Chartering: Elite Yacht Vacations With Burgess' Tim Davis

Step aboard the luxurious world of yacht chartering as Tim Davis, the marketing manager at Burgess, unveils the secrets to curating your dream voyage on the high seas. We promise that you'll emerge with a treasure trove of knowledge, from the prime time to secure your floating sanctuary to the artistry of pairing with a crew that's as bespoke as your itinerary. Peak seasons and glamorous global events like the Monaco Grand Prix no longer confine the possibilities—charter seasons are expanding, and with them, opportunities to set sail in less traditional, yet equally enchanting times of the year. A perfect match goes beyond just the yacht's aesthetics, with a crew's personality and the vessel's amenities playing pivotal roles in ensuring your sea escapade is nothing short of extraordinary.

Cast off into the trends shaping luxury yacht charters, where the timeless allure of the Mediterranean beckons and the whispers of past voyagers guide the way for new adventurers. Savor the tales of yacht chefs orchestrating a culinary renaissance on the waves, where every meal promises to rival the splendor of Michelin-starred dining rooms. As we traverse this floating culinary landscape, discover how yacht design is evolving to meet the gastronomic gusto fueled by social media's spotlight on foodie culture. Chefs are embarking on their own quests, sourcing local produce to bring the farm-to-table ethos on board, crafting an epicurean journey that elevates the charter experience to dizzying new heights. Don't just listen—immerse yourself in this feast for the senses, captained by the insight of Burgess' Tim Davis.

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Chapters

• 0:00 Yacht Charter Booking and Crew Matching
• 14:54 Luxury Yacht Charter Trends

Transcript

Diane M. Byrne: 0:49

Welcome everybody. Between television shows and media reports, there is certainly much more awareness than ever before about Yacht Charter. If you are considering this wonderful vacation option, then you will likely learn a few quick facts in speaking with anybody who has previously enjoyed a charter. First and foremost, the yachts chase the seasons. As the seasons change, there are peak, highly in-demand periods and, as much as some destinations are perennial favorites, new destinations are always stepping into the spotlight. Now a lot can be said about each of these facts. Plus, yacht Charter offers you some pretty extraordinary experiences that you are unlikely to enjoy elsewhere. So to better explore all of this, we are joined today by Tim Davis, who is the Chief Marketing Officer at Burgess. He has a strong background in luxury hospitality and yachting, of course, so he is well-versed in keeping people like you better informed and helping you better understand what you can enjoy. So, Tim, welcome to Megayacht News Radio.

Tim Davis: 2:05

Thank you for having me.

Diane M. Byrne: 2:07

So, much of yacht charter media coverage tends to speak to repeat charter clients, or at least people who are experienced in cruising from what I can tell. So why don't we start with some basic Charter 101 information, if you will, and then we can take a deeper dive as we go along? In terms of charter rates, they do differ depending upon the date being during the high season or low season, but also for special events. The Monaco Grand Prix, I know, is really a very highly in-demand event. New Year's Eve, of course, in St Barts is very popular, so is there a good rule of thumb for people who might be looking to book during these highly in-demand periods?

Tim Davis: 2:58

It's a really good question and the obvious answer is as soon as possible as in for your booking.

Tim Davis: 3:04

And we certainly as you've mentioned the repeat customers, which is a big part of our charter business that we regularly see those charters rebooking their charter for the coming year within four to six weeks of getting off the boat from their charter. And I guess that's a key message for existing charters that if you find a yacht that you enjoy, you love the crew, etc. That we would seriously recommend booking it as soon as you feel ready to do so, because availability is tight and those really popular boats will get booked up heavily in advance. And again, as you mentioned, the Monaco Grand Prix or the Cannes Film Festival, again really popular events. Finding birthing, certainly within Monaco, is tricky and takes time and to do that in advance and again, getting a spot as close to Cannes as possible for the Film Festival again is difficult. So I think it really is as soon as possible, but we certainly see our most popular charter boats booked up many months before the season starts. So it's yeah, like we all do, it's trying to prepare those vacations as soon as possible.

Diane M. Byrne: 4:16

Right, that makes a lot of sense. Now, what about other periods during the year, say dates that are not those highly highly in demand? What's a good rule of thumb in terms of booking those?

Tim Davis: 4:29

Again, I think it's yeah, what we would class as the shoulder seasons, so those seasons kind of before and just before and just after that core season. But I think a point to be made there is we are seeing those seasons stretch as well. I think, yeah, dare I say it, as the kind of global weather changes we are starting to see those seasons extend, so it's becoming those quieter periods are actually becoming much shorter as well. So I think it's yeah, there's probably just as much emphasis to try and book a charter, whether it's in a shoulder season or in the middle of the season, trying to do that as soon as possible. But there is always availability.

