BVI Yacht Charter With Kids: A Family Guide to Bareboat & Crewed Charters

A yacht charter can be one of the best ways for a family to experience the British Virgin Islands.

Instead of packing everyone into a rental car, changing hotels or trying to keep children entertained at the same resort for a week, your yacht becomes the vacation.

Wake up somewhere new each morning. Swim before breakfast. Snorkel with turtles. Explore caves. Paddleboard from the back of the yacht. Spend the afternoon at a beach or pool. Then move to another island for the night.

The BVI is particularly well suited to family yacht charters because the islands are relatively close together, allowing families to experience several destinations without spending entire days underway.

But the right family charter depends on much more than finding a yacht advertised as “family friendly.”

After 30 years of chartering yachts in the British Virgin Islands, here's what we recommend families consider.

Is the BVI Good for a Yacht Charter With Kids?

Yes. The BVI can be an excellent yacht-charter destination for families with children of many different ages.

One of its biggest advantages is variety without requiring long passages between most destinations.

A family vacation can include:

• Swimming
• Snorkeling
• Beaches
• Paddleboarding
• Kayaking
• Exploring caves
• Hiking
• Restaurants and beach bars
• Pools and resorts
• Water toys
• Island excursions
• Wildlife experiences

And unlike a traditional resort vacation, you don't have to choose one location for the entire week.

If the kids love a particular beach, stay longer.

If everyone is tired, skip the next planned stop.

If they wake up ready for an adventure, move on.

A good BVI family itinerary should be flexible rather than a race to visit every island.

Bareboat or Crewed Yacht: Which Is Better for Families?

Both can be excellent family vacations.

The right choice depends much more on your boating experience and how much responsibility you want during your vacation than the ages of your children.

Bareboat Charter With Kids

On a bareboat charter, you operate the yacht yourself.

For an experienced boating family, this can be an amazing adventure.

Parents and older children can participate in the trip, help plan the route, learn about navigation and experience the BVI as a real boating vacation.

You also have maximum privacy because there is no permanent crew aboard.

A bareboat can be a particularly good fit if:

• You have appropriate boating experience
• You enjoy operating a yacht
• Your family likes preparing some meals together
• You want maximum independence
• You want the yacht completely to yourselves

Bareboat With a Captain

You can also enjoy much of the freedom of bareboating without operating the yacht yourself.

VCY works with a small group of experienced freelance BVI captains who can be added to appropriate bareboat charters.

The captain operates the yacht and brings valuable local knowledge, while your family still has the informal experience of a bareboat vacation.

Remember, however:

Adding a captain to a bareboat does not turn it into a fully crewed yacht.

Your family generally remains responsible for provisioning, meals and normal day-to-day bareboat living.

The captain also needs sleeping accommodations, so we need to consider that when choosing the yacht.

Fully Crewed Yacht Charter With Kids

For families who want a true vacation from the logistics of operating a yacht, a fully crewed charter can be a wonderful choice.

A typical BVI crewed catamaran has a professional captain and chef.

The captain handles the yacht and works with your family to develop an itinerary.

The chef prepares meals based on the preferences you provide before the charter.

Instead of shopping, cooking and cleaning up after meals, parents can spend that time with the family—or simply relax.

Explore our BVI luxury crewed yacht charters to see the types of yachts and crew available for a family vacation.

Bareboat vs. Captain vs. Crewed for Families

Not sure which option fits your family? Read our complete guide to BVI bareboat vs. captain vs. fully crewed yacht charters.

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Choosing the Right Yacht Layout for a Family

Family groups shouldn't choose a yacht based only on maximum capacity.

Consider a family of ten and five adult couples.

Both groups have ten people.

But they may want completely different yachts.

A family may be perfectly happy with children or teenagers in a bunk cabin.

Five couples may strongly prefer five conventional double-bed cabins.

Families may also place more importance on:

• A larger cabin for the parents
• Bunk rooms for children
• Cabins located near each other
• Large common areas
• Easy access to the water
• A large flybridge
• Shade
• Plenty of refrigeration
• Space where everyone can eat together

This is why we always ask who is traveling, rather than simply asking how many guests you have.

Our guide to BVI power catamaran layouts explains how cabins, beds, bathrooms and common spaces can change which yacht works best for your family.

What Size Powercat Does a Family Need?

There isn't one answer.

A family of six might be much happier on a spacious three-cabin yacht than on a five-cabin yacht designed to maximize capacity.

A family of eight may have excellent four-cabin options.

For a family of ten, a five-cabin yacht can work extremely well—and a bunk room that might be less attractive to five adult couples can actually be ideal for children.

Larger groups may need even more specialized layouts.

For example, VCY's Aventura 50 Unwinding provides six private double-bed cabins and six heads for up to 12 guests.

See our guide to choosing the best BVI power catamaran for 6, 8, 10 or 12 guests for a more detailed comparison.

