History Archive

yacht week 2016 gq

Meghan Markle’s Past as a Yacht Girl: Unveiling the Speculations

Speculation surrounding billionaire Ron Burkle’s connection to Meghan Markle and her alleged involvement as a yacht girl at Soho House has ignited curiosity among the public.

Ever since her marriage to Prince Harry, Meghan Markle has gained global recognition, and rumors about her past as a yacht girl have begun to surface.

But can these claims be substantiated?

Let’s delve into the details and explore the truth behind these allegations.

To begin with, let us first define what a yacht girl typically entails.

It refers to women who are hired to accompany wealthy men on luxurious yachts or other extravagant boats.

Many believe that Meghan Markle worked as a yacht girl before her acting career took off.

The mini-documentary titled “The Dark World of Celebrity Yachting,” which has garnered over a million views on YouTube, has made references to Meghan Markle in this context.

Several years ago, allegations emerged suggesting that Meghan had dated Prince Andrew and Jeffrey Epstein prior to her relationship with Prince Harry.

Author Kirby Summers has extensively delved into the relationships between Meghan Markle, Prince Andrew, Jeffrey Epstein, and Ghislaine Maxwell.

Summers asserts that Marcus Anderson, an associate of Soho House since 2001, played a pivotal role in connecting these individuals.

According to Summers, pictures allegedly depicting Meghan and Prince Andrew aboard a yacht in Phuket, Thailand may be in the possession of mainstream media, purportedly at the request of Ghislaine Maxwell and the late Epstein.

Additionally, the writer provides evidence of Meghan’s invitation to the 2016 Yacht Week in Croatia, which reportedly came from a person named Adam Hone.

In 2015, GQ referred to Yacht Week, established by William Wankel in 2006, as “Sodom and Gomorrah at Sea.”

However, it remains unclear whether Meghan attended this event.

According to Summers, Ron Burkle, a renowned American businessman and long-time Soho House resident since 2002, is believed to have leaked information about Meghan’s previous employment as a call girl.

Ron Burkle, known as the founder of UK Perry Companies, an investment firm, has achieved success across multiple industries, including hospitality, retail, distribution, automotive, technology, entertainment, and sports.

He holds majority stakes in Soho House.

The fact that Meghan’s close friend Marcus Anderson also works as Ron Burkle’s assistant adds an air of mystery to the situation.

Marcus’s consistent relocation to live near Meghan whenever she moves suggests his involvement as a handler.

Unnamed sources have claimed that Meghan has accompanied wealthy men for an extended period, enabling her to enjoy free accommodations at Soho House apartments.

Ron Burkle has faced accusations of concealing the growth of Soho House’s services for companions over time.

Interestingly, Prince William seems to have had reservations about Meghan early on.

In 2016, when Harry informed William and Catherine about dating Meghan, William reportedly made two comments that hurt Harry.

According to Harry’s book “Spare,” William remarked, “She’s an actress after all, Harold, anything can happen.”

While Harry felt a bit hurt, he responded with a nod and bid farewell to Catherine and William.

In another conversation, William predicted a multitude of challenges Harry could encounter if he pursued a relationship with an American actress.

Harry recalled that William always managed to make the phrase sound like he was talking about a convicted felon.

In the 2022 docuseries “Harry and Meghan,” released on Netflix, Harry reminisced about introducing Meghan to the royal family before their marriage.

He mentioned that some relatives judged her due to her acting career.

“I remember my family first meeting her and being incredibly impressed,” Harry shared.

“Some of them didn’t quite know what to do with themselves because I think they were surprised.

They were surprised that a ginger could land such a beautiful and intelligent woman.

Trending Stories

PTM Tours

The Ultimate Guide to Yacht Week Croatia

Croatia , Travel Tips

Aug 29, 2015

comment 87 Comments

By Ryan Gargiulo

Last Updated: August 14th, 2020

Welcome to my in-depth guide to planning for the Yacht Week Croatia .

Below you’ll find the answers to all of your questions about Yacht Week Croatia as well as my insanely popular Yacht Week Packing List which features what I call the “Yacht Week Necessities”, aka a short list of some of the best things to pack for the Yacht Week in order to really get the most out of the experience.

I think you’ll find this article to be extremely helpful with your planning for Yacht Week. As always, if you have any questions, please be sure to leave a comment and I’ll respond as soon as possible.

Yacht Week Croatia

Yacht Week Croatia is absolutely insane. It’s fun, it’s wild, it’s crazy and it’s downright exhausting to say the least.

It’s likely to be one of the most memorable weeks of your life. I mean, how could it not be, right?

You, your friends, lots of sunshine and drinks in hand.

The perfect recipe for creating memories that will last a lifetime.

The people, the parties and the experiences at The Yacht Week await you but my question for you is…

Are you ready to set sail on Yacht Week and see where the wind takes you?

My Yacht Week Croatia Experience

As many of you know, my friends and I just finished up a week of madness on Yacht Week Croatia and I’m here to report to you that this week was not only the longest and most tiring week of my life but it was also a week that I’ll never, ever forget.

If this is your first time attending the Yacht Week, there’s a good chance you probably felt a lot like I did when I first signed up. 

Like me, your mind is probably filled with curiosity and a seemingly endless list of unanswered questions.

Some that won’t be answered until you experience them first hand.

I’m going to do my best to try to walk you through The Yacht Week Croatia process and give you a bunch of really useful information that will prepare you (at least somewhat) for what you’re about to experience on The Yacht Week.

Yacht Week Croatia

How to Book Yacht Week Croatia

1.   Find Some Adventurous (single) Souls — The first step in booking Yacht Week is to find a crew of people that are down for a true adventure. While I recommend going with at least a few people that you know, plenty of people join the crew list on yachts with a group of strangers and still manage to have an incredible time. That being said, attending Yacht Week Croatia with a group of friends is the ultimate way to go in my opinion.

  • Open Minded People:  When choosing your crew it’s very important to try to gather up a good group of open minded people. Close minded, complainers, and those who are “accustomed to life back home” should be your last resort when trying to fill your boat.
  • People with Similar Interests: Choosing a crew that has similar interests is important. The yachts are small, personal space is limited and more importantly Yacht Week Croatia can get weird  (no explanation necessary) so having close minded or grumpy people on board isn’t the best idea.
  • Singles. Not Couples:  Couples on Yacht Week. I know I might receive some harsh feedback for this but Yacht Week is for single people. Straight up. Couples do couple-y things. They generally keep to themselves, they bicker, they argue, and they’re usually a lot more reserved around their significant other. While there’s nothing wrong with these things (it’s completely natural), it can definitely put a damper on the environment of your boat. I spoke to a few singles who had a couples aboard their boats and all of them said the same thing. The Yacht Week Croatia is not for couples. Again, this is strictly my opinion based off of what I’ve experienced and after speaking with others on YW.

2. Choosing your Route — The Yacht Week has routes in Croatia, Greece, Turkey, Italy, Thailand and the BVI’s although the most popular route is Croatia, where TYW first originated.

There are two routes you can take on Yacht Week Croatia; the Black Route and the Red Route.

Both routes are identical, they just operate in the opposite direction of each other.

I asked my skipper what the most popular route was and he said the the Black Route is far more popular than the Red.

For example, we had 48 yachts on our route (Black Route) versus just 24 boats on the Red Route. Go Black!

3. Choosing Your Yacht — As I mentioned above, Yacht Week Croatia is a long week of partying and fun in the sun. If you’re wanting to truly make the most of your trip, I highly recommend you charter the best yacht possible.

There are a variety of yacht charters available on Yacht Week but the quality, price and amenities available on board can vary big time.

Do yourself a favor and rent the best yacht possible, or at least the best yacht that you can afford.

At the end of the day you and your crew can try to pinch pennies to make Yacht Week happen but if you’re not on a decent boat, it’s going to make your week that much more exhausting.

If there was one complaint that I heard most during my week when speaking to other YW’ers, it was that their boats were blazing hot throughout the night.

The amount of time you have to sleep on Yacht Week is already limited due to the nonstop parties and the nature of the trip.

Imagine heading back to your boat at sunrise to catch up on a couple hours of sleep and not being able to sleep due to the heat? Nightmare.

In my opinion, getting a yacht with air conditioning is crucial.

Now that I’ve done Yacht Week Croatia with an air-conditioned yacht, I wouldn’t do it any other way.

Our yacht happened to be one of four boats on Yacht Week with air conditioning.

Did I mention there was 48 other yachts sailing alongside us that week? 

That means if you’re wanting to snag a boat with air conditioning on board, you’re going to have to act fast when booking.

4. Registering and Checking in  —   Once your yacht is booked, go ahead and make sure you send out your personalized invite link to your entire crew so they can register for a Yacht Week account and check in on the crew list.

It’s a requirement for all crew members to register and check in on your yacht week booking prior to arriving at the marina.

Upon arrival to the marina, your crew will need to fill out details such as their name, passport number, nationality, email, date of birth and gender.

How to Prepare for Yacht Week

How to Prepare for Yacht Week Croatia

1. Travel Insurance —   When prepping for Yacht Week Croatia, your first priority should be to make sure you make a small investment towards your health and well being by purchasing a  travel insurance policy  for your trip.

Not only will this policy cover you if your bags are lost/stolen and if your flight is delayed/cancelled, but you’ll also be covered for all medical and injury related issues as well.

Nobody wants to have to cover the cost of you getting airlifted home from the middle of the Adriatic Sea (no, not even your parents).

Anytime you mix partying out on the open water and slippery boats, you’re just about guaranteed to encounter a few injuries along the way.

When it comes to Yacht Week, travel insurance is an absolute must and a win-win situation when considering how inexpensive travel insurance is these days.

2. Create a Yacht Week Playlist  — The best way to manage your music on Yacht Week Croatia is to create a few killer Spotify playlists. Oh, and don’t forget to pick up a standard 3.5mm aux cable. With the aux cable, you’ll be able to connect your phone directly to the onboard stereo system on your yacht and jam out all day.

Now, you’re probably thinking. But, if I don’t have Internet, how can I listen to Spotify? Well, here are two ways to go about it.

  • If you’re a Spotify Premium user, you’ll be able to listen to all of your music offline. Anytime, anywhere. Grab your subscription before you head out and don’t forget to make all of your music available offline before you set sail. *Spotify Premium is FREE for 30 days so be sure to take advantage of the free month right before you head out on your trip. After the first 30 days, you will be billed $9.99/mo. If you don’t want to pay, simply cancel your subscription.
  • The second and best option (IMO) is to pack an unlocked smartphone with you when you head to Croatia. Why? Well, with an unlocked phone, you can pick up a sim card at T-Center (aka T-Mobile) when you’re in Split and you can purchase a 7-day unlimited data sim card for approximately $12 USD. Now, you’ll be able to stream your spotify all week without worrying about data overages.

If you don’t want to deal with streaming music on Yacht Week, simply throw together a playlist on your phone and you’ll be good to go.

3. Diet & Exercise  — Working out and staying in shape prior to Yacht Week is important on so many levels. You’ll be surrounded by boat loads of good looking people wearing little or next to nothing so being comfortable in your own skin will be key to enhancing your overall YW experience.

Remember, Yacht Week is a week long marathon of sailing, partying and eating whatever you can get your hands on.