Tim Davis: 5:08

We are and I think that's something that we're very, we're very proud to promote that we will know that we will. We will more often not be able to find availability availability on a yacht and probably the right type of yacht, but it may not be your first choice of yacht and I think that's something that the message that we really try to push out for those seasons charters, book it early and that for those who are, who are new to it, it's come as early as possible and we can have that dialogue to find yeah, to find it. We see it very much speed like speed dating, in a way that it's you tell us what you like, we'll work out what the yacht has and see if it's a see, if it's a happy match.

Diane M. Byrne: 5:41

Right, you know you just mentioned something that I think is another good point to talk about. Sometimes charter guests will see a particular yacht listed and say, oh, we want to book that yacht. That sounds like it's perfect for our family, our friends the number of state rooms, maybe the layout or the look of it and obviously that's very important because you want to be surrounded by the look, the feel that most suits you. But in terms of charter, your brokers actually know far more than what people will see online. You understand more about the crew and then the personality, so to speak, of the crew and the yacht. Talk about that a little bit and the importance of that in matching that with the charter guests.

Tim Davis: 6:24

Yeah, I think that's a really a really great point and I think that's something that we would see as our is one of our USPs in terms of we understand. We have the biggest global fleet of charter yachts in the industry and we understand those boats better than anybody else. And, exactly as you say, there's only there's. We try and we try and deliver as much information as possible on our website through images, videos, fly-throughs, walk-throughs, 360s, et cetera. But actually getting to know the captains and the crew, getting to know where they recommend guests should go, what the yacht is capable of in terms of beach setups or the toys on board, or how good, how good, the crew is about creating parties, whether it's creating parties for a 60th, 70th, 80th, or actually it's a it's a kids party as well. And I think there are there are crews, let's be honest. There are crews that enjoy that more, that are that are better equipped to do things like that than others, and I think that's why we would always say talk to your charter broker as soon as possible, tell us what you're looking for, what's what's the idea, what's the dream, and and we can bring it to life, and I think one of the key messages is we can, then we can take that to another level as well. So if the ideal is it's you know it's it's for the somebody's father's 80th birthday party, we can make it the best 80th birthday party ever if we've got the, if we've got the time to do it. But I think it's just understanding the crew and how they took, how they tick, which captain will will be on board.

Tim Davis: 7:46

Obviously, these yachts often have captains on rotation. Some captains are better suited for different types of charter, whether it's a charter in the you know, a fairly well trodden path in the Mediterranean, or it's going somewhere like Antarctica or, yeah, some far flung destination like the society islands in French Polynesia or somewhere like you know. There are, there are yachts, there are crews, there are captains, there are, there are toys on boards that are all best suited, you know, right down to the food and the menus of what's available in far flung dustin destinations. So it's what you see on the website or in brochures, et cetera, is probably realistically 40% 50% of the knowledge that we have, because it's very difficult to yeah, very difficult to get all of that information in one place.

Diane M. Byrne: 8:30

Right, and even if you describe to the personalities of the crew members, there's still so much more that goes beyond somebody having, say, 20 years experience, or they know all the regions of the islands like the back of their hand. It's definitely that personal interaction that makes the big difference.

Tim Davis: 8:49

Yeah, absolutely, and the captains and crew captains and senior crew have their favorite places and they are their favorite places because they deliver the best experience for the guest. And, as you say, it'll be a bay tucked away that very few people know about, or it's a bay that actually, once the boat is anchored in the bay, that no other boat can get into that bay. So you then have total privacy, etc. And it's, yeah, as you say, it's that, that knowledge of being on the seas for so many years. They just have these, these sort of moments of magic, or it might be a, it might be a venue assure that they, you know, we know that they can get a table in a particular place at a particular time that has a particular view of the yacht from on top of the cliff or whatever it is. And that's, yeah, that's very difficult to put on a website. You're absolutely right.

Diane M. Byrne: 9:32

Right, those are those priceless moments, for sure. So let's talk about some of the destinations, since that's always of great interest to people. Owners, certainly, and their families are looking to explore different areas, perhaps some more far flung destinations. How much of that is trickling into charter? What? What are you and your team seeing in terms of interest in places that are off the beaten path?

