs and increasing fun.
Their reps use their extensive knowledge and wisdom of the charter industry to create a tailor-made boat trip that fits your travel goals and budget — saving you both money and time.
About the Company
Boatbookings, made in 2005, brought together the sailing industry’s leading professionals. Their goal is to deliver world-class yacht chartering experiences to people around the world.
Using their insider knowledge of the sailing industry, they’ve consistently delivered an exceptional level of service to customers worldwide.
Today, Boatbookings is one of the most visited yacht charter websites. It has the largest selection of available boats and an extensive content library to introduce customers to the world of chartering.
Boatbookings Review
Before my introduction to the charter industry, I was under the impression that yachts were something only the rich and famous could enjoy. Boatbookings’ extensive content library taught me otherwise.
In my Boatbookings review, I show you the ins and outs of Boatbookings.
Having scoured the website for every piece of relevant information I could find, my ultimate goal was to find out whether Boatbookings is worth your hard-earned money or not.
Let’s get started.
Boatbookings Reviews
To begin this review, it’s probably best if we start with a perspective besides my own.
It’s important to know that not every experience is the same, which is why I’ve combed the web for verified customer reviews, determined to see what other customers have to say about Boatbookings.
So far, the Boatbookings reviews I’ve seen have stayed consistently pleasant.
Website Reviews
Here’s what users are saying on their website’s testimonials page:
Altesse and Boatbookings provided the perfect BVI charter for my family and friends. Richard, you are simply superb and brilliant at working out the best itinerary and plan for the trip. You listened to my suggestions, pushed back or provided alternatives when necessary and got my boys involved in the sailing, which was great. Sarah, you are an extraordinary chef and organizer and kept everyone happy while managing complex logistics such as a lobster dinner for 11 on Anegada. The perfect BVI charter. Thanks again!!
Eight passengers and a great, great crew. Seven days of beautiful scenery, blue Caribbean waters, picturesque islands, exciting sailing trips and delicious meals. Time passed too quickly but every second was relaxing and enjoyable. This is what makes a vacation special - great times with friends and family on a world-class sailing yacht with a warm and highly attentive crew. We`re already looking forward to our next time aboard Thalima!
We had a family and friends tandem charter - of all ages: 10-year-old, 20s, 40s and 50s! Blue Moon and a skippered catamaran. Captain Ning is fabulous as Captain, as well as managing an itinerary to please all ages and the other Captain. Everything was possible including buying fresh fish at local prices - out at sea and hosting the most delicious meals for both boats! Recommend bringing along a Masseuse too! Every one of us had a memorable holiday.
All good reviews!
But then again, websites tend to hide the bad reviews from their website. So let’s look at verified customer reviews on other platforms.
Facebook Reviews
On their Facebook page, Boatbookings is rated 4.6 out of 5 stars. There’s only 10 reviews on there, and the last one was 2 years ago.
The only 2 reviews which rated below 5 stars didn’t say anything at all. But the majority of the ratings are pretty positive.
Facebook Reviews: 4.6 out of 5 stars
Here’s what users on Facebook are saying about Boatbookings:
The service from the moment we made our request to the day we left was second to none. Our Broker held our hand throughout and made fantastic recommendations throughout to ensure a fantastic experience. The yacht was perfect, the crew delightful and the food onboard even better. I couldn’t recommend Boatbookings highly enough.
Rehab is an excellent yacht, with an even better crew. Our charter was superb from start to finish, with all transfers and provisions accounted for. Our table at Nikki beach was perfect. To say our expectations for the day were exceeded would be an understatement.
Competent yacht charter brokers who really go the extra mile to reach an exceptional level of service
Anna coordinated and assisted me with all of the preparation for our day trip from Antibes to St Tropez. Our captains Thomas and Cristophe were fabulous! Lunch at Club 55 and Anjuna, both suggested and booked by Anna will never be forgotten. Thank you, Anna, for making our holiday memorable. I highly recommend Anna and Bootbooking.
