Luxury family yacht charter in the Bahamas: A carefree Thanksgiving getaway

Thanksgiving is traditionally a time spent with friends and family, but if you’d rather put your feet up and let someone else take care of hosting and catering, then why not elevate this precious time of year by spending it on board a luxury crewed charter yacht, cruising the idyllic Bahamas.

The Bahamas is a diverse and colourful collection of islands set in 100,000 square miles of the world’s clearest ocean – where better to have the vacation of the lifetime surrounded by your loved ones? The close proximity to mainland USA – within 300 miles – ensures convenient access from Florida to some of the world’s best charter yachts which spend the winter charter season in the region. Each island has its own personality with something for everyone whether you want serenity and solitude, nightlife and cuisine or nature and watersports.

There are several well-established cruising areas, with some of the most popular itineraries including the Exuma Cays chain, Nassau and Paradise Island or The Abacos Islands. To truly appreciate these destinations, it’s often best to dedicate a weeklong charter to exploring just one region, but the possibilities are endless.

Seven nights in the Exumas

The Exumas are some of the prettiest and mostly uninhabited islands in the Bahamas starting with Sail Rocks to the north and stretching for more than 100 miles down the west side of the Exuma Sound, with the biggest islands of Great Exuma and Little Exuma on the southern end. Within the chain are dozens of excellent anchorages, hundreds of pure white undisturbed beaches and seemingly endless lush coral gardens. Seven days here could follow this itinerary …

After meeting your yacht and crew in Nassau, it is a beautiful four-hour cruise down to Highbourne Cay where you can spend your first night on board in the impeccable, naturally sheltered harbour. The crew will make sure you want nothing as you sit back and relax on the first leg of your Exuma’s adventure.

Day two will begin with a leisurely breakfast, followed by a swim off the beach, some fun on the water toys or even a more intrepid fishing trip – many yachts now travel with impressive tenders designed for just this purpose. After lunch, the captain will set off for Allan’s Cay where you can explore the nearby beaches and meet the large population of Allan Cay Rock Iguanas. You can feed them by putting a piece of fruit on the end of a stick – the crew will let you know how to interact with the wildlife safely. There are also great snorkelling reefs and plenty more opportunities for fishing. Your second night will be spent at Shroud Cay, just an hour’s cruise away, so enjoy a sundowner and private dinner on deck prepared by the onboard chef.

Although there is so much to see, it is important to sit back and take your time – as the locals do – so day three can be a lazy day spent swimming, savouring a BBQ lunch and making the most of the water toys. Wildlife lovers can look out for sea turtles and tropical birds or even venture to The Wax Cay Cut for a drift dive. Rendezvous diving, where a dive team meet you at your yacht, is the most common way to enjoy diving from a yacht, but some superyachts are equipped with their own SCUBA gear for licenced divers or have an RYA Water Sports Centre license. An early evening departure time creates the opportunity to enjoy a cocktail while cruising to Warderick Wells, the headquarters of the Exuma Land and Sea Park, created in 1958 as the first such park in the world.

Waking up in yet another idyllic spot on day four affords opportunities to explore the 176 square mile land and sea park on one of the walking trails which make the most of the views. Look out for unique bird species such as the Bananaquits – a small black and white bird with yellow breasts and try your luck feeding one by putting a little sugar in the palm of your hand. There is plenty of marine life too, including a full spectrum of tropical fish easy to see with just a snorkel. On to Big Major’s Anchorage at Staniel Cay – an easy 1.5-hour cruise away – for dinner at the popular Staniel Cay Yacht Club which is a great option for dining ashore.

One of the highlights of the Exuma’s is Pig Beach where you can swim with the friendly population of wild pigs – a great start to day five. Thunderball Grotto, made famous by the James Bond movie, is stop number one in the afternoon, followed by Compass Cay where you can snorkel in the caves and swim amongst the population of docile nurse sharks. If you have chosen a yacht with a jacuzzi or pool on board, you can recline in the bubbles and exchange stories with your friends and family as you enjoy a glass of something cold.

In the morning of day six you might like to hike to Rachel’s Bubble Bath which is the name given to one of the best swimming holes in the Caribbean. The pool gets its name from the action of the waves which crash over the rocks at high tide into the lagoon, creating bubbles of white foam – a natural version of a jacuzzi for those without one on board.

After breakfast on day seven, snorkel at Pablo Escobar’s infamous plane wreck before enjoying lunch at McDuff’s Pub – a well-known, rustic open-air restaurant and bar. In the afternoon depart for Atlantis on Nassau where you can enjoy your last evening in style. Try your luck at the casino or dance the night away at “Club Dragons”.

This itinerary gives you a taste for what is on offer in the Bahamas and during Thanksgiving the yacht crew will be on hand to make your experience extra special. There are many other routes you can take through this stunning archipelago, so discuss your ideal destinations, activities and cuisine with your charter broker before booking.

Now you have a better picture of life in the Bahamas all you need to do is choose your perfect charter yacht. There are yachts of all shapes and sizes available for charter from 40-meter-plus superyachts to more affordable 15-meter-plus catamarans. The perfect weather, calm waters and short cruising distances make sailing or motor yachts ideal, so it’s up to you.

Luxury 44m motor yacht CROSSED SABRE is one of the most stunning charter yachts available in the Bahamas this Thanksgiving in a larger yacht range, while smaller sailing catamarans offer stability and quiet cruising. Both yachts have huge collections of water toys with something for all the family.

The Bahamas has the perfect weather for Thanksgiving with temperatures averaging around 25 degrees with gentle breezes and comfortable water temperatures to keep you cool and make snorkelling and swimming a dream.

So forget ordering the turkey and mixing the cranberries and choose a luxury crewed yacht charter instead.