Courtesy of the Monaco Yacht Show web site, here's a complete list of the yachts being shown at the 2009 Monaco Yacht Show, opening this week. More about the Monaco Yacht Show on Boatbookings.com.
Category Archives: South of France
Cannes Boat Show opens
Boatbookings will be scouring the Cannes Boat Show this week looking for great new charter yachts, and seeing all the new models that are being launched. From the looks of the setup last night, the show should be hopping despite the recession. We’ll keep you updated on any great new developments.
We’re especially looking forward to seeing the Sunreef Power Cats – as we’re seeing increasing demand for this type of charter yacht.
One recommendation already – the view of Cannes from the terrace bar/restaurant at the 1835 White Palm hotel (formerly the Sofitel) is fantatic! It’s located at the west end of the Old Port, looking straight down on the boats. The views are gorgeous in all directions – which is why the bar is called 360 (this photo was taken from the terrace).
The restaurant is excellent (a full menu with all the trimmings costs EUR 55 plus wine) and it’s away from the hustle and bustle of the show. If you need to track us down at the show, we’ll probably be there!
Market update and outlook for Chartering this fall
Everyone asks us how the summer went and what is going on in the charter market these days, so here are our views on the market and and a few of our expectations for the remainder of the year.
About midway through July, demand for Mediterranean charters picked up dramatically – last minute charters came out of the woodwork and we’ve been inundated ever since. Anecdotal stories from other industries such as villa rentals generally say that same thing. People wanted deals, but in the end they still wanted a great holiday, despite the recession.
We believe that there is much more confidence amongst charterers, and that this will continue into the Caribbean, Indian Ocean and Asia/Pacific high seasons from December through April. We’ve seen our traffic and enquiries accelerate (more than double from last September when the world was falling apart) and our operators in the Caribbean say that Christmas and New Years availability is becoming scarce. If you’re planning a charter during this peak period in the Caribbean, especially the BVI, then best to contact Boatbookings.com soon to discuss the boats that are remaining (we’ve created a nice listing of BVI Yacht Charter Availability here. Unfortunately, with the rebound in the economy, the possibility of “deals” during this peak period is dramatically diminished.
We’ve also seen a significant pick-up in demand for the Indian Ocean – especially in the Seychelles and Maldives. Because these are longer haul destinations, they seem to be picking up a bit more slowly, so there is still good availability, but if the current trend continues we wouldn’t recommend waiting until the last minute and looking for deals, or you may be disappointed.
Thailand got hit with a double whammy at the end of 2008. Just as the world economy was falling apart, the Bangkok international airport was closed by political protesters, heavily impacting the tourism sector in general. This lead to much lower demand in the first half of 2009, and some amazing charter deals being available to counteract all the bad publicity.
But just as our Asia Charter Manager was starting to wonder if the world was still in love with Thailand, July/August has seen a dramatic rise in enquiries and bookings for Thailand charters. As Europeans return from their summer vacations, we expect this increase in demand to continue. In fact, like every year, most cats are already booked up many months in advance for the peak periods of Christmas and New Year in Phuket.
As for the Mediterranean next summer – it’s anybody’s guess, but we certainly expect that next summer will be significantly stronger than this year, so don’t expect the type of deals that we were seeing this year. It may sound self serving, but the best way to guarantee the current prices and get a bit of a discount as well is to get an early booking discount – which generally means booking your summer charter before the end of the year.
OCEAN EMERALD, the new Lord Foster – designed 41m superyacht is now available for a limited charter period in the Italian Riviera!
For the first time ever, you can charter the just launched OCEAN EMERALD this year. There are only three blocks of time available for general charter: 3-13 July and 4-13 August in the Mediterranean, and the Xmas/New Year period in the Caribbean.
Standard Charter Rates: 120,000 eur per week plus expenses (off-peak) 160,000 eur per week plus expenses (peak). You can get a 25% discount off the standard charter rate if you book soon! The yacht currently features on the front of BOAT INTERNATIONAL, July edition; and featured on the cover of the Financial Times` magazine on June 20.
Click here for more about OCEAN EMERALD and this special offer.
Summary of the Cannes Film Festival and Monaco Grand Prix
The stands are being taken down in Monaco and the screens have gone dark in Cannes. You can walk the Croisette again in peace, and no earplugs are required in Monaco. Although everything for these two events went well, and the weather was fantastic, by all accounts both events were slower than in past years. Not surprising, and totally expected.
However, we’ve already seen a pickup in yacht charter enquiries for 2010 for both of these events. The financial situation has stabilised, and many people are realising that the Cannes Film Festival and Monaco Grand Prix are still two of the world’s most appealing marketing and entertainment venues. And for those who are planning now, they’re finding that this is the best time in years to charter a yacht for these events. There are great yachts available, reasonably priced berths in the ports, and fewer competitors to deal with. They may want a lower priced boat, with slightly less glitz, but you can now find a yacht for one or both of these events that provide real value.
Contact us if you want to know more about chartering yachts for these glamorous events in 2010, be it for a private party, family holiday, corporate entertainment, celebration, or if you just want to see the stars!