Written by Sharon Bahmer, Caribbean and Americas Charter Director, Boatbookings.com
I recently enjoyed a weekend familiarization trip to St Maarten and Anguilla onboard the 157’ Christiansen, Lady Joy charter yacht built in 2007.
The Yacht
Lady Joy’s elegance and style is splendid throughout. The King Master Suite boasts a private office, two walk in closets and a grand en-suite his and her bathroom. Other accommodations include five additional staterooms and an additional nanny/children’s cabin. She accommodates 12 guests with ease.
Her special features include:
An elevator to all decks, alfresco dining on the sun deck, bridge deck main and aft, VSAT communications and internet available at all times. All staterooms have flat screen Satellite TV, Crestron controllers and Kaleidescape entertainment system for music and videos which has been touted as the œBest of the Best.
Water Toys and transportation include:
- 22′ Nautica Widebody with twin 115 HP Yamahas
- 17′ Nautica
- 2 X 4 stroke Waverunners
- 2 X Vespa Scooters
- Snorkel and SCUBA gear
Exercise equipment including a Stationary Bike, Elliptical Machine and Treadmill
The trip:
Upon boarding we were met by the smiling Captain Michael Lovely and his delightful crew of 9 and were immediately shown to our respective 5 star cabins. The captain then briefed us on safety and chatted about our itinerary.
An elegant, 4 course dinner prepared by French chef, Nicolas Richert, was served alfresco on the bridge deck, which boasts seating for 12 guests. The chef was the highlight of our charter, continually surprising us with his culinary talent and creativity.
On Saturday morning we left the dock in time to meet the scheduled Simpson Bay bridge opening and headed out towards our first stop, Grand Case on the island of St Maarten. Once we arrived, there were several activities to choose from. Snorkeling, diving, walking the beach, shopping in town, kayaking, jet skiing, or simply enjoying being onboard and taking in the surroundings.
We were served a buffet BBQ lunch which was the talk of the rest of the charter because of the variety of the dishes, including BBQ Ribs, Chicken and turkey Kebabs, Jumbo Prawns, mushroom salad, corn on the cob, baked red potatoes with a sour cream dill topping, complimented by a French Chardonnay, finished off with Berry Cobbler and cappuccinos! You will certainly not go hungry on this yacht!
Eager to head out to the next adventure, we motored out to Anguilla, following the coast line to view the famous 5 star resorts along the way. We anchored in Mead Point facing a very pretty beach, which was dotted with upscale small resorts and private homes.
On the last day we made use of the water toys onboard, swam and took a tender ride to Road Bay before heading back to St Maarten’s Marigot Bay.
It was a great thrill to be onboard the prestigious charter yacht, Lady Joy and for a short time to get to know her amenities and crew, in order to assist charter guests with their inquiries regarding the yacht and the region. The yacht and crew and both top notch, and highly recommended.
All that you’d expect from a crewed charter: pampering, privacy, luxurious living spaces, gourmet food, water toys – the works – can be found on a catamaran. And catamarans may actually rock less than a motor yacht, so you may find it more relaxing to be on.
The Greek Ionian Islands, while less known as a charter spot than the Cyclades, offer everything you’d want in a 
It’s obvious, and we’re seeing it very strongly in our enquiries – sailboats are going to be huge in 2009. In a year of concern about finances and the environment, what could be a better way to holiday than on a low-carbon-footprint sailboat? Sailboat charter is normally far less expensive than motor yacht charter – both the base price and the fuel consumption.
(The fourth in our series of charter destinations that offer good value)