Hire a luxury yacht to boost your party experience by several nautical miles

Drenched ONLY in fun

The Executive Vice-President of Percept ICE, Vidya Alva, speaking on important things to remember while creating an experience on a yacht stressed on preparing a clear set-up plan and considering all possible logistics. “Security is paramount, all materials must be firmly secured, cables tidied and taped, and electricity earthed as per the manifesto and protocol,” she said.

Emphasizing on event safety, Founder of White Salt Entertainments, Dipti Shah added, while yachts are completely safe and there are specialized trained divers, event professionals often have to deal with socially drunk individuals in the middle of nowhere, grooving to the beats of loud party music. It is an inevitable part of the party and needs to be handled and maturely dealt with.”

Director at Wedniksha Wedding Planners, Bhavnesh Sawhney, says it is extremely important to not overdress the yacht. He said that yachts are designed very beautifully, and therefore the already existing décor should be enhanced. “Planners must also be mindful of all the restrictions that exist on the yacht like fire safety and health hazards and keep guests reassured by determining evacuation and contingency plans,” he added.

'Time' to party

Talking about the ideal duration given for an event, Shah said that most yacht parties last between 4 to 6 hours. Talking specifically about planning a wedding on a yacht, Sawhney said that the ideal duration for a yacht wedding is 2 to 4 days depending on the number of functions.

According to Alva though, it involves a minimum of 10 days of focused research and planning. “The actual yacht event could range from an evening out on waters to a weekend, or even a week of sailing with a host of themed parties and destination visits spanning the entire sail,” she said.

When we discussed the ideal budget, she said that it ranges from client to client, experience, customization, destination, guests list and number of days at sea and the type of yacht finalized. Agreeing with her, Sawhney stated that it also depends upon family requirements, artists performing, the number of functions and service provision required.

Getting down to specifics, Shah confirmed that yachts are availed at fixed fees (charter fee). “One may design yacht parties of varying party styles, starting at about Rs. 2 lakh and going up to Rs. 7 to 8 lakh,” she informed.

Party Crew

When we asked about the number of guests and crew members a yacht can incorporate, Shah replied that the number of guests ranges between 10 to 150 pax. Whereas, a core management team of minimum 8 pax is required to cater to the basics of a yacht party.

Echoing similar thoughts, Alva said that the crew size can range from 8 people upwards and is usually a mix of the Captain, First Mate, Chief Engineer, Main Chef and Crew Chef, Deckhands, Stewards, and Stewardesses. While Sawhney sharing one of his experiences informed that for the recent Sana-Adel cruise wedding, a well-coordinated team of 40 crew members staged the mega event.

“The crew was divided into teams like RSVP and invitation, hospitality, décor, show running, technical and production personnel, travel and logistics etc,” he added.

Upside and Downside

We chatted about the advantages and disadvantages of creating an event on a yacht. Sawhney highlighted about yachts itself being experiential. However, talking about negatives he said that once the yacht sails there is nothing extra they can arrange or get on-board.

Adding to it, Shah said that yacht parties are a big no-no during summers and monsoons unless one wants to restrict the party to indoor spaces while onboard. “It makes for a great ‘experiential party’ keeping in mind the weather and requirements of the social group,” she added.

Whereas, Alva accentuating the positives said that as the yacht is a contained area, the number of guests that can be hosted within such a small space is limited which enables the service to be very personalized and customized to their needs, therein making the entire experience very intimate and memorable.

She said, “Hosting an event on the blue waters is a special and remarkable experience, which guests are likely to remember and talk about for many years to come.”

While experts keep exploring alternatives to create epic party experiences, yacht events are fail-safe for all those who seek ultimate luxury in the embrace of nature. So next time, let your party sail into the sunset!