EN (EUR)Can I book a single cabin for two or for individual boarding (cabin charter)?
Yes, of course you can! Among its services, Vivisail offers the Cabin Charter option, meaning individual boarding. This is possible for programs which mention the individual booking or cabin. For a sailing holiday with Vivisail you don't need to make up a group to occupy all the boat. You can take part in our sailing holidays even on your own, sharing the boat with others. With the cabin charter option you have the chance to make new friends on board. If you are with a group of friends instead, or with the family, you can choose our sailing yacht and catamaran holidays on a crewed whole boat basis. In this case, it is called a crewed charter.
What kind of sailboat do I have to hire?
Your sailing yacht holiday can be tailormade to your wishes. We can offer sailing skippered catamaran and yachts, adventure voyages to pristine wild sea destinations, participation to the most prestigious sailing races, custom-made events for companies and team builing, luxury charters on sailing yachts, crewed gulets...How many people will take part in the holiday? Are they couples travelling together or single cabins are required for some guests? How much space and comfort do you want? Do you love relax or adventure sport sailing? Whatever your needs, Vivisail can find the right sailing yacht for you. Choose one of our dream proposals!
Is the skipper necessary or can I run the yacht I hire on my own?
The nautical license is not the only requirement for running a sailing yacht, your actual sailing experience makes you qualified to control a sailboat according to the kind of navigation you are looking for. Sailing yachts and catamarans offered by ViviSail only come with a captain skipper. We offer sailing holidays and we want to provide maximum relaxation and being the captain of a boat implies taking charge of the boat and crew on board in terms of safety and law. Professional skippers can give you serenity and complete satisfaction during your holiday. Often a local skipper (who knows the boat and the features of the sailing area, the best inland clubs and restaurants...) is the best investment for a successful sailing holiday.
Who decides the itinerary of the sailing holiday?
Skippered sailing yachts and catamarans:
The itinerary is the one defined in the chosen program, the skipper will follow the stages indicated in the program according to weather conditions. With cabin charters, respecting scheduled itineraries is necessary for the satisfaction of all guests. With whole boat charters for groups of friends or families, the itinerary can be changed together with the skipper, for example staying one day longer in a particular bay, always respecting the final disembarkation date and place. Since you are on a sailboat, the skipper is responsible for your safety and for the yacht and has the right to the final decision.
Luxury crewed sailing charter holidays:
This is the peculiarity and beauty of hiring a charter sailing yacht with private crew. Once on board of your sailing yacht, the captain will sit down with you and plan the itinerary according to your wishes in the area you have chosen for your holiday, or otherwise you can relax completely and leave it to the professional captain to arrange everything. Weather permitting, the itinerary can be changed any time, deciding to spend more or less time in a certain place.
How do I reach the boarding port?
Skippered sailing yachts and catamarans:
On every program sheet you will find information on how to reach the boarding marina, such as arrival at the airport, customs and immigration, airport transfers, taxis, ferries etc....For specific local info, for example the cost of the taxi or bus per person, being changeable, you have to ask directly to the skipper, who will be in direct contact with you once you have signed the contract.
Luxury crewed sailing charter holidays:
On arrival at the airport you'll find the captain of your yacht waiting for you. He will assist you till your return to the airport.
On what day and time can we board the yacht and catamaran?
Skippered sailing yachts and catamarans:
Except for Christmas holidays or on particular events of the calendar, the day of embarkation-desembarkation is usually Saturday. Normally the boarding time is 6 pm while disembarkation is due at 9 on Saturday. Return to the port is generally fixed on Friday evening.
Some specific programs such as regattas and ocean crossings have specific timetables that are indicated in the sheets of each single program. For weekends boarding time is normally on Friday at 5 pm and disembarkation is on Sunday at 6 pm.
Luxury sailing crewed charter holidays: for this kind of holiday, boarding day and time are defined according to your needs.
Will we have a briefing before departure?
Yes, you will. Before departing, the skipper will hold a briefing with the crew, in order to explain the rules on board, safety on board and the use of the yacht equipment.
Are there any extra taxes for accommodation and mooring?
Galley and fuel are generally not included in the holiday rates, in the section "the price does not include" the costs which are not included are clearly indicated. Anyway the skipper can send you detailed information.
According to the destination, there are sometimes parking-mooring-marine park fees that vary from country to country and from island to island or in different areas in the same country. These fees are excluded from the booking price agreed and are to be considered as extra.
Harbour mooring fees change according to the boat's length or width in case of a catamaran. Furthermore, the cost changes depending on the destination and the chosen period. In some marine parks where mooring in coves is allowed, there is a fee to be paid to the local government. Mooring fees are excluded from the booking price and are to be considered as extra.
Are kids allowed on sailing yachts?
Yes, they absolutely are! Vivisail offers fabulous sailing yacht or catamaran holiday experiences for all the family with onboard facilities to host your kids. Crews of Vivisail's partners are specialized in the use of snorkeling and kayaking equipment and other water activities and in assisting families with kids.
Sailing yachts and catamarans offer serene holidays in total freedom, away from the chaos of overcrowded beaches. Anyway the yacht has a limited space, for holiday with kids we strongly recommend hiring the whole sailing boat for a family or a family with friends, simply because parents should make sure their kids respect other guests' privacy. For kids the sunset is the time for the last swim of the day with much splashing and diving, while for a couple it's time for silence, sipping a glass of wine and watching the sun go down.