Preparing yourself by eating healthy and exercising prior to Yacht Week is highly recommended before setting sail on a week of mayhem and very little sleep on the open sea.

Try this free  bodyweight workout  to get you started.

4. Planning your Arrival — I highly recommend that you do not plan to arrive on the actual day of departure for Yacht Week.

International flights often get delayed and even cancelled and I’m pretty sure you’re not going to want to splurge on Yacht Week only to find out that your flight isn’t going to make it and you’ve now missed out on an incredible week that you’ve had planned for months now.

Do yourself and the rest of your crew a favor and plan to arrive at least one day prior to the start of Yacht Week Croatia.

5. Accommodations prior to Yacht Week — When it comes to Yacht Week accommodations, I can personally recommend and vouch for this Airbnb apartment in Split.

6. Split Activities and Tours  — If you find yourself in Split for a couple of days before or after Yacht Week, you should definitely make an effort to explore the city and wander all the little alleyways that connect the city to the sea.

There is so much to see, do and experience in Split. Here are some of the best  tours and activities  to check out during your visit.

Are you a Game of Thrones fan? If so, you might be interested in this exclusive Game of Thrones Tour .

7. Which Marina? — In order to prepare for Yacht Week, you’re going to want to figure out which marina your yacht is assigned to. Why? Because there are several marinas in Split. Some of the marinas are quite far from each other and I can see this becoming an issue if you or your crew decide to show up on the day of departure.

You can find the marina assigned to your yacht on your Yacht Week Croatia reservation page.

Once you figure out which marina you need to be at,  click here to find directions to get there.

8. Crew Explorer — Now that you’re all booked and ready to go, it’s time to find out who else is going to be joining you on Yacht Week.

Go ahead and log in to your booking and scroll down to the Crew Explorer section to see a list of Facebook profiles for all the other Yacht Weekers that will be joining you on your route.

Another great way to meet fellow Yacht Weekers is to download the official Yacht Week app  (iOS only). Upload a photo and introduce yourself now.

Yacht Week Packing List

Yacht Week Packing List

Overpacking for Yacht Week can be a huge mistake.

Let’s face it, nobody wants to be tripping over giant mounds of clothes and accessories that will ultimately never get worn or used.

As I mentioned above, no matter how big of a yacht you charter, space is still going to be tight no matter how you look at it.

Don’t Miss: The Ultimate Yacht Week Packing List

Do yourself and your crew a big favor and pack a carry-on bag for Yacht Week Croatia.

Customized Lanyards

A must-have for Yacht Week Croatia

Of course, before you start your journey, be sure to find a suitable and convenient accessory to keep your important items. Custom Lanyards Cheap are the best choice! You can wear your lanyards around your neck to tuck your phone in a waterproof bag, hang your keys, etc.

It will make it easier for you to enjoy your fun time. Design shiny and unique custom lanyards as a gift for your partners who will spend a happy time with you will make them feel even closer to each other.

Recommended Luggage for Yacht Week

Tortuga Outbreaker Backpack

Tortuga Outbreaker Backpack

The Outbreaker (available in 35L or 45L) is my recommended go-to bag for The Yacht Week. 

After a few days of everyone tripping over each others belongings on our yacht, everyone will be wishing they had picked one of these up.

Besides, other than a few bathing suits and a few of the cool things on this Yacht Week packing list, how much do you really need to take with you anyway?

You can read my in-depth review of the Tortuga Outbreaker or you can head on over and pick one up now by clicking on the button below.

CLICK HERE NOW TO SEE THE FULL YACHT WEEK PACKING LIST!

Cayman Jack Margaritas

Food & Drink on Yacht Week Croatia

When it comes to food and drink on Yacht Week, you’ve got two options. You can either hire a hostess that will join you for the week and take care of all the cooking, cleaning and food shopping OR decide to do it on your own.

We decided to skip out on hiring a hostess and we survived.

That being said, if I was to do another Yacht Week I would definitely prefer to hire a hostess next time around.

Not only do they know exactly what to buy and how much to buy when it comes to food and drinks, they also cook/prepare meals for you on board while you kick back and enjoy Yacht Week.

Oh, and how many of you want to do dishes and clean the yacht while on vacation?

Because we did Yacht Week on our own without a hostess, I’m going to provide you with a short list of what you should consider picking up before setting sail.

Yacht Week Groceries Checklist

Yacht Week Croatia Shopping Checklist

  • Beverages — Lots of them. You wouldn’t believe how hot it gets when you’re out at sea. In order to stay hydrated, a good rule is to buy 1.5 to 2x more than you think you’ll need.
  • Bread — For sandwiches, of course. Start with two or three loaves of bread and see where that gets you. Worst case you have to pick up another few loaves on one of the islands.
  • Deli meats — Choose food that is easy to prepare. Deli meats do the trick and they’ll last at least a few days in the refrigerator.
  • PB & J — Perfect solution for a nice snack in between meals. Easy to slap together and always delicious.
  • Snacks — Don’t forget to pick up snacks like chips, pretzels and nuts. Almonds are great for keeping you full and healthy for you, too.
  • Pasta — Pasta is not only super easy to cook but it’s also a meal almost everyone eats. Don’t forget to buy twice as much sauce as you think you might need. Sauce goes fast.
  • Fresh fruit & vegetables — Pineapple, berries, apples, oranges and bananas are perfect for the morning and even afternoon snacks. Veggies such as spinach and tomatoes are great for whipping up quick salads. Don’t leave without stocking up on fruit and vegetables.
  • Yogurt — Great breakfast option with a side of fruit or granola.

Cayman Jack on Yacht Week

My partnership with Cayman Jack came in seriously handy for Yacht Week as they were nice enough to send out a small shipment of margaritas for my journey.

I must say, there’s nothing better than sipping on a few bottles of CJ after a long day of fun in the sun on Yacht Week. Yum!

UBER PROMO FEBE

Uber Discount for Split

Did you know Uber serves the city of Split? If not, now you know. What’s even better is that you can get your first ride free (up to 50 HRK or approximately $7.50 USD) when signing up for a new Uber account.

All you have to do to take advantage of this Uber discount is the following:

Already have the Uber app?  CLICK HERE  and follow the simple step-by-step instructions to receive your 50 HRK credit towards your first ride.

Got questions about Yacht Week Croatia? Feel free to leave a comment below and I’ll get back to you ASAP.

Yacht Week Croatia: Ultimate Guide to Yacht Week

87 thoughts on “The Ultimate Guide to Yacht Week Croatia”

This looks insane, how early did you start booking everything

It certainly was! We booked on March 18th for the week of July 25th-August 1st. I would recommend you try to book things as soon as possible.

  • Pingback: Pause The Momentos: July 2015 Edition

My group and I are booking Croatia tomorrow. Do you recommend the food package? We’re all picky eaters and 1/3 of the items we won’t eat. Thanks.

Awesome! Nah, I recommend you do your own shopping especially if you’re picky. That way you can buy exactly what you guys like to eat/drink. Best of luck. You’re going to have the time of your life!

Sick review mate. Did you go for bottle service at the clubs? What was the pricing like?

Thanks Daniel. Yeah we did bottle service at most of the venues. It’s really nice to have a table to call home although it’s not always 100% necessary. If you’re going to get a table/bottle service at any venue throughout the week, make sure you get one at the White Party. Trust me on this.

Ryan! Thank you so much for your super helpful and informative article. Similarly, I am a yacht week newbie and me and some friends are planning to go in August of 2016 – Croatia – we’re all turning 30 :) No one has been and I’m the appointed group organizer- I’m wondering if you might be able to advise on some additional items: 1. How many people did you have on your boat? (We might have to book 2) 2. If we hire a hostess, they take care of the food right? And I assume it’s the food packages listed on the site? I don’t think any of us will want to shop/cook/clean. Should we be buying our own alcohol? 3. How much approx would you say each person spent all in on average? I know that might be tough to answer, but I’ve told ppl to assume at least $3k a pop for boat & flight. 4. For flying out – did you fly out a day after or same day of the final docking? 5. A couple friends of mine who went before said they got super seasick/motion sickness – it was hard to sleep at night and being hungover didn’t help much – did anyone on your boat experience this and do you have advice? 6. This year I see they also have a Croatia Ultra route – do you know anything about that? Would you advise that over black? 7. That’s it for now but I’d really love to pick your brain some more as I go through this process!

No problem at all. Glad to be of assistance to you.

2. The Yacht Week Hostesses will take care of the shopping for you. They won’t BUY the food/drinks, that’s on you. They will shop for you though. If you want to avoid things like shopping/cooking/cleaning, definitely shoot for a hostess.

3. Unfortunately, I don’t know the numbers. I’d say I probably spent somewhere around $2k all in. That being said a couple of my friends on board picked up bottle service in a few of the clubs and they ended up spending a lot more than I did. Also I should mention that I was already in Europe for the summer so my flight to Croatia was cheap.

4. I was in Europe from June to October so I didn’t actually fly in for Yacht Week. I arrived in Split two days before Yacht Week started and spent a night or two on the tail end before flying to my next destination.

5. Nobody on our boat had any issues with sea sickness. I know some people wore these wristband things but I can’t remember what they’re called. They seemed to think that they worked well.

6. We had one of the most experienced skippers on our boat and he said Ultra week + Yacht Week is a waste. Do one or the other. Yacht Week is crazy enough. Combining both Yacht Week and the Ultra Music Festival doesn’t sound like a great time to me. That’s just my two cents.

Feel free to reply to this comment with any other questions! Best of luck.

YES! Great review Ryan and THANK YOU!

I’m a hostess for The Yacht Week — last season I did four weeks in Greece and then four in Croatia! Best job EVER.

A little more detail on us — we’re fun ambassadors — we want you the have the best week of your life so our sole job is to make sure you’re having the absolute best time with the least amount of stress or worrying about the “little things”. We cook, clean, and make sure you know the best of everything on the islands (excursions, things to do/see, best places to eat – you name it!) plus we work with the skippers to book tables and any reservations you might want. I’ll guide you to ferries, Carpe Diem Beach and all the other fun things TYW has planned and some that aren’t (treehouse drinks in Palmy anyone?).

When it comes to food — we’re magic. We know the boats, the grocery stores and we will prepare you delicious breakfasts, lunches and maybe a dinner or two. It will seem like pure heaven to wake up after a crazy night out to a clean boat, hot coffee and a breakfast of pancakes, Egg Benedict, fruit platters, parfaits and whatever else we whip up. We aren’t serving just cereal that’s for sure and we’ll go over the menus (yes, menus) that we have in mind for your input prior to your arrival. We’ll also pick up fresh bread, fruit, etc. during the week. We’re definitely worth it. :)

Hi Shay! Thanks for stopping by and giving everyone some more insight on what it is you hostesses do. This is gold!

Thanks again.

Ryan, thanks so much. This is great!

Shay, you answered exactly the questions I was wondering. I’m planning my first Yacht week in Croatia and I have a couple of people that are Vegan. Do you think the hostess would be able to accommodate for that too? Thanks in advance!

No problem. Glad to help.

I’m sure there would be no issues at all for the hostesses to plan around that. You definitely won’t be the first vegan on Yacht Week. ;-)

Which month did you go there? I’m considering going in June, but am a bit concerned about the weather

We did the July 25th-August 1st route. June will be beautiful. Sunny and HOT!

