The boat is yours alone for the day, with a crew running it and an itinerary built around your group.
The word private gets used loosely in this business, so it is worth being precise. On our charters it means the whole vessel is booked for your party. Nobody else boards. There is no shared deck, no fixed departure slot, no group of strangers waiting while your children finish swimming, and no schedule imposed by an operator trying to fit three trips into a day.
It also means the day is negotiable while it is happening. If the group is enjoying an anchorage, you stay. If the wind picks up and a stop stops being pleasant, the captain moves you. That flexibility is the practical difference between a private rental and a ticketed excursion, and it is the reason most of our guests never go back to the scheduled version.
You are renting the boat and the crew, not a seat. The rate reflects the vessel, which is why the cost per person falls sharply as the group grows.
The same boat suits very different days depending on who is aboard, and the planning changes with them.
The most common booking we take. Crew are used to children aboard, swim stops are chosen for depth rather than drama, and flotation aids are generally available. Tell us ages when you enquire, because it genuinely changes which vessel we suggest and how the day is paced.
Anniversaries, birthdays and proposals. A smaller vessel usually suits better than a large one, and the crew will read whether you want conversation or to be left alone at the bow. Say which, and it will be respected.
Six to twelve people who want the deck to themselves. This is where a private rental pays for itself against per person excursion pricing, and where the larger catamarans start to make sense for the space.
Entertaining where the boat is the venue. Crew who understand you are working rather than on holiday, clear pricing agreed in writing beforehand, and no surprises at the end of the day.
Every private rental we arrange comes with crew. At minimum that is a licensed captain, usually with a first mate. Larger vessels carry a fuller crew, and on most yachts of roughly forty five feet and above, and on the larger catamarans, a chef is generally available to prepare meals on board.
We do not hand over the helm. The captain holds responsibility for the vessel and for everyone on it, which is the arrangement that lets you stop thinking about navigation, tides, anchoring and weather for the day. Guests are welcome at the helm to watch, and most captains enjoy explaining what they are doing.
What that crew changes in practice is the quality of the decisions. A local captain knows which reef will be clear this week, which anchorage is sheltered from today's wind, and that the grotto at Staniel Cay is only comfortable at slack water. None of that is on a chart.
Once a vessel is chosen, the detail gets worked out before you arrive rather than on the dock. Departure time, roughly where you want to go, dietary requirements if a chef is aboard, whether there are children or nervous swimmers in the party, and anything you want arranged for a celebration.
Beyond the boat itself, tell us what else you are trying to organise. We are based in Nassau and can often point you at the sensible answer for getting to the marina, timing around a flight, or fitting a charter around the rest of a trip. Where we cannot help directly we usually know who can.
The standard cruising area runs from Nassau out to Rose Island, with Green Cay and the sandbars nearby, and up as far as Green Turtle Cay for swimming with sea turtles and snorkeling. Longer charters reach the Exumas. Fuel beyond the standard area is charged in addition, and we will tell you what that means before you commit.
If you want collecting from a different island rather than Nassau, repositioning and docking fees apply. Charters from Nassau to Miami are not offered.
For a fuller picture of what is reachable and how long each destination takes, see our destinations overview.
Provision varies by vessel. We confirm exactly what applies to the boat you choose rather than promising it across the fleet.
Water toys differ from boat to boat. Jet skis are not carried on every vessel, and where available they may be included or offered at additional cost. Ask about a specific boat and we will confirm what is genuinely aboard. See the fleet for vessel by vessel detail.
Boats are privately owned and availability changes constantly. Vessels are sold, repositioned between Miami and Nassau, operate seasonally, or are reserved by another client. Nothing on this website is a live booking system.
Rates move with season, fuel costs, demand and market conditions. A deposit is required to confirm any booking, and every guest needs valid identification. Pets are not permitted on the yachts. Contact us for current availability and pricing on your dates.
A tour sells seats on a fixed departure with other passengers. A private rental books the whole vessel for your party, with a departure time you choose and a route agreed with the captain. You are paying for the boat rather than a place on it.
No. Everything we arrange is crewed. The captain is responsible for the vessel and everyone aboard, and in Bahamian waters that local knowledge is most of what you are paying for.
Two. Couples charter privately regularly, particularly for anniversaries and proposals. The rate is for the boat, so a small group pays the same as a larger one on the same vessel, which is worth knowing when you are comparing against per person pricing.
Largely yes. The captain will propose a plan based on wind and tide, and you can adjust it through the day. What is not negotiable is a route the captain judges unsafe or uncomfortable for the conditions.
Tell us where you are staying and we will advise on timing and the simplest way to reach the dock. Most Nassau and Paradise Island hotels are fifteen to twenty five minutes away. We will point you at the sensible option rather than leaving you to work it out on the morning.
Yes, and often. Because the boat is private there is no other group to work around. Tell us what you have in mind at booking so the crew can prepare rather than being handed a plan at the passerelle.
Say so when you enquire. It changes the recommendation, usually toward a larger catamaran, which sits flatter at anchor than a monohull. Crew will also pick sheltered stops and nobody is obliged to get in the water.
Ask about the specific vessel. Where a chef and open bar are included it is rarely necessary, but a particular bottle for a celebration or a cake can usually be arranged if we know in advance.
No. Pets are not permitted on the yachts, however private the booking.
Valid identification for every guest aboard, adults and children. It is a condition of charter rather than a formality, so bring it to the dock.
Often yes, but repositioning and docking fees apply on top of the charter and fuel, and we will set those out before you commit. It is worth asking early because it affects which vessels are practical.
A deposit is required to confirm any booking. Nothing is held without one. The exact terms depend on the vessel and the length of the charter and are set out in writing before you commit rather than buried later.
It is the same fleet approached from a different angle. Our charter services page is organised by the type of day you want, such as a half day or a sunset. This page is about the arrangement itself, exclusive use of a crewed vessel, and who that suits.
Tell us the date, the number of guests and roughly what you want from the day. We will come back with the vessels genuinely free, what each includes and what it costs.
Every charter private, every vessel crewed, every itinerary agreed with you.
Weekend and holiday dates are committed earliest.