Family vacations create core memories — key moments that shape our personalities — and while the COVID-19 pandemic changed how families think about travel logistics, it also changed their vacation priorities.
While a full, small-boat charter may have previously been considered too expensive for some families, many parents and grandparents are more willing to splurge post-pandemic. Here are three operators that work with advisors to plan this type of trip.
UnCruise Adventures
According to Yolanda Grimes, senior sales director for UnCruise Adventures, an UnCruise trip should not be thought of as a cruise; it’s an adventure, and “adventures make the best family vacations.”
Chuck and Mary Dougherty discovered this while planning a trip for their family of 22 to celebrate their 50th anniversary. They presented options to their four grown kids: a dude ranch, a trip to Hawaii, an all-inclusive beach vacation or a charter of UnCruise Adventures’ Safari Quest in Alaska.
“The entire family wanted to do Alaska,” Chuck said. “And having a ship with 22 spaces when we had exactly 22 people in our group made it a perfect match.”
All UnCruise vessels can be chartered. The 22-passenger Safari Quest (Pacific Northwest and Alaska) and the 40-passenger Safari Explorer (Alaska and Hawaii) are the two most frequently chartered based on their size, but the larger vessels work well for some groups.
Once a client charters, no other guests are booked, and they have the complete dedication of the staff onboard. Any cabins they don’t fill will go unoccupied — or guests might choose to turn those empty cabins into playrooms for children or teens.
UnCruise also works with clients to help design the perfect itinerary for them. Vessels are mostly pre-scheduled to embark and disembark at a certain location, so all plans just need to fit within those parameters. But there’s a lot of flexibility to create custom itineraries.
“My dad had three things he wanted to do: see humpback whales bubble feed, meet the [Alaskan author] Kim Heacox and taste a nagoon berry [featured in Heacox’s stories],” said Matt, Chuck’s son. “He got to do all those in one day — and every day just kept getting better and better.”
For the Doughertys, having their own UnCruise ship for the family was a perfect match.
Credit: 2022 UnCruise AdventuresOcean Getaways Yacht Charters
Ocean Getaways offers charters on motorized and sailing yachts to a variety of destinations — and all ships are stocked with sun floats, snorkeling gear, water skis, wakeboards and more.
According to the company’s website, as an independent yacht charter specialist, Ocean Getaways searches its worldwide fleet of 1,500 ultra-luxe private charter yachts to recommend the one that’s suited to each client’s needs.
Some smaller yachts accommodate a maximum of 10 or 12 guests, but clients with larger party sizes can charter multiple yachts that sail together (called a “tandem yacht charter”).
Ocean Getaways can also set up limousines, arrange ground transfers, make hotel recommendations, arrange spa appointments (or have a masseuse onboard), hire musicians, plan parties and anything else clients need.
The company says certain places in the world are tailor-made for family sailing vacations — particularly archipelagos where islands are clustered together to eliminate lengthy sailing time, and there is ample calm water that’s perfect for swimming.
“Ocean Getaways knows what it takes to create an immersive, kid-friendly vacation on crewed yachts throughout the world,” said Trish Cronan, president of Ocean Getaways. “Families tell us the time on the yacht is a special bonding experience, making them feel closer as a family.”
Ocean Getaways helps advisors create an immersive vacation.
Credit: 2022 Ocean Getaways Yacht ChartersIWorld of Travel
IWorld of Travel is a luxury tour operator that specializes in FIT and group travel. Company executives have been involved in the industry for years, and they understand how to plan unique family vacations.
“I think many parents realize that life [goes by in a minute], and just seeing your kids before school and after is not a full life,” said Michael Gelber, CEO of IWorld of Travel. “Coming out of the pandemic, there’s been a resurgence in family unity, as well as multigenerational and skip-gen trips, because people don’t want to live with any regrets.”
Thanks to IWorld of Travel, clients (and their kids or grandkids) can explore Croatia on a private yacht — and they can design a personalized itinerary by selecting ports and guided excursions that promise family memories to last a lifetime. In that way, Gelber says, the ship becomes an extension of their home, just in a different destination and with different options and activities.
“A private yacht cruising the Dalmatian Coast is one of the most empowering and rewarding vacations any family can have together,” he said. “It’s intimate and grand at the same time — and daily swim stops, Jet Skis, floating islands and other water toys enhance the entire experience.”
In Croatia, there are two ships that are part of the company’s itineraries, the Adriatic King and Adriatic Queen. IWorld of Travel also has contracts with other ships, as requests come in; however, it is sold out for 2023 and is now booking for 2024.
When travel advisors charter a ship, it is their ship, and no other cabins are sold into it. Clients can design their own itineraries — the only thing that cannot be changed is the start and finish ports, but they can design for different stops and/or longer ones in between, depending on their preference. They can also customize their activities in ports to enhance the experience.