Hey Ryan! Very informative article for a first-timer like myself :). I’ve been doing a lot of reading on what to expect for the YW but I still have quite a few questions if you don’t mind taking the time to answer them!

1. For starters, what do you do about waste? I’m sure it’s very easy to accumulate a lot very quickly. And as a follow up to that, would you recommend getting jugs of water rather than individual water bottles as to try and reduce the amount of waste?

2. Are things such as pots & pans, plates, cups, and utensils all included in the kitchenette of the yacht? Or must we purchase paper plates and whatnot on our own?

3. God forbid we run out of liquor half-way through, but if so, are there markets or places on the islands we stop at where we could purchase more?

4. I’ve read that water and electricity are only available at the harbors: does this mean that showers/sinks/toilets and such cannot be used while at sea?

5. The Crew Boat Party – it looks fun! Is it worth it?

6. Exactly how strict are they about the ‘no music at the marina in the evenings’? Do people just after party with no tunes at all?

7. How much cash would you recommend having on hand for the entirety of the week? I’ve read that some of the organized YW events don’t take cards which is surprising to me.

8. And last, but not least, how much is an appropriate amount to tip the skipper?

Thanks again for your time!

Hi Michaela,

Thank you for the feedback. I’m glad you found the article to be helpful.

1. We bought giant trash bags and our skipper would store them in a compartment at the back of the boat each night. We would get rid of the trash when we docked up. Jugs of water might be a good idea. We bought big packs of individual waters and they ended up being really convenient. That being said, it’s not the best idea if you’re worried about the environment.

2. I can’t speak for all boats but ours had the basics (pots, pans, etc). We bought plastic silverwear and paper plates.

3. There’s always places to re-up on booze although I would recommend buying a huge supply of it before you depart because it goes fast when you’re out on the water. My advice is to buy more than you think you’ll need.

4. We had water and electricity on our boat. Our boat had a big water tank and we used a generator for electricity. I’m not sure all boats have these types of amenities though. I recommend you shoot a msg to Yacht Week to see what your boat has and what it doesn’t.

5. All of the Yacht Week Croatia parties are a must. They’re all unique and you’re guaranteed to have a blast. It’s one hell of a long week of partying. Prepare yourself.

6. Some people play music on their boats but to be honest you really can’t have it loud because it’s not fair to other (non-yacht weekers who are docked up at the same marina).

7. This is such a hard question to answer. My advice is to have more Euros than you think you’ll need. I will say though that some of my crew were putting bottle service on their credit cards at every party. Individual drinks at the bar? Probably cash only.

8. This is completely subjective and depends on how good you think your skipper was. Every crew has different experiences w/ their skippers. I think somewhere between $50-100/pp is decent.

Be sure to let me know if you have any other questions!

Wow! Amazing review. A big group of us just got 2 yachts for Croatia Week 34. We are coming over from Texas! Random questions for you:

1. Where would you stay the night before you sail out? Hotel? Hostel? 2. My boyfriend and I, along with several other couples, are on this trip…is this a couple friendly trip? I always thought it would be and then people started telling me differently. What do you think about this? We already paid, so we are going no matter what! :) 3. What did you do with your valuables credit card, money, jewelry, etc while you were on off the boat? Is theft an issue?

Thanks again so much for your awesome blog! It is much appreciated!

Hi Kate. Congrats on booking your first Yacht Week!

1. I rented an airbnb apartment in Split for a few days prior to setting sail. The morning of departure I taxied over to the port. Simple and easy. 2. I’m not saying your not going to have fun going as couples. You will. It’s just not built for couples (IMO). Yacht Week Croatia is really for singles. The other yacht weeks (Greece, BVI’s, etc) might be more suited for couples. 3. I left all my valuables in my room locked in my bags. In my case, there was always at least one or two people from our boat on the boat at all times. I didn’t really worry about it too much. Fortunately, nothing got stolen.

Thanks for following along. Hope this helps.

  • Pingback: Dos and Dont's of The Yacht Week Thailand - Tieland to Thailand
  • Pingback: Dos and Dont’s of The Yacht Week Thailand | Letters From Thailand

Hey Ryan! Great review, really insightful read :)

Currently a group of 3 of us are planning to do the Week 29 Ultra Cruise (16th-23rd July). We are unsure how to go about booking with such a low number of people.

Could you make any recommendations? Is it viable to just book 2 cabins on someone else’s Yacht?

Cheers from Australiaaaa :D

Hey Jono. Your best bet would probably be to book the yacht for the 3 of you and then add your yacht to the Yacht Week Crew Finder and then single people that want to join Yacht Week can reach out to you and grab a spot on your boat. The only other way you could do it would be to use the crew finder to find 2 spots on someone else’s yacht.

Ah yes this sounds like a great idea. I was wondering if you have experienced or know anyone who has used Quest.Life? We were thinking of booking a 2 person cabin on one of their catamarans for Ultra Week 29, but we are a bit unsure of their reliability.

Hey Jono. No, I’ve never heard of that company so I can’t vouch for them.

Thanks so much for this Ryan!

Quick question: There are A LOT of Croatia weeks available. Is there a specific time that people generally go the most. I would hate to pick a week where no one is there.

No problem Jasmine! I wouldn’t worry too much about being on YW alone. I believe almost every week sells out completely for the Croatia routes. You could always shoot an email to YW and ask them which weeks are the busiest. I think that the first few weeks and the last couple weeks probably have a few less yachts otherwise it’s madness as depicted in this post.

Fantastic blog post, super helpful!

Glad I could help! Best of luck.

Hey Ryan! Awesome Post.

I would like to ask, do you happen to know which boats have Air Conditioning on them?

Thanks for the feedback. Unfortunately, I do not. I would recommend you reach out to Yacht Week prior to booking to get a list of the boats available that have A/C on board. Enjoy yourself!

Is there somewhere to blow up our floats in Split if we bring our own? I’d rather bring one with me because we found some awesome ones here in the U.S., but they’re also huge so blowing them up on my own is certainly not going to work out very well!! Thanks!

Yeah there’s a float inflating station thingy at the first stop on the first day. You shouldn’t have any issues at all. Plus, most people bring their own electric pumps so worst case scenario you’d be able to borrow one.

Excellent and thoughtful review. I am heading with a crew for Ultra Week 29 this year and I am counting the moments until we are all there to celebrate.

With regard to the White Party in Hvar, is that a weekly event that is thrown or is it on a specific date?

I look forward to reading your reviews in future and I would truly appreciate your feedback.

Hey Michael. The white party is one of the many parties that Yacht Week hosts during the week (in Hvar) and it depends on which route you do (Black Route or the Red Route). I was on the black route so our party was earlier in the week. I believe the Red Route doesn’t do the white party until the end of the week as they travel in the opposite direction.

Best of luck and enjoy yourself!

Hey Ryan, Great post btw! I have a couple of questions that hopefully you can answer.

I’ve heard that water taxis really stick it to you, Is their any way around them?

How much money do you recommend that we budget daily pp, to have a really good time?

Fine dining options on the islands?

Do they sell commercial liquor and beers at the islands?

Must does on the islands that you recommend?

1. There are free water taxis that are reserved for Yacht Weekers and run to/from the islands from where you’re docked but they only run at certain times. If you want to leave early sometimes you need to take a private one which will cost you but when it’s between a group of people it’s pretty minimal.

2. Most of your eating and drinking will be done aboard your yacht. Drinks at sea go faster for whatever reason so make sure you stock up big when you do your first shopping trip. What you spend in the bars/clubs outside of that really depends on how much you drink, what types of drinks and at which bars you’re drinking at. I really can’t help you too much with a daily budget because it’s so different for each and every person. That being said I can’t imagine you spending more than 300 Croatian Kuna per day (approx. $50 USD) between food and drinks (if you eat out at restaurants when on land).

3. There are plenty of fine dining options available. All you need to do is ask your skipper. They know the best and most expensive places on the island if that’s your thing.

4. Yes, the islands rely heavily on Yacht Week tourism so there are plenty of opportunities to pick up liquor, beers, ice and more.

5. I don’t have too many recommendations for the islands because we were either on the boat partying with everyone else or on the islands at night at the nightly parties. The down time you do have is for eating, relaxing and maybe even getting an hour or two of sleep.

Hope this helps!

I decided to get on board (ha) and join TYW. From the US we will be heading over to Greece for 4/5 days and then to Split a day or 2 before departure on the 30th. After reading about your experiences, I think you are the most qualified person I know to ask. My questions to you are regarding the Plitvice Lakes & Barcelona. I really want to visit the Lakes and possibly the Sea Organ before taking a plane from Zagreb to BCN. (would that be the best airport to do that or go back to SPU?)

1. Once the TYW concludes should I stay a night in SPU and make my way to the sites the following morning? Bus? Tour? Taxi? And after the site visits, do I stay in a place nearby? I just need an idea of when to purchase my ZAG>BCN flight. 2. If (when) my site visits happen, I’ll only have about 3 nights in BCN before I have to get to LAX by August 14th. In your opinion, should I skip BCN and save it for another time when I have more time or is that time to get a good taste? 3. When traveling to the locations mentioned above, can I purchase last minute or is that a huge mistake/waste of money? I’m just not certain of my plans.

4. Can I even do this after TYW. Now I’m a little concerned about my energy. “life is short?”

Back to TYW

5. I feel like I may die during TYW. We don’t have AC or a generator…or a hostess! Any advice? How do we survive? Is it really just the basics; fruits, veggies, meats, carbs, and water? 6. Planning on exchanging money here in the states….do I get Kuna or Euros? 7. Are there many skippers who get requests to visit the Blue & Green Caves and Lagoons? I feel like this is a must! right?

I’m nervous and excited for this experience, just need some things cleared up to put my mind at ease. Congrats on all of your travels and wish you even more excitement. #canicomewith

Hey Michelle,

Glad to hear you are joining the Yacht Week. You’re going to have a great time!

I highly recommend you visit Plitvice, it’s incredible. It’s slightly closer to Zagreb (2 hrs 3 mins) versus 2hrs 31 mins from Split. Don’t forget there’s also Krka National Park which is only 1 hr from Split. What makes it more of a popular day trip from Split is they actually allow you to swim there unlike Plitvice.

1. You’ll arrive back in Split for your final night (final Yacht Week party) so if it’s going to be a long night I would recommend you grab an Airbnb for the following day to rest up.

2. You can do a lot in BCN in 3 nights. Just be prepared to use the public transport here because the sights are pretty spread out. I would recommend Park Guell, Montjuic, La Sagrada Familia, Barceloneta Beach.

3. I would recommend purchasing flights at least a little ahead of time. The days of finding cheap last minute tickets are long gone. That said, you can find lots of great deals using some of the European budget airlines.

4. Yes, of course. You might be tired after a week of partying though.

5. Yeah, not having AC on the Yacht Week is a big deal. At least for me. The majority of people on YW complained about not being able to sleep due to the heat on the boats at night. You won’t die but you certainly won’t be comfortable. As for the hostess, it’s not a game changer. She would just make things a little easier when it comes to the purchasing/cooking/cleaning. Fruits, veggies, sandwiches (PB&J), water.

