What to Pack When Hiring a Yacht for a Luxury Vacation

Privacy, luxury and world-class fun in the sun. Imagine of all this on the water in exotic destinations around the world including the Caribbean and Mediterranean. This is luxury yachting; the best way to enjoy a private getaway on the water. 

While the blessed few are seasoned at chartering a luxury yacht and know exactly what they need to have on hand for their time aboard, it can be hard to know where to start if you’re new to the world of yach t charters and hiring a yacht for the first time.

Here’s our grab bag of must-haves direct from the captain’s deck, so you know you’re set to sail before you even step aboard.

Travel Documents

Yachts, just like planes, can cross international borders and if you’re planning to dock at foreign countries, you’ll need your passport and any supporting travel documents. It sounds obvious, but it’s surpr ising how easy it can be to forget when it’s the marina you’re heading to rather than the airport. 

Don’t get too concerned over travel visas and international travel requirements – we’ll communicate with you on these early and often to ensure everything is well and truly in place before you’re off and sai ling.

Clothes (For Seasons You Weren’t Expecting)

There’s nothing better than spending time on deck when you’re away on a luxury yacht charter. The sun is often out, the water is often glistening and life is always good. But the weather can at times be a li ttle unpredictable. What the weather is doing onshore is often remarkably different to what it’s doing further out to sea. It’s important to keep this in mind when you’re setting up your wardrobe for your trip.

Consider some layers that can be dressed up and dressed down for all occasions (it is a luxury yacht charter, after all!), but also fo r all seasons. It’s common to see a shower or two through the summer in some parts of the world, and nights at sea will often cool down in terms of temperature than what you’ll typically see on land. Have a few extra pieces that are easy to mix and match with your wardrobe staples and take one heavier sweater or wrap to wear on the deck in the evening when the temperatures drop a few degrees.

We’ve seen some fantastic designers come to market with pieces that are unbelievably flexible in their ability to be dressed up and down based on what you’re doing that day, whether it’s lounging on the deck or checking out the local street markets!

Hats, Sunglasses and Accessories

The water may glisten, but it pays to stay sun safe. The UV rays that come off the water are naturally amplified through the reflection, so first cab off the rank in your accessories wish list should be a hi gh quality hat and some sunglasses. 

Beyond your sunsafe measures we recommend biasing toward lightweight, flexible accessories.

Luggage That’s Fit to Travel

So you’ve got just about everything sorted, but you’re yet to get anything to hold it all! 

When you’re looking at your luggage options, consider soft shell cases. The technology in soft shell cases has come a long way over the years and they can often rival hard shells in terms of durability, but with the added bonus of being a little more malleable if they are ever exposed to sudden movements in-cabin.

The Right Culture-Fit

When finalising your packing, it’s worth reviewing the communities you’re scheduled to visit during your luxury yacht hire. 

Any tours or expeditions you’re planning to take at each stop on your itinerary will afford you the opportunity to engage directly in the local culture, however this also means that different countries, comm unities and regions may have markedly different cultural norms to what you may experience at home. To cater to all requirements it’s worth travelling with something that can provide plenty of skin cover and som e enclosed shoes alongside your hero pieces for that big night out!

Document Your Experience

Travelling with a full crew is incredible. They handle much of the day to day running of your schedule and needs, right down to documenting some of what you get up to on your journey.  

Having said that, there’s nothing better than hanging a picture you caught yourself while in the Mediterranean, so we also recommend travelling with either a smartphone that has some strong photography capab ilities or a basic camera. Waterproof cameras or action cameras (think Go-Pro) are also a great thing to have on hand, particularly if your family or friends are the water toys type – it’s not hard to let a who le day drift away trying to capture that perfect shot off the side of CHAOS.

Hiring Your Luxury Yacht Charter

Hiring a yacht charter is a fun and exciting way to spend a vacation but the planning and booking can be overwhelming. This is where the Ahoy Club experts come in.  The Ahoy Club experience team can help you make important decisions and create unfo rgettable experiences every step of the way. Whether you’re planning an overnight escape in Sydney, a week in the Mediterranean or a month in the Caribbean, we’ll help make it a reality from start to finish.