Tim Davis: 10:00

Yeah, I think it's still a small, being honest, it's a small part of our business. We we book in. Looking at 2023, we booked about 7,000 charter nights across 2023, across all across our global fleet and I would say probably the high seventies to 80% of that is in the traditional, traditional locations of the Mediterranean. You know, as you, as you said earlier, it's the Mediterranean and then and then the Caribbean, but I we are definitely seeing a growing interest in in further afield destinations. But I think, if you were to ask anybody at Burgess in the charter department, we would love to see more, because we believe that the, you know, the opportunity for truly unique experiences is probably not necessarily in the Mediterranean. It's a very it's a well trodden path. Wherever you go in the Mediterranean, you are probably likely to see another super yacht, if not another three or five or 10, perhaps, and I think there are destinations elsewhere around the world where you may not see a charter yacht. For the whole, you know, whether it's a seven day or 14 day trip, you may not see another super yacht and you will be on beaches that will be just untouched or you will be in places that are just that really blow your mind and I think, yeah, we would. We would love to see a greater, a greater sort of interest in in those areas, just because we believe that experience is, is comparable and, and if not better, to the Mediterranean or be it. We understand, yeah, we understand, the appeal of the Mediterranean. There's a, you know, there's a. There's a sort of experience point of view in terms of people know it, they know it well, they know the destinations, are sure, they know the, the beaches, the islands that they want to go to, and I think that people often will default back to where they've been before because it was such a great experience. And I and I absolutely get that.

Tim Davis: 11:43

But I think, you know, thinking about some of those destinations, the likes of, you know, Antarctica, some of the charters available in Antarctica are phenomenal. I appreciate it's not going to be necessarily sun drenched or it won't be sun drenched with with water, toys et cetera, but it does. It just brings a, you know, a whole different level of experience and the capability that we have in terms of putting together adventure travel. It's, you know, it's not just the yacht experience, it's being able to use a. You know, go go heli skiing in the morning and then in the afternoon go and dive down to the, a different part of Antarctica or whatever it may be.

Tim Davis: 12:18

I think it's it's thinking about thinking about some of those areas. I guess, on that theme, is then looking at Norway and Northern Norway in terms of the scenery and the wildlife and just the yeah, just the different light shows that happen in and around Norway. The same with Greenland. We've certainly seen a little bit of interest recently in terms of people wanting to just completely escape and just explore Greenland on some extended charters and then further afield, the likes and I mentioned the society islands earlier on but French Polynesia, solomon Islands, places like that that are that are absolutely geared up in terms of licenses, captains having the knowledge of that area as well. But just, and I appreciate it, it's further to go and it's potentially a slightly longer charter than it than it potentially is in the Mediterranean. But, as I say, the chances of seeing another super yacht are very small. But the chances of just, yeah, having a beach all to yourself and just having truly, yeah, truly immersive experiences, I think is very exciting. But, as I say, that's not to say the Mediterranean isn't.

Diane M. Byrne: 13:18

No, no, not, of course, not at all.

Tim Davis: 13:21

some of the places you just mentioned actually are completely on my bucket list, so let's go, let's do I, yeah, I think a couple of weeks in society islands would I would be very, very happy.

Diane M. Byrne: 13:33

That sounds great to me, Absolutely, especially after the miserable winter I just experienced in northeastern US.

Tim Davis: 13:39

Well, it's in the in the UK, which is where I am, the rain has been, yeah, been non-stop so 24 hours, even in society islands. I would be a happy, happy man, definitely.

Diane M. Byrne: 13:49

Absolutely. Having not been to northern Norway, but having been through the fjords of Norway, I can absolutely attest to it being Magnificent and really there's nothing like it. It's so spectacular and I think that's.

Tim Davis: 14:03

I think I think a lot of the time you can describe the Mediterranean to people or you can Describe the Caribbean to people, but I think it's those, as you say, the fjords, northern Norway, some of those destinations are. Just when you talk to people who have Been there, they just sort of they don't really know what to say, apart from I'd like to go back.

Diane M. Byrne: 14:21

So, and I think that's really telling, definitely yeah yeah, definitely, when it leaves you speechless, that is certainly the sign that it is truly, truly extraordinary. So for the newcomers, who tend to gravitate towards those tried-and-true Destinations in the Mediterranean, in the Caribbean, is it really a lot of what you said earlier about it being familiarity They've maybe been there before on a land visit or is it just that that's so well publicized that that's naturally what they want to try first?