6. Croatia uses Kuna so I would recommend you just grab Kuna out of the ATM in Split prior to departure.

7. Sure. You can ask your skipper to visit the caves. It really just comes down to how many people on your boat want to visit them.

Well, I hope I’ve been able to answer all of your questions and make you feel a little more at ease. As always, be sure to leave a comment if you have more questions.

Amazing! Thank you for taking the time. I’ve decided that after TYW I’m going to stay 2 nights in Zadar in order to take my time resting and visiting the Sea Organ, Plitvice, and Krka. I’ve booked all my travel and will have 5 nights in BCN and excited to check out the places you’ve advised. I’m feeling great about everything, but the yacht AC. Hmmm.

Again, thanks!!

No problem at all. I’m always here to help. Your plans sound great! 5 nights in BCN will be plenty to see most of what it has to offer. Enjoy and best of luck!

Hi there, I’m looking into doing a Croatia sail week next year the week before Ultra. Im just doing my research on the different options, The yacht week, sail H.R or sail Croatia. I’ve heard many good things about TYW and Sail HR. the only thing is I might only be doing my sail with one friend as I’m sure I’ll make new friends during the time anyway. which would you recommend would be best for me? this post was very informative, a good read!

Hi Erica. Unfortunately, I have zero personal experience with either Yacht Week alternative. I think your best bet would be to scour the web looking for reviews on both of those alternatives and see which one suits you best. Another way you could potentially find out more about these is to search Instagram for their hashtags and reach out to people through Direct Message on IG asking them what they thought about the trip. Hope this helps!

Great piece, very informative,

1) I’ve heard a couple people say catamarans are a lot better than the yachts have you heard that at all?

2) is there plenty of space to keep the beers cold (serious question)

3) and just to get an idea how much did you pay for the yacht per person

Thanks Adam.

1. The Yacht Week catamarans are really cool and have a completely different layout than the actual yachts. Regardless, be sure to get one with air conditioning if you plan on sleeping.

2. Our yacht had a pretty big fridge/freezer combo that stored a lot of beers, bottles of liquor, food, etc. I think it really depends on the yacht you choose as each one is different from the next. You could always reach out to the Yacht Week and inquire about the boat you’re thinking of booking.

3. We had 11 people on our yacht (not including our skipper). Total cost for the yacht: $12,934 USD — approximately $1,175 USD per person. That being said, we didn’t want to make the girls pay as much as us so we all threw in more cash to compensate for the difference.

Hope you find this helpful. Feel free to reply with anymore questions you might have. If not, best of luck!

Thanks, one more I’ve been reading about bottle service I saw you mention it in an earlier question, what prices do they charge for it do you know?

Hey Adam. Bottle service prices vary between clubs. It’s nothing to do with the Yacht Week at all. Basically your skipper will line up bottle service for you if you need/want it.

hey which yacht company did you use that utilised airconditioning!? thanks! :))

We reserved our yacht directly through the Yacht Week website.

What was the average age of the people? We are 33-36 years old. Are we too old?

Hi Cristina. I was 31 last year during Yacht Week and I didn’t really feel too out of place. Sure, there are younger people but I’m not sure I ever felt uncomfortable. I would say that 36 might be pushing it a little but who am I to say how old you should be to party? LOL. Go for it and enjoy! ;-)

Hey Ryan, excellent piece of work! I wanted to ask you few things because i’m planning to go with some friends of mine from Argentina. If you can answer, that will be appreciated. 1. I read that a Hostess is really helpfull. But, the captain that is not included, is 100% neccesary? 2. How much is the bottle service approximately? 3. How much did you spend, between food, drinks, extras and yatch during the entire week? 4. It’s recommended to make a reservation just for me and my friend, and then the company join us with another group?

Thank you. Appreciate the comment.

1. I think the hostess can be a great thing if there’s a group of guys who could really careless about shopping/cleaning up after themselves. The hostesses know their stuff and they know what to buy at the supermarkets, what the easiest and most affordable options are when it comes to eating at sea and you can rest assured that your boat will be clean at the end of the week. This is completely up to the group. I suggest you round up your friends and have a conversation about this prior to booking.

2. Bottle service prices ranged from club to club. The bottles we were getting were giant (6L or something crazy) and from what I can remember were $1,500+. I honestly don’t remember the prices.

3.Food/Drinks/Extras: I would say somewhere between $500-700? We drank a lot on the boat so we weren’t buying much out at the clubs. Yes, there was bottle service but that was only at some of the special events.

4. Well, if you charter a yacht for yourselves, you’re going to have to hope that you’ll find others to join. I think if it’s only the two of you, you would be better off finding another yacht that’s looking to add 2 to their crew.

Just wondering how we choose the black route over the red route? Is there an option in the booking process that allows us to choose?

Thanks for your blog post, seriously helpful!

Hey Mel. Yes, there is an option and you’ll find it during the booking process. Glad to hear that you found this helpful!

Hey Ryan, This was a super helpful article! I’m looking to join a boat via the crew finder and see an option in Croatia (with no air conditioning) and another option (with air conditioning) in Greece. Any other information that you know that might help me decide which destination? Thanks!

Well from what I hear… the difference between Yacht Week Croatia and Yacht Week Greece is that Croatia is more of a party and there’s always 1.5-2x the amount of yachts on the route than Greece. I think Greece is a party but a little more chilled and definitely less people. That’s unfortunate about the boat with no air conditioning on YW Croatia. What a bummer. I mean plenty of people do it without AC. Just depends on how comfortable you think you’ll be without it. It’s a tough call. On another note — generally speaking (not talking Yacht Week) I can’t get enough of Greece. It’s one of my favorite countries in the world.

Great article. Quick question: what is the average temperature of the ocean in those parts at the beginning of June? I live in a Miami and from what I’ve seen it’s not that warm that week of yacht week.

Hi Millie. I don’t know the average temps of the sea but what I can tell you is that it will be refreshing after being in the scorching sun all day. No worries about the water. It will surely be more cool than the coast of Miami but not freezing by any means.

Hi ! Incredible article…..theres 8 of us going 29 July – 5th August

Regarding the bottle service, how much pp would you say it was ? (probably hard to answer as different clubs vary). I can imagine the tables get reserved quickly….how would you suggest going about getting them sorted ?

Hi Jas. Excellent! You’re going to have a great time for sure. Honestly, I can’t answer the pp prices as it varied from club to club and also there are a variety of brands and sizes of bottles. I just don’t know, unfortunately. As for the tables, you can ask your skipper or your hostess to line those up. Do it, it’s worth it.

This is an amazing article. Thank you so much. I am buying everything on the packing list. I’m going to yacht week Croatia in July. I’m scared I will overpack!!

Thanks Christianne! No worries about overpacking, just be sensible. You’ll be in a bathing suit for the majority of the trip. ;-)

This is a really helpful article! How much is normal for tipping the skipper and hostess? Thanks so much! :)

Hey Amy. I don’t know if there’s a “going rate”. I would advise you reach out to TYW to find out if they recommend a certain percentage.

Incredible article, thanks so much for taking the time to write it. Me and 3 other friends are planning to do the Croatia route next summer. Few questions for you

1. How far in advance do bookings usually become available? 2. How does it work in regards to booking your own yacht then posting for other people to join?

Hi Kam. Thanks for the feedback.

1. I’m not sure exactly how early they announce the dates. I would reach out to the Yacht Week to check on that. 2. You can book your own yacht and then add your yacht to the Crew Finder using this link: https://www.theyachtweek.com/crew-finder

Hey ! Thanks for all the helpful tips ! I was wondering how/where can we send floaties? Is there a place where we can get them pumped ??

No problem Mily! I would recommend you bring your own mini portable pump like the one found here: http://www.yachtweekpackinglist.com/tech/

Hey Ryan! Awesome info!!

My friends and I are thinking of doing this next summer, but have one concern. Are there actual opportunities to see Croatia and the culture on the island throughout the week or do you pretty much stay docked out in the open water unless there are the parties at night?

Hey Rachel — I highly recommend it! ;-) Unfortunately, there won’t be much time to explore much as it’s really about the party. It’s pretty much a non-stop week of partying day and night. There are very few windows of opportunity to actually sightsee and do things on the islands. If you’re looking to actually see and explore Croatia it would need to be either prior to Yacht Week or afterwards. Best of luck!

If you’re looking for a great resource on packing for Yacht Week be sure to check out: http://www.yachtweekpackinglist.com/

Hello, could you help me on one thing? When usually happens the white party? Which day of the seven day trip?

Hi Marcela. The White party was on day 3 for our crew. I think it depends on which route you’re on.

Hi there Ryan!

Your review has probably been the most helpful of them all so far! I have a couple questions I hope you don’t mind answering them?

1. How many days prior to leaving would you suggest staying in Split for? If we decide to do this trip we obviously will be arriving to Split prior to the day the yachts leave, so how many days would be enough to explore Split?

2. We are a group of girls- around 20-23 year olds… Were there much people of that age group going on the yachts or will we probably be one of the younger ones?

3. How does it work booking a boat with air conditioning? Is it randomly assigned or do you select it? Because I see that you had gotten a boat with air conditioning, and I would assume that those are the boats to sell out first, however you had booked yours not too long before leaving!

4. How exactly does paying for yachts work? I could be completely wrong here- Because I figured that it was a specific amount per person, but is it actually purchasing the yacht as a whole? So for example, if I were to get a group of 4-6 girls would we just throw in a chunk of money to pay for the yacht or is it a certain amount per person to pay?

5. Kind of following question 4, if we were to be a group of 4-6 girls, and they say on the website that there needs to be an even ratio would we have to go onto the crew finder to get the other half of our yacht booked? (Keeping in mind we would have a hostess and a skipper additional making that more of like 6-8)

6. Was there a day where you needed costumes for your whole crew? I read something about that somewhere online….

7. Lastly, I saw you said the catamarans were pretty cool but whats the difference between the catamarans and yachts? Sorry if thats a silly question lol

Sorry I have so many questions!! Many thanks in advance! :)

Hey! Is there a week out of the summer that is supposed to be the craziest?

Thank so much for all the info so far!

Hey Lucy — I think most weeks are the same. Everyone is there for the same reasons. ;-)

Hi Ryan, awesome article and photos! Guys, rent a boat for Croatia island hopping and enjoy perfect sailing vacation. You can get best sailing experience at lowest cost in the market on our site.

Thanks my friend.

This is an awesome post! I have a question about the people you wind up being with on your yacht – 1). are you obligated to always be with your specific crew at the parties? 2). Do people ever hop around from boat to boat, or branch off away from their crew and do their own thing? I’m traveling solo and already committed to a boat and crew but was just wondering if people sort of wander off on their own and make friends on different boats. 3). Is it more common than not that people wind up spending the night on a different boat? Thanks so much for your help x

1. No, of course not. You can hang with whoever you’d like. Some people end up sleeping on other people’s boats the entire week. You have zero obligations to your crew.

2. Yes. All the time.

3. Yes. Sometimes you hardly see your crewmates. I believe you do need to be back on your boat in the morning to check in because your boat cannot leave until you’re back onboard. AKA they want to be sure that you’re still alive. LOL

Best of luck, Celine!

Awesome post, thanks for all the info!

As for sleeping arrangements; each cabin has one bed for two people to share?

