June 18, 2025 • 17 mins
Episode Overview Join travel advisors Ryan and Julie as they explore the world of yacht vacations - a luxury travel experience that's more accessible than you think! Discover how small vessel cruises offer privacy, flexibility, and exclusive destinations that mega cruise ships can't reach.
What You'll Learn About Yacht Vacations
Types of Yacht Experiences:
- Private charters (book entire yacht and crew)
- Cabin charters (book individual rooms like regular cruises)
- Sailing yachts vs. motor yachts
- Catamarans and small vessel options
Key Benefits:
- Privacy and flexibility with customized itineraries
- Luxury service with personal crew and chef-prepared meals
- Access to exclusive, secluded destinations
- Intimate experience (30-50 guests vs. thousands)
- Family-friendly with water sports and flexible schedules
Popular Yacht Vacation Destinations
Caribbean: Perfect for beginners, shorter trips, access to Grenadines and St. Lucia's smaller ports
Mediterranean: Greece, Croatia, French and Italian Rivieras with handpicked itineraries
Worldwide Options: South Pacific, Adriatic, Americas through luxury travel companies
Pricing & Accessibility
Yacht vacations aren't just for the ultra-wealthy! Pricing comparable to higher-end river cruises or concierge-level cruise experiences. Companies like Riviera, Scenic Ocean Voyages, and Kensington Tours offer various price points.
Planning Tips for Your Yacht Vacation
Timing: Book 12 months in advance due to limited vessel capacity
- Europe peak season: Summer
- Caribbean peak season: Winter
Travel Style Considerations: Perfect for intimate, luxury experiences and multi-generational family trips
Essential Preparations:
- Work with experienced travel advisors
- Purchase comprehensive travel insurance
- Consider weather factors and remote destinations
- Match destination to optimal travel seasons
What to Expect Onboard
Spacious cabins with large windows, personalized service, flexible activity schedules, gourmet dining experiences, and casual dress codes. Life slows down while luxury amenities elevate your experience.
Featured Travel Partners: Kensington Tours, Riviera River Cruises, Scenic Ocean Voyages
Ready to explore yacht vacation options? Contact Wonder and Beyond Travel for personalized planning assistance.
Next Episode: Airport navigation tips for families and travelers
Keywords: yacht vacation, luxury travel, small ship
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Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
ryan_2_06-01-2025_202031 (00:05):
Hello and welcome to All Things
Travel.
Today we're diving into a typeof vacation that blends luxury,
adventure, and complete freedomyachting travel.
Have you ever dreamed of wakingup to turquoise waters hopping
off your private yacht into aquiet harbor village, and dining
under the stars on the deck withno other travelers in sight?
(00:26):
Yacht, vacations make this dreama reality, and it may be more
accessible than you think.
j_1_06-01-2025_202031 (00:32):
Listen in with travel advisors and
destination experts, Ryan andJulie.
He is your travel professorteaching you everything you need
to know to have a magicalvacation.
And I am a Disney lovingMaryland mom of three and a
specialist and family travel.
Whether we're discussingincredible destinations, top
vacation tips are sharingpersonal stories.
(00:53):
It's always all things travel.
ryan_2_06-01-2025_202031 (00:57):
Julie, how are you doing this week?
j_1_06-01-2025_202031 (01:00):
We are doing good.
as my email said today, businessis booming.
We are moving right along.
we are in summer,
ryan_2_06-01-2025_202031 (01:08):
Yes, yes.
j_1_06-01-2025_202031 (01:09):
up for summer home with my children.
ryan_2_06-01-2025_202031 (01:12):
very nice.
Well, I am working on, differenttravel itineraries.
I've got folks going toUniversal.
I've got folks that are fallingin love with Disney Cruise Line,
so they're wanting to do moreand more Disney Cruise line.
I've got all sorts of stuffgoing on.
I'm working with folks that aregoing to Switzerland.
lots of good stuff.
And personally, I got a puppy.
(01:35):
Jasmine and I went to Ohio thispast week and picked up the
puppy that we adopted, her nameis Nala and she is a teddy bear
dog, and she is an itty bittylittle thing.
I don't think we were preparedfor how small she is.
j_1_06-01-2025_202031 (01:51):
really?
ryan_2_06-01-2025_202031 (01:52):
Yes.
So we spent all this money,
j_1_06-01-2025_202031 (01:54):
to get?
ryan_2_06-01-2025_202031 (01:55):
her parents are 12 pounds.
j_1_06-01-2025_202031 (01:57):
Oh
ryan_2_06-01-2025_202031 (01:57):
So, she'll stay pretty small.
I was joking.
Today I am like, we spent, afair amount of money on toys in
preparation for her.
And her favorite toys thus farare a pine cone and a balloon.
j_1_06-01-2025_202031 (02:08):
I also did not think that my dog was
going to get large, and he iscurrently 70 pounds.
ryan_2_06-01-2025_202031 (02:13):
He is a big dog.
Yes.
We're having a good time.
we're figuring each other out.
And she is, you know, she, shecan be a little sassy.
