Your eyes start to glaze over, as you realize you’ve been staring blankly at your impossibly boring computer screen. Your mind begins to dream, taking you to a place far away from the cubicle that binds you. Suddenly, you’re sitting with your legs dangling off the edge of a 55-foot yacht, as you slowly sip a rum libation out of a cored pineapple. The sun soaks into your skin as you watch the miles of beautiful palm trees and pristine beaches pass through your cat-eye sunglasses. The beat of the music intensifies the occasional spritz of seawater that mists your body. This is it. You have made it. A life of luxury, relaxation, and glamour. Yet this isn’t your average daydream, in fact this experience is nothing like the real world. This is The Yacht Week in the British Virgin Islands.
Nothing is more sophisticated than yachting around from island to island with your best friends, great music, and strong drinks with coordinated dinners and parties every night. Nights that end on the top of a catamaran under the intense Caribbean starlight. Honestly, there may be nothing better.
The Yacht Week makes this extravagant dream a reality by renting out sailboats and catamarans to eager attendees. They continue to map out an action-packed weeklong itinerary for you to enjoy. Anchoring at all the major islands, you’ll explore local shopping, cuisine, and culture. Daily activities range from cliff jumping to beach volleyball tournaments, and include day trips to secluded islands and hidden caves. Whether you’re on The Yacht Week as an “upscale spring-breaker” or to simply soak up the rays and chill out on the beach… the British Virgin Islands could not be a better destination.
The British Virgin Islands are made up of four main islands in addition to over 50 smaller islands and cays. The amount of beautiful beaches, barbecue joints, and quirky island dive bars to discover is enough to overwhelm even the savviest of travelers. This fact makes traveling on The Yacht Week all the more relaxing and enjoyable. Everything is taken care of, talk about real peace of mind.
How it works:
Believe it or not, this once in a lifetime experience can become a reality with a simple click of a mouse. Boat bookings open up online at TheYachtWeek.com with detailed information regarding the type of yacht, capacity, price point, and amenities. Boats range in size from a sailboat that houses six to a catamaran that can fit 11. All you have to do is gather a group of friends and pick which week in paradise works best for you. Your group will then get paired with a Yacht Week skipper who will provide the week’s itinerary, docking procedures, and local hotspots. Worried you won’t have enough people to fill an entire boat? Breathe easy. This is a common occurrence. The Yacht Week has a crew-finding forum on their Facebook page filled with like-minded hopefuls and lists of boats with available spots. Prices for The Yacht Week in The British Virgin Islands range anywhere from: $750-$3950 per person for the week, depending on the boat.
Break down of the Islands:
On The Yacht Week you will travel to several islands within the British Virgin Islands. The four main islands are Tortola (where the trip starts), Virgin Gorda, Anegada, and Jost Van Dyke. You will also visit smaller islands and cays like Norman Island, Peter’s Island, Sandy Cay, and Little Harbor. Interestingly enough, all the islands are vastly different and each one has unique and charming characteristics. This allows the adventure and exploration to continue long after your daily sail. Here’s a brief overview of what you can expect from each island:
- Tortola: This is the biggest island in The British Virgin Islands. Road Town, their capital, is where you will meet up with your crew and skipper to unpack and board the yacht. There is great shopping in Road Town for all the local specialties. On main street you can stop into Pusser’s to pick up a bottle of their infamous spiced rum, or swing into Sunny Caribbee Herb and Spice Company to score classic Caribbean spices, handmade soaps, and exotic love potions. Famous pirates such as Blackbeard and Captain Kidd were some of the first permanent inhabitants on Tortola island. That being said, you may just want to drag your rum, exotic love potion, and a badass attitude down to the beach to channel your inner unruly pirate.
- Virgin Gorda: This is a lovely stop during the trip considering The Yacht Week rents out a private pool next to the beach. Spend the day sipping drinks by the pool, getting a massage at the local spa, or head down to the beach bar for the nightly pirate show complete with a conk shell blowing contest – blow the longest and the winner walks away with a bottle of rum.
- Anegada: Being that this is the only inhabited island in the BVI’s made up of coral and limestone, it is an ideal location for snorkeling and diving. However, the beachfront lobster cookout at sunset fights to be the main attraction on Anegada. After carefully docking up between beds of coral reef, you will taxi across the island on the back of a pickup-truck-taxi (with seats and guardrails of course)… to Cow Wreck Beach. With the freshest seafood and strongest Wreck Punch know to man, Cow Wreck Beach is a local must-see hotspot while on vacation in the BVI’s.
- Jost Van Dyke: This island is home to Foxy’s and The Soggy Dollar Bar, it is also know for being the birthplace of the favored Caribbean drink the “Painkiller”. The beach strip around the harbor is lined with local seafood joints, small bars, and shops. This island also hosts Old Years Eve, which is an extremely popular New Years Eve party that fills the streets with elated travelers from around the world looking to ring in the new year with style and love.
Know before you go:
Like any vacation, it’s helpful to know the inside scoop about where you’ll be traveling before you actually arrive. This insures you have an accurate understanding of what to expect. Below are some points to know about The British Virgin Islands that may save you potential headaches during your trip:
- Island time: Everything from ordering food & drinks to standing in line at the grocery store is done on “island time”. Which translates to slow as hell. As a New Yorker, this came as a big shock to me, and I still can’t understand how a turkey club can take an hour to bring out. This simple fact is important to keep in mind to keep your patience in check and to know in case you have anywhere important to be within two hours of ordering.
- Small airline tendencies: Being that I’m used to traveling by large commercial airlines like Delta and Air France, island hoppers like Air Sunshine and Cape Air really tested what I believed to be true about aviation. We had to leave security to check-in for our Air Sunshine flight, which was leaving in a lengthy four hours. My dreams of dropping my bag and hitting the beach were assassinated by the reality that our flight could leave – get this – at anytime. The airline representative informed me that once all the passengers were checked in for the nine-seater flight it could take off an hour or two earlier than expected. Essential to keep in mind: 1. Don’t disappear into Margaritaville waiting for a typical on-time departure. 2. Wait by the gate as the attendants make a quick round in gathering everyone before strolling onto the tarmac to board the plane.
- Departure Tax: There is a departure tax for any passenger traveling out of The British Virgin Islands by air, which is around $20/per person. Good to know so you don’t spend your last pennies on Painkillers and Wreck Punch.
What not to wear:
Ladies, I felt an obligation to include items to leave at home or avoid while staying on Yacht Week to prevent overpacking and tears of frustration.
- Heels: Not only will they look ridiculous as your ankles snap back and forth in the sand, but heels are just never an option for any of the places you will be going. I send my condolences to Mr. Choo and Louboutin.
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- Expensive swimsuits: I learned the hard way with my chic black and white Vix swimsuit. I loved the glamorous tuxedo look, until I was involuntarily sandwiched between two men completely covered in neon body paint. Needless to say, it was ruined.
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- Anything that shouldn’t get wet: After countless dingy rides to the islands from our yacht, one learns to choose outfits wisely. I would advise against a white dress unless you are craving a wet bottoms contest. Almost all dingy rides will get you wet.
The Yacht Week on the British Virgin Islands is an experience unlike anything else out there. You will unwillingly return to the real world with bumps and bruises, dock rock, and the most amazing memories with friends.
