For detailed information on the cruise lines serving the Caribbean, pick up a copy of Frommer's Caribbean Cruises & Ports of Call (Wiley Publishing, Inc.).
Experienced sailors and navigators can charter "bareboat," a fully equipped rental boat with no captain or crew. You're on your own, and you'll have to prove your qualifications before you're allowed to rent one. Even an experienced skipper may want to take along someone familiar with local waters, which may be tricky in some places.
You can also charter a boat with a skipper and crew. Charter yachts, ranging from 15 to 30m (50-100 ft.), can accommodate 4 to 12 people.
Most yachts are rented on a weekly basis, with a fully stocked bar and equipment for fishing and watersports. The average charter carries four to six passengers, and usually is reserved for 1 week.
The Moorings (tel. 888/952-8420 in the U.S. and Canada; www.moorings.com) operates the largest charter yacht fleet in the Caribbean. Its main branch is located in the British Virgin Islands, but it has outposts in St. Martin, Guadeloupe, Martinique, St. Lucia, and Grenada, to name a few. Each location has a regatta of yachts available for chartering. Depending on their size, yachts are rented to as many as four couples at a time. You can arrange to rent bareboat (for qualified sailors only) or rent yachts with a full crew and cook. Depending on circumstances, the vessels come equipped with a barbecue, snorkeling gear, a dinghy, and linens. The boats are serviced by an experienced staff of mechanics, electricians, riggers, and cleaners. If you're going out on your own, you'll get a thorough briefing on Caribbean waters, reefs, and anchorages. Seven-night combined hotel-and-crewed-yacht packages start at $1,900 per person in Tortola.
Nicholson Yacht Charters (tel. 800/662-6066 in the U.S., or 617/661-0555; fax 617/661-0554; www.yachtvacations.com) is one of the best in the business, handling charter yachts for use throughout the Caribbean basin, particularly the route between St. Maarten and Grenada and the routes around the U.S. Virgin Islands, British Virgin Islands, and Puerto Rico. Featuring boats of all sizes, the company rents motorized vessels or sailing yachts up to 89m (292 ft.) long. Sometimes groups of friends rent two or more yachts (each sleeping eight guests in four double cabins) to race each other from island to island during the day and anchor near each other in secluded coves at night. The price for renting a yacht or motor yacht depends on the number in your party, the size of the vessel, and the time of the year. Weekly rates range from $6,000 up to $175,000 plus. You can get a small but comfortable vessel for two starting at $4,000. A 22m (72-ft.) yacht for six can go for $11,000 and up.
Sunsail (tel. 888/350-3568 in the U.S.; www.sunsail.com) specializes in yacht chartering from its bases in the British Virgin Islands, Antigua, St. Vincent, St. Martin, and Martinique. More than 150 bareboat and crewed yachts, between 9 and 16m (30 and 52 ft.), are available for cruising these waters. Programs include Caribbean racing and regattas, flotilla sailing, skippered sailing, and one-way or stay-and-sail bareboat cruises. Weekly rentals of bareboats begin at $1,350, with yacht charters beginning at $12,000 per week. The company usually requires a deposit of 25% of the total rental fee; arrangements should be made months in advance. Sunsail also offers charter flights from the United States to the Virgin Islands.
