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Charter Yacht |
Cruise Ship |
| Food |
Your own private chef who plans the meals around your likes/dislikes. Stuff yourself with incredible gourmet meals prepared fresh just for you. Enjoy a sunset as you dine on the deck of your yacht or on a beach in a secluded romantic private cove. |
Stand in line. Wait to seat, rush to eat in time before the next group seats at your assigned table in a cafeteria-like setting. |
| Activities |
Choose a yacht with your particular activities in mind and do them when you want to and in a different place everyday. Scuba Diving, Snorkeling, Watersports, Sailing, Hiking, Sightseeing - whatever you want, when you want, where you want. |
Do the same activities as 1,000's of others. It depends on what that cruise has planned, not necessarily what you feel like that day. |
| Destinations |
Wherever you feel like. Small private beaches, unspoiled coral reefs, quaint towns, trails, etc. |
Go sightseeing with a herd of other people. On only the tourist trap locations that can accomodate that many people. Can't go at your own pace. Get bombarded by street vendors waiting for the average naive tourist. |
| Beaches |
A new secluded, romantic, beautiful beach everyday. Quiet strips of whitesand. Get away from the crowds. |
Same beach that thousands of tourists are dumped on every week. So much for your "getaway vacation" |
| Snorkel/Scuba |
A different coral reef or shipwreck everyday. Secret dive spots only the locals know about. Sail up to a spectacular dive or snorkel spot, spend as little or as much time as you want exploring the underwater wonderland, then climb back aboard to be met by your chef with a delicious snack or meal. |
Okay, you're a school of fish swimming around a reef. BLAM! hundreds of people splash into the water and scare you away. Good luck seeing anything you wouldn't normaly see in the public pool back home. |
| Watersports |
Most watersports are included at no extra charge. All you want. Do what you want, when you want, where you want. Go diving after breakfast, waterskiing after lunch and kayaking after dinner. |
Diving, Kayaking, Waterskiing and Windsurfing are never included in a cruise - they are a LOT of extra money and it takes time to take a cab to a facility where you wait in line with the rest of the guests from the ship who want to try that activity. |
| Instruction |
One on one instruction. Highly individual instruction of Scuba diving, Snorkeling, Kayaking, Windsurfing and of course Sailing. |
Similar to a college lecture, hundreds of people to one instructor of often questionable experience and put into line waiting on those not quite as savy. |
| Flexibility |
Set your own pace. Change your itinerary as you go. Do what you want, don't worry about schedules |
Good luck trying to dock a 1,000 ft. ship anywhere but tourist trap harbors designed for that purpose. |
| Sailing |
Learn to sail with the best. The Virgin Islands are a haven for the most experienced of sailors. These are hands down the best islands in the world to experience this. |
Well, I'm not sure how you'll experience "sailing" being stuck on a boat 100ft. above the water. your cabin window only a small circle. It's sometimes hard to believe these things are still considered boats and not wandering cities. |
| Cost |
Most of the sailboats are all-inclusive, meaning that food, most drinks, snorkeling, most watersports and sailing are included. The cost for scuba diving is incredibly minimal. A typical fee might be $100 for 5 dives, equipment included - additional dives for just the cost of the tank refills. |
Don't forget your wallet here! On many ships drinks are extra. Want a soda or a bottle of wine? Cough it up. Watersports? - extra. Diving? - a LOT extra. Taxis to get to the tourist beaches? - Extra. Want to get away by yourself or do something different? Extra, Extra, Extra!!! |