Thanks for the feedback. Honestly, it depends on the yacht you choose. Our yacht had two beds in the front, two in the back. There were also two single bunk beds. Normally each of the big beds located at the front/back of the yacht sleep 2 people comfortably but for one reason or another one bed would always end up being host to a slumber party with 6 bodies or so. ;-)

Hi Ryan! Thank you for the informative article. My gf and I are turning 30 this summer, her bday is in july and mine is in Aug. Trouble is we can figure out which week to go. I know you replied to a comment in 2016 about either the first weeks or the last few weeks. Any new changes since 2016?

Hi Megan. I think it remains the same. The first and last few weeks are generally the best. Wishing you two a happy birthday and a great trip!

Hi, I saw a video that you have a couple Yacht week special. I was wondering where can I find it on your site ? We are 4 couples who want to book a Yacht and party :)

Thank you !

Hi Ryan! Hope you can read this, do you know what’s the typical yacht if you don’t peak it yourself, I mean the entry level ones. Thanks!

Unfortunately, I do not. I would recommend you reach out to the staff at Yacht Week. I’m sure they’ll be able to help you with that.

Leave a Comment Cancel reply

web analytics

Find anything you save across the site in your account

The Perfect Night Out: GQ’s Best New Restaurants of 2016

Image may contain Human Person Restaurant Food Meal Dish Seasoning and Cafeteria

There is a persistent fantasy in New York City—and probably in San Francisco, Chicago, L.A., and other cities where food madness is now the law of the land—about something called “the neighborhood restaurant.” This, the myth goes, is a place that is ambitious but comfortable, personal but professional, a combination of Le Bernardin and Cheers, that you can walk into at 8 P.M. on a Friday and be seated right away.

It doesn't exist in New York—where financial pressure and the hungry, roving eye of the foodie mob conspire to defeat all modesty—and maybe not anywhere. But I know that when I walked into Staplehouse, in Atlanta, I felt as close to the dream as I ever had before.

I might as well come out and say that my favorite meal in a new restaurant all year was at Staplehouse, a cozy onetime grocery in the Old Fourth Ward, just blocks from the church where Martin Luther King Jr. first preached. The place was born in sadness: Its original chef, Ryan Hidinger, and his wife, Jen, had been running an underground supper club in Atlanta for four years and were planning the move to brick-and-mortar when Ryan was diagnosed with cancer in 2012. He died a year later, but not before the restaurant had been re-conceived, now with his sister, Kara, and her husband, chef Ryan Smith, on board. That's a lot of Ryans and Hidingers to keep track of, but part of eating at Staplehouse is the feeling of joining a family dinner at which everyone refers to everybody else in affectionate shorthand and all fates, names, and histories are ineluctably intertwined. Like dining in a Richard Russo novel, in other words, but happier.

This image may contain Restaurant Human Person Cafe Patio Building Furniture Chair Housing Cafeteria and Porch

Atlanta’s Staplehouse, our favorite restaurant of the year.

All of the post-tax profits from Staplehouse now go to an affiliated foundation called The Giving Kitchen, which provides emergency aid to Atlanta service workers. But the restaurant's history and mission are only background for the food: If you've been trained by the excesses of other tasting menus to shudder at the term, give one of Smith's five-course menus a chance. Mine began with an amuse: four puffs, arranged on the plate like compass points, each a burst of flavor. One was made of poached rutabaga, topped with savory granola; another of urfa chile with dried scallop. I was also served a thin wedge of chicken-liver tart set on rich dough and topped with a burnt-honey gelée balanced by curls of charred radicchio and dots of satsuma puree, followed by steelhead trout and baby leeks dressed with a vinaigrette of lardo and Meyer lemon, and then a pink rosette of pork loin atop nutty dark roux, beside mustard greens and shiitakes. All of it was both immaculate and soulful, a menu designed not to dazzle but to feed.

Is this not the promise of the Food Revolution? To sit at the bar, Rolling Stones on the sound system, cosseted by warm brick and smooth subway tiles, chatting with regulars and eating food of the highest technique and intelligence? As I traveled the country in search of what was new and wonderful in American dining, Staplehouse acted as a kind of template. It was my first intimation that the best of what's out there are small, idiosyncratic, and intelligent restaurants, homey but not patronizing, borrowing from the evolution of fine dining but making it deeply personal—the kinds of places that make you want to move to their neighborhoods.

Frankly that revelation came as a relief. Preparing to set out on the road, I had been having conversations with far-flung friends and colleagues: How's the eating in your town? What's turning you on? The word coming back was not good. Things were boring, people said. Chefs, faced with ever mounting economic obstacles, had grown conservative, reliant on easy formulas and big-budget restaurant groups. The dining world was spinning its wheels. It was all chicken sandwiches now.

Yes, by popular acclaim, this has been the Year of the Chicken Sandwich. In New York, David Chang debuted Fuku, his bid for a fast-food empire built on chicken sandwiches. Danny Meyer's Shake Shack introduced its Chick'n Shack and nearly caused an Instagram meltdown. From coast to coast, all of a sudden, every time you sat down a fried-chicken sandwich was staring back at you.

On the one hand: Huzzah! This was yet another stage in the democratization of good food all over America. On the other hand, well, they were chicken sandwiches. On the great culinary scale, the chicken sandwich is pretty much the definition of the middle—tasty, yes, but with a definite ceiling. Apply all the technique and enhancements you like—meat glue, brining breakthroughs, umami boosters, pickles, coleslaw, hot sauce—in the end, what you will have is a chicken sandwich. Indeed, the object of all that effort, the widely acknowledged Platonic ideal, is a fast-food product from Chick-fil-A. If that company were open on Sundays, and less politically obnoxious, would anybody even feel the need to re-invent its signature product?

This image may contain Spaghetti Food Pasta Creme Dessert Cream Ice Cream Dish and Meal

The ceci e pepe, made with chickpea Hozon, at Nishi in Manhattan.

So, there had to be more. What else will you see as you visit the restaurants of this fine country right now? You will see fermenting jugs: These days, chefs just aren't doing their jobs if a section of the kitchen doesn't look like the lab in Breaking Bad. The happy result is widespread levels of fermentation and funk that have only recently been allowed in polite company. You will see octopus, everywhere. You will see crudo, everywhere. You will see fields' worth of Little Gem lettuce and begin to suspect it's just romaine with good PR.

You will see Yacht Clubs: Santa Monica Yacht Club, Liholiho Yacht Club in San Francisco, RiNo Yacht Club in Denver. Why? I don't know—except that the term must conjure a different image for some people than it does for me, which is a dining room filled with Thurston Howell IIIs, gumming bad Cobb salads through their underbites.

Image may contain Food Meal Cafeteria Restaurant and Dish

At Cassia in Santa Monica, the seafood towers come in small, medium, and large.

You will see wood: stacks of it, cords of it, more wood than at an all-male orgy. Great forests have been laid waste to be piled high against the walls of kitchens across this nation, as though in grim preparation for a decade of winter. They are employed in a mighty conflagration, chefs crouched over the flames like blacksmiths, shoveling coal like railroad firemen, bent to the wheels of their Grillworks grills like figures in a Soviet factory poster. Smoke and ash and char: I suspect that for the rest of time, whenever somebody sits down next to me with a half-burnt joint in his pocket, I will be transported back to being served something “wood-fired” in the spring of 2016.

How Short Shorts Took Over Summer 2024: 14 Menswear Mavericks Show Off Their Thighs

Some great dishes emerge from the flames. At New York's **Pasquale Jones—**where two Neapolitan ovens squat in the open kitchen like Easter Island heads of Boba Fett—prosciutto-and-soppressata-filled calzones are charred, chewy, and irresistible, a far cry from the ricotta-stuffed gym socks sold in most pizzerias. At Odys + Penelope, L.A.'s so-called “modern churrasco,” deep pink tri-tip is served with charred broccolini and béarnaise. And even farther west, at Honolulu's Mud Hen Water, the at-once familiar and befuddling dishes bubble on a multi-tiered scaffold in the blaze that brings to mind the last day at Burning Man—from chunks of meaty breadfruit tossed with fermented black beans to opah wrapped in banana leaves and put to steamy sleep in the coals.

In all these trends, even the retro randomness of “yacht clubs,” you see the pendulum swing away from the over-manipulated, smokeless world of softly whirring sous vide machines and toward the old and the elemental. From a chef's perspective, who wouldn't welcome the healthy margins offered by pizza and pasta? And it's true on the other side of the chef's window, too: It's always been safe and comfortable to gather around the fire.

This was a year in which the conversation turned to restaurants as the agent of social change. René Redzepi mused about changing the kitchen culture of hazing and hierarchy. Dan Barber hosted a pop-up dinner series showcasing the use of what would traditionally have been kitchen garbage. The shift away from tipping promised more economic equity among all restaurant workers.

This is tricky territory, because virtue often makes a most unpalatable spice. The past few years have seen vegetarianism climb out from under that particular burden. It has been the age of Vegetable Forward, a time when chefs all over have been rediscovering the fact that diners might be excited by more than just bacon and short ribs. Traditionally, there are two approaches to vegetarian cuisine: Obfuscation and Elevation—the attempt to make vegetables appear like, taste like, or serve the function of meat, and the resolve to let vegetables stand before you, in all their naked glory, proudly proclaiming, “I AM PLANT.”

Image may contain Cutlery Fork Food Pasta Noodle Plant Dish Meal Produce and Vermicelli

Kimchi fried rice at Baroo in L.A.

Both strategies are employed at Superiority Burger, the vest-pocket-sized fast-food veggie-burger shop Brooks Headley opened in New York's East Village. The former pastry chef, a James Beard Award winner, is reportedly a compulsive fiddler with the namesake burger's formula; by the time I ate it, it tasted like a perfectly good veggie burger, no better. But the Sloppy Dave, which consists of tofu, spicy sauce, and fried onions, fulfilled every mandate of a sloppy joe so completely that I might never need to eat the ground-beef version again. Meanwhile, on the Elevation side, there is a constantly rotating list of handwritten specials like a “loaded” white sweet potato, heaped with tarragon, labneh, and capers, and a velvety potato soup enlivened by a shot of coconut milk and chile oil.

This image may contain Plant, Tree, Christmas Tree, and Ornament

A completely different, but no less idiosyncratic, spirit animates Baroo, in Los Angeles. Signless, located in a Hollywood strip mall between a 7-Eleven and a botanica, specializing in fermentation and exotic grains—if Wile E. Coyote were laying a trap for Angeleno foodies, BAROO is what he would put on his sign instead of BIRD SEED. There's some kind of madness going on here, with such witchy-sounding ingredients as Job's tears, passion-fruit powder, and rose-onion pickle. The dish with the smallest number of such elements, scrawled on a blackboard on one wall of the tiny space, still contained at least ten. These ingredients are arranged with the spiraling precision of sand mandalas, and you must dismantle them with the same Zen equanimity, amazed that you can distinguish each item and what it brings to the balance of the whole—saltiness here, acid there, now creaminess, now crunch. This is grain bowl as high art.

