Sailing on a Bahamas Yacht Charter? Don’t Forget Your Passport

If it’s the first time you’ve traveled on a Bahamas Yacht Charter or if you haven’t chartered within the last five years than you may want to know that a few of the custom laws have changed. Whether you are traveling by yacht or car outside of the United States you will need to present additional paperwork when returning from nearby countries.

Both Adults and children who are U.S. citizens will be required to show "proof of citizenship," such as a birth certificate, naturalization certificate or a U.S. passport to enter the country, even if your charter disembarked from a U.S. port such as Miami or Fort Lauderdale. Adults also will need to show government IDs, such as a driver's license.

There will be some leniency for airline travelers coming into South Florida. U.S. citizens coming in from Mexico, Canada, Bermuda or some Caribbean countries will not have to provide a passport when returning.

The majority of marinas where charters disembark from typically do require proof of citizenship already from the passengers coming and disembarking. Since the protocols for the marinas haven’t changed much, U.S. officials expect smooth sailing because most U.S. travelers already show proof of citizenship for re-entry by sea as well. Recently the Fort Lauderdale mayor and U.S. coast guard met with Caribbean officials in St. Maarten to see how they can optimize the customs process for the yachting community.

While some business groups worry that the strict rules may disrupt commerce and travel across the U.S.-Canada and U.S.-Mexico borders for travelers coming into the states by car, the yachting industry does not anticipate being heavily affected.

The Travel Industry Association and Travel Business Roundtable have asked the government to have expressed some concerns about travelers having to provide actual birth certificates and have requested to delay the "proof of citizenship" rule, until it has been modified. The groups have asked that U.S. citizens be required to show only a government-issued ID to re-enter by land or sea.

These new rules are part of the country’s plan to implement tighter border security since September 11, 2001 and the recent Presidential race has made it known that the new President Elect in November of 2008 will have to make the issue a top priority. South Florida marine leaders have forecasted that they don’t see any problems in the future because they have been getting the word out to the mariner community for months through Web sites, travel agents and other channels to those entering the United States by sea.

Many cruise companies, including Miami-based Carnival Cruise Lines, the world's largest, had been requiring their clients to show proof of citizenship to speed processing. And many boaters have been showing birth certificates to authorities to obtain boater numbers for re-entry.

Chris Oswell, captain of the Lady Nancy, a 112-foot private yacht that frequently visits South Florida, said he has operated for several years on the premise that no one comes aboard for a trip to the United States without a passport or green card. He has mentioned that those who cannot provide the documentation will have to be turned away. Most charterers are notified in advance by their charter agent as to what the preparation requirements are for their voyage.

The Lady Nancy arrives like many yacht charters do from the Bahamas to Fort Lauderdale and clear customs by phoning an 800 number and giving Homeland Security the passengers' names, passport numbers, dates of birth and addresses. The captain gets a clearance number in return. Guests then have 24 hours to go to an Eller Drive office at Port Everglades and show their passports and clearance numbers.

Travelers shouldn't find it hard to comply with new requirements. Proof of citizenship can even include a U.S. passport that has expired, said Zachary Mann, special agent and spokesman for U.S. Customs and Border Protection.

"We don't expect extensive lines in South Florida because of this rule," Mann said. "And if you don't have the right documents, and you're a U.S. citizen returning, we're not going to keep you out. The processing time for you to enter will just take longer."

A smooth transition will be greatly welcomed in comparison to the law change implemented a few years ago requiring a passport for U.S. citizens flying back from Western Hemisphere countries. So many millions of citizens requested passports that passport offices were overwhelmed. The government had to suspend the rule to clear the backlog before reinstating it.

The passport rule also took a toll on the Caribbean, the world's most tourism-dependent region. Some Americans skipped Caribbean vacations to avert the hassle and cost of obtaining passports. The economies of countries including the Bahamas and Jamaica, who didn’t require a U.S. passport for entry in the past, suffered.

Even Caribbean islands that are part of the United States and excluded from the passport rule, including the U.S. Virgin Islands and Puerto Rico, felt some of the effects, but U.S. travel to the Caribbean is bouncing back this year.

The current processing time for a U.S. passport application is four to six weeks, down from roughly 12 weeks in mid-2007. Passports may still be expedited for an additional premium or under certain sets of circumstances.

For more information about clearance procedures to the Caribbean or questions about traveling on a yacht charter, talk to your charter broker.

Cayman Islands' Economy Bounces Back As a Premium Caribbean Yachting Destination

While the group of islands located just south of Cuba has been prone to serious tropical storms and hurricanes, the destructive 2005-hurricane season, Ivan in particular, almