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Blue Ocean Charters welcomes our guests to explore the British Virgin Islands with us. We are thrilled to answer any inquiries or frequently asked questions both online and over the phone. Our professional standards include quick replies. Contact us today to book your dream British Virgin Islands escape with Blue Ocean Charters today!
FAQs
For U.S. citizens you do not need a passport to enter the U.S. Virgin Islands but you do need one to enter the British Virgin Islands, Spanish Virgin Islands and everywhere else in the Caribbean. The necessity of a passport depends on where you want to go. As we work with you to confirm your itinerary, we can keep you updated on what you would need to bring but, a passport is always a good item to bring along.
Fortunately, US Citizens do not need a visa to enter any Caribbean nation besides Cuba. Canadian Citizens are in the same boat, the only nation requiring a visa to enter the Virgin Islands is Cuba. For any other nationalities, we are more than happy to let you know what you need to charter with us. Please email us for more details.
Most guests spend all of their time in bathing suits, cover ups, tee-shirts and sun-shirts. The islands are relaxed and there is definitely not a dress code. You can leave the blazer and stilettos at home (unless you really want to bring them). Running/Tennis shoes are a good idea if you plan on hiking and, even if you do not, you may want to bring them along in case you change your mind. We will happily send a general packing list over and answer any questions you may have regarding the contents of your suitcase.
The best kind of shoes to wear on the boat are no shoes at all. If you need to wear shoes or prefer shoes, please bring new or newish shoes with non-marking soles. Shoes typically leave marks on the boats which is why it is heavily encouraged to be barefoot.
Sunscreen is sometimes provided by the yacht because reef safe sunscreen is required. If not, and we will let you know, please make sure you bring reef safe sunscreen.
If you want to read more about reef safe sunscreen, this article is informative -
https://www.hawaii.com/blog/reef-safe-sunscreen/ We highly recommend that guests bring long sleeved sun-shirts. It is hard to be on the water all day, every day for a week or more and not get burned. You’ll see almost every captain and crew member keep their shirts on even when they are not on charter.
https://www.hawaii.com/blog/reef-safe-sunscreen/ We highly recommend that guests bring long sleeved sun-shirts. It is hard to be on the water all day, every day for a week or more and not get burned. You’ll see almost every captain and crew member keep their shirts on even when they are not on charter.
Let us help pick the time and place in order to minimize rough waters. Certain seasons are rougher than others and certain sails can be rougher depending on the time. In addition to picking the right time and place, some people have good luck with drugs like Dramamine and Bronine. If you plan on taking one of these, make sure you follow the instructions and take it before you board because they do not work in response to sea sickness. Additionally, people have had good luck with pressure point bracelets and the anti seasick patches that you only need to change every three days.
We find most of the guests quickly get their sea legs and even, at the end of the charter, find it more comfortable to be on the boat than off the boat.
All boats we offer have flushing toilets (heads in nautical terms) and hot showers. Most yachts have an outdoor fresh water washdown and many guests simply shower outside. If you want to shower inside, feel free to. One of the things that is different about boats is the ability to flush toilet paper, many yachts do not allow the flushing of toilet paper or any other sanitary product because of the head design. It is something to get used to but the crew works to keep the bathroom clean and the waste bin empty on a daily basis. By the end of your charter, it will be second nature.
When you book a charter, we will send over a preference sheet. On the preference sheet it will have a space to list all allergies. Please list all of your groups allergies and the chef will be able to make delicious, safe meals for you and your party. All of the boats that we offer take allergies seriously so that you can feel safe at every meal.
We understand that children of different ages have different needs and we will work with you to select a yacht and crew that will suit you and your family’s needs. We do find that the charter is more enjoyable for everyone if any children on board are safe around water - this can mean the ability to swim and/or life jacket use. We ask all guests to talk with their children about the importance of water safety and following safety directions.
The crews primarily make money off of tips. We recommend tipping based on your satisfaction. It is customary to leave a tip between 15% - 20% once you have enjoyed your charter. Cash tips are typically preferred but many crews now accept Venmo and CashApp.
On shore, at either bars or restaurants, tipping customs in the Caribbean are the same as tipping customs in the United States.
Most places accept credit and debit cards however, we highly recommend guests bring cash with them on charter if they plan to drink or eat ashore. Some bars do not accept cards especially American Express and sometimes the internet can be out. Taxis, which are typically used to transport people to and from the airport only accept cash. US dollars are typically accepted in the British Virgin Islands.