The Bahamas Yacht Charter Show 2020 (27th Feb – 1st March) was a showcase of the island cruising grounds and the luxury charter yachts that sail the Bahamas region, highlighting the amenities and activities available in each port. CharterWorld brokers Trina Howes and Martha Lukasik were two of the exclusive ticket-holders to the very first event and shared with us their experiences of blue skies, azure waters and white sand beaches.

Yacht at the charter show in the Bahamas – Photo @ Martha Lukasik

For charter guests taking a ‘no expense spared’ approach to their vacation in the Bahamas, Albany and Atlantis are both brilliant options to begin or end a cruise, as Trina Howes explains in her summary of the show:

The show started with a tour of most of Nassau’s marinas, where there is a lot of investment going on at the moment: There are some massive new hotels and casinos coming and apparently a new Waterpark that will compete with Atlantis. We headed to Albany first and can now see why a lot of Captains like this as a starting point for their charters: Close to the airport with amazing amenities this marina is a great place to start any charter with an itinerary to the Exumas. The guests do have access to most of the amenities in the marina, tennis courts, gym, restaurants etc. They also have a great New Year’s Eve party for that time of the year.

The beautiful Bahamas – Photo © rhae

Next stop was Atlantis which is also a lovely place to start the charter. The shops and casino are close by but this marina is further from the Exumas.

More budget-conscience groups have myriad choices available to start their adventure and stock-up along the way: Palm Cay and Lyford Marina are at opposite ends of Nassau and both are picturesque private marinas. The Bahamas Yacht Charter Show took place at the Bay Street Marina and Nassau Haven Marina and also provide great amenities and a good starting point, but Hurricane Hole was a highlight for those wanting to cruise off into the wilderness as quickly as possible:

Hurricane Hole is not as sophisticated as Atlantic and Albany, but a much more economical place to start a charter for smaller yachts at about a third of the cost. It’s also practical for groups that want to embark and leave immediately for the Exumas.

Staniel Cay in the Bahamas – Swimming with the pigs on a yacht charter – Photo © larsen9236

The show itself exhibited 24 luxury charter yachts, most of which are permanently based in Nassau. Each yacht put on a different theme to show off the ingenuity of the crew – particularly the chef.

Themes included weddings, Valentine’s Day, the Super Bowl, Christmas, the Roaring 20s and Alice in Wonderland. It was an awesome idea and the crews embraced it and really showed how creative they can be. Relentless took out the top prize for Alice in Wonderland, complete with amazing costumes and even more amazing decorations, including a rabbit hole!

Themed lunches at the 2020 Bahamas Charter Yacht Show

The Bahamas fleet did not disappoint and almost all of the yachts were perfect. I think that if you want to hire a superyacht the Bahamas is probably the best location in the world to do it. The yachts are generally well priced and have the most amazing amenities for enjoying this type of vacation. Almost all of them had a very good towed tenders as well as really good toy selections including Jet skis, Seabobs and loads of tow toys and fishing gear. There are almost no restrictions on water toy usage so the guests really get to use the yacht and its toys all day, every day.

The dining experience on board a luxury yacht can easily become one of the highlights of any holiday, and some vessels have experienced chefs able to produce cuisine from around the world, while some might even have Michelin trained chefs who are ready to impress for corporate yacht charter, wedding or other special occasions:

“I was lucky enough to experience a 7-course lunch on motor yacht AT LAST. The chef embraced their theme which was the Super Bowl. We were served 7 courses of Appetizers and things that clients might enjoy when watching football but of course it was 100 times better than anything you might have at home. Her BBQ Rib was to die for and every broker wanted to know how she made it, and if there were any leftovers. It was a brilliant lunch and a good indication that any of their charter clients are going to be totally spoiled with her gourmet creations during their charters.”

Relentless yacht serving a delicious meal at the Bahamas charter yacht show

“I experienced lunch on superyacht RELENTLESS with their Italian Chef. He served up a 4 course Michelin star meal that was delicious and proves that a client who enjoys fine dining will be just as happy in the Bahamas as in Italy.”

Lunch aboard Relentless

Discover more about the incredible destinations the Caribbean & Bahamas charter grounds have to offer or contact CharterWorld for finding the perfect vessel to match your group and interests.