A Guide to the French Riviera: Yacht Charters For Large Groups

Chartering a luxury yacht on the French Riviera for more than 12 guests is a lot trickier than you might think. Due to maritime law, the vast majority of charter yachts are limited to 12 guests for safety reasons. However, at Boatbookings.com, we have established long and successful relationships with a number of key suppliers who have obtained permits to cruise with more than 12 guests. Whether you want a luxurious super yacht or a slow cruising catamaran, we have a selection of stunning event yachts for every occasion.

So how do you choose the perfect yacht to spend your next corporate or personal celebratory event? Two of our favourite large event yachts on the French Riviera are SHERAKHAN and NINAH. SHERAKHAN is a stunning Verkerk 228ft super yacht, accommodating up to 26 guests in 13 cabins. She epitomises luxury in every area, especially her lounges and vast deck spaces. Whether you wish to spend the majority of your time in the atrium, jacuzzi, lounges or simply relaxing on one of her decks, you will have an unforgettable experience.

NINAH is a large Fountain Pajot 78ft Tahiti crewed catamaran that accommodate up to 56 passengers for luxurious sailing trips from Cannes. Sit on her decks and let the wind brush through your hair whilst relaxing with your closest friends or colleagues. Her crew are extremely professional, as well as good fun, ensuring that all of your guests receive the very best service.

At www.boatbookings.com, we are here to help you plan your perfect luxury yachting holiday. We have a team of highly skilled professionals who are extremely knowledgeable in their destinations and will be able to help you bring together the yacht, the crew and all the other aspects that make your charter special.

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Posted on April 26, 2013 by admin — No Comments ↓

How to Obtain a Berth in Cannes – Get the Prime Location for the Film Festival

Are you looking to host your event, whether for business or pleasure, in Cannes? How about getting a berth in Cannes in the prime location? If you are interested in obtaining a Berth at Cannes right next to the Palais des Festivals, along the Jetée Albert Edouard, Boatbookings can help you.

There is a very specific process to follow when you apply for a berth in Cannes, no queue jumping allowed! Everybody has to follow the same rules when submitting a berth application – whether you’re famous or not, it’s all done in the same way. The berths at Cannes work on a first come, first serve basis; you need to plan ahead in order to get the best spot. In order to apply for the berth, you are required to chow the charter contract, company documentation, yacht license and documentation, and fill out an extensive application
form. This all then needs to be delivered to to Capitainerie (Port Office) and must be in perfect order otherwise it will be rejected – detail is key.

Boatbookings has years of experience getting berths for our clients during shows such as MIPIM, MIPCOM and, of course, the Cannes Film Festival. We would be more than happy to find you the perfect charter yacht and submit the berth application! As you can see, you need to be ahead of the game to obtain a berth, prepared with your charter yacht and ready to go, so charter with Boatbookings today.

One of our favourite yachts for event charters on the French Riviera is this Spertini Alalunga, ANTISAN. With a capacity of 70 guests at dock and 40 at sea, she is perfect for your Cannes event charter, be it a business meeting, evening cocktails or birthday party. ANTISAN has sprawling decks and spacious interiors, there is plenty
of room for you and your guests on board without it getting busy.

ANTISAN’s interiors are neutrally decorated, fitted out elegantly with furniture in walnut and expertly matched pastel coloured fabrics. The living area has a spacious sitting-room with plasma TV and BOSE Sound System, which is great for putting on some background music while entertaining your guests, and a separate dining room. Outside on deck, ANTISAN affords a large cockpit astern with a table for 10/12 guests, while forward there’s a spacious sun-deck. The enormous upper deck is certainly another of ANTISAN’s strengths; here you can lie on a large sun-deck or sit on the comfortable sofas in the shade of the bimini, which is also perfect for dinner under the stars.

Posted on April 26, 2013 by admin — No Comments ↓

Chartering a Luxury Yacht: The Cannes Film Festival 2013

The 2013 Cannes Film Festival may be next month, but there is already a great vibe around the whole of the French Riviera. This year will be no different and Cannes will welcome some of the world’s most successful actors and actresses. Stephen Spielberg is to chair the 2013 jury, and will be accompanied by Nicole Kidman, as well as Oscar director winner, Ang Lee and actor Christoph Waltz. Other names include French actor Auteuil, Japanese director Naomi Kawase and Romanian film maker Christian Mungiu.

Nicole Kidman returns this year after an unsuccessful 2012, where her film The Paperboy was poorly received by critics. This year, the main contenders for the much coveted main film category are Steven Soderbergh’s, Behind the Candelabra and Only God Forgives, starring Ryan Gosling. The quality of the panel reflects the talent on show this year, which will commence with the screening of Baz Luhrman’s adaptation of The Great Gatsby and a ceremony hosted by the famous French actress, Audrey Tatou.

The Cannes Film Festival and chartering a luxury yacht go hand in hand. Whether you need a yacht for corporate entertaining, accommodation or personal pleasure, we would be delighted to help you organise an unforgettable experience. A yacht provides much more flexibility than a hotel room, giving you much more space to entertain and host meetings in a lavish environment. Moreover, you will be in the heart of the action and avoid all the hustle and bustle of La Croisette. We have a special offer on MAYAMA, a superb Couach 3000 crewed motor yacht, accommodating up to 8 guests in 4 cabins. She comes with her own berth next to the festival hall, making her perfect for hosting meetings in a luxurious, quiet and more importantly private environment.