She can be a little bity, but,that's, it's all good.
j_1_06-01-2025_202031 (02:25):
And this is like day two.
ryan_2_06-01-2025_202031 (02:27):
Day two.
j_1_06-01-2025_202031 (02:28):
when Ryan was going to pick her up, I was
like, don't do it just becausemy dog's a pest, but that's
okay.
ryan_2_06-01-2025_202031 (02:34):
You know what, it was a four hour
ride home.
We had no trouble on the ridehome.
Two nights in, she slept theentire night.
So we're doing okay.
I don't want to jinx myself, butwe're doing okay.
j_1_06-01-2025_202031 (02:46):
my 7-year-old dog doesn't even
sleep all night.
He just barks for no reason.
ryan_2_06-01-2025_202031 (02:51):
Well then it sounds like you need a
vacation, Julie.
And you know what type ofvacation would be great.
we're gonna talk about yachtingvacations today, and I am super
excited because this is a veryunique type of vacation and
something not a lot of peoplethink they can do.
And you can do it.
It is more economical than youthink.
(03:12):
It is more accessible than youthink.
So we are gonna break it downtoday, but before we do that, if
you did not listen to ourconversation last week about
Epic Universe, my son wasactually on the podcast with us,
we talk all about Epic and thereis a ton to talk about.
All right, so what is a yachtvacation?
when we talk about yachtvacations, we're really talking
(03:34):
about small vessel cruises andthey can be a variety of things.
you can have a private charterwhere you book the whole yacht
and crew, you can have a cabincharter, which is more common
than you think, where you're oneither a sailing yacht or a
motor yacht.
And you basically have a roomjust like on a regular cruise.
j_1_06-01-2025_202031 (03:54):
Mm-hmm.
ryan_2_06-01-2025_202031 (03:55):
and then there's options ranging
from full sailing to catamarans,all sorts of things.
So really, there's a variety ofways to quote unquote yacht.
but each type is intimate,customized, and really a far cry
from that mega cruise shipexperience that we enjoy, but is
very different from what we'retalking about today.
j_1_06-01-2025_202031 (04:17):
Yes,
ryan_2_06-01-2025_202031 (04:18):
So Julie, why would folks want to
start thinking about thisvacation?
j_1_06-01-2025_202031 (04:23):
I think one of the first things is the
privacy and the flexibility thatit can give you.
You can really customize thatitinerary to your interest, It's
a smaller group, so if the groupwants to spend more time in
ryan_2_06-01-2025_202031 (04:37):
Yep.
j_1_06-01-2025_202031 (04:37):
You also have that privacy because it's
such a small group on the yacht.
think when you're on a cruiseship.
You walk out of your room, yougo up to the pool deck, and
there are just.
ryan_2_06-01-2025_202031 (04:52):
Yes.
j_1_06-01-2025_202031 (04:52):
gonna be like that on your yacht
vacation.
You also are gonna experiencesome luxury level service.
There's gonna be a personalcrew, chef prepared meals and
top tier amenities on board.
You know, you're not gonna havethings like laser tag and big
water slides, so if that's yourvibe, stick with Royal
(05:12):
Caribbean.
But if you want this moreintimate luxury experience, this
is the way to go.
You're also gonna be able totravel to more exclusive
destinations.
So think like some secludedbeaches, quieter villages,
natural wonders that those largeships cannot port at.
I know I have.
(05:34):
that were sailing on a princesscruise to the Mediterranean
recently.
and one of the ports got nixedfrom their itinerary because the
ship was too big to fit into theport.
the itinerary changed about.
three months before travel.
it's a well-known thing thatthis port is too hard to get to.
It's a port in Montenegro and itwas beautiful.
(05:55):
The excursions they had bookedwere just beautiful.
they did get to go somewhereelse in Montenegro.
We were able to do a similarexcursion, that just shows you,
if you were on a smaller vesselit would be so much easier to
access those smaller downs.
ryan_2_06-01-2025_202031 (06:06):
And the good thing is we have
several, suppliers that offerthese types of vacations.
Some you've heard about on thispodcast, others you haven't.
Kensington has a yacht program.
We've talked a lot aboutKensington on this podcast.
Riviera River Cruises has ayacht program where you are
either chartering the entireship or doing a.
(06:27):
Cabin charter scenic.
Ocean Voyages has a luxury yachtthat, you can charter, but
mostly think of it as a smallercruise ship.
that just looks amazing.
It looks a lot of fun.
So we're gonna be talking about,These, suppliers that we work
with throughout our conversationtoday.
to dispel some rumors when wetalk about yachting, some quick
(06:50):
facts.
Is this only for the superwealthy?
Not at all.
our friends from Riviera andScenic offer small ship yacht
experiences, really, that are aprice point to a higher end
river cruise.
not inexpensive, but notprobably the price point that
you're thinking about.
j_1_06-01-2025_202031 (07:08):
even like a concierge level
ryan_2_06-01-2025_202031 (07:10):
yes,
j_1_06-01-2025_202031 (07:11):
ship, right?
ryan_2_06-01-2025_2 (07:12):
absolutely.
if you're doing that level ofsailing, this falls within your
price point.