Tim Davis: 14:53

I think probably a bit of both. I think there's also a bit of word of mouth in terms of recommendation. We find that a lot of our new clients will have spoken to a friend, a friend of a friend, who has chartered or owns a yacht, and that's something that we, we also absolutely recommend people to do. But and so I think a lot of it comes from the safety side of things, and I and I guess I mean safety to the world trodden point of, yeah, the world trodden point of view, and I think, yeah, they are by far and away the most publicized destinations. I think, if you look at any super, super yachting brand, we, yeah, we tend to hear those Mediterranean, those well-known destinations, because people Understand them, they're aware of them and, as you say, they may have been there for a, for a villa holiday or a private island holiday or something like that, in a, in a destination that they know.

Tim Davis: 15:38

So, yes, I think it's people tend to like. People tend to like, certainly, if it's your first charter, yeah, they like to, they like to be in an area where they feel that people have been before and they may. Some of it is also they will, they will know they have some of their friends who are there already, and part of that is meeting up with them, that they're Anchored off Portofino and they want to yeah, they want to wavered each other across the bay and I and I absolutely understand that. That's. You know. This is all very much about bringing groups of people together. So, yeah, it's all very much part of that charter right right Now.

Diane M. Byrne: 16:09

There are certain trends that have been going on in Everyday life. Shall we say the foodie trend. I think is is certainly a good one to talk about. That has certainly crossed over into yachting. We know that Superyacht charters have always had phenomenal food. The chefs on these yachts are superb. They're trained at the best culinary schools. They can adapt to any type of dietary restrictions. They know different cultural influences in terms of food. But what are the chefs doing in terms of trying to bring their, their menus and their dishes to a new level? I think, because of everything that goes on in everyday society, especially with Instagram being very food focused, that kind of has I don't want to say put pressure on that, on the chefs, but I think maybe they've become a little bit more aware of Everybody expecting things to be at a different level.

Tim Davis: 17:04

Yeah, I think that's, I think that's very fair and I think, increasingly, food is, is a key part of the charter and it obviously it. You know People are all together on the yacht, but but those food, those culinary events, are part of what bring, brings people together and I think that's a that's a key part of every charter that we, that we organize, is and it can be. It can be, as you say, it might be a two Michelin starred Event on board, but actually increasingly we're starting to see back to basics. So it really is. Actually what I just want is I want a burger, but I want it to be the best burger I've ever had.

Tim Davis: 17:37

And I think when you talk, increasingly, when you talk to Super yacht chefs, it's about almost stripping it back and it's just Simplicity, but simplicity done to the absolute best level. And increasingly there are requests for Street food and we're starting to see yachts actually being built around their culinary capability. So there's a yeah, we have a yacht joint, one of the the biggest charter yachts in the world, joining our fleet very yeah, soon to be, soon to be released to the market. That has so many different, yeah, culinary stations on board that at one point you know, for one meal you can have a pizza made in front of you, you can then go to the teppanyaki grill, you can then go to the burger bar, you can go to the sports bar all on board the same yacht. And I think that's what's so interesting, that it's it's almost kind of different moments, different, different, the different feeling that you have. The chef is then there to to create that. But I think your your point about inspiration is is absolutely key that we have a. We have a campaign running at the moment called Super Yacht Chefs and that's some of our charter team having very informal conversations through social media with Super Yacht Chefs in the Burgess fleet and listening to their inspiration.

Tim Davis: 18:46

And increasingly we are seeing kind of shore-based chefs coming on-board yachts because they want to bring that inspiration from a Michelin-starred restaurant, bring that on-board a yacht, partly because of the challenge of operating at that level in a very small galley and let's. It's fairly obvious, I know, but a galley on a yacht is going to be much smaller, probably much hotter, probably much more difficult to work in than a galley in a restaurant ashore. But I think increasingly chefs like that challenge and the different types of ingredients that they can get from wandering into a market in St Bart's or Antigua or wherever it is, as you know, of course, the quality of food ashore is fantastic. But that ability to go and live and breathe and talk to the farmer that has actually brought that produce from the farm that is five kilometers down the road, I think increasing that sort of I say farm to table is probably the right phrase. But I think we are seeing that very much as a focus of Super Yacht Chefs being aware of where the produce is coming from but actually taking part in that journey. So actually there you know when they are. When they do arrive in the Caribbean, they will go ashore and go and talk to their local providers about you know what's fresh, what's, you know what's relevant at the moment, rather than, yeah, just taking a more traditional menu and I think all of that sort of feeds into the melting pot just to deliver culinary experiences which are just phenomenal.

