Traditionally, booking a superyacht charter has involved contacting a charter broker and having a conversation about where you want to go and what you want to do. The broker has then matched you with a suitable yacht and crew. While this is still the primary process, IYC sees change on the horizon. It’s the first to let you reserve your superyacht charter with your credit card online.
According to Raphael Sauleau, the CEO of IYC, the move is a matter of meeting customers’ expectations. Increasingly, charter brokers across the industry agree that younger clients have learned about the vacation option. Additionally, clients are perusing details about destinations and about charter yachts online, well before they contact a broker. Sauleau says these same clients are accustomed to using their credit cards for all sorts of transactions and experiences. He likens it to handing them the keys to their next charter. Therefore, IYC soft-launched the process in August. Sauleau announced it to the press for the first time at the just-concluded Monaco Yacht Show last month.
Notably, you can only reserve your superyacht charter with your credit card for yachts in IYC’s own fleet. However, the company has 147 charter yachts under its direct management, with availability in the major winter and summer destinations. Furthermore, IYC updates the calendar availability in real time, so that you won’t see yachts already under contract.
Here’s how it works. Once you find a yacht, you can check if her availability coincides with the dates you have in mind. (Every yacht listing contains a clickable calendar, for the next 12 months.) If it does, you enter your credit card for a hold. Specifically, it’s five percent of the estimated charter fee. An IYC broker then contacts you, as he or she normally would, to discuss your plans in more detail. Furthermore, and also in keeping with normal practice, the broker will tailor your itinerary and convey to the crew your food and beverage preferences and dietary needs.
Should you need to cancel, you can do so at any time prior to signing the contract.
Although the program is in its infancy, IYC sees strong potential. From January through August, it had booked 367 charter contracts via the traditional way. During the same period, it booked upwards of 2,500 days of charter. Of course, it’s already taking winter charter bookings, too. They range from budget-conscious options to ultra-luxe options.
IYC iyc.com
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