Meanwhile, it should come as no surprise that San Francisco is home to the new do-goodism in its extreme form. Much of what seems like parody when first noted in San Francisco (artisanal table water, charging for bread) eventually makes its way out into the world as mainstream restaurant culture. Be that as it may, The Perennial could have been hatched in the Portlandia writers' room. Its owners are Anthony Myint and Karen Leibowitz, who founded Mission Street Food, the charitable restaurant that morphed into Mission Chinese Food. Here, they have earnestly turned their attention to radical environmental sustainability. “We're trying to rethink everything about the food world,” the menu informs you, “and we're happy to tell you about it. (Or you can just enjoy the food.)”

That parenthetical is a lie. The staff can't help themselves. You will hear how the Stinger—a cocktail that deserves a widespread renaissance—is pre-batched, the better to save the water used in shaking; how the straws are actually pieces of real straw (they stirred a deep memory of sipping Hawaiian Punch through a paper straw at some long-ago summer-camp snack bar); how yet more water is saved by using a recycled-glass jade-colored silverware rest, rather than swapping out forks and knives mid-meal. You may be handed reading material for further study, like a postcard explaining how the grain Kernza's deep root system makes it the most sustainable of starches. Across the street, there is a restaurant called Cadillac Bar & Grill, a Tex-Mex spot specializing in deep-fried tacos (“They're fluffy, puffy, and you can't get enough-y!”). After a few minutes at The Perennial, I found myself staring across into its windows, watching the flicker of a Warriors game on the multiple TVs, imagining the clink of sweet, wasteful ice in neon green margaritas and wondering where, exactly, I'd gone wrong.

Then the food rode to the rescue: Poached fennel and slices of pork jowl came draped in a chain mail of razor-thin discs of kohlrabi, delicate as the skin of a summer roll; creamy potatoes were goosed with a clam bagna cauda, a potato salad for a seaside picnic; lamb—neck and a rosy red knot of leg—was painted glossy with a black-garlic jus. The whole thing is tight-assed as hell, desperately in need of the kind of rock 'n' roll Danny Bowien—Myint and Leibowitz's sometime partner—might inject. But even the bread made from that Kernza is warm and nuttily delicious enough to make you forget it's carbon-negative.

Image may contain Dish Food Meal Bowl and Pizza

The bounty of Shaya in NOLA.

Image may contain Food Bread Human and Person

Fresh-baked pita, the heart of a meal at Shaya.

One subset of Vegetable Forward is what I think of as the Ascension of the Homely Vegetables: cauliflowers, squashes, cabbages—it's like the culinary corollary of the hipster revival of old-people names. (In fact, I'd be shocked if there is not at least one kid in Park Slope named Radish.) If a grade-schooler is supposed to turn his nose up at it, you can find it occupying a plate somewhere with all the pride of a rib eye.

Think of it: cabbage. Ugly, gaseous, stinker-upper of tenement hallways, bane of generations of immigrant children—Eastern European, German, Irish, Korean—desperate to distinguish themselves from their parents' food. And yet, there it is, at Moruno, turning on the rotisserie like a fat pheasant, outer leaves charring while its insides turn to custard. There's plenty of meat, too, at Moruno, which is tucked into a corner of The Original Farmers Market in Los Angeles. The place is named for the marinated skewers found in Moorish Spain, here served with either lamb or chicken thighs, in kebab form or as Sub Moruno sandwiches. There are also Flinstonian hunks of chicharrones, tender grilled tripe with white beans, and tasty tapas bites constructed with anchovies, peppers, and olives, all to be washed down with homemade white and red vermouths on tap. No matter: My mind keeps returning to those cabbages, and to a split butternut squash, turned pudding-like in the oven. Its sweetness borders on dessert territory but is countered by a shower of musky dukkah .

Image may contain Food and Fries

Boeufhaus, in Chicago, delivers exactly what you want from a beef house.

More cabbage? Okay. It's also an unlikely contender for stardom at Shaya in New Orleans, this time drizzled with tahini and spiked with hazelnuts. It is nothing less than astonishing that the number one culinary destination in the city of gumbo should be, at the moment, a high-end Israeli restaurant. When I moved to New Orleans, not six years ago, the city was still giddy about finally getting a modern regional-Italian spot, at least a decade after the rest of the country had learned to take handmade pasta for granted. As it happens, the chef of that Italian place, Domenica, was and is Alon Shaya, and his strengths come into full flower at his new namesake. A dozen or so shared dips, pickles, and other mezes sit at the literal and figurative center of the menu, overshadowed only by the steaming, pillowy discs of freshly baked pita bread that flow from yet another wood-burning oven. You dredge hunks of the stuff through dishes of velvety hummus topped with curried cauliflower or with a soft-cooked egg and harissa; or top it with spoonfuls of sweet kibbeh nayah, made of raw lamb and beef, though that dish also comes with a densely layered, grease-slicked triangle of the sweet Yemenite flatbread called malawah. These are breads that threaten to ruin appetites not only at your table but in a five-mile blast radius.

Where else did I see the spirit that I fell for at Staplehouse in Atlanta? I saw it at Petit Crenn, the casual little sister to Dominique Crenn's experimental San Francisco powerhouse Atelier Crenn. Like Staplehouse, Crenn, in its petit form, strips the tasting menu of its overbearing gravitas and allows you to experience instead the pleasure of being in a chef's hands. Not that it forgoes all theatrics: The night I was there, two cooks were employed in presenting a two-foot-long bright silver steelhead trout to each table, in anticipation of its being cooked. Just when you reach the inevitable moment of fatigue, forking plump gnocchi à la parisienne into your mouth and glancing at the menu blackboard, wondering with an inward groan how you are going to make it through the next five courses—voilà!—the next three arrive at once: the trout, grilled over a wood fire and served beneath a sauce vierge with ribbons of crispy garlic, alongside porcelain dishes of roasted carrots tossed with candied kumquat and hazelnuts, and butter beans. It's suddenly a French soul-food meat-and-three.

I saw that same spirit at Mimi, the sliver of a bistro on Sullivan Street in Greenwich Village. Equal parts punk and chic, half of the tiny space is dominated by a stainless-steel bar, the other by snug banquettes. You start with a Mason jar filled with pork rillettes to pass around the table, reminiscent of the wondrous communal terrine that kicks off meals at La Régalade in Paris. From there, it's a wild ride. The 25-year-old chef, Liz Johnson, is canny enough to know her trends—there's a tête de veau dressed with honey, sesame, and roast garlic that could be served at Momofuku—but it's her twisted takes on more classic cuisine that stand out. Boudin noir comes sheathed in a delicate shell of feuille de brick; sea urchin and sweetbreads make startlingly good bedfellows beneath a scallop blanquette. Johnson herself ascends the vertiginous staircase from the kitchen, albeit with what seems like great reluctance, to present the duck à l'orange for two, complete with a flaming orange peel; the duck, when it returns, carved, is intensified by a side of blood sausage under a puddle of rhubarb poached in Grand Marnier. Mimi is an enormously sexy, deeply Parisian-feeling place, a spot where three or four bottles of wine seem to effortlessly disappear. Between midnight and 2 A.M. Thursday through Saturday, the kitchen serves only spicy-merguez-and-French-fry sandwiches, on baguettes—a classic late-night Parisian tool for alcohol absorption. I'm honor-bound to report it also makes an excellent dessert.

Image may contain Restaurant Furniture Chair Human Person Cafeteria Food Court and Food

Danny Meyer’s Untitled at the Whitney Museum in N.Y.C.

I saw that spirit at Boeufhaus, in Chicago, which neatly takes all the clichés and satisfactions of a traditional Big Shoulders steak house and applies them to an intimate, almost feminine bistro setting. (And makes an astonishing Reuben at lunchtime.) I saw it at Mud Hen Water in Honolulu, where Ed Kenney's dishes meld Hawaiian and European influences cleverly but without a hint of cloying cuteness: a cold rabbit terrine flavored with ginger, pistachio, and puffed rice; beet salad with ogo seaweed; “carbonara” made with what Hawaiians call “smoke meat.” I saw it at Wildair, the companion to the tasting-menu venue Contra, on New York's Lower East Side, a place whose size and wine-bar appearance belie its surprising ambition. Witness a pancake of beef tartare tangled with Cheddar cheese and chestnuts, and a “potato Darphin” with uni and jalapeño, a latke in the grips of a hallucination.

And, oddly, I saw it at Nishi, the bizarro Italo-Korean experiment on the west side of Manhattan that David Chang describes as his “penance” for the chicken sandwiches of Fuku. I know: Almost by definition, nothing Chang does anymore can be considered small or personal. And indeed, you walk in those doors and you're unmistakably in Changland—squatting like a hobo on the same backless chairs, squinting at the same sans serif menus. Even in a world of infinite Momofuku imitations, there's no mistaking the authentic article. What's different are the dishes coming from the kitchen, which look for all the world like Italian food. In fact, Nishi is a mind-fuck of a restaurant, an exercise in trompe l'oeil dining, practically an art project on the subject of cultural preconceptions. It forces you to think about how you feel differently about eating (and paying $25 for) what's called Spicy Beef Sichuan when it looks like pappardelle in a traditional ragù and is served with a fork instead of chopsticks. Some of the illusions, like the much-talked-about ceci e pepe that uses fermented chickpea to simulate traditional Romano cacio, are too identical for you to see the point of all the trouble. But others—like bright red beef crudo with radish and dashi, or spicy chitarra noodles with XO sauce, fermented chile, and fresh and preserved squid—truly leave you in a state of disoriented pleasure.

At all of these places, you feel the joy of chefs set free to dive deep into what inspires and moves them—and you feel their ensuing generosity. If the past decade in dining can be described as the rebellion of the line cooks, this is what happens when they drop their pitchforks and start to learn to govern.

That's not to say there isn't a place in the dining firmament for the big production number. There is something lurid and Vegas-like about the two women making pasta on an elevated stage behind the bar at Monteverde, the Italian restaurant in Chicago's West Loop run by Sarah Grueneberg, late of legendary Spiaggia and a Top Chef alum. They are like an Italian-grandma version of the Weeki Wachee Mermaids, hands hypnotically ablur in the overhead mirror. The bartender told me that one regular always requests a seat with a view of the “pasta TV.” I loved the food, though, even after weeks of eating pasta: mortadella tortellini in a broth, its sheen of poultry grease cut by a tableside shot of added Lambrusco; the house take on cacio e pepe that uses ricotta whey; and most of all, the skate-wing schnitzel, served over boiled potatoes and topped with radicchio and citrus. (Disclosure: I am a sucker for nearly anything that's been well-schnitzeled.)

There are times when I worry for whatever small town—in America or in China—that has tied its economy to the manufacture of those small, pen-sized tools that waiters use to scrape crumbs off tablecloths between courses. I imagine if you plotted sales figures for such “crumbers,” you'd see a fair representation of the decline of traditional fine dining in America. There are no tablecloths at Untitled, at the new Whitney Museum of American Art in New York, but servers do have dedicated gingham napkins, folded like memorial flags, that they dampen to wipe away your detritus. It's a small detail, but one of the many pleasing signs that you've landed in that increasingly rare thing: an adult restaurant. Like the museum it's attached to, and the High Line overhead, the restaurant—run by Danny Meyer—is airy and sunny, filled with a happy mélange of tourists, art types, and locals. Chef Michael Anthony published a vegetable cookbook last year, and his menu is light and precise, with enough moments of robust flavor to remind you of his food at Gramercy Tavern: bursts of bacon in the sunchokes, earthy maitake mushrooms in the freekeh, and a small crock of braised lamb cassoulet waiting at the end, as a kind of reward.