What about seasickness?
Julie?
j_1_06-01-2025_202031 (07:21):
So most of the routes you're
ryan_2_06-01-2025_202031 (07:22):
I.
j_1_06-01-2025_202031 (07:23):
go on with your itinerary hug the
coastal waters that are gonna bea lot calmer.
and the yachts are gonna stillbe stabilized.
you're not gonna have a lot ofmotion.
Those stabilizers are gonnareduce the motion.
I wouldn't be worried aboutgetting
ryan_2_06-01-2025_202031 (07:36):
Yeah.
Is yachting a family friendlyvacation?
Absolutely.
One, because it's very flexibleabout what you want, and what
you're interested in, but alsothink of the water sports and
smaller shore excursions yourkids can really be immersed the
way they need to be immersed.
having a.
Crew catering to you means thetype of food that you want, and
(07:59):
schedule you want.
most people think, well, I can'tgo on a sailing yacht'cause I
don't know how to sail.
I can't do a catamaran trip.
Well, unless you specificallylook for those types of cruises,
they don't want you to be theones sailing.
They have a full crew that ismore than capable
j_1_06-01-2025_202031 (08:16):
Yeah.
ryan_2_06-01-2025_202031 (08:16):
So Julie.
j_1_06-01-2025_202031 (08:17):
you.
ryan_2_06-01-2025_202031 (08:17):
So Julie, let's talk about popular
destination when it comes tocruising, and probably the first
one people think about the most.
j_1_06-01-2025_202031 (08:26):
this is gonna be the Caribbean, and this
is the perfect starting point ifyou have not had a yacht
vacation before.
the Caribbean is where everyonestarts with their cruises.
one of the benefits is that itdoesn't have to be a super long
trip.
There's so many places you cango in the Caribbean and it's
easy to access.
Ryan mentioned Scenic cruiseline earlier, so their new
luxury yacht voyages can get tosome of these smaller ports in
(08:50):
the Grenadines, St.
Lucia and beyond.
A lot of times if you're bookingan ocean cruise that's going to
Caribbean, you're going to thesame places.
Everyone's
ryan_2_06-01-2025_202031 (08:57):
Yep.
j_1_06-01-2025_202031 (08:59):
maybe you're going to Jamaica.
ryan_2_06-01-2025_202031 (09:01):
if you're really adventurous,
you're going to the A, B, Cislands.
j_1_06-01-2025_202031 (09:04):
Exactly, but those cruises are kind of
hard to come by if you arealready going to be looking at
that elevated price to go tothose a, b, C type islands, you
may already be in this pricerange to do this yap vacation
and go really immersed and seethese very beautiful
ryan_2_06-01-2025_202031 (09:21):
Yes.
Second is the Mediterranean.
I mean, how cool would it be tosay we're going over to the
Mediterranean and we're gonna goon a yacht vacation?
Julie?
j_1_06-01-2025_202031 (09:32):
That's amazing.
ryan_2_06-01-2025_202 (09:33):
Riviera's yacht cruises, offers handpicked
itineraries in Greece, Croatia,the French and Italian Rivieras.
You have a small ship experiencewith just 30 to 50 guests on
board.
this is really somebody thatwants to have that small ship
experience, but they don't haveeither the resources or the
(09:55):
inclination to charter an entireship.
j_1_06-01-2025_202031 (09:57):
Mm-hmm.
ryan_2_06-01-2025_202031 (09:57):
They can still have that experience
how cool would you feel, youknow, pulling into those ports
that nobody else can get intoand have your Mediterranean
experience on one of theseships.
And then our last option is ourfriends at Kensington, They can
really do whatever you want whenit comes to a private yacht
vacation across the globe.
(10:18):
So thinking of the South Pacificto the Adriatic, even in the
Americas and the Caribbean.
They can really cater completelyto what you want and create the
experience that you're lookingfor.
because they've done it all.
They've done it everywhere.
So that's why we love, somebodylike Kensington Tours so much.
(10:38):
So what should we expect onthese types of vacations?
on a yacht, vacation life reallyslows down.
but you have those high-endamenities.
for instance, on a lot of.
Yachts, your cabin is morespacious than it would be on a
large ship.
the one place where it may notbe is if you're on a true
sailing yacht.
(10:59):
you have large windows, largerooms, large bathrooms.
j_1_06-01-2025_202031 (11:03):
Mm-hmm.
ryan_2_06-01-2025_202031 (11:04):
you have personalized service from
your captain, your crew, yourstewards, your chef.
They get to know you.
your preferences even more sothan on a regular cruise.
You're also gonna haveactivities.
This is not a type of cruisewhere things are gonna be
planned out for you.
But there's always things thatyou could do, like paddle
(11:25):
boring, snorkeling, but a lot oftimes it's gonna be based around
the weather, where you're atlocation wise, and how much you
want to engage in those types ofactivities.
