One of the first things you will see and hear on a travel website or from people who have been to the British Virgin Islands (BVI) is to make sure to book your yacht charters before you get to the islands. This is particularly important over the busiest of the summer months and during the Christmas holidays, but it is also important year round as this is a destination location for travels 365 days a year.
However, many websites also talk about not booking a charter “sight unseen”. This poses a real problem for first-time visitors to the islands, but the internet provides a very good answer.
Ask for Referrals
If you know people who have been to the BVI or the USVI, this can be a good starting point to find out the major charter companies the best charters to consider. Even if your friends, family and coworkers haven’t been to the islands for a few years, those names are still a good starting point.
Once you have the names of the recommended yacht charters, as well as the names of any to avoid because of a bad experienced by someone you know, you can then move on to checking out review sites and the company website.
Check Travel Review Sites
Many of the travel sites such as TripAdvisor and other types of user-generated feedback sites allow people to post reviews about all types of travel related businesses, not just hotels and restaurants.
These are a great source of unbiased information and with a rating system as well as written feedback you can get a good idea of the quality of service and experience you can expect. Just make sure the reviews are recent to get the latest information.
Do a Search
Spending some time searching the website of any company offering yacht charters is the next step. By searching travel review sites first you can narrow down your choices from independent reviews, and then zero in on the specifics offered.
Some of the charter sites provide a lot of information on their boats, their tours and their services. Others provide just basic information. The more information available, the more accurately you can determine if this is a company you want to hire.
Email or Contact the Company
Once you have your selections down to a couple of services, contact them individually by email or phone and ask any questions you may have.
This personal contact is a great indicator of the type of professional service you can expect. Remember, many of the best BVI charters are just small businesses, and you will get to speak directly to the captain, getting all the information you need to make your final choice.