This image may contain Food Pork Seasoning Dish Meal and Plant

Pastured Lamb at The Perennial in San Francisco.

Above the communal table at Cassia, in Santa Monica, in front of yet another roaring, open wood-burning grill, there is a chandelier in which Edison bulbs are trapped inside metal birdcages. I spent some time searching for the metaphor contained in those lights: Was it the glow of hipsterism, struggling to be free? In the end, I decided it was just part of the whack-a-doodle nature of a place that illustrates just how much the old dining categories and preconceptions have been thrown out the window. Billing itself as a Southeast Asian brasserie, Cassia serves chilled-seafood towers brimming with items like oysters, snow-crab claws, raw scallops paired with peas and ham, and giant “sunbathing” prawns marinated in chile, garlic, and Vietnamese hot sauce. Then there are platters of Asian-inflected charcuterie; thick, crustless kaya toast, smeared with coconut jam and accompanied by a soft-boiled egg; a crab-and-oyster pan roast made with coconut milk and served with oyster crackers; a Vietnamese pot-au-feu.

And so, in the blink of an eye you've gone from Balthazar, to the streets of Saigon, to a coffee shop in Kuala Lumpur, to the Grand Central Oyster Bar, and so on. There's a freewheeling zaniness to the inspiration here that speaks to me of the best parts of the food movement: the way every flavor, every trope, every style of service is fair game, as long as it's done with care and respect and something like love. I imagine some might call it rampant appropriation. I call it another reason to be happy to be alive and eating in 2016.

Image may contain: Human, Person, Dietrich Siegl, Drink, Alcohol, Beer, and Beverage

Please use a modern browser to view this website. Some elements might not work as expected when using Internet Explorer.

  • Why Charter Homepage
  • Luxury Yacht Vacation Types
  • Corporate Yacht Charter
  • Tailor Made Vacations
  • Luxury Exploration Vacations
  • ALL 3,697 Yachts For Charter
  • Motor Yachts
  • Sailing Yachts
  • Classic Yachts
  • Catamaran Yachts
  • Special Offers
  • by Destination
  • Yacht Reviews
  • Destination Guides
  • Inspiration & Features
  • Mediterranean Charter Yachts
  • France Charter Yachts
  • Italy Charter Yachts
  • Croatia Charter Yachts
  • Greece Charter Yachts
  • Turkey Charter Yachts
  • Bahamas Charter Yachts
  • Caribbean Charter Yachts
  • Australia Charter Yachts
  • Thailand Charter Yachts
  • Dubai Charter Yachts
  • Destination News
  • New To Fleet
  • Charter Fleet Updates
  • Industry News
  • Yacht Shows
  • Corporate Charter
  • Charter Advice
  • Why Use a Yacht Broker
  • Charter Costs Explained
  • Add my yacht
  • Yacht Charter Fleet

superyachts moored in harbour

Yacht & Boat Shows of 2016

From the coveted Monaco Yacht Show to the Dubai International Boat Show, discover which of the world’s most beautiful destinations became a hub of viewings, networking, and glamorous parties in 2016.

Be inspired

Popular Yacht Shows

Miami Yacht Show

New York Boat Show 2016

6 - 10 Jan 2016

Javits Centre, New York

Phuket Boat Show 2016 (PIMEX)

Phuket Boat Show 2016 (PIMEX)

7 - 10 Jan 2016

Royal Phuket Marina, Phuket, Thailand

Yachts Miami Beach 2016

Yachts Miami Beach 2016

11 - 15 Feb 2016

Thailand Yacht Show 2016

Thailand Yacht Show 2016

11 - 14 Feb 2016

Ao Po Grand Marina, Phuket

Superyacht Miami Show 2016

Superyacht Miami Show 2016

Island Gardens Deep Harbou, Biscayne Bay

Dubai Boat Show 2016

1 - 5 Mar 2016

Dubai International Marine Club, Dubai

Palm Beach Boat Show 2016

Palm Beach Boat Show 2016

17 - 20 Mar 2016

West Palm Beach, Florida

Singapore Yacht Show 2016

Singapore Yacht Show 2016

7 - 10 Apr 2016

ONE°15 Marina Club, Sentosa Cove, Singapore

Palma Superyacht Show 2016

Palma Superyacht Show 2016

28 Apr - 2 May 2016

Mallorca, Spain

MYBA Charter Show 2016

MYBA Charter Show 2016

2 - 5 May 2016

Genoa, Italy

Mediterranean Yacht Show 2016

Mediterranean Yacht Show 2016

7 - 10 May 2016

Nafplion, Greece

East Med Yacht Show 2016

East Med Yacht Show 2016

13 - 18 May 2016

Piraeus, Greece

Newport Charter Yacht Show 2016

Newport Charter Yacht Show 2016

21 - 24 Jun 2016

Newport Shipyard, Rhode Island

MYBA Pop-Up Superyacht Show 2016

MYBA Pop-Up Superyacht Show 2016

2 - 4 Sep 2016

Porto Montenegro

Cannes Yachting Festival 2016

6 - 11 Sep 2016

Cannes, France

Monaco Yacht Show 2016

28 Sep - 1 Oct 2016

Port Hercules, Monaco

VICL Fall Yacht Show 2016

VICL Fall Yacht Show 2016

2 - 5 Nov 2016

Yacht Haven Grande, St Thomas

Fort Lauderdale Boat Show 2016

Fort Lauderdale Boat Show 2016

3 - 7 Nov 2016

Fort Lauderdale, Florida, United States

Charter Yacht Society (CYS) BVI Charter Yacht Show 2016

Charter Yacht Society (CYS) BVI Charter Yacht Show 2016

7 - 10 Nov 2016

Nanny Cay Resort and Marina, Tortola

Ocean Marina Pattaya Boat Show 2016

Ocean Marina Pattaya Boat Show 2016

24 - 27 Nov 2016

Pattaya, Thailand

Antigua Charter Yacht Show 2016

Antigua Charter Yacht Show 2016

4 - 10 Dec 2016

English Harbour, Antigua

Qatar International Boat Show 2016

Qatar International Boat Show 2016

7 - 10 Dec 2016

Mourjan Marinas Lusail City, Doha, Qatar

Kata Rocks Superyacht Rendezvous 2016

Kata Rocks Superyacht Rendezvous 2016

10 - 12 Dec 2016

Phuket, Thailand

  • Next Page >

Book with Ease - Speak with a Charter Expert

Our charter experts will:

  • Discuss your vacation plans
  • Check availability & shortlist suitable yachts
  • Negotiate booking & prepare your itinerary

Enquire now for yacht availability & free consultation.

Yacht Shows Archives

Featured luxury yachts for charter.

This is a small selection of the global luxury yacht charter fleet, with 3697 motor yachts, sail yachts, explorer yachts and catamarans to choose from including superyachts and megayachts, the world is your oyster. Why search for your ideal yacht charter vacation anywhere else?

Flying Fox yacht charter

136m | Lurssen

from $4,446,000 p/week ♦︎

Ahpo yacht charter

115m | Lurssen

from $2,895,000 p/week ♦︎

O'Ptasia yacht charter

85m | Golden Yachts

from $1,000,000 p/week ♦︎

Project X yacht charter

88m | Golden Yachts

from $1,223,000 p/week ♦︎

Savannah yacht charter

84m | Feadship

from $1,111,000 p/week ♦︎

Lady S yacht charter

93m | Feadship

from $1,556,000 p/week ♦︎

Maltese Falcon yacht charter

Maltese Falcon

88m | Perini Navi

from $490,000 p/week

Kismet yacht charter

122m | Lurssen

from $3,000,000 p/week

As Featured In

The YachtCharterFleet Difference

YachtCharterFleet makes it easy to find the yacht charter vacation that is right for you. We combine thousands of yacht listings with local destination information, sample itineraries and experiences to deliver the world's most comprehensive yacht charter website.

San Francisco

  • Like us on Facebook
  • Follow us on X
  • Follow us on Instagram
  • Find us on LinkedIn
  • Add My Yacht
  • Affiliates & Partners

Popular Destinations & Events

  • St Tropez Yacht Charter
  • Monaco Yacht Charter
  • St Barts Yacht Charter
  • Greece Yacht Charter
  • Mykonos Yacht Charter
  • Caribbean Yacht Charter

Featured Charter Yachts

  • Maltese Falcon Yacht Charter
  • Wheels Yacht Charter
  • Victorious Yacht Charter
  • Andrea Yacht Charter
  • Titania Yacht Charter
  • Ahpo Yacht Charter

Receive our latest offers, trends and stories direct to your inbox.

Please enter a valid e-mail.

Thanks for subscribing.

Search for Yachts, Destinations, Events, News... everything related to Luxury Yachts for Charter.

Yachts in your shortlist

Find anything you save across the site in your account

This is the new £1.2m Mercedes yacht

Image may contain Transportation Vehicle Yacht and Boat

Back in 2012, Mercedes-Benz 's Style division - the folk that'll make your apartment look like an S-Class - put together a model of boat because, well, it's a pretty cool idea, isn't it? Fast forward to 2016 and a full-size version has just appeared on the French Riviera.

Image may contain Transportation Vehicle Yacht Human and Person

Built in collaboration yacht manufacturers, Silver Arrows, the Arrow460–Granturismo uses two Yanmar 6LY3-ETP diesel engines that produce 947bhp and will get you from Monaco to Saint Tropez at up to 46mph.

You and up to nine friends get an interior lined in Nubuck leather, eucalyptus wood trim, tables and beds that pop out when you need them, a luxury bathroom, separate dressing room, air conditioning system, high-quality audio system, an ice-making machine and, bizarrely, a “wine-cellar”.

Image may contain Transportation Vehicle Yacht and Boat

The reckoning? £1.2m. There are only ten being made, so you better get in there quickly. Still waiting for this month's bonus? Here's how to charm yourself onto someone else's superyacht .

10 Coolest things of the week

Greece, Athens

Party from dusk til dawn, soak in the sun and embark on your very own Greek odyssey.

from €889 pp

EXPLORE GREECE IN STYLE

From ancient to amped up.

Are you ready to party like a Greek god on our breathtaking Greece route? Indulge in mouthwatering Greek cuisine, bask in the Mediterranean sun's warm embrace, and dance the night away at legendary parties that even the ancient gods would envy. Here, you'll create timeless memories, even after one too many ouzos.

✅ Exclusive Yacht Week parties ✅ Raft nights ✅ Activities & adventures ✅ Beach parties ✅ Famous whitewashed towns

The Circle Raft

Golden Hour

Cape Sol Party

Tunnel Raft Party

Love Bay Beach Party

Island ATV Tour

Water Volleyball

Professional Skipper

Dolphin spotting

Professional Host

Natural bay lunch swims

Water Sports

Dinghy Race

Run and Swim Clubs

Beach Olympics

Cavo Bianco

Event date s

Included in our routes.