The meals are also where thisreally shines.
not only on the ship, but havingbeach picnics, candlelit dinners
on the deck, themed dinners.
if you're talking about achartered ship where you have
(11:47):
the entire boat, you can dowhatever you want.
they'll make accommodations foryou.
if you have a place wherethere's only 30 passengers on
board, think of thepersonalization that you're
gonna get when it comes todining there's no sense of
having to dress up.
no sense of having to be formalbecause it's your ship.
j_1_06-01-2025_202031 (12:08):
Right.
That sounds amazing.
Wow.
so
ryan_2_06-01-2025_202031 (12:12):
So.
j_1_06-01-2025_202031 (12:12):
talk about a few tips for when you're
thinking about your vacation.
If you think this is in yourfuture, you wanna think about
planning this about a year inadvance.
because the vessels are so muchsmaller, obviously they're not
accommodating as many people,which is a huge perk.
But that also means, there's nota lot of room to book, If you
(12:32):
wanna book a cabin, you onlyhave a couple to choose from
kind of thing.
There's gonna be a couple ofpeak seasons.
So in Europe the peak seasonwill be summer and in the
Caribbean, your peak season willbe winter.
So think about that when you arethinking about that 12 month
window to plan.
ryan_2_06-01-2025_202031 (12:50):
Yep.
j_1_06-01-2025_202031 (12:51):
just, be honest about your travel style.
Are you the type of person whowill enjoy a more intimate
vacation experience?
something more luxury, Is thatgonna make you go crazy after a
couple
ryan_2_06-01-2025_202031 (13:03):
Yeah.
j_1_06-01-2025_202031 (13:03):
not having things to do?
being honest about that I thinkis important as well.
ryan_2_06-01-2025_202031 (13:08):
Well, For the price point of some of
these vacations, are you gonnatake advantage of everything
that a private crew has tooffer?
Or is it better to be in aconcierge club on a larger
cruise ship and have thatexperience?
I think it's really how do yousee your vacation and does a
yachting experience really fitthat.
j_1_06-01-2025_202031 (13:27):
Yeah.
And you know what I think ayacht experience would really
fit is like a multi-gen trip,
ryan_2_06-01-2025_2 (13:33):
Absolutely.
Yeah.
j_1_06-01-2025_202031 (13:35):
you would have enough people potentially
to fill that yacht.
And how amazing would that be tojust have this great boating
experience with just yourfamily?
ryan_2_06-01-2025_202031 (13:44):
Yeah.
Yeah.
The third planning tip is workwith somebody like us, a travel
advisor, because we areconnected to suppliers That can
really help you with thoseexperiences.
at Kensington, Riviera, scenic,who are the players when it
comes to a yacht vacation, andhow can we get the best bang for
our buck, and get the vacationthat we want.
(14:06):
That's our job to help you dothat.
j_1_06-01-2025_202031 (14:08):
We also do not want you to forget about
travel insurance, which isespecially important on this
type of vacation.
Number one, because there's somany weather factors that can
interrupt or delay your trip.
And number two, you're going tomuch more remote destinations.
a lot of times the biggestpushback I get about travel
(14:29):
insurance is we are going onthis trip no matter what.
ryan_2_06-01-2025_202031 (14:32):
Right.
j_1_06-01-2025_202031 (14:32):
if you are exploring one of these more,
secluded beaches and you fall,you break your ankle, there's
not a hospital They may have totake you somewhere.
you really don't wanna pay forthat helicopter ride.
ryan_2_06-01-2025_202031 (14:44):
Yep, absolutely.
And then lastly, just toreiterate, know where the best
place to yacht is for the timeof year that you're going on the
vacation.
just because you want to gothere, it may not be the right
time.
looking ahead, like Julie said,knowing that Winter's perfect
for the Caribbean and Summer'sideal for the Mediterranean and
what that means for your travelschedule.
j_1_06-01-2025_202031 (15:07):
As we wrap up, I have a question for
you When you picture yourself ona yacht vacation, where are you?
What destinations are you goingto?
ryan_2_06-01-2025_202031 (15:17):
I am in Greece
j_1_06-01-2025_202031 (15:20):
Oh.
ryan_2_06-01-2025_202031 (15:20):
I am in some remote Caribbean island.
j_1_06-01-2025_202031 (15:24):
Yeah, Greece was my answer.
Greece or South of France was myanswer.
I don't know if that's partlybecause I associate a yacht
vacation with those areas
ryan_2_06-01-2025_202031 (15:34):
Yeah.
j_1_06-01-2025_202031 (15:35):
I don't know if that makes sense.
ryan_2_06-01-2025_202031 (15:36):
And I think for me, when I think of
the different varieties, I thinka yacht that I'm not chartering
the entire ship.
I think just having a small'cause I've had a small cruise
experience and I really enjoyedthat.
j_1_06-01-2025_202031 (15:48):
Mm-hmm.
ryan_2_06-01-2025_202031 (15:49):
when I sail with Atlas Ocean Voyages in
Greece, That felt like a yacht,even though it was bigger.
but it had that feel.
I like that better than the ideaof chartering a whole ship, I
think.
j_1_06-01-2025_202031 (16:01):
Wow, that sounds amazing.