Some Vivisail packages and sailing yachts and catamarans offering cabin charter options put some limits to the minimum age for on board safety and managament reasons. Vivisail advisors will be glad to guide you in the choice of the best solution and destination for your holiday with kids.
Are pets allowed on sailing yachts?
No, pets are not allowed on board.
What kind of clothes should I bring for my sailing yacht and catamaran holiday?
The key is simplicity on board. Casual clothes and clothes for sailing and beach for the day when you are on land and during navigation, while for the evenings inland, trousers and light dresses are appropriate. Sailing shoes with non-slip soles are welcome on board and grant comfort and safety. Do not forget to bring sunscreen, hat, sunglasses, a light jacket for the wind and a jumper. For any chosen program, absolutely avoid wooden or plastic clogs, high-heeled boots, high-heeled shoes (perhaps one pair in your bag for the evening). Bring thongs for showers in the marina.
Baggage: NO trolleys and NO hard luggage.
What water sports and activities can be practised on a sailing yacht?
Depending on the holiday and cruise you have chosen and the destination, many activities and sports are available. Snorkeling, kite surfing, fishing, canoeing equipment are available depending on the chosen yacht and program.
Most sailing yachts have entertainment facilities on board. Detailed information can be found in the useful information sheet of every program or yacht. You can agree your preferred activities in advance with your skipper through Vivisail website.
Can I have a tailormade diet menu according to my needs?
Skippered sailing yachts and catamarans:
The crew helps with the preparation of meals, so it's possible to provide specific diet menus. Galley is done on the spot by the crew and skipper, particular food and drink requests must be communicated to the skipper in advance to consider availability on the spot. Otherwise, you must bring on board your specific food and drinks.
Luxury sailing crewed charter holidays:
You can order galley before chartering and define your menu. Meals will be prepared depending on your selection. On board you'll find all the drinks and food you like.
Will I be seasick while sailing on a yacht?
Seasickness has a strong psychological component. It's normal to be a little bit dazed on the first day and the most sensitive will have nausea. Usually it gets better after a few hours and the more you are motivated to react (for example keeping busy on board, steering the wheel..), the sooner it goes. We suggest to take a trial weekend on board before starting a long sailing holiday on a yacht. Remedies (patches, pills, bracelets) are useful but their effect is subjective. We suggest you try them before the cruise.
What documents are required for a sailing holiday?
Depending on the chosen destination, the program shows what identity documents are necessary according to the country you are going to. Nautical license depending on the kind of navigation is necessary only for unskippered programs.
Will I be able to make and receive phonecalls?
This depends on your mobile phone service and on your destination. We suggest you make agreements with your telephone operator before the trip and activate an international tariff plan that allows you to use the cellphone in international waters without roaming costs. Anyway a sailing holiday means freedom and tranquillity so we suggest you turn off the phone and switch it on only for a few minutes on a fixed time or even never... Furthermore, once at sea, some miles away from land, cellphones lose coverage, so you must tell to your family and friends that you'll be reachable depending on the sailing program.
In case of cabin charter holidays, guests CANNOT and MUSTN'T leave a beautiful bay under the stars because one traveller needs telephone coverage which can be found on a port some miles away. All Vivisail yachts are equpped with VHF radio (ship-to-shore) allowing contact with other yachts, ships and coast guard. Off-shore Vivisail yachts, racing yachts and ocean crossing yachts come with satellyte phone for emergencies. The use of the satellyite phone for contacting relatives etc. is regulated by the skipper and the service cost will be defined prior to departure.
Will I be able to sail on my yacht in any weather? Is there a Vivisail insurance coverage against adverse weather conditions?
For clear safety and responsibility reasons no sailing program can be guaranteed in every weather, there is not even a fixed regulation when it comes to sea and wind weather conditions. 25 wind knots can be perfect for a beautiful thrilling summer navigation in conditions such as those of Maddalena archipelago, constantly repaired by the waves. But in other situations the same 25 knots can mean a very hard counter wind navigation with big waves, reserved only to skilled sailors.
Only the yacht skipper will be responsible for the decision of setting sail or not, and he/she will do this considering weather conditions, harbor office warnings, navigation area, the type of yacht, for your safety and for the crew's (preparation, age, psychological and physical conditions etc.), the skipper's decision is unchallengeable, because anything that might happen on the yacht is his/her responsibility.
Fast Sailing packages, with off-shore sailing and regattas, are subject to the same above conditions and the skipper will decide how and when to sail, whether to continue sailing or racing, or to quit for the crew's safety. It might also occur that wind or dead clam are scarce and you aren't able to experience the full potential of these yachts.
It rarely happens that you lose most of the sailing program for weather problems, in these cases the yacht normally becomes a "hotel" and you make the best of the bad weather visiting inland places, relaxing, learning something theorical about sailing etc. In none of the above described cases is Vivisail responsible for the refund of the cost of the purchased package, the partner with whom you have signed the charter contract will decide how to behave with its skippers. Nonetheless, the customer can buy an insurance to protect him/herself from program cancellation expenses due to weather conditions.
To discover all the info (minimum age, sailing experience, cabins...) for every type of sailing holiday, read the details:
Sailing yacht charters - Useful info
Luxury yacht sailing - Useful info
Off-shore sailing and racing - Useful info