As many as 42 crew are on board to cater to a maximum of 12 guests.

Previously owned by the late Microsoft co-founder Paul Allen, Octopus costs from $2.2m a week to rent. One of the world’s most expensive superyachts, available for charter through Camper & Nicholsons, is the 126m Octopus, which counts among its features two helipads, an elevator and basketball court. “They know the style of yacht they want, from which shipbuilder even.” “They often know exactly what they want - a big yacht that’s less than three years old,” said Lockhart, adding that the company’s overall bookings are up as much as 30% this year. Monaco-based Camper & Nicholsons International is seeing highest demand in the 50m-60m range, said Jacqui Lockhart, Europe head of charter management. The trend of families and friends travelling together is spurring demand for bigger superyachts. And you can control the environment and test everyone for Covid if that’s a concern.” Unlike a home, you’re not stuck in one place. “Yachts can be big enough for all to be together. “During the pandemic, people couldn’t be with their families,” Duncan said.

Cruises involving several generations from the same family are also more popular. This year, about 35% of Fraser’s clients are new to yachting, compared with up to 15% previously, he said. Now they want to travel again and they want the best.”Ĭustomers are also getting younger, now averaging in their 50s rather than the 60-65 age bracket of the past two decades, Duncan said. “They’ve made a lot of money in the last few years. “Our clients are high-net worth individuals, running banks and hedge funds,” Fischer-Rosenthal said. The number of Americans with a net worth of $1m-$5m grew 8% in 2021 to more than 12-million households, while those worth $25m or more climbed 18%, according to research firm Spectrem Group. Among the megayachts the company hires out is Wheels, a 75m vessel with a gym and nightclub. Bookings are up 32% from last year, and again most of the growth is being driven by Americans, many of whom are hiring for the first time, said Duncan, who is based in Monaco. Fischer-Rosenthal said a couple from the US enjoyed their cruise in Greece and Turkey in July so much they booked another in Italy shortly after and invited friends along.įraser Yachts, which sells and manages superyachts as well as arranging charters, booked nearly 500 private trips in the first half of 2022, according to marketing & business development director Mark Duncan. And it’s not just the likes of Elon Musk or Beyoncé and Jay-Z hiring out these glitzy floating palaces. “They want to have a luxurious experience.”Īmericans are a growing client base, helping to fill gaps left by wealthy Russians who aren’t travelling as much due to restrictions after the invasion of Ukraine. Her company charges $150,000 just to join its members-only service, through which superyachts can be chartered anywhere around the world. “Yacht charters are very popular because our clients want the privacy, security and flexibility that it gives them,” Fischer-Rosenthal said. Stacy Fischer-Rosenthal and her 30-member team have had a busy summer booking private yachts for bankers, CEOs and other high flyers now liberated from the shackles of Covid and willing to pay millions of dollars for weeklong luxury cruises.īookings for superyachts through Fischer Travel Enterprises, where Fischer-Rosenthal is president, have spiked 20% this year from already high levels in 2021, a trend also seen by other companies chartering out luxury vessels that can come with all the frills from Michelin-starred cuisine to cinemas and submarines.

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