With all the Hollywood portrayals of scam artists these days, it's hard not to think, "could that happen to me?", "is The Charter Yacht Company trustworthy?" It's understandable to have these concerns when booking with us for the first time. There is comfort in booking with large organizations, such as Expedia, VRBO, etc., however, The Charter Yacht Industry does not operate on these platforms.
The Charter Yacht Industry has a very controlled and strict booking process, starting right from the requirement of the yacht owners to license their yachts for charter, and hire a licensed crew. The Owners must comply to licensing, safety, insurance, and business operation regulations imposed by the coast guard and government entities, as well as their insurance companies. This is often overseen by a Central Agent and Industry Organization that qualify that the yacht and crew are meeting all the legal requirements to charter. Brokerages, like The Charter Yacht Company, will not recommend a yacht unless it has been thoroughly vetted.
Brokerages, like The Charter Yacht Company, also have to follow strict industry standards and protocols, overseen by Industry Associations, as listed below. Brokers cannot complete a charter booking without proper vetting from these Industry Organizations and Central Agents. In many cases, we are required to hold memberships and liability insurance, which can only be obtained thorough critical examination by Industry Organizations and Insurance Companies. To meet many of these requirements, we must attend Charter Yacht Shows regularly, and provide detailed reports of our business license, bank accounts, booking history, and insurance, etc.
The Charter Agreements are standardized by the Industry Organizations, written by maritime lawyers to protect all parties. Funds are held in Escrow, with a separate neutral party acting as a Stakeholder or Escrow Agent. A portion of the Charter Fee is only dispersed to the yacht owners in time to prepare for the charter, and then after successful commencement of the charter.
We understand that you may still have concerns about scams and safely of your hard-earned money, and we welcome any questions you have. We are happy to provide references if it makes you feel more comfortable. We have been in the Charter Yacht Industry for over 25yrs, with 1000's of happy clients, many of whom charter with us each year. Check out our Testimonials Page with some recent charter reviews. You are also welcome to contact the Industry Organizations listed below for references.