Hundreds of charter requests reach this desk every season, from a day in Ibiza to a week across the Greek islands, and they do not all end on a boat. The ones that do share the same four details. Here they are, plus five extras that make a real difference on bigger and longer charters.
Detail one: the location, and be specific
Europe is the busiest charter water in the world, and "Italy" is not a location, it is a country with a thousand harbours. Portofino, Sardinia, Sicily and the Amalfi Coast are four different trips on four different boats. Name the place, or better, the port. With a specific location the search starts immediately; without it, everyone is shooting in the dark.
Detail two: the dates, because lead time changes what you get
Asking for tomorrow and asking for next month are handled differently, and both are fine. For tomorrow you see exactly what is still free and you can confirm on the spot. With a few weeks of room, the shortlist gets curated to your group rather than to the calendar, per the booking calendar guide. Some guests enquire a full season ahead; that works too, it simply runs on a different rhythm.
Detail three: the group size, cruising versus overnight
Most yachts in Europe are licensed to carry up to twelve guests while cruising, and that is a legal line, not a preference. Overnight capacity is a separate, smaller number, often six or eight on day charter boats. Larger groups are possible on specially licensed yachts, so a group of fourteen is not a dead end, it is just a different search. For a week aboard, say whether you need double beds or singles; siblings and couples fill the same cabin differently, and it filters the fleet fast. More on matching the boat to your group in the group size guide.
Detail four: the budget, and why naming it works for you
This is where people hesitate, usually because in other markets naming a number means being charged that number. Chartering works differently: most yacht rates are published and you can cross reference a quote against other sites offering the same boat. Naming your budget does not raise your price, it sorts the fleet so you only see options that fit, instead of boats that are far too expensive or far too small. It is coordinates, not a concession.
The five extras that help
Not required, but each one sharpens the shortlist, and on week charters they matter exponentially more.
- Family or friends. Kids with grandparents and ten friends celebrating are different charters: different boats, different catering, different water toys, differently briefed crew. See the family brief guide.
- Children on board, and anyone who cannot swim. Especially children under ten. The crew prepares safety differently when they know, and that knowledge belongs in the first message, not on the passerelle.
- A charter reference. For larger yachts, owners like to know who is stepping aboard. A short reference from a previous captain does it. If you have chartered with us before, we keep your references on file, so you never have to chase one.
- Flexibility. If the second week of August is the wish but the third also works, say so. Boats book by the day, and the yacht that is taken on your date is often free the next. Flexibility turns "not available" into an option, per the last minute guide.
- Nationalities. The occasional surprise: some yachts under the YET licensing scheme may only host American passport holders, and similar flag rules exist elsewhere at the larger end. One line about who is coming saves a reshuffle later.
The request, in one message
"Second week of August, Ibiza, eight of us, two couples and four friends, day charter around 4,000 all in. Third week also possible. One of the group cannot swim." That is a complete, successful charter request. Every line of it removes a question, and the reply it gets is a shortlist, not a questionnaire. The anatomy of that first message is broken down further in the broker message guide.
Why brokers ask for all this
In peak season the time between a request and a confirmed boat is the whole game. Every missing detail is a round trip of questions while the boats you wanted get booked by groups who answered them upfront. Complete requests get faster answers and better fitting boats, with us or with any desk in the Mediterranean. How the rest of the booking unfolds is covered in the booking walkthrough.