And you know, if you'relistening to this and you're
like, wow, I never considereddoing a yacht vacation going
around the islands of Greece orthe South of France, or to these
more remote islands in theCaribbean, definitely keep that
on your list of options.
ryan_2_06-01-2025_2 (16:18):
Absolutely.
The world is full of wonder andyour next great adventure is
waiting at Wonder and BeyondTravel.
We work with you to create a oneof a kind journey, taking the
stress off your plate so you canfocus on the joy of exploring
and the memories that will staywith you forever.
If you're ready to startplanning or just want to dream a
(16:39):
little bigger, maybe about ayacht vacation, head over to
Wonder and beyond travel.com.
We would love to help you getstarted.
You can reach out to us atWonder and beyond travel.com.
We look forward to talking toyou next week on All Things
Travel.
When we discuss tips and tricksfor navigating the airport with
(17:00):
kidsYacht, vacations make thisdream a reality, and it may be
more accessible than you think.
Let's raise, anchor, and setsail.
j_1_06-01-2025_202031 (17:14):
Can I not be associated with you
sometimes?
ryan_2_06-01-2025_202031 (17:17):
No, you have to be.
j_1_06-01-2025_202031 (17:19):
Such a dad?
All right.
Hello and welcome to All Things
Travel.
Today we're diving into a typeof vacation that blends luxury,
adventure, and complete freedomyachting travel.
Have you ever dreamed of wakingup to turquoise waters hopping
off your private yacht into aquiet harbor village, and dining
under the stars on the deck withno other travelers in sight?
(00:26):
Yacht, vacations make this dreama reality, and it may be more
accessible than you think.
j_1_06-01-2025_202031 (00:32):
Listen in with travel advisors and
destination experts, Ryan andJulie.
He is your travel professorteaching you everything you need
to know to have a magicalvacation.
And I am a Disney lovingMaryland mom of three and a
specialist and family travel.
Whether we're discussingincredible destinations, top
vacation tips are sharingpersonal stories.
(00:53):
It's always all things travel.
ryan_2_06-01-2025_202031 (00:57):
Julie, how are you doing this week?
j_1_06-01-2025_202031 (01:00):
We are doing good.
as my email said today, businessis booming.
We are moving right along.
we are in summer,
ryan_2_06-01-2025_202031 (01:08):
Yes, yes.
j_1_06-01-2025_202031 (01:09):
up for summer home with my children.
ryan_2_06-01-2025_202031 (01:12):
very nice.
Well, I am working on, differenttravel itineraries.
I've got folks going toUniversal.
I've got folks that are fallingin love with Disney Cruise Line,
so they're wanting to do moreand more Disney Cruise line.
I've got all sorts of stuffgoing on.
I'm working with folks that aregoing to Switzerland.
lots of good stuff.
And personally, I got a puppy.
(01:35):
Jasmine and I went to Ohio thispast week and picked up the
puppy that we adopted, her nameis Nala and she is a teddy bear
dog, and she is an itty bittylittle thing.
I don't think we were preparedfor how small she is.
j_1_06-01-2025_202031 (01:51):
really?
ryan_2_06-01-2025_202031 (01:52):
Yes.
So we spent all this money,
j_1_06-01-2025_202031 (01:54):
to get?
ryan_2_06-01-2025_202031 (01:55):
her parents are 12 pounds.
j_1_06-01-2025_202031 (01:57):
Oh
ryan_2_06-01-2025_202031 (01:57):
So, she'll stay pretty small.
I was joking.
Today I am like, we spent, afair amount of money on toys in
preparation for her.
And her favorite toys thus farare a pine cone and a balloon.
j_1_06-01-2025_202031 (02:08):
I also did not think that my dog was
going to get large, and he iscurrently 70 pounds.
ryan_2_06-01-2025_202031 (02:13):
He is a big dog.
Yes.
We're having a good time.
we're figuring each other out.
And she is, you know, she, shecan be a little sassy.
She can be a little bity, but,that's, it's all good.
j_1_06-01-2025_202031 (02:25):
And this is like day two.
ryan_2_06-01-2025_202031 (02:27):
Day two.
j_1_06-01-2025_202031 (02:28):
when Ryan was going to pick her up, I was
like, don't do it just becausemy dog's a pest, but that's
okay.
ryan_2_06-01-2025_202031 (02:34):
You know what, it was a four hour
ride home.
We had no trouble on the ridehome.
Two nights in, she slept theentire night.
So we're doing okay.
I don't want to jinx myself, butwe're doing okay.
j_1_06-01-2025_202031 (02:46):
my 7-year-old dog doesn't even
sleep all night.
He just barks for no reason.
ryan_2_06-01-2025_202031 (02:51):
Well then it sounds like you need a
vacation, Julie.
And you know what type ofvacation would be great.
we're gonna talk about yachtingvacations today, and I am super
excited because this is a veryunique type of vacation and
something not a lot of peoplethink they can do.
And you can do it.
It is more economical than youthink.
(03:12):
It is more accessible than youthink.
So we are gonna break it downtoday, but before we do that, if
you did not listen to ourconversation last week about
Epic Universe, my son wasactually on the podcast with us,
we talk all about Epic and thereis a ton to talk about.
