How to Pack for a Caribbean Charter Yacht Vacation

Embarking on a week-long journey aboard a crewed catamaran is a fantastic vacation escape for your loved ones and friends. Life on a boat offers a unique experience compared to staying at a Caribbean all-inclusive resort. We have a deep passion for chartering catamarans and have enjoyed numerous voyages with our close ones. As the departure date approaches, we often receive the common question, “How should I pack for this adventure?” Here, we offer our recommendations on what not to forget, when packing for a week filled with sun, sailing, and sand.

A Passport: As an American, when embarking on a Caribbean sailing adventure, you’ll need a valid passport. However, if you’re chartering a yacht in the US Virgin Islands and/or Puerto Rico, a valid driver’s license will typically be sufficient.

Soft Sided Duffle Bag: Leave the hard-plastic sided suitcases at home.  A boat has limited storage space; it’s best to bring a large duffle bag that can easily be folded and stashed in a closet.

Protective Eyewear, Headwear, and SPF Clothing: Make sure to bring a pair of sunglasses, a baseball hat or large brimmed straw hat, and a SPF rash guard long sleeve shirt to protect yourself from the sun.  You don’t need to bring your most expensive sunglasses, but make sure they’re polarized and secure a croakie strap on them.  We can’t tell you how many times someone is looking overboard, and poof!  Their sunglasses are now in 30 ft plus water.

Comfortable, Casual Clothes: The islands are very low key and informal.  When you’re chartering a fully crewed catamaran, all your meals will be on board the boat, so unless you want to dress up with a maxi dress or linen pants/shirt, shorts, t-shirts, polo shirts, and bathing suit coverups will do just fine.

Sweatshirt/Sweatpants: You’d be surprise at how much it can cool off at night.  Factor in the amount of time spent in the sun and water, and your body temperature can drop.  The cabins can also be chilly with the A/C running, so it’s best to bring clothing that’ll provide some warmth at night.

Multiple Swimsuits: You’ll be spending the majority of your day in a bathing suit.  Guests often find themselves in and out of the water all day long.  To avoid having to wear a damp suit, we recommend bringing 3-4 suits to make sure you always have a dry one available.

Sandals: Be sure to pack footwear that can tolerate getting wet and sandy. It’s also recommended to bring sneakers if you enjoy hiking, as there is no shortage of hiking trails throughout the islands.  If the group is going ashore for a meal and want to dress up a bit more, pack a pair of boat shoes or wedges.

Camera: Grab your GoPro, your phone, or camera to capture all the wonderful memories you won’t want to forget.  The catamarans are outfitted with US outlets, making it a cinch to charge your devices when not in use. 

A Great Playlist: The crew will provide music, but if you’re traveling with a group of friends, it’s incredibly enjoyable to have a playlist of your favorite top hits ready to go. Streaming can be challenging with unreliable Wi-Fi, so it’s advisable to ensure that any music you desire is pre-downloaded on your device.

Motion Sickness Medicine: While the charter boat will provide a medical kit, we advise our clients to bring their preferred medications. Thanks to the catamaran’s exceptional stability and comfort, the likelihood of seasickness is minimal. However, if you have concerns, we suggest packing items like Bonine or Sea-Band bracelets.

The overall message is simplicity.  So, we encourage our clients to leave the following at home: expensive jewelry, delicate clothing, and hair dryers/flat irons.  And, of course, remember to leave some space in your luggage for souvenirs. The US Virgin Islands provide duty-free shopping opportunities, offering savings on items such as jewelry and liquor. Whether you’re in search of a t-shirt, locally handcrafted jewelry, a taste of local hot sauce, or the finest rum to craft your own PainKillers at home, there’s something to delight every shopper.