The festive atmosphere on a charter yacht at Christmas can be every bit as happy and full of joy as a traditional Christmas at home. Your crew can transform your yacht into a floating winter wonderland with Christmas trees, lights, theme parties and games.
Or it can be a complete escape from the festivities. It’s up to you. But one thing is for sure – at this time of the year, being on a yacht with crew in the British Virgin Islands is a wonderful tropical getaway for the whole family.
The region’s calm, sheltered waters are perfect for families with children of all ages, making it safe and enjoyable to explore the islands by boat. Kids can engage in various fun educational activities, such as discovering the vibrant sea life around reefs while snorkelling, or spotting sea turtles. Ashore, you can take leisurely hikes, or laze on a secluded beach with a family picnic – many ways to create lasting family memories.
Most of the islands in the BVI are uninhabited and designated as national parks. One of the most famous is the Baths at Virgin Gorda, a natural wonder, featuring giant granite boulders and caverns that make up a maze of secret rock pools to crawl or wade through.
Another is Cam Bay, on the eastern shore of Great Camanoe, which is an extensive shallow reef and lagoon system. Its calm waters, colourful reef fish, and pristine marine environment attract swimmers and snorkelers. Birdwatchers will enjoy watching migratory wading birds that are attracted to the salt ponds here, and elsewhere in the BVIs are historic sites and bird sanctuaries.
The BVIs also have some excellent dive sites, including wrecks and reefs depending on your level of expertise.
At night, because of the lack of light pollution, you can marvel at the night sky from the deck of your yacht with an enticing beverage in hand.
Your crew can put together an itinerary to include many of these activities and destinations. And then, there are the water-sport toys which your yacht will carry. As a minimum there will be snorkel gear but most likely a whole lot more, such as stand-up-paddle-boards (SUPs), kayaks, floating mats, water skis, wake-boards, towable water-sport toys, and beach games. Larger, more expensively equipped yachts could have Seabobs, underwater scooters and e-foils. Some yachts will have dive equipment with a qualified instructor onboard. The operation of jet skis from a yacht in the BVI is not permissible.
Christmas time is a busy time of the year, and few anchorages are unlikely to be totally deserted. Ashore, the BVI’s famous beach bars will be busy with a very lively atmosphere.
The weather at the end of December should be lovely, not too hot by day and very pleasant at night with average temperatures from 71-85 degrees. Warm tropical sunshine and clear star-filled nights – what better place to relax?
Other Christmas destinations in the Caribbean include the Grenadines, Antigua or St Martin/St Barths.
Looking at the booking calendars, availability is becoming limited, so if you are interested in spending Christmas or New Year on a yacht, I suggest you get in touch soon and we start to look for your ideal choice.