All right, so what is a yachtvacation?
when we talk about yachtvacations, we're really talking
(03:34):
about small vessel cruises andthey can be a variety of things.
you can have a private charterwhere you book the whole yacht
and crew, you can have a cabincharter, which is more common
than you think, where you're oneither a sailing yacht or a
motor yacht.
And you basically have a roomjust like on a regular cruise.
j_1_06-01-2025_202031 (03:54):
Mm-hmm.
ryan_2_06-01-2025_202031 (03:55):
and then there's options ranging
from full sailing to catamarans,all sorts of things.
So really, there's a variety ofways to quote unquote yacht.
but each type is intimate,customized, and really a far cry
from that mega cruise shipexperience that we enjoy, but is
very different from what we'retalking about today.
j_1_06-01-2025_202031 (04:17):
Yes,
ryan_2_06-01-2025_202031 (04:18):
So Julie, why would folks want to
start thinking about thisvacation?
j_1_06-01-2025_202031 (04:23):
I think one of the first things is the
privacy and the flexibility thatit can give you.
You can really customize thatitinerary to your interest, It's
a smaller group, so if the groupwants to spend more time in
ryan_2_06-01-2025_202031 (04:37):
Yep.
j_1_06-01-2025_202031 (04:37):
You also have that privacy because it's
such a small group on the yacht.
think when you're on a cruiseship.
You walk out of your room, yougo up to the pool deck, and
there are just.
ryan_2_06-01-2025_202031 (04:52):
Yes.
j_1_06-01-2025_202031 (04:52):
gonna be like that on your yacht
vacation.
You also are gonna experiencesome luxury level service.
There's gonna be a personalcrew, chef prepared meals and
top tier amenities on board.
You know, you're not gonna havethings like laser tag and big
water slides, so if that's yourvibe, stick with Royal
(05:12):
Caribbean.
But if you want this moreintimate luxury experience, this
is the way to go.
You're also gonna be able totravel to more exclusive
destinations.
So think like some secludedbeaches, quieter villages,
natural wonders that those largeships cannot port at.
I know I have.
(05:34):
that were sailing on a princesscruise to the Mediterranean
recently.
and one of the ports got nixedfrom their itinerary because the
ship was too big to fit into theport.
the itinerary changed about.
three months before travel.
it's a well-known thing thatthis port is too hard to get to.
It's a port in Montenegro and itwas beautiful.
(05:55):
The excursions they had bookedwere just beautiful.
they did get to go somewhereelse in Montenegro.
We were able to do a similarexcursion, that just shows you,
if you were on a smaller vesselit would be so much easier to
access those smaller downs.
ryan_2_06-01-2025_202031 (06:06):
And the good thing is we have
several, suppliers that offerthese types of vacations.
Some you've heard about on thispodcast, others you haven't.
Kensington has a yacht program.
We've talked a lot aboutKensington on this podcast.
Riviera River Cruises has ayacht program where you are
either chartering the entireship or doing a.
(06:27):
Cabin charter scenic.
Ocean Voyages has a luxury yachtthat, you can charter, but
mostly think of it as a smallercruise ship.
that just looks amazing.
It looks a lot of fun.
So we're gonna be talking about,These, suppliers that we work
with throughout our conversationtoday.
to dispel some rumors when wetalk about yachting, some quick
(06:50):
facts.
Is this only for the superwealthy?
Not at all.
our friends from Riviera andScenic offer small ship yacht
experiences, really, that are aprice point to a higher end
river cruise.
not inexpensive, but notprobably the price point that
you're thinking about.
j_1_06-01-2025_202031 (07:08):
even like a concierge level
ryan_2_06-01-2025_202031 (07:10):
yes,
j_1_06-01-2025_202031 (07:11):
ship, right?
ryan_2_06-01-2025_2 (07:12):
absolutely.
if you're doing that level ofsailing, this falls within your
price point.
What about seasickness?
Julie?
j_1_06-01-2025_202031 (07:21):
So most of the routes you're
ryan_2_06-01-2025_202031 (07:22):
I.
j_1_06-01-2025_202031 (07:23):
go on with your itinerary hug the
coastal waters that are gonna bea lot calmer.
and the yachts are gonna stillbe stabilized.
you're not gonna have a lot ofmotion.
Those stabilizers are gonnareduce the motion.
I wouldn't be worried aboutgetting
ryan_2_06-01-2025_202031 (07:36):
Yeah.
Is yachting a family friendlyvacation?
Absolutely.
One, because it's very flexibleabout what you want, and what
you're interested in, but alsothink of the water sports and
smaller shore excursions yourkids can really be immersed the
way they need to be immersed.
having a.
Crew catering to you means thetype of food that you want, and
(07:59):
schedule you want.
most people think, well, I can'tgo on a sailing yacht'cause I
don't know how to sail.
I can't do a catamaran trip.
Well, unless you specificallylook for those types of cruises,
they don't want you to be theones sailing.
