What should you establish before choosing a yacht?
On this page
Key points from this page
- Distinguish a reservation request from a confirmed booking.
1. Is there one approved brief for the vacation?
- A — 0: We have an idea, but dates, guests or priorities remain open.
- B — 1: We have discussed the trip, but different people are working from different assumptions.
- C — 2: We have a written brief, but the principal has not approved the priorities or trade-offs.
- D — 3: The authorised decision-maker has approved dates, flexibility, guest configuration, destination preferences, must-haves, acceptable compromises and the decision deadline.
Evidence to keep: A one-page brief with an approver and version date. Separate essential requirements from preferences: an accessible boarding route is not interchangeable with a larger sun deck.
2. Do you know the yacht’s actual availability and booking status?
Distinguish a reservation request from a confirmed booking. For example, IYC’s reservation process separates a hold from owner acceptance, contract signature and the required deposit. These are its published procedures, not universal terms for every broker. (iyc.com)
- A — 0: We have only found the yacht online.
- B — 1: Somebody has said it should be available.
- C — 2: We have dated availability information, but an option deadline, owner approval or positioning question remains unresolved.
- D — 3: The broker has reconfirmed the exact dates and embarkation arrangements with the yacht’s authorised representative, recorded any hold deadline, and explained the remaining steps to secure the booking.
Evidence to keep: A dated message naming the yacht, dates, ports, status, conditions and deadline. D does not mean the yacht is already booked.