Why a Large Flybridge Is Great for Families

For a family charter, bedrooms aren't where you're going to spend most of your waking hours.

Common spaces matter.

That's one reason we like large flybridges on BVI powercats.

A good flybridge gives the family another outdoor living area where people can sit together while underway.

Depending on the yacht, the flybridge may include:

• Shaded seating
• Dining area
• Sunbeds
• Refrigerator or wet bar
• Helm station
• Space for the family to gather together

Children and adults don't have to disappear below deck while the yacht moves between islands.

Learn more about the benefits of a large flybridge on a BVI power catamaran.

What Are the Best BVI Activities for Kids?

This is one of the biggest advantages of the BVI: the yacht itself gives families access to activities throughout the week.

Snorkel the Caves at Norman Island

The caves at Norman Island are a great BVI experience for families who enjoy snorkeling.

Children can explore the water directly from the yacht or tender, depending on conditions and their swimming ability.

Snorkel at Monkey Point

Monkey Point at Guana Island can be another excellent snorkeling stop when conditions are suitable.

Look for Turtles

Spotting a sea turtle is often far more exciting for children than checking another island off an itinerary.

Build time into the week for swimming, snorkeling and simply exploring rather than trying to rush from destination to destination.

Spend Time at Leverick Bay

Leverick Bay can be a fun stop for families, particularly when everyone wants some time ashore and access to a pool.

Visit Scrub Island

Scrub Island can also be appealing to families looking to combine the yacht experience with some resort time.

Explore The Baths

The Baths on Virgin Gorda is one of the BVI's signature experiences.

The giant granite boulders, pools and pathways make it very different from a typical beach day.

Consider a Necker Island Experience

For families interested in wildlife, a visit to Necker Island may be a memorable addition when tours are available.

The important point is that you don't need to schedule an organized activity every day.

Some of the best family memories may simply be swimming from the yacht, paddleboarding in calm water or spending an afternoon on a beach.

Should Families Go to Anegada?

Anegada is a wonderful BVI destination, but it isn't essential to every family itinerary.

For families with older children who want to experience the island, Anegada can offer beaches, lobster, scooters or mokes and other activities.

For families with younger children—or anyone who prefers shorter travel days—we may recommend spending that time elsewhere in the BVI.

Skipping Anegada gives you more time for places such as Virgin Gorda, Norman Island, Cooper Island, Peter Island and the North Sound.

There is no prize for visiting every island in seven days.

The best itinerary is the one your family actually enjoys.

What Is a Good 7-Day BVI Family Itinerary?

We generally prefer a flexible itinerary rather than locking a family into seven mandatory overnight stops before the charter even begins.

A sample week might include:

Norman Island — snorkeling and the caves

Peter Island — swimming, turtles and calm-water activities

Cooper Island — snorkeling and an easy island stop

Virgin Gorda / The Baths — explore the boulders and beach

North Sound — Leverick Bay, Bitter End, Saba Rock or other activities

Optional Anegada or additional North Sound time — depending on children's ages and family interests

Jost Van Dyke — beaches and a fun final portion of the trip

Weather, sea conditions and your family's energy level should always influence the final route.

That's part of the advantage of traveling by yacht.

What About Food With Children?

Food can be one of the biggest practical differences between bareboat and crewed charter.

On a Bareboat

Your family provisions the yacht and prepares meals.

That gives parents complete control over children's favorite foods, snacks and meal times.

VCY's concierge team can also help with provisioning information before arrival.

On a Crewed Yacht

Before the charter, you'll complete a detailed preference sheet.

Tell the chef about:

• Allergies
• Dietary restrictions
• Foods children love
• Foods they won't eat
• Favorite snacks
• Breakfast preferences
• Drinks
• Special occasions

Don't feel that every meal needs to be sophisticated just because you have a private chef.

If your child loves pancakes, chicken fingers or pasta, tell the chef.

A good crew wants children to enjoy the food too.

Safety on a BVI Yacht Charter With Children

Children aboard a yacht require active adult supervision, just as they do around a swimming pool, beach or other body of water.

Before departure, everyone in the family should participate in the yacht's safety briefing and understand the rules aboard.

Parents should discuss their children's ages and swimming abilities with VCY before the charter so appropriate arrangements and expectations can be discussed.

Depending on the charter and children's ages, families should also consider:

• Properly fitted personal flotation devices
• Supervision around the water and tender
• Sun protection
• Appropriate footwear when needed
• Safe use of onboard water toys
• Children's swimming abilities
• Any medical needs or allergies

On a bareboat, the chartering adults are responsible for supervising their children.

On a crewed charter, the professional crew operates the yacht and assists guests with activities, but parents remain responsible for their children unless a separate childcare arrangement has specifically been made.

That last distinction is important.