Posted on April 26, 2013 by admin — No Comments ↓

Andros Island; a Snorkeler’s Paradise and a Perfect Yacht Chartering Destination

Part 2 of the exhilarating, snorkeling hotspots blog brings us to the picturesque Andros Island in the exotic Bahamas. Charter a luxury yacht in the Bahamas and visit one of the best snorkeling destinations in the world. Andros Island is an archipelago within the Bahamas and has an area greater than all 700 Bahamian islands combined. The island boasts the greatest botanical and marine life diversity than any other island in the Bahamas and possesses the third largest barrier reef in the world.

The marine biosphere of Andros Island is truly astonishing, an abundance of mangrove swamps, ocean craters, shallow sands and tidal streams form a rich and prosperous marine life. The island’s sprawling coral reef is made up of oceanic craters and vertical caves creating a rich dark and light blue ocean. Dean’s Blue Hole on Long Island in the Bahamas is the deepest oceanic crater known to man.

Andros Island boasts the best snorkeling and deep sea diving in the whole of the Bahamas. Marvel at the majestic humpback whales following their yearly migration route or the pilot whales that frequently visit these warm and inviting shores. Stingrays frolic in the shallow waters, swarms of French grunts scurry across the ocean floor and Caribbean reef sharks lurk in the depths. Sea turtles, grouper, snapper and even bottlenose dolphins can be admired in the crystal blue water that engulfs Andros Island.

AT LAST is a luxurious motor yacht berthed in the Bahamas. She boasts 5 lavish and well-furnished cabins suitable for 10 guests. AT LAST has a well designed water-jet system and a very low draft (1.68 meters) which makes her ideally suited for chartering in the Bahamas. Spacious decking, en suite bathrooms, Jacuzzi and an incredible array of water toys make this a luxury charter to remember.

At Boatbookings,we organise luxury yacht charters all around the world with our highly qualified team. We leave no stone unturned in matching not just the yacht and the destination to your requirements but also the crew, itineraries and all other subtle aspects that comes together to create a charter of a life timekids inflatable obstacle course!

Posted on April 25, 2013 by admin — No Comments ↓

BVI Crewed Catamaran 7 Day Itinerary – Day 7 – Soggy Dollar Bar, White Bay, Jost Van Dyke to the Bight, Norman Island

Sadly, this is our final full day on Souls Calling. But in many ways, we’ve saved the best for last!

White Bay, Jost Van Dyke, and the Soggy Dollar Bar

We woke up to the quiet and beauty of White Bay, with only a few other boats there. The first activity was for the kids to snorkel the bay looking for “soggy dollars” – a lot of people lose dollar bills when swimming to and from their boats, and it’s fun to try to find them. We collected $7, and saw a beautiful stingray swimming along the bottom, as well as many other fish.

We then took a walk down the beach to the eastern end, which is pristine and much quieter – a perfect walk to reflect on the past week at the BVI.

White Bay, Jost Van Dyke – a view of the Eastern Beach

This beach is also home to “Ivans Stress Free Bar” – which has thousands of shells incorporated in its construction and is, well, stress free.

Ivan's Stress Free Bar, White Bay, Jost Van Dyke — Ivan’s Stress Free Bar, White Bay, Jost Van Dyke

Why Worry? A sign at Ivan's Stress Free Bar — Why Worry? A sign at Ivan’s Stress Free Bar

We continued our walk to the end of the beach and climbed the hill to get a good view of the magnificent White Bay panorama.

Back to the Boat, it was time to hit the Soggy Dollar Bar (and t-shirt shop). It was quiet in the early morning, which gave us the time to enjoy the hammocks and beautiful views of the boats.

Souls Calling, as seen from the Soggy Dollar Bar, Jost Van Dyke

We spent the entire day at the White Bay, including lunch and the requisite “painkiller” drink, which was created there, and watched the scene of dozens of boats arriving, partying, then leaving a few hours later.

The party scene at White Bay, Jost Van Dyke

It is clear why the Soggy Dollar Bar always makes the top 10 list of the world’s best beach bars.

Back to the Bight

In order to get to Road Town by noon tomorrow we wanted a short final sail, so we headed back to the Bight, Norman Island, in the late afternoon.

The route passes the West End of Tortola, with a nice view some of the villas and Soper’s Hole, then past St Johns to Norman Island.

We anchored in the Bight and Captain Alex saved his best surprise for last. He invented what he calls “Halyard Jumping”, where he attaches a water ski handle to the halyard, then another line to his dinghy. The jumper gets in the water next to the boat, grabs onto the water ski handle, and then Alex floors the dinghy away from the boat. Physics prevails, and you are vaulted out of the water approximately 50 feet in the air, for an exhilarating ride and view of all the boats in the Bight. You can choose to jump, or simply ease back into the water.

Alex keeps this for last, because it gets rid of the last day blues, and he knows that if he did it on the first day, that’s all the kids would want to do!

Halyard jumping was a fantastic treat for the last night, then a beautiful lasagne dinner prepared by Carla. The perfect final day in the BVI!

Tomorrow – the final sail back to Tortola, and reflections on an incredible week in the BVI.

Click here to see this BVI itinerary all in one page.

Posted on April 25, 2013 by Tom Virden — No Comments ↓