We just got these reviews straight from their official Facebook page’s Reviews tab. If you want, you can check those out yourself.
Boatbookings Locations
Boatbookings Locations: On the homepage, you can hover over the Destinations tab to see this list of destinations. Click on one to learn more about it.
With Boatbookings, you can cruise anywhere it’s legal. But they do have a detailed list of destinations for you to choose from.
On their homepage, you’ll see the Destinations tab which lists some of their most popular destinations. You can click on whichever one to learn more about that destination.
They also have a comprehensive, detailed destination guide that covers everything you need to know about their destinations. The guides are complete with pictures, descriptions, and valuable advice.
If you’d like to visit their office, you can find them in Fort Lauderdale, London, and Cannes.
Boat Rental Process
Boatbookings’ main business is finding you the perfect boat for your travel goals and budget.
Here, I’ll walk you through the whole process of renting a boat through Boatbookings from start to finish.
Searching Yacht Charters
Searching yacht charters on Boatbookings is smooth sailing.
The first thing you’ll see on the homepage is the search widget. It has 3 boxes: your desired destination, crew type, and boat type.
Choosing a Destination
Choosing a Destination: Cruise anywhere in the world. Just pick a destination you like.
In the destination box, you can just type in any destination you like, since you can cruise anywhere in the world (anywhere it’s legal, that is).
You can type in the name of an entire country, a region, or even a specific island or port.
Whichever you type in, you will see results pop up in the resulting dropdown. From there, you can click on your desired destination.
If whatever you typed isn’t in their database, it’ll show you this:
Choosing a Destination: Apparently, “The Moon” is not available as a destination.
They have a decent database of countries and ports, but their search widget isn’t very advanced. So if you make a spelling mistake or you’re not sure where you want to go, you won’t get any relevant results.
Because of this, I recommend just typing in a country to see all the listings there. On the next page, you’ll have a chance to refine your results using their search filters.
Choosing a Destination: On the next page, you’ll be able to see all of the destinations available in a drop-down list.
The next page shows you a dropdown list that shows all the destinations with available charter yachts.
Using this to browse for listings is much easier than typing in your entire travel bucket list to see if there are listings in that area.
Bit inefficient, but hey. It gets the job done.
Choosing a Crew Type
Choosing a Crew Type: You get to choose between having a crew and doing things on your own.
Next, you have to pick a crew type.
Basically, the crew type is just them asking you whether you want people to help you on the trip or not.
There are 2 crew types you can choose from:
Bareboat charters are yacht rentals where you hire just the yacht and not the crew. Bit unusual to hear about for the first time, but bareboat charters are an awesome thing to try if you’re qualified.
In a bareboat charter, you’re in charge of everything from navigation, sailing, mooring, and safety.
You’ll need a relevant certification for it, but the freedom in bareboat chartering versus crewed chartering is like no other.
Crewed charters are yacht rentals where you hire both the yacht and the crew. The crew takes care of maintenance, sailing, cooking, cleaning, and navigation, and they’re typically experts in the region where you’ll be chartering.
Sometimes the crews are husband/wife teams who own the boat and charter full-time, and sometimes they’re fully-trained, professional crews.
On Super Yachts, crews are massive, and everyone has their own set of tasks and responsibilities. Crews on most large yachts typically have certifications for their respective roles.
If you’re new to sailing, you’ll have no choice but to go for a crewed charter.
Going for a bareboat charter on your first ever cruise will definitely be an adventure like no other — but it also might just be your last!
If you have friends with the right certifications, definitely try bareboat chartering.
But for the simplicity of this review, let’s assume you’re new and are looking specifically for a crewed charter.
Choosing a Boat Type
The last thing you’ll need to choose is the type of boat you want to charter. You have 3 options to choose from:
Sailing yacht
Catamaran
Motor yacht
Choosing a Boat Type: The sailing yacht — clean, calm, and homely. The perfect vessel for someone learning the ropes.
Sailing yachts are great for smaller families and couples. They typically have less space, tighter cabins, and a smaller kitchen (called the galley).