A professional yacht crew should not automatically be treated as a nanny or childcare service.

What Should You Pack for a BVI Yacht Charter With Kids?

Don't overpack.

Yacht vacations are casual, and storage aboard is different from a hotel room.

For children, we'd prioritize:

• Swimsuits
• Rash guards
• Sunscreen
• Hats
• Sunglasses
• Comfortable casual clothing
• Sandals or appropriate shoes
• Any necessary medications
• Favorite small comfort item for younger children
• A book, cards or a few compact activities
• Appropriate personal flotation equipment if specifically advised

Soft-sided luggage is much easier to store aboard than large hard-sided suitcases.

Will We Have Internet?

Many modern charter yachts have onboard internet access, although service can vary by yacht and location.

That means children and teenagers don't necessarily have to be completely disconnected for the week.

But one of the unexpected benefits of a yacht charter is how quickly screens can become less interesting when there's something to do outside.

Swimming off the back of the yacht tends to compete pretty effectively with another hour on an iPad.

What If My Kids Get Bored?

This is one of the questions parents worry about most before their first yacht charter.

In our experience, the bigger challenge is often getting children out of the water.

A typical day might include breakfast, a short trip to another island, snorkeling, lunch, paddleboarding, a beach stop, swimming, dinner and perhaps exploring ashore.

The vacation changes every day because your location changes every day.

That is fundamentally different from spending a week in one hotel.

Bareboat or Crewed: Which Would We Choose for Your Family?

We wouldn't answer that question until we knew more about you.

We'd want to know:

• How many adults?
• How many children?
• What are their ages?
• Does anyone have significant boating experience?
• Do you want to operate the yacht?
• Do you enjoy cooking on vacation?
• Do you want maximum privacy?
• Would having a private chef significantly improve the vacation for the parents?
• What is your approximate budget?
• What activities does your family enjoy?

Then we can recommend the type of charter—and the yacht—that actually fits.

That's much more useful than simply declaring that one type of yacht is “best for families.”

Frequently Asked Questions About BVI Yacht Charters With Kids

Is the BVI a good destination for children?

Yes. The combination of relatively short distances between many islands, beaches, snorkeling, swimming and varied shore activities can make the BVI an excellent family yacht-charter destination.

Is bareboat or crewed better with children?

Neither is automatically better. Experienced boating families may love a bareboat. Families that don't want responsibility for operating the yacht, provisioning and cooking may prefer a fully crewed charter.

Can we add a captain to a bareboat?

Yes, subject to captain availability and the charter. VCY works with experienced freelance BVI captains for guests who don't want—or aren't qualified—to operate the yacht themselves. VCY's current skippered-charter page describes this as the middle ground between traditional bareboat and fully crewed charter.

Does a bareboat captain cook for us?

No. Adding a captain does not normally include a private chef. Your family remains responsible for provisioning and meals unless other arrangements have specifically been made.

Does a crewed-yacht crew provide childcare?

Not ordinarily. A professional crew operates the yacht and provides the services specified for the charter. Parents should not assume the captain, chef or other crew members are acting as childcare providers.

Do children need their own cabins?

Not necessarily. It depends on children's ages, your family's preferences and the yacht's layout. Bunk rooms can work particularly well for children and teenagers.

Should we take young children to Anegada?

You certainly can, but you don't have to. Families with younger children may prefer shorter cruising days and additional time around the main islands.

What size yacht does a family of ten need?

Don't look only for a yacht advertised as “sleeps 10.” Look at the actual cabin layout. A family may find a four-double-plus-bunk arrangement excellent, while another group may prefer five conventional double cabins.

Why Families Charter With Virgin Charter Yachts

Virgin Charter Yachts has been chartering yachts in the British Virgin Islands since 1996. Our site currently reflects both bareboat and luxury crewed charter offerings, with a multi-brand bareboat fleet and separate crewed-charter program.

That means we don't have to force every family into the same type of vacation.

We can help you compare:

• Bareboat powercats
• Bareboat + captain
• Fully crewed sailing catamarans
• Fully crewed power catamarans

and different yacht sizes and layouts.

For us, the starting point isn't:

“Which yacht should we sell you?”

It's:

“Tell us about your family.”

Once we know who's traveling, their ages, your boating experience, budget and what everyone enjoys doing, we can help narrow down the options.

The Best Family Yacht Charter Is the One That Fits Your Family

There isn't one perfect BVI yacht for every family.

A family with three teenagers may want something completely different from a family traveling with younger children.

Experienced boaters may love the independence of a bareboat.

Another family may happily pay more for a captain and chef so the parents get a vacation too.

And some families will care much more about water toys and outdoor space than cabin size.

That's exactly why we recommend choosing the experience first and the yacht second.

Tell us who's traveling, your children's ages and what your family loves to do, and we'll help you find the BVI charter experience that makes sense for you.

Did You Know?

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