Christmas and New Year Early Bookings
Published: 10th Feb 2026
Why book a Christmas or New Year charter soon?
Believe it or not, some yachts are already booked in the Caribbean for New Year 2026/27! And over the next few two or three months many more bookings will be confirmed. Why so early? Put simply, the best boats at the most favourable charter rates go first especially for New Year. So now is the time to start making plans.
Christmas and New Year is a time for family holidays and getting everyone together takes some lead time. And if you must work around school term times then you are competing with many other families for a finite number of yachts.
By booking early you get the choice of the newer vessels and the well-known charter yachts with outstanding crews. Choose the layout that best suit your families or groups of friends and in the location you really want. And you can also lock in flights and avoid having to upgrade to more expensive options due to limited availability closer to your travel dates.
The Caribbean is still one of the most sought-after Christmas and New Year charter experiences in the world and with good reason. Here you’ll find some of the best sailing conditions in the world, a festive atmosphere, sheltered harbours and some of the most renowned islands to visit such as Antigua and St Barths.
The BVI’s sheltered waters and short sailing distances between its multitude of islands make it ideal for a celebratory itinerary. From champagne sunsets at anchor to beach bar hopping, snorkelling vibrant reefs and welcoming the New Year under the stars, it’s a destination that delivers unforgettable moments - especially when enjoyed aboard the right yacht. Not surprisingly therefore that demand is at its highest at this time of year.
Most of the BVI-based yachts treat Christmas and New Year as two separate weeks: Christmas week ending no later than 26th December and New Year week starting no earlier than 28th December. Other yachts operating elsewhere in the Caribbean including larger yachts usually expect a minimum booking of 10 days over Christmas and New Year - although any un-booked might accept offers for a last-minute booking.
I would always advise against last minute bookings, however. For greater flexibility and peace of mind an early (or timely) booking allows time to plan every detail properly: provisioning preferences, special celebrations, diving arrangements, water-sports equipment and shore excursions and any other special requests. It also provides breathing space to arrange flights, travel insurance and any pre- or post-charter land-based stays without the stress that comes with last-minute planning during a busy travel period.
To put it bluntly, a New Year yacht charter in the Caribbean and the British Virgin Islands in particular is not something to leave to chance. Booking early ensures the best choice of yachts, crews and itineraries, while removing stress and disappointment from your holiday planning. If welcoming the New Year in paradise is on your wish list, the best time to start planning is now. Yes, there will probably always be yachts available last minute for New Year and some may even be offering discounts as the end of the year approaches. But are they the best? Or the most affordable?
About MWYC
Marlow Worldwide Yacht Charters Ltd is owned and operated by Liz Marlow, who has over 25 years’ experience as an independent yacht charter broker. Now in the UK and based in Poole, Dorset, Liz established her business in Antigua in the Eastern Caribbean. She lived in Antigua for many years and gathered specific knowledge of chartering in the Caribbean - one of the prime yacht charter destinations each winter season.
As well as the Caribbean, her experience of arranging private yacht charters also covers the West Mediterranean, the East Mediterranean (Greece and Turkey) and the Bahamas.