Tim Davis: 20:12

And I think people who haven't charted before it's again, it's so difficult to explain just the quality of food, the quality of experiences.

Tim Davis: 20:21

But it's not, it's not just the food itself, it's the whole experience of how tables are set and just how the theater of of food and drink on a on a super yacht is just phenomenal, and I used to work in in luxury hotels a good few years ago but spent sort of six or eight years in some very nice yeah, luxury hotels, working for a luxury hotel brand, and I think luxury hotels will say that they can personalize and make an experience bespoke.

Tim Davis: 20:49

But I challenge any yeah, I challenge any four, five, six, seven star hotel, wherever they are around the world, to be, to be able to deliver what a super yacht does, because it's yours, it's your toy, is the charter guest. If you want to have breakfast at five o'clock in the afternoon, you can have breakfast at five o'clock in the afternoon. And if you have different whether it's religions, beliefs, color, creed makes absolutely no difference that you can truly personalize that experience. And culinary is yeah, it's so important to it, and we know of, we know of charter guests that have brought on particular chefs on boards in a sushi chef from Japan because they are you know, they themselves are absolute specialists in sushi and they want the very best sushi chef on board to be able to cater to their taste. So it it really is, yeah, it truly is a bespoke experience.

Diane M. Byrne: 21:39

Wonderful, wonderful. One last question for you before we wrap up. Sustainability is a really hot topic these days in especially yacht construction, yacht design, the operations. Are charter guests asking about sustainability at all, and if they are, what are some of the questions that they have?

Tim Davis: 22:00

I think they are definitely. I think it's increasing and I think it's been probably driven by a slightly younger demographic. I think there's more sort of social awareness, I think, probably from that younger demographic. But what's really exciting is I think that's starting to bleed into all ages as well.

Tim Davis: 22:19

And, let's be honest, I think sustainability and super yachting is a tricky conversation and I think we would be the first people to say we have to do more. We're not doing enough. We need to continue to do more, and part of our job as a brand is to educate our owners, our yachts, our captains, our crew, in terms of just the little things that we can do. In terms of turning down air conditioning during a charter, can that be restricted to particular times when the guests are asleep or they're not on board that? Can we adapt the air conditioning in terms of the levels that it at?

Tim Davis: 22:54

The number of plastic bottles when you look at how much or how many plastic bottles are consumed by not that there is an average charter, but if it was a one week charter, there's a huge number of bottles that are brought on board Actually having and it sounds obvious but water making facilities on board, though it's perfectly purified and delicious water, but we don't need to bring it on in plastic bottles. Just in terms of how hot water is heated how can we recycle fumes from engines? Obviously, they get produced. They're very hot. How can we use that to heat the water on board?

Tim Davis: 23:31

That's probably more driven into how the boat is built and the structure of the yacht itself, but actually just the sustainability of how food is sourced, and we talked about those kind of farm to table food miles. Again, we absolutely will see guests saying actually we just want to eat locally, we want everything to be sourced from every port that we go into. That takes a bit of planning and that takes a bit of preparation from us and the crew and the captain, but with that request is we can do almost anything, and I think that's our job is to do that. I guess, to answer your question, it's definitely something that we're seeing more of. I think we have more work to do in terms of at a global brand level, but increasingly, just educating charter guests about the choices that they make and that we can help them with those choices is really important.

Diane M. Byrne: 24:18

Sure, it's part of the larger conversation overall in terms of education.

Tim Davis: 24:23

Absolutely we have to do more. I think, as a global brand, we are investing time and money in global projects. We've just kicked off a new project with Seagrass in the Mediterranean and I think we have to recognize you can never do enough, but we have to do something. I think it's also recognizing that we don't necessarily have the answers. We may need to talk to experts in this field to help us shape the future, but we recognize we've just got to do more.

Diane M. Byrne: 24:49

Right, right, definitely Well, tim, thank you so much for joining me today. It was great speaking with you and learning more about what Burgess is doing. Certainly, the information you've shared in terms of charter is going to help a lot of the new people coming in and wanting to explore and experience this terrific, terrific vacation option.

Tim Davis: 25:10

It really is. I would echo that. There's just nothing like it. It is a truly unique experience. So, yeah, I hope it. Yeah, I hope many, many more people come and join us.

Diane M. Byrne: 25:19

Definitely Well, everyone. If you'd like to learn more about what Burgess offers in terms of Yacht Charter, you can visit their website, which is Burgess Yachtcom. Until next time, I'm Diane Byrne.