Of course, this means that bigger families will feel a bit cramped in these smaller vessels.
And since they’re smaller, sailing yachts are usually less stable than other boat types. This is nothing to be afraid of, since boats do tend to lean with the wind (a phenomenon called heeling).
The point is, sailing yachts tend to be harsher on people with seasickness because of the more frequent rocking.
But because they’re much smaller than the other two types, sailing yachts can be more affordable.
So if you’re on a tight budget but want to experience the luxury of a yacht (or perhaps even learn to sail), then a sailing yacht is probably what you want.
Choosing a Boat Type: The trusty catamaran — strong, stable, and very spacious. Perfect for large gatherings like corporate retreats.
Catamarans, sometimes called cats, are perfect for large groups and families. You can recognize them immediately from their iconic, 2-hull design.
These 2 parallel hulls of equal size are there for maintaining the boat’s stability by absorbing any wave that comes their way, which means the catamaran is the perfect boat for people with seasickness.
They also tend to have wider beams, which usually means there is more space both inside and outside the vessel.
There’s plenty of stuff to do aboard a catamaran, and plenty of places for anyone in the group to hang out. This makes catamarans great for celebrations, retreats, and parties because of how much space there often is.
Choosing a Boat Type: The motor yacht — built for speed, luxury, and comfort. Heaven at sea.
Motor yachts are faster, grander, and infinitely more comfortable than the other 2 types.
These are typically thought of as inaccessible luxuries, only available to A-list celebrities. Sometimes that’s true, but not all motor yachts are inaccessibly expensive.
That said, motor yachts are definitely more expensive than sailing yachts and catamarans of the same class, which is why I only recommend motor yachts for super special occasions such as honeymoons, marriage proposals, or special birthday parties.
Refining Search Results
Now that you’ve put in your desired destination, crew type, and boat type, you can refine your search results to get more relevant results.
You can do this using the search filters.
Refining Search Results: For more relevant results, specify your needs using the search filters.
You can click each dropdown list to get more specific listings.
Here’s what you can modify:
Destination
Number of cabins
Boat type
Crew type
Boat length
Booking a Boat
Booking a Boat: Click on details to learn more about that specific charter.
To book a boat, all you have to do is click Details on any yacht listing. You’ll be taken to the page of that yacht where you’ll see the costs and what kind of amenities it includes.
Booking a Boat: Once you’ve set your eyes on a nice boat, make a Quick Enquiry.
Once you’ve decided on a yacht you like, fill up the Quick Enquiry form and click Let’s Go. From there, you’ll get to talk to a rep and they’ll help you with everything you need.
For a more detailed guide on how to use the service, check out their official guide.
Boatbookings Fees & Insurance
All the costs you’ll incur while using Boatbookings will be listed out on the website and in every proposal. They’re very transparent with this stuff, which is great.
Here are some of the fees you may incur:
Charter fees. This fee covers the boat, charts/maps, and a dingy/tender. Sometimes there’s a linen fee and there’s usually a mandatory cleaning fee which costs anywhere from $50 to $175.
Berth fees. This is the boat equivalent of a parking fee. If you don’t really like being at sea in the middle of the night, you can berth your boat at a dock for a calmer night and step in and out of the boat anytime you like.
Mooring fees. Mooring is very similar to berthing, except you aren’t parked at a designated spot on the dock. When moored, your boat is anchored instead of secured to the dock. You’ll need to pay for this as well.
Charter security deposit. Standard practice. You pay them a deposit. If you break anything on the boat, you don’t get it back. If you don’t break anything, you receive the deposit in full.
Security deposit insurance. If you do break something, you can sometimes insure against the loss of your security deposit. This will cost about $120.
Travel insurance. If, for some reason, you aren’t able to commit to your charter, you can protect yourself against loss. This is a nice security measure that helps you out if anything bad happens, such as sickness, missed flights, work commitments, or bad weather.
Typically, charters cost more during high season around mid-December to March. During those times, you can expect to pay about 10% more than you would during low season.
