Yacht rental Ibiza with a bunch of your bezzies is becoming an absolute must-do when visiting the island. Anyone with a social media account has seen photos of their mates out on holiday, quaffing drinks & evidently having an absolute ball on a boat.

Back in days of old when knights were bold, hiring a yacht in Ibiza used to be thought of as waaay too expensive for normal folk & one almost didn’t dare to ask what such a swish day out would cost.

Enter the shiny world of Instagram and Snapchat (and all the older, more stately social media channels like Facebook & Twitter). And my how that has changed.

It’s now patently obvious that a day out on a yacht, especially including a visit to Formentera, is not only clearly affordable, but all the rage and everyone seems to be at it!

Each year, more & more Boats Ibiza clients who have never chartered a yacht before in Ibiza are making their maiden voyage.

And guess what?

You’ve got lots of questions about your new adventure.

Of course!

And we’re happy to answer them all. Here are our 17 essential clued-up tips to get the most out of your Ibiza yacht rental.

Before your charter | choosing the right yacht

1. Motor yacht or sailing yacht?

A seemingly innocent question, but one as controversial as acoustic vs electric Bob Dylan, Trump or Hillary, Brexit or Bremain.  Views on which is better are often passionate, to say the least.

We at Boats Ibiza sit firmly on the shelf. A day out at sea around Ibiza and Formentera is going to be absolutely amazing, whichever kind of yacht rental you choose.

It is true to say that sailing boats and the routes they can take are much more easily influenced by the prevailing wind conditions than motor yachts. The greater power of motor yacht engines means that if time is an issue, for example, for a lunch reservation at a popular restaurant, then perhaps a motor yacht is the best choice for you. Our gleaming range of Sunseeker motor yachts, for example, are very popular right now.

On the other hand, if you prefer a slower and more traditional affair or you have no rush to get anywhere, then it might be worth checking out a sailing boat.

2. Decide on a budget

Before you even enquire about Ibiza yacht rental, have a chat with the group and decide how much everyone’s willing to chip in per head. The cost per head will depend on the size of your group and the capacity of the yacht.

Prices for a private yacht charter start from around €70 per person for a group of 12 on a sunset charter. That includes a free bar, Captain & fuel.

In a nutshell, the larger the group, the lower the price per head. And the larger the yacht, the more it’s gonna set you back. Big groups of 12+ might need a double-the-fun tandem charter.

You’ll need to think about duration and timings too. Do you want a full-day charter (7 or 8 hours), a morning charter (3 hrs) or a sunset charter (2.5-3 hours). Or do you want to go the whole hog with an extended day (10 hours) or even an overnight live aboard?

The longer your charter, the more budget you’ll need.

Prices also fluctuate, depending on the season. As a general rule, you’ll find some heavily discounted prices during low-season April, May and October. During mid-season June and September, there are still some decent discounts around. In July and August, expect to pay full whack.

Price hack: if you’re booking last-minute, it’s always worth asking for a discount.

Tip for bloggers: if you’re a blogger/influencer and you want to do a deal as a brand ambassador, always get in touch with the company at least a month (even better 2) in advance, preferably more. And not in high season when the charter diary is full 😉

3. Extras

While you’re browsing, check what’s included. Some deals offer a free bar, with Captain & fuel included. Such as several of our very own top 10 boat deals.

Others do not.

These extras can add up so it’s always wise to check.

4. Capacity, speed, facilities

Once you have established a budget, you can start browsing yachts with a capacity close to the size of your group.

Generally speaking, the smallest speedboats, such as the Cranchi, can carry up to 7 guests. The larger Sunseeker yachts can carry 9-12 guests.

Which facilities are important to you? Is your group sporty? Or do you just want to chill and take a relaxed tour? This will affect which boat or yacht is best for you and your group.

Many speedboats come equipped with water-skis, wakeboard and other groovy water toys. Adrenaline types might want to start their search there.