They have a full crew that ismore than capable
j_1_06-01-2025_202031 (08:16):
Yeah.
ryan_2_06-01-2025_202031 (08:16):
So Julie.
j_1_06-01-2025_202031 (08:17):
you.
ryan_2_06-01-2025_202031 (08:17):
So Julie, let's talk about popular
destination when it comes tocruising, and probably the first
one people think about the most.
j_1_06-01-2025_202031 (08:26):
this is gonna be the Caribbean, and this
is the perfect starting point ifyou have not had a yacht
vacation before.
the Caribbean is where everyonestarts with their cruises.
one of the benefits is that itdoesn't have to be a super long
trip.
There's so many places you cango in the Caribbean and it's
easy to access.
Ryan mentioned Scenic cruiseline earlier, so their new
luxury yacht voyages can get tosome of these smaller ports in
(08:50):
the Grenadines, St.
Lucia and beyond.
A lot of times if you're bookingan ocean cruise that's going to
Caribbean, you're going to thesame places.
Everyone's
ryan_2_06-01-2025_202031 (08:57):
Yep.
j_1_06-01-2025_202031 (08:59):
maybe you're going to Jamaica.
ryan_2_06-01-2025_202031 (09:01):
if you're really adventurous,
you're going to the A, B, Cislands.
j_1_06-01-2025_202031 (09:04):
Exactly, but those cruises are kind of
hard to come by if you arealready going to be looking at
that elevated price to go tothose a, b, C type islands, you
may already be in this pricerange to do this yap vacation
and go really immersed and seethese very beautiful
ryan_2_06-01-2025_202031 (09:21):
Yes.
Second is the Mediterranean.
I mean, how cool would it be tosay we're going over to the
Mediterranean and we're gonna goon a yacht vacation?
Julie?
j_1_06-01-2025_202031 (09:32):
That's amazing.
ryan_2_06-01-2025_202 (09:33):
Riviera's yacht cruises, offers handpicked
itineraries in Greece, Croatia,the French and Italian Rivieras.
You have a small ship experiencewith just 30 to 50 guests on
board.
this is really somebody thatwants to have that small ship
experience, but they don't haveeither the resources or the
(09:55):
inclination to charter an entireship.
j_1_06-01-2025_202031 (09:57):
Mm-hmm.
ryan_2_06-01-2025_202031 (09:57):
They can still have that experience
how cool would you feel, youknow, pulling into those ports
that nobody else can get intoand have your Mediterranean
experience on one of theseships.
And then our last option is ourfriends at Kensington, They can
really do whatever you want whenit comes to a private yacht
vacation across the globe.
(10:18):
So thinking of the South Pacificto the Adriatic, even in the
Americas and the Caribbean.
They can really cater completelyto what you want and create the
experience that you're lookingfor.
because they've done it all.
They've done it everywhere.
So that's why we love, somebodylike Kensington Tours so much.
(10:38):
So what should we expect onthese types of vacations?
on a yacht, vacation life reallyslows down.
but you have those high-endamenities.
for instance, on a lot of.
Yachts, your cabin is morespacious than it would be on a
large ship.
the one place where it may notbe is if you're on a true
sailing yacht.
(10:59):
you have large windows, largerooms, large bathrooms.
j_1_06-01-2025_202031 (11:03):
Mm-hmm.
ryan_2_06-01-2025_202031 (11:04):
you have personalized service from
your captain, your crew, yourstewards, your chef.
They get to know you.
your preferences even more sothan on a regular cruise.
You're also gonna haveactivities.
This is not a type of cruisewhere things are gonna be
planned out for you.
But there's always things thatyou could do, like paddle
(11:25):
boring, snorkeling, but a lot oftimes it's gonna be based around
the weather, where you're atlocation wise, and how much you
want to engage in those types ofactivities.
The meals are also where thisreally shines.
not only on the ship, but havingbeach picnics, candlelit dinners
on the deck, themed dinners.
if you're talking about achartered ship where you have
(11:47):
the entire boat, you can dowhatever you want.
they'll make accommodations foryou.
if you have a place wherethere's only 30 passengers on
board, think of thepersonalization that you're
gonna get when it comes todining there's no sense of
having to dress up.
no sense of having to be formalbecause it's your ship.
j_1_06-01-2025_202031 (12:08):
Right.
That sounds amazing.
Wow.
so
ryan_2_06-01-2025_202031 (12:12):
So.
j_1_06-01-2025_202031 (12:12):
talk about a few tips for when you're
thinking about your vacation.
If you think this is in yourfuture, you wanna think about
planning this about a year inadvance.
because the vessels are so muchsmaller, obviously they're not
accommodating as many people,which is a huge perk.
But that also means, there's nota lot of room to book, If you
(12:32):
wanna book a cabin, you onlyhave a couple to choose from
kind of thing.
There's gonna be a couple ofpeak seasons.
So in Europe the peak seasonwill be summer and in the
Caribbean, your peak season willbe winter.
So think about that when you arethinking about that 12 month
window to plan.
ryan_2_06-01-2025_202031 (12:50):
Yep.
j_1_06-01-2025_202031 (12:51):
just, be honest about your travel style.