Boatbookings Discount Code
Pros and Cons of Boatbookings
Here’s a summary of what I think about Boatbookings where I list the pros and cons of the service.
Pros
Save hundreds of dollars
Whether booking a charter on your own can save you money — is debatable. Yes, you can learn about the industry with 2 or 3 full days of research, but you would still not have the connections and experience to match the savings available to a well-established charter broker. You can save hundreds of dollars with a broker since they’ll know the best deals on the market.
Save days of research and inquiry calls
In addition to saving money using a charter broker, you’ll also get to save a much more valuable resource — time. A broker will know exactly what you need, so booking through a knowledgeable broker will save you days of sifting through the thousands of boat charters available on the net.
Unbiased information and help
Another option you have is to avoid a broker and contact the skipper on your own. The advantage of that is that you can save money by not having to pay a broker — the disadvantage is that the skipper will likely be very biased when talking about their own services. Boatbookings’ charter brokers are third-parties that give you honest, unbiased information and advice to ensure a fun trip.
Very affordable
The cool thing about Boatbookings is how affordable it is. Boatbookings makes boat renting as accessible as just renting an RV or a hotel room. The price of each boat varies wildly, but there are enough listings to make sure you can find one in your budget.
Simple user interface
The website’s user interface makes it very easy to do what you want to do. A lot of the information is presented up-front, which is great for minimizing the effort needed to book a boat.
Everything is done for you
The point of Boatbookings is simplifying your experience with chartering yachts, and they do this excellently. Their brokers hold your hand throughout to ensure you a fantastic experience. If you’re clueless about the cruising industry, they can make recommendations based on your interests and budget. Once you’ve made up your mind, they’ll book everything for you. Easy as that.
Cons
Search feature can be improved
Plenty of websites in different niches offer similar services to Boatbookings, yet somehow Boatbookings has not caught up in the user experience (UX) department. Plenty of features can be added to simplify the search feature and almost (if not completely) eliminate the need for so much back-and-forth between the user and broker.
No mobile app
Other similar services in different niches already have their own app. Adding an app would make Boatbookings just a bit more accessible, especially when on the go.
Boatbookings Review: The final verdict.
Is Boatbookings worth it?
We think Boatbookings is definitely worth the money.
What I like best about Boatbookings is how accessible it makes boat renting. Many people (including us before finding Boatbookings) think of yachts as only a “rich and famous” kind of thing.
But it’s not.
Boatbookings not only makes yacht renting accessible for people with smaller budgets but makes the process extremely simple as well. Their brokers go above and beyond to deliver exceptional quality service.
The boat rental process is also extremely simple.
The search filters make it incredibly easy to find relevant listings. It can definitely be improved, though. It would be nice to know which specific amenities or rules a charter has — features that rental marketplaces like Airbnb, Outdoorsy, RVshare, and RVezy have long since had.
That said, provided you know what you’re looking for, you can still find a relevant listing in 5 minutes.
If you’re new to boats and chartering them, though, their content library has an incredibly detailed selection of content you can read through to guide you through the process.
They cover everything you need to know there about chartering a yacht and much more.
If you haven’t experienced the holidays on a boat before, Boatbookings is an awesome way to try it out.
Boatbookings FAQs
How much does chartering a yacht cost?
It depends on a lot of factors such as the boat size, boat type, crew type, destination, and a lot more. A sailing boat, for example, can cost you anywhere from $3,000 to $200,000. Prices vary wildly, and it can be hard to know which charter is right for you. I recommend letting Boatbookings make a custom plan for you. To get started, fill out this form.
Which boat type is right for me?
If you’re on a tight budget with a decent size family, there are some very affordable but quality sailing yachts available on Boatbookings. If you’ve got a pretty large family, a sailing yacht can feel cramped, so I recommend going with a Catamaran. If you’re celebrating something super special like a honeymoon, proposal, or birthday and aren’t afraid to spend a bit more, a motor yacht can give you the ultimate experience.