One look at the MY Ivi, which you can charter for September or October for 50 percent off the normal price, has us fantasizing about a private yacht charter in the Greek Isles. You and nine of your friends or family members can sail around the islands in intimate luxury, on an itinerary you create yourself, for hundreds of dollars less per person than what a swish cruise on a top-rated cruise line would cost—and you don’t have to share your ship with hundreds of other travelers.
The 97-foot Ivi sleeps ten and cruises with a crew of five that handles everything from sailing the boat to prepping meals. The yacht plies whatever course passengers choose, though Greek Isle guru Leftheris Papageorgiou, one of our trusted travel planners, suggests a six-day, five-night itinerary that starts in Athens and lands in Santorini, on the way stopping in the lesser-known islands of Kea, Kythnos, Serifos, Sifnos, and Folegandros.
The charter cost is €2,000 ($2,466 at today's exchange rates) per day and includes breakfast and lunch or dinner daily. Fuel is a big additional add-on to consider: Leftheris says travelers should budget $6,500 extra for the recommended itinerary, which works out to roughly $1,100 a day. (Fuel costs vary depending on itinerary.) If you fill the boat for Leftheris' suggested trip, the cost per person per day is $355.
That’s a great value, considering that a luxe cruise line such as the 450-passenger Seabourn Odyssey or the 112-passenger SeaDream I sail the Greek Isles for roughly $600 per person per day in September. To charter the Ivi, contact Leftheris. And click through to see more shots of the lovely yacht.
Just needed to thank you heaps for this interesting great value article. I've already bookmarked your site, and when I have more free time I'm going to have to do some further browsing here. Well back to day dreaming of Austria - or back to the work books - I wonder which one is going to win out.
Cheers