So, you've decided to embark on a luxury yacht charter in the breathtaking waters of Croatia with the expertise of Otium Yachts. Your dream holiday is taking shape, and now comes a crucial step in ensuring that every detail aligns with your desires – the Guest Preference Sheet. In this blog, we'll delve into why this seemingly simple document is the key to creating a flawless, personalized experience aboard your chosen yacht. Briefly: Be honest, informative and prepare yourself to be pampered!
What is a Guest preference sheet?
When it comes to a yacht charter, the Guest Preference Sheet serves as the initial point of contact between charterers and the crew, a foundational document for planning a seamless voyage. This comprehensive form covers essential details, including:
- Main charterer's name and contact details
- Yacht charter period
- Ports of embarkation/disembarkation and cruising area
- Pre and post-yacht charter transport arrangements
- Allergies, food intolerances, or dietary requirements
- Medical needs of charter party members
- Emergency contact information
- Food and drink preferences
- Occasions for celebration
- Desired activities and the type of charter experience sought
Please ensure that this list aligns with the preferences of all charter group members and is as detailed as possible. Once we receive your preferences, we will promptly share them with the crew to assist them in making the necessary arrangements, ensuring a seamless and well-prepared charter experience. Your detailed preferences will guide them in taking all the essential steps to guarantee a smooth and enjoyable charter for you and your group, minimizing the chance of overlooking any important details.
The Guest Preference Sheet: A Roadmap for Perfection
Once completed, this document becomes the blueprint for your charter experience, guiding both the charter agent and the crew in making meticulous arrangements. This handy document provides us (your charter agent) and the crew with your detailed requirements and preferences for an unforgettable holiday. We will use it to plan and organize pre and post-charter on-shore activities, like transfers from and to a hotel, trips, restaurant reservations, etc. and we will forward it to the captain so he and the crew can provision and plan for your upcoming charter and make sure every element of your preference sheet is met with the utmost care. Let's explore how different crew departments utilize the information provided:
Yacht Chef
A charter preference sheet is particularly important to the chef because it is a foundation to plan and provision in advance to meet all food preferences and dietary requirements stipulated in the document. This is why it is so important that all member of the group express their requirements because it ensures that meals on board are planned and tailored around all individual preferences of the group. Food is a very important part of the charter and often a wow factor so if any guests are on a particular diet or have any allergies please be sure to mention it early on to give the chef a chance to give his best to make your gastronomic experience special. Once they step on board, guests will be able to meet with the Chef to set out further detailed requirements for their yacht dining.
Captain
The captain will also use the sheet to put together a plan to include as many of the guests' activities and entertainment requests in the chosen itinerary. Those are mostly excursions, watersports, restaurant recommendations, and reservations for any onshore dining wishes. Captain will do his best based on his extensive knowledge of the area and navigational distances.
The captain also needs to think of two important things, berths, and anchorages. As berths are booked in advance, sometimes even several months beforehand, especially in the top destinations, during the main season, any nights you and your group will want to spend in the marina Captain will need to include it in the itinerary. He also has to consider where to drop the anchor for the night. If the berth in the marina has not already been booked he will use the preference sheet as a guide to choose between calm or lively anchorages surrounded by nightclubs and bars, based on your requirements. Note that this decision may be determined by some external factors, such as current tides, winds, and potential swell from other vessels.
Interior crew
The interior team needs a preference sheet to take each guest's individual preference (favorite snack, beverage, etc.) into consideration when provisioning ahead for the charter. This helps them deliver the highest level of personalized service during the charter. It would be helpful to also note if there are some sleeping arrangements requirements to prepare the cabins based on your wishes. The preference sheet may also contain any of your extra requests for any special events like birthdays or anniversaries, or maybe a themed party or beach BBQ ashore. Giving the crew a heads up about this in your sheet will give them a chance to adequately prepare the team, plan, and provision for such an event.
Deck crew
If the Charter preference sheet indicates a preference for certain activities including watersports, diving, any trips ashore or simply relaxing and sunbathing on the yacht the Deck team is on hand to ensure everything is planned and looked after. Transfers on shore, instructing the guests about water toys and safety in general while the guests are enjoying the exterior amenities are their main tasks. Important information for the Deck team is the age of the guests so they can plan different fun activities if there are kids in your group.
No detail is too small
As you can see from what you read above, it is important that guest preference sheets are as detailed as possible in order for the yacht crew to be fully aware of individual preferences. There are areas on the form where you can add any further information about your own and your guests' wishes, if not stated elsewhere on the sheet. Please remember that no request is too large or detail too small.
Being as detailed as possible is important because of the provisioning. Finding the certain items can sometimes be difficult, especially the luxury ones. This is important for yacht charter itineraries that include remote locations because once the vacation has started and the sails are set it gets significantly harder to provision and even when we manage to get something through the on-shore agents the delivery costs are fairly pricey.
It should be stipulated in the sheet if any of the guests have any physical disability. Special considerations for physical disabilities enable the crew to make necessary adjustments for a smooth experience.
How to successfully complete your preference sheet and ensure an awesome charter?
Every agent tries to create a perfect Preference sheet to get the crew as much information as possible, but all of it is futile as long as the clients won’t take the time to fill it. This ends up with information that isn’t always accurate, even if the questions in the form are specific. Filling out the preference sheet accurately and comprehensively is vital. Inaccurate or incomplete information can lead to minor hiccups or, in some cases, more significant problems during the charter.
Additionally, specific requirements contribute to efficient financial planning through the Advanced Provisioning Allowance (APA). Since most of the yachts work through APA, this is the money the crew spends based on your preferences, so if your requirements are not specific there is a possibility that more money will be spent while provisioning for your charter.
So, start your yacht charter planning early. Make sure that the crew is made aware of any important events or milestones. Write down any special activities or trips that are crucial for your vacation. You’ll be surprised to know that based on these requests we might ask for the most minor details, like a shoe size. If some of your requests are scuba diving or snorkeling and that way we can make sure to have flippers in your size already on board. Forward the sheet to everyone in your group. Although you may think you know what your friends like to eat etc., please, check in with them to be specific. And at last, include the kids, too. Let them get in on the planning as well to make sure they are looked after and their needs are met too.
After boarding, you have the opportunity to review all important details with the captain to ensure everyone is aligned. This is the perfect time to address any modifications or additional needs. The provided points are comprehensive, but if there are specific requests not covered, please feel free to communicate them to us or directly with the crew, and we will do our utmost to accommodate them.
Conclusion
In the realm of luxury yacht charters, the Guest Preference Sheet is not merely a formality but a powerful tool that shapes your unique experience. Embrace the opportunity to provide detailed insights, ensuring every aspect of your charter aligns with your vision. Otium Yachts awaits the chance to craft your bespoke holiday – a journey tailored to your every need so contact us and we'll match you with a perfect yacht.
Hopefully, this will inspire you and give you an insight into the importance of the preference sheet. Note that even though everything is planned ahead nothing has to be set in stone pre-charter and there is always room for some modifications once you step on board.