Onboard Entertainment: How to Surprise and Delight Your Guests on a Yacht Vacation

What could be more fun and exhilarating than inviting guests to join you on a once-in-a-lifetime yacht vacation with all the trimmings? Simply spending time on a luxury yacht sounds sensational, yet you can do so much more to take the experience to another level and leave your guests wondering if it was real or just a dream. Whether you are the owner of the yacht in question or are chartering one of the purposes of the trip, you can do many things to enhance the experience. The team here at Simpson Yacht Charter have decades of collective experience in all aspects of water-borne activities and vessels, so we gathered the best tips from the team and would like to share them in this article.  

BEFORE YOU DO ANYTHING ELSE

As with any planning on the more complicated, involved side, it pays to spend a while sitting quietly and simply contemplating before springing into action. Have a pad and pen to hand, sit back with your favourite music playing, and let your mind wander. Direct it towards how the trip will look and feel. What people will expect and what will be a pleasant surprise. Dream as big as you want; there are no wrong answers in brainstorming! Ask yourself the following questions:

• How will the guests be arriving at the yacht’s location?

• Would it be feasible to arrange transport for them as a nice prelude to the luxuries they will experience on board?

• Where will the yacht go?

• What activities and locations will send the experience into the stratosphere?

• Will food and liquid refreshments be provided entirely on board, or are there quality restaurants and watering holes you can disembark to visit?

• What details and small touches can you put in place to show how much thought has gone into the experience and making their lives as easy and comfortable as possible?

This is but a tiny fraction of the details you can address, so give yourself plenty of time and allow your mind to take you down fascinating rabbit holes and innovative avenues; you never know what you might find there. If this all sounds like something you do not have the time or inclination for, there are professionals ready to assist and provide as much inspiration and assistance as you need. Simpson Yacht services stretch to all kinds of help, so don’t be afraid to reach out to us for guidance. 

ALL THE COMFORTS AND AMENITIES OF A HOTEL

Modern yachts have come a long way over the years, and when you spend any time aboard a luxury yacht, you will soon come to understand just how amazing and advanced they can be. When making things extra-special for your guests, think about the necessities you would expect to find yourself and any other thoughtful ones you can add to impress them from the word go. Consider some of the following, depending on how much time and money you wish to spend:  

• Extra towels, bathrobes, and slippers for extra comfort
• Beauty products and dental supplies 
• Waterproof gear
• Disposable waterproof cameras
• Personalised hats
• Suncream and lip-balm
• Deck shoes
• Spare sunglasses

FOOD

Nothing is more exciting and life-affirming to some people than being well-fed, and it is an aspect of your dream trip you can spend lots of time planning beforehand if you wish. Whether you hire an outside company to handle the catering or already have a chef as part of your crew, it is essential to discuss the menus with them carefully ahead of time. Work closely with your chosen professional, spending as much time as necessary to lock down every item of food that will be brought on board. No self-respecting chef will be without a thousand great ideas for such an occasion, so listen to their advice. Be open-minded and enthusiastic, ensuring you focus on the following:

• Allergies — Even being in the presence of someone who has eaten nuts can be fatal to someone with a severe allergy, and the last thing anybody wants is an avoidable life-threatening situation. Only if you are 100% certain that nobody has a nut allergy should you even consider letting them on board. It simply isn’t worth it, and there are plenty of other delicious things to eat. 
• Nutritional requirements and dislikes — It is not feasible to run every item on your intended menu past all guests for approval. Still, learning basic information about their likes and dislikes is possible. If one of ten people despises fish, you can arrange with your chef to prepare a separate dish for them on those occasions. More important than the things people dislike, are those they are physically or morally unwilling to eat. Veganism is growing in popularity, and we all know someone vegetarian or pescatarian. This is information you should have no trouble getting ahead of time and can save much last-minute panicking and throwing together alternative dishes for those who cannot eat what is provided. 
• Using premium ingredients at all times — Cutting corners with your ingredients is a false economy, liable to ruin the overall effect and hard work of creating your menu. 
• Arranging set meal times and random snacks/canapés at strategically chosen times throughout the day — When energy begins to flag, nothing can perk up a group more than an unexpected flute of champagne and a cheeky prosciutto cup with goat cheese whip.

DRINKS

You will need a superb selection of beers, wines, spirits, and soft drinks to keep your guests hydrated and relaxed. Snazzy hand-mixed cocktails are impressive and will go down a treat but beware of giving your guests too many conflicting liquids at a time when the floor cannot be guaranteed to remain stationary. Nothing will ruin the vibe faster than a lot of watermelon-flavoured nausea.

It is a mistake to neglect the times when people would love nothing more than a nice cup of tea or an espresso. If you have elderly relatives joining you, there is only so much red wine grandma will want to consume before she needs a cuppa, and you will be missing a trick if her needs are not catered to. Sure, you can set up a constant water boiler and scatter herbal teabags around the place but imagine the effect of having your very own barista on board, ready and willing to prepare everything from the perfect cup of English breakfast tea to a double-shot vanilla latte with soy milk and free-trade chocolate sprinkles. 

ARRANGE AMAZING ACTIVITIES

Some activities you can cater for on board, and others will require you to attend pre-arranged meetings with experts in specific locations. People love new experiences of all kinds but be sure to cater to more than just the adrenaline junkies and thrill-seekers. The list of potential activities is endless and depends mainly on where your trip will take place, but some superb suggestions include the following: 

• Boat trips and kayaking
• Water skiing and jet skis
• Sporting instruction 
• Arts and crafts lessons
• Snorkelling and scuba diving
• Cooking lessons
• Fishing
• Cinema

ENSURE YOU HAVE THE LATEST TECHNOLOGY

Nothing will sour your guests’ experience faster than realising they cannot live-stream the guy juggling broken bottles or send a photograph of their brown legs on a white-sand beach to lots of disinterested strangers online. Like it or not, instant, high-speed internet is expected everywhere, and some people cannot conceive being without it. You might choose to implement a ‘friendly’ rule of no phones at dinner or during movies, but you will not change ingrained habits overnight. As healthy as it would be for most people to spend a few days without connection to the incessantly demanding wider world, forcing them into it on a dream trip will not cut the mustard and likely only sully the atmosphere.

ORGANISE EXCITING ENTERTAINMENT

Invite skilled entertainers to join you and provide captivating displays and performances for your guests. Consider:

• Magicians and illusionists
• Singers
• Bands
• Fascinating story-tellers
• Dance DJs for dance competitions
• Karaoke DJs

CONTACT US

If you have any questions about Simpson Yacht Charter and our services, why not contact the team today and let us assist and guide you? With a plethora of great ideas and advice to offer and some of the finest vessels you will find on water anywhere, you could not be in better hands.