How to Make the Most of a Family Yachting Vacation with Expert Juan Monteverde

(Photo : Juan Monteverde Yacht)

If you're looking for an unforgettable family vacation, it's time to consider yachting. Sailing through the water and seeing unfamiliar sights is an experience that holds appeal for every generation and creates lasting memories, according to yachting enthusiast Juan Monteverde. 

Monteverde, who's been sailing since he was a boy, regularly takes his wife and two children on yachting weekends. 

"We're a boating family. It's something we all love to do," he said. "My wife and I bought our first boat just a year before our son was born, and we've been taking him on the water since he was a baby. Now that we have two kids, not much has changed, except that we had to get a bigger boat." 

Whether you're planning to spend quality time with your immediate family or want to include grandparents or other relatives, a yachting vacation offers an unrivaled experience for every generation. 

"Taking a yacht out with your family is something that everyone enjoys equally, which is a pretty rare thing," Monteverde said. "There's no age limit to enjoying the water. You can have grandparents, parents, and kids all doing the same thing and really connecting."

He noted the calm of the water provides the perfect counterbalance to chaotic day-to-day life. If your family is a frenetic mess of rushed mornings and after-school activities, spending time on the ocean can slow things down and help you bond. 

"When you're on the water, you are in a much more relaxing space than when you're in the hustle and bustle of town," Monteverde said. "I feel like there's a metronome in the ocean that makes life slower than the pace of life on land. It affects everyone. When you're on the deck of a boat with your kids, they feel it too." 

The slower pace allows families to connect differently, Monteverde said. The sense of being in nature, the gentle rocking of the waves, and the fresh air combine to create a deep sense of calm. When people are content and at ease, they're more open and willing to share. 

But if your children are too young to appreciate serenity and the novelty of yachting wears off quickly, there are plenty of options to keep kids entertained. 

"Your family vacation boat is not a cruise. It won't be packed with water slides and pools and entertainment every minute of the day," Juan Monteverde said. "It's important to bring things you can do together. Board games or card games are a great choice, but you can also pack all the things you have at home. Coloring books, iPads, DVD players. It's your vacation, and if you want to sit down inside the cabin and watch a movie with your kids while you travel to your next destination, go for it."

Boating provides a wide range of interesting spots to stop and enjoy. If you're traveling with kids, you'll want to have at least one activity planned every day, Juan Monteverde said. Whether that means finding a beach, snorkeling a reef, or stopping in a harbor town to enjoy a seaside fair, a family boating trip includes plenty of ways for kids to burn off their energy.

"Swimming is great because it really wears the kids out," Monteverde said. "If your kids go to bed early, you usually have plenty of time at night to share a bottle of wine on the deck or gaze at the stars together."

There are also plenty of things to do aboard your craft. From dropping a fishing line over the side to sightseeing and even grilling a fresh catch on deck, your custom outfitted boat offers more than simply a mode of transportation.  

Renting or buying a yacht can also enable to easily breeze among vacation destinations without worrying about booking new hotels every night. 

"We like to take our boat down to Florida and take it out from Miami," Juan Monteverde said. "It's great for the winter months when it's so cold up here in New York. You can fly down to Florida, then take the boat out to The Bahamas and really enjoy the warm weather."

If you're planning a family vacation with grown children or an all-adult voyage, chartering a yacht can be an easy way to maximize your togetherness and cut down on the hassles of travel. Booking a vacation in the Mediterranean, for example, will give your family access to dozens of beautiful and historic areas without having to haul luggage, negotiate train schedules, and secure nightly accommodations.

"The benefit of a taking a yacht is that you spend more quality time together and feel less of the stress of travel," Juan Monteverde said. "You're making memories against a beautiful backdrop. What's better than that?"