Yacht accommodation
 (6 nights)

Access to all exclusive events

International DJs

Stereo speakers onboard

Final yacht cleaning

Towels & bed linen

Festival VIP

Your word, not ours

After 15 years running Yacht Week, people have a lot to say about us

Maddie Talbert

Had an amazing time at Yacht Week in Greece! We booked 2 cabins and quickly made friends with the other people on our boat! Our skipper (Finn) and host (Arthur) were amazing and very welcoming. We got to drive the boat and Arthur made the most amazing meals for us! I recommend buying alcohol at the stores and drinking more before the parties to save some money.

Samantha McCorriston

Really enjoyed staying in Eromoni for two nights and just visiting Hydra for the day

My favourite was Cavo Bianco for The Blue Party, but it’s hard to pick, as THE circle raft & tunnel raft are also a fabulous experience and the Love Bay & Siren’s Call parties were also fantastic!

Scotty O'Douglas

William A Tisone

Kate Miller

Colin Beatt

Yacht Week was one of the coolest experiences of my life. Greece was incredible and the waters were gorgeous

Other destinations

Explore destination.

Dates May - Aug

Price from €613 pp

Croatia Original

Dates May - Sep

Price from €889 pp

Greece Athens

Croatia ultra.

Dates NEW YEARS

Price from €1,950 pp

Caribbean BVI

Polynesia tahiti.

Croatia, Original

From €613 / person

From €889 / person

Croatia, Ultra

Caribbean, BVI

From €1,950 / person

Polynesia, Tahiti

Excited and ready to go?

Save your summer and sign up

We promise not to spam you

Inside Yacht Week

How it works

You've heard us say it's the best week of your life, and you've chosen your dream destination. But how does it all come together? How do you select the perfect yacht? And what's the deal with a host? Here's the lowdown on exactly how you book your week at sea.

Your step-by-step guide

Choose from our yacht categories or pick your own!

Choose your crew; sail with a group or join a shared yacht

Pay & sail; secure your spot for just a 10% deposit

Choose a category or pick your own

Our categories.

Choose from two yacht categories, Classic and Premium, in both Monohull and Catamaran types. Select the one that fits with your crew's spirit and budget, and we'll match you with a yacht that fits the bill. Or, if you're crystal clear about your desires, go ahead and pick your own.

Add your extras

Once you've chosen your yacht, it's time to make it uniquely yours. This is where you can add those exciting extras to turn your week into the dream you've always envisioned. How about adding a host to handle your meals while you soak in the adventure?

Choose your crew

Spend an unforgettable week on a yacht with your very own skipper and up to 12 friends. Can't fill a whole yacht? Use our handy Crew Finder to connect with other travellers.

Go to Crew finder

Set sail with like-minded adventurers in a cabin on a shared yacht.

Masters of the ocean, they’ll navigate and sail your crew, show you the hidden gems en route and ensure your safety is the priority. Skippers are also included with every booking.

  • + RYA Skipper License (or equivalent)
  • + Trained at YW Skipper Academy
  • + Will quite literally show you the ropes if you’d like to learn to sail

Elevate your week to a whole new level with a host. They'll whip up fresh meals for you on deck daily and keep your yacht in pristine condition. Add hosts to any yacht, as long as there's a cabin for them.

  • + Culinary genius
  • + Local know-it-all
  • + Trained at YW Host Academy

Pay and sail

Payment plan.

Pay off your booking in 3 instalments.

Instalment 1 · Confirm booking 10 %

Instalment 2 · 30 days after 30 %

Instalment 3 · 60 days before you sail 60 %

You will only need to pay 10% at the time of booking to secure your space.

  • 10% deposit
  • 30% of the balance, due 30 days after your booked
  • 60% of the remaining balance, due 60 days before your trip

As the lead booker, once you have added your crew to your booking they will create their own profiles and can view the booking and pay their share. That way you won’t have to send money back and forth between everyone in the crew.

Ready to go? Choose your route now

Explore destination.

Dates May - Aug

Price from €613 pp

Croatia Original

Dates May - Sep

Price from €889 pp

Greece Athens

Croatia ultra.

Dates NEW YEARS

Price from €1,950 pp

Caribbean BVI

Polynesia tahiti.

Ops, looks like there are no FAQ items for ` FAQ `

Excited and ready to go?

Save your summer and sign up

We promise not to spam you

IMAGES

  1. Yacht Week is Sodom and Gomorrah at sea

    yacht week 2016 gq

  2. Yacht Week is Sodom and Gomorrah at sea

    yacht week 2016 gq

  3. Yacht Week is Sodom and Gomorrah at sea

    yacht week 2016 gq

  4. Yacht Week is Sodom and Gomorrah at sea

    yacht week 2016 gq

  5. Yacht Week is Sodom and Gomorrah at sea

    yacht week 2016 gq

  6. Yacht Week is Sodom and Gomorrah at sea

    yacht week 2016 gq

COMMENTS

  1. Yacht Week is Sodom and Gomorrah at sea

    Many go purely on emails and images. Only one girl I met on my week - Cayla, a 29-year-old American teacher - took the precaution of travelling to New York to size up their potential male ...

  2. Yacht Girl Meg: The Unveiling of Megan Markle's Lavish Yachting Past

    Additional accounts from Meghan's former colleagues reveal that she was invited to Yacht Week in 2016, an event that has since been described as a modern-day Sodom and Gomorrah at sea. These revelations have sparked further speculation, with the author Kirby Summers, known for her biography of Ghislaine Maxwell, suggesting that Meghan's ...

  3. Meghan Markle's Past as a Yacht Girl: Unveiling the Speculations

    Additionally, the writer provides evidence of Meghan's invitation to the 2016 Yacht Week in Croatia, which reportedly came from a person named Adam Hone. In 2015, GQ referred to Yacht Week, established by William Wankel in 2006, as "Sodom and Gomorrah at Sea."

  4. Yacht Week 2016 : r/SaintMeghanMarkle

    She's friends with Eugenie. Eugenie's husband was photographed on a yacht with three women when Eugenie was left at home with their baby. I wonder if that's how Meghan got connected with the BRF. Young Jack's exploits may have connected tye two women. There is NO way she didn't know who Andrew was.

  5. Spike Lee Emailed Us These Incredible Backstage Photos From Inside ...

    The iconic writer-director-actor, who was on the ground in Chicago this week documenting an historic convention for GQ, talks about Kamala and "Dougy Doug," Barack and Michelle, and the ...

  6. The Ultimate Guide to Yacht Week Croatia

    2. Choosing your Route — The Yacht Week has routes in Croatia, Greece, Turkey, Italy, Thailand and the BVI's although the most popular route is Croatia, where TYW first originated. There are two routes you can take on Yacht Week Croatia; the Black Route and the Red Route. Both routes are identical, they just operate in the opposite ...

  7. Body of British tech magnate Lynch retrieved from yacht

    The body of British tech magnate Mike Lynch was retrieved from the wreck of his family yacht that sank earlier this week off the coast of Sicily during a violent storm, a senior Italian official said https://reut.rs/3WVAizd

  8. SteveNordship on Twitter: "Markle had been invited to the 'Yacht Week

    Markle had been invited to the 'Yacht Week 2016', an event later described at 'Sodom and Gomorrah at sea' by GQ. "The Duchess of Sussex (Meghan Markle) is controlled by the same forces that controlled Jeffrey Epstein."

  9. Yacht Week

    Welcome to the best week of your life. This is Yacht Week - a seven-day adventure and festival like no other. Join us for seven days of sailing, curated adventures and exclusive parties in some of the most enchanting corners of the world. Explore a new destination every day.

  10. Why Yacht Week

    The best routes & programming. There's more to a Yacht Week than a circle raft (though we do those too). Our team is on the ground early, making sure that every activity, swim stop, yoga session, and party is planned out - so you have the time to explore, relax and party.

  11. THE TRUTH ABOUT YACHT WEEK

    2) The Yacht Week is more about partying and less about sailing. Yes, you will sail from island to island (my favorite part of the trip!), but the main focus of Yacht Week is the parties they throw. There is a big welcome party the night you arrive, and for the rest of the trip, there are day parties and night parties every single day.

  12. Croatia, Original

    Croatia, Original. The original, the biggest and the best floating festival around. Join a like-minded crowd for exclusive parties, circle rafts and adventure. Browse dates. 10 weeks available. from €613 pp. See dates.

  13. The Perfect Night Out: GQ's Best New Restaurants of 2016

    The 12 Best New Restaurants in America. Baroo, L.A. A Zen temple to fermentation and grains in a strip mall. Cassia, Santa Monica. SE Asia meets Balthazar. Mimi, N.Y.C. Sexy, tiny, Parisian-style ...

  14. About us

    2016. 2015. 2014. 2013. 2012. 2011. 2010. 2009. 2008. 2007. 2006. ... Perhaps you've heard about this thing called Yacht Week, an exclusive seven-day, spring break-like flotilla for kind-of grownups that involves sailboats, exotic locales, and hard-partying young people from around the world.

  15. Browse destinations

    A series of sailing festivals staged in 7 hand-picked destinations around the world.

  16. 2016 Yacht Shows & Boat Shows

    Yacht & Boat Shows of 2016. From the coveted Monaco Yacht Show to the Dubai International Boat Show, discover which of the world's most beautiful destinations became a hub of viewings, networking, and glamorous parties in 2016. Be inspired. ... from $4,446,000 p/week ...

  17. This is the new £1.2m Mercedes yacht

    19 April 2016 Back in 2012, Mercedes-Benz 's Style division - the folk that'll make your apartment look like an S-Class - put together a model of boat because, well, it's a pretty cool idea, isn't it?

  18. The Best Route on The Yacht Week • The Blonde Abroad

    The Yacht Week Italy is a smaller route which is hard to believe because it is so amazing! It's the best route for a little bit of luxe, a whole lotta rosé, and some incredible sailing. Extra Costs: 3. There are a couple days on the Italy route with expensive port fees. The market in the marina at Portorosa is extremely limited and expensive ...

  19. Summer of Love

    The three of us met in Thailand on The Yacht Week New Years trip in 2015 into 2016. We became fast friends and then ended up hiking around Banff, Canada together a few years later. - Jon-Erik. We had the best boat summer of 2018 in Croatia!!! 5 girls from New York and 3 boys from Sydney! And of course our amazing skipper Dan and incredible ...

  20. Meghan Markle 'controlled by same forces that controlled Jeffrey

    Sommers also claimed that Markle had been invited to the 'Yacht Week 2016', an event later described at 'Sodom and Gomorrah at sea' by GQ, although it remains unclear whether the Duchess ...

  21. #AYW

    We've been at it since 2016, and every year AYW gets a little bigger and better. What started as a word of mouth trip is now officially a thing, so spread the word! But please, only tell your cool friends so we can keep the good vibes good.

  22. Greece, Athens

    Had an amazing time at Yacht Week in Greece! We booked 2 cabins and quickly made friends with the other people on our boat! Our skipper (Finn) and host (Arthur) were amazing and very welcoming. We got to drive the boat and Arthur made the most amazing meals for us! I recommend buying alcohol at the stores and drinking more before the parties to ...

  23. How Does The Yacht Week Work?

    There are 3 ways to join YW: 1. You gather a group of friends and book a yacht (the most common way). The price of the yacht is fixed and you split it between all crew members on board. 2. Grab one other friend and book a double cabin. You will then be placed on a yacht with other cabin bookers.