Are you the type of person whowill enjoy a more intimate
vacation experience?
something more luxury, Is thatgonna make you go crazy after a
couple
ryan_2_06-01-2025_202031 (13:03):
Yeah.
j_1_06-01-2025_202031 (13:03):
not having things to do?
being honest about that I thinkis important as well.
ryan_2_06-01-2025_202031 (13:08):
Well, For the price point of some of
these vacations, are you gonnatake advantage of everything
that a private crew has tooffer?
Or is it better to be in aconcierge club on a larger
cruise ship and have thatexperience?
I think it's really how do yousee your vacation and does a
yachting experience really fitthat.
j_1_06-01-2025_202031 (13:27):
Yeah.
And you know what I think ayacht experience would really
fit is like a multi-gen trip,
ryan_2_06-01-2025_2 (13:33):
Absolutely.
Yeah.
j_1_06-01-2025_202031 (13:35):
you would have enough people potentially
to fill that yacht.
And how amazing would that be tojust have this great boating
experience with just yourfamily?
ryan_2_06-01-2025_202031 (13:44):
Yeah.
Yeah.
The third planning tip is workwith somebody like us, a travel
advisor, because we areconnected to suppliers That can
really help you with thoseexperiences.
at Kensington, Riviera, scenic,who are the players when it
comes to a yacht vacation, andhow can we get the best bang for
our buck, and get the vacationthat we want.
(14:06):
That's our job to help you dothat.
j_1_06-01-2025_202031 (14:08):
We also do not want you to forget about
travel insurance, which isespecially important on this
type of vacation.
Number one, because there's somany weather factors that can
interrupt or delay your trip.
And number two, you're going tomuch more remote destinations.
a lot of times the biggestpushback I get about travel
(14:29):
insurance is we are going onthis trip no matter what.
ryan_2_06-01-2025_202031 (14:32):
Right.
j_1_06-01-2025_202031 (14:32):
if you are exploring one of these more,
secluded beaches and you fall,you break your ankle, there's
not a hospital They may have totake you somewhere.
you really don't wanna pay forthat helicopter ride.
ryan_2_06-01-2025_202031 (14:44):
Yep, absolutely.
And then lastly, just toreiterate, know where the best
place to yacht is for the timeof year that you're going on the
vacation.
just because you want to gothere, it may not be the right
time.
looking ahead, like Julie said,knowing that Winter's perfect
for the Caribbean and Summer'sideal for the Mediterranean and
what that means for your travelschedule.
j_1_06-01-2025_202031 (15:07):
As we wrap up, I have a question for
you When you picture yourself ona yacht vacation, where are you?
What destinations are you goingto?
ryan_2_06-01-2025_202031 (15:17):
I am in Greece
j_1_06-01-2025_202031 (15:20):
Oh.
ryan_2_06-01-2025_202031 (15:20):
I am in some remote Caribbean island.
j_1_06-01-2025_202031 (15:24):
Yeah, Greece was my answer.
Greece or South of France was myanswer.
I don't know if that's partlybecause I associate a yacht
vacation with those areas
ryan_2_06-01-2025_202031 (15:34):
Yeah.
j_1_06-01-2025_202031 (15:35):
I don't know if that makes sense.
ryan_2_06-01-2025_202031 (15:36):
And I think for me, when I think of
the different varieties, I thinka yacht that I'm not chartering
the entire ship.
I think just having a small'cause I've had a small cruise
experience and I really enjoyedthat.
j_1_06-01-2025_202031 (15:48):
Mm-hmm.
ryan_2_06-01-2025_202031 (15:49):
when I sail with Atlas Ocean Voyages in
Greece, That felt like a yacht,even though it was bigger.
but it had that feel.
I like that better than the ideaof chartering a whole ship, I
think.
j_1_06-01-2025_202031 (16:01):
Wow, that sounds amazing.
And you know, if you'relistening to this and you're
like, wow, I never considereddoing a yacht vacation going
around the islands of Greece orthe South of France, or to these
more remote islands in theCaribbean, definitely keep that
on your list of options.
ryan_2_06-01-2025_2 (16:18):
Absolutely.
The world is full of wonder andyour next great adventure is
waiting at Wonder and BeyondTravel.
We work with you to create a oneof a kind journey, taking the
stress off your plate so you canfocus on the joy of exploring
and the memories that will staywith you forever.
If you're ready to startplanning or just want to dream a
(16:39):
little bigger, maybe about ayacht vacation, head over to
Wonder and beyond travel.com.
We would love to help you getstarted.
You can reach out to us atWonder and beyond travel.com.
We look forward to talking toyou next week on All Things
Travel.
When we discuss tips and tricksfor navigating the airport with
(17:00):
kidsYacht, vacations make thisdream a reality, and it may be
more accessible than you think.
Let's raise, anchor, and setsail.
j_1_06-01-2025_202031 (17:14):
Can I not be associated with you
sometimes?
ryan_2_06-01-2025_202031 (17:17):
No, you have to be.
j_1_06-01-2025_202031 (17:19):
Such a dad?
All right.
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