The Yacht Week — Like Spring Break for “young” (OK not so young anymore) adults, and quite possibly the best week of your life. TYW is your chance to rent a sailboat (yes, it’s a sailboat, not a real yacht — calm down Leonardo DiCaprio), and cruise around a foreign country partying with your friends and a whole bunch of like-minded strangers. It kind of feels like summer camp on water — with alcohol. Lot’s of alcohol.

Some of my best memories have been at The Yacht Week’s late night boat dance parties, circle rafts, and themed parties in port. I’ve been three times now — twice on the Greece route, and once on the Croatia route, and each time has been magical in its own way. And while The Yacht Week does an AMAZING job of prepping you ahead of time, there are a few things to know before you go:

What The Yacht Week is

The Yacht Week is a company that charters sailboats and takes guests port to port on an itinerary of the hottest spots in picturesque locations. In each port there are optional activities and parties hosted by The Yacht Week, exclusively for TYW guests. From riding ATVs in Greece, to exploring castles in Croatia, and diving in Tahiti — the routes are designed to give you an authentic taste of each location with some flexibility to make them your own. The best part? You’ll sail alongside 10-50+ other sailboats, making friends with each of their crews. (There are even a few love stories of couples meeting on TYW!) Currently TYW Routes include: French Polynesia (Tahiti), Caribbean, the Bahamas, Croatia (4 different route options), Greece, Montenegro, and Sardinia.

Your Budget Will Determine Your Comfortability

This seems pretty obvious — but the first time we went to Greece we got a small sailboat that slept 9 people, and we each paid less than $700. It was fun, but it was rough. The boat rocks more, there were only 2 bathrooms for all 9 of us, and worst of all, NO A/C in 90+ degree heat. Some of us resorted to sleeping on top of the deck. The next two times we splurged on catamarans for over $1000 each, and it felt absolutely luxurious with two.. wings? (Wow, big boat guy here), 5 bathrooms, and working A/C.

P.S. If you’re solo or it’s just you and a friend, you can join someone else’s boat through TYW website for as low as $508!

No Matter What, You Will Still Get Cabin Fever

Living on a boat with 9-12 people is tough, even if you love them. I recommend budgeting in $20-100 per person to get a hotel one night in one of the ports. It will be a nice break from being on the boat, allow you to take a real shower, and sleep in a big comfy bed. Trust me, you’ll miss that. Also, pick your crew wisely. Your main criteria for your invites should be “can they go with the flow?” — if not, you’ll be trying not to throw each other overboard by day three.

Get Creative for The Regatta

You’re looking at back-to-not-back Regatta champs here. (2015 Greece and 2021 Greece baby! Croatia got away from us in 2018.) The Regatta is a “sailing” competition that isn’t entirely about speed. You’re judged instead by your costumes and energy of your whole crew. Our first year we clinched it with a secret power move from one of our members (T.O.F.T.B. — IYKYK). This year we got super creative with our costumes by dressing like The Yacht Week cheerleading team doing flips, splits, and more. My advice here — PLAY TO YOUR STRENGTHS. Do you have a secret talent? Crazy costume? Do something they haven’t seen before. Avoid themes like “Greek,” “sailors,” “Baywatch,” or anything else they’ve seen a million times if you want to win.

Pack Wisely

Probably the most important thing to pay attention to after you’ve booked your trip, is your packing list. Here are a few items that you may not think to bring:

• Floatie (if you don’t want to pack one there are hand-me-down floaties from prior weeks you can adopt on the first day)
• Travel Adapter for your charger
• Battery powered or rechargeable fan
• Handheld mirror to avoid getting ready in hot bathrooms
• Soft luggage only (so it can be stowed after you empty your clothes into drawers)
• Fun, cheap accessories. Sunglasses, hats, etc. — every day is a photo opp on The Yacht Week
• Underwater camera (disposable, GoPro, or other)
• Liquid IV and Ibuprofen (RT to save a life)
• Anything you need for no-heat hairstyles (ie. curl or beach wave product, hair ties for braids)

Here is a link to the FULL PACKING LIST I sent to our group for Greece!

The Yacht Week is a once (or maybe three times) in a lifetime experience that I recommend to anyone who loves to travel and party. Let me know if you have questions I can answer about TYW — I just might sail you on it!