Rental yachts can come with a whole range of facilities, as slow or fast as you like. Canoes, paddleboards, sea-bobs, jet-skis, snorkel gear. Ask what’s included & what’s not.

5. Specific route or destination

If you have a specific route or destination in mind, make sure you mention this when you ask for a quote. Certain destinations and routes cannot be reached from all ports.

The closer your port of departure to your destination, the less fuel is used. If fuel is not included in the price of the yacht charter, then this is wise to bear in mind. You’ll use far less in fuel going from Ibiza Town to Formentera than you would going from Santa Eulalia to Formentera, to give one typical example.

The larger the yacht, the bigger the engine & the more the fuel will cost.

Always check whether or not the fuel is included. If it’s not included, ask for an estimate of fuel costs.

6. Safety & reputation

This is really important and cannot be emphasised enough. Check the safety credentials of both your rental yacht and the charter company.

Ask about the company’s public liability insurance. Whilst no charter company is responsible for your personal accident insurance, if anyone should be injured due to a defect of the yacht or Captain, then there should be hefty public liability insurance to cover that.

Ask about safety features – how often is the boat inspected? Does it have a valid safety certificate?

7. Check that your Captain is professional

This is not the same as qualified, ladies & gents.

There are many ‚qualified‘ captains out there with rusty sailing qualifications & little recent professional experience. If you’re chartering your yacht from a one-man-band owner/captain, make double sure that their qualifications are recent and they’ve chalked up plenty of nautical miles.

Finally, check the charter company’s reviews. You will find any reputable charter company on TripAdvisor, Google Reviews and Facebook. You’re looking for consistent 5-star reviews and special awards such as the company being included in the TripAdvisor Hall of Fame for Certificates of Excellence 5 years running.

Don’t end up with Cap’n Jack (unless it’s a hen party) ahem… 😉

8. Special occasions

An Ibiza yacht charter is often at the top of the wish list for celebrating special occasions. An iconic day out cruising the Balearic with your favs is always going to make for an unforgettable occasion, m’hearties!

On such occasions, bear in mind that any good charter company can provide a range of extra services to make your day even more outrageously fantastic.

Think reservations at Ibiza and Formentera’s best beach restaurants, picnic deliveries, jet-ski hire, premium drinks packages, onboard Yoga & massage, Djs… you name it. It can usually be arranged.

Hen parties, stag dos and all kinds of special occasions can really leverage these extras and some, such as restaurant reservation service, come at no extra cost.

Ask your booking agent what they have up their sleeve.

Yacht rental Ibiza – essential tips during your charter

9. Listen carefully to the safety brief

Every boat charter should begin with a thorough safety brief. It goes without saying that you need to be aware of safety procedures in the unlikely event of an accident. It’s exactly the same as the safety brief you would expect on a flight.

If there isn’t one, ask for one. It’s a legal obligation.

10. Be very careful of the sun

This may seem obvious, but honestly, the sun is way stronger when out at sea than it is back on shore. Your usual sun protection factor will not have the same protective effect.

It’s a really good idea to double your usual sun protection factor when out on your yacht charter. It’s best to apply this before you set off for the meeting point on the day of your boat trip to make sure it’s well absorbed and active from the moment you step onboard. Reapply frequently and always after swimming.

Tip: we strongly recommend using sunscreen with natural ingredients that will not pollute the sea with an oily chemical film. We love this one by Wild Natural Ibiza.

11. Beware of jellyfish which can give a nasty sting

Depending on the year, the coast around Ibiza & Formentera can sometimes attract jellyfish. Whilst jellyfish stings are not life-threatening, they can be pretty ouch!

Ask your Captain about how many jellyfish are around and where. He or she will usually be able to take you to a place to swim with a minimum risk of bumping into one of the stingy little blighters.

And before you launch yourself off the side of the boat, have a quick visual check. Those Balearic waters are so wonderfully crystal clear that it’s usually easy to see them floating around.

Speaking of which…

12. Don’t dive off the side of the yacht head first unless you’re a confident diver

Guys, we’ve seen some painful belly/face/chest flops in our time.

Yes, that is the voice of bitter experience.

Behold. How not to do it.

Ouchies.

Trust us. Unless you can execute a graceful dive, head (not face) first into the water, please don’t attempt a dive off the side of the larger yachts. They’re quite a few feet above the surface of the water. Jump in feet first, for sure. But novice divers should only dive off the low platform at the rear of the boat or you could easily come a cropper.

To be avoided. Even (nay especially) if you’re showing off in front of your favs.

#Blushes

13. Bring your music

Many first-time yacht charter groups don’t realize that any good charter vessel will have a USB phone connection to link to the boat’s sound system.

This means you can go ahead, plug in your phone (Spotify, iTunes, whatever) and let the good times roll with your badass playlist!

You can even put a special Ibiza set together for your yacht charter.

Or alternatively, ask your Captain for your preferred mood. Chilled sunset? Beery afternoon? Your Captain has been at this for years, just ask him to crack out an appropriate playlist.

14. Don’t get too mashed up

After a morning’s sailing, a boozy lunch (and indeed, possibly breakfast) plus tonnes of hot sunshine, it’s really easy to get dehydrated. Don’t get me wrong, it’s fine to indulge yourself and have a few drinks, but alternating alcoholic drinks with water is a really good idea.

This will keep you hydrated, help prevent you from becoming too intoxicated & most of all, from suffering the dreaded pounding dehydration headache.

As post-trip experiences go, a massive headache ranks up there in the ‚Really Sucks‘ category.

Then, of course, there is the risk element. It’s easy to overestimate your diving, sporting & swimming abilities after a few tinnies. Operating a jet-ski or any other mechanical water toy should never be attempted under the influence. And if you’d had a few and take a dip in the sea to cool down, always tell the Captain & stay close to the boat.

Reality check: Just because you’re bald and a bit pink does not mean you are Duncan Goodhew.

15. Always follow Captain’s advice

If you followed the advice in the previous chapter and chose a reputable Ibiza yacht charter company, then you’ll have scored a very experienced and knowledgeable Captain.

Your Captain quite literally has your life and well-being in his or her hands. That’s a huge responsibility that commercially licensed skippers take very seriously indeed.

If your Captain gives an instruction, you need to pay attention & do exactly as he or she asks. The Captain’s objective is always that you have the best charter experience as possible and will only ever ask you to do something (or not) if it’s important for your safety.

You are precious cargo!

16. Be environmentally aware

This is as simple as observing a few easy guidelines.

• Don’t bring single-use plastics on-board
• Do not expect plastic straws in your drinks – they litter the ocean disgracefully and responsible charter companies do not use them.
• Don’t ask the Captain to anchor anywhere over the Posidonia seagrass and don’t tolerate anyone else doing so.
• Do not throw anything overboard. There are lil‘ fishy homes down there, folks!

After your charter

After a fantastic day out on that silky Balearic Sea, you’ll usually end up bosom buddies with your Captain. They are generally a very cool bunch and there’s nothing like a day out together on a yacht to make for some powerful bonding.

If that doesn’t happen, then something may be wrong.

Here’s something to bear in mind.

17. Leave a review

Companies specializing in yacht rental rely on genuine, consistently good reviews. If you had a great time, then it’s a brilliant opportunity to let the company (and the public) know they got it right.

Naming your Captain personally is a real compliment that will be 100% appreciated.

On the other hand, in the unlikely event that you did not have a great time, then always talk to your charter company about it. Any decent yacht rental company will do their utmost to put things right. If they do not put things right, then let them know about that in your review.

And there you have it, fair reader. The Boats Ibiza bloggers‘ definitive, insiders, everything-you-ever-needed-to-know guide to yacht rental Ibiza.

We hope you can now boldly stride forth and choose your perfect yacht charter, for the best possible price, & have an unforgettable Ibiza boat trip.

Do you have any tips of your own?

We’d love to hear about them in the comments below!

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