When you think about a vacation on a yacht, what’s the first thing that comes to mind? Let me guess… chances are that you pictured billionaires and celebs on their summer vacations. This fun activity isn’t only for the rich and famous anymore. It turns out that in recent years there has been a great trend of vacations that are different, ones that replace the luxurious hotels with rented private yachts that are both the sleeping accommodation and the means of transportation for the vacationers – and the price? Much more reasonable than you think 🙂

If you followed my Instagram stories during our last vacation in Crete, you must have seen that Daniel and I spent a magical day on a luxurious yacht over the clear Aegean waters.

Although we stayed at two pampering and luxurious hotels, ate great food at the local restaurants and saw breathtaking views, the cherry on top of this trip was definitely the cruise we were invited to in order to celebrate our anniversary.

Trust me, if Daniel wasn’t sensitive to seasickness, I would’ve already booked our next vacation on a private yacht {including sleeping and everything!} 😉

[crp]

We received the invitation to this amazing experience from Incrediblue, which is more or less the Airbnb of the sea. The company, founded in 2012, redefined yacht holidays, and made them accessible to people who don’t own a yacht. {mmm… most of us, right? :)}, by developing a convenient platform which you can use to order a variety of yachts for a vacation in an easy and simple way, just like ordering an apartment on Airbnb.

The yachts can be rented for a vacation accompanied by a captain or a bareboat, if one of the passengers has a suitable skipper license, in 4 destinations around the world – Greece, Croatia, Spain and Turkey.

So, as I said, we spent only one day on the yacht, since we had already booked the hotels, and mainly because Daniel prefers sleeping on stable ground, but there’s no doubt that this kind of voyage is a very different and is a special experience with an added value, especially when it also includes sleeping.

Think of it this way – getting up straight in the morning to sandless tanning on the deck, sipping chilled cocktails in the warm sun, enjoying meals in front of a sea view that surrounds you from all sides and docking every day on a new exotic beach, some of which can only be reached by boat.

Not bad, huh? 🙂

We left in the morning from the old Venetian harbor of Chania, in western Crete. It didn’t take too long to find our yacht, the PRINCESS belonging to the local company Hellenic Spirit, out of the dozens of yachts which anchored in the port – it was simply the largest and most prominent there.

Trust me, even we were thrilled that we had accepted the invitation to this glorious yacht! It really is a yacht that’s suitable for celebrations of special occasions or a luxurious family vacation.

But don’t let that fool you, Incrediblue's platform makes it easy to find a boat according to budgets that fit every pocket and they're all beautiful {the selection is simply crazy – from sweet little wooden boats to yachts that can fit up to 20 people!}.

Take, for example, this sweet yacht that starts at less than $400 a night, when ordering a vacation for a week, and is suitable for up to 10 people!

Anyway, our cruise, set for the sunniest day of our vacation, felt like a dream!

At first, we simply enjoyed the caressing sun rays and the amazing breeze coming from the sea as we moved away from the port in Chania, which became miniature and disappeared quickly. After a few hours of sunbathing on the deck, we were invited to lunch with the amazing crew of the yacht across the enchanting view of Menies Beach, a virgin nature reserve north of Chania.

The lunch, which was prepared by a local catering service called Avocado, was simply a delight to the palate and combined familiar Greek dishes, such as fried haloumi cheese, with less familiar dishes which are typical of Crete, such as a crouton and tomatoes salad and tasty small meatballs. Besides the salads and the main dishes that were amazing both in terms of taste and appearance, the star of the meal was none other than the cheese cake and baklava that was just one huge WOW! I had never tasted this combination before – and every bite was more delicious than the previous one.

After the meal, we went back for another sunbathing session on the upper deck while the captain took us back to the port of Chania.

If you ask me, a vacation that combines a few days sailing on a private yacht with family or friends can be a fun and special experience, which completely disconnects you from everyday life. The cost per person goes down as the number of participants grows so it’s especially perfect for celebrations like a bachelorette party or a loved one's birthday 🙂

What do you think about the idea of a vacation on a private yacht? Could you stand a week without solid ground under your feet? 🙂

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A special thank you to Incrediblue & Hellenic Spirit for the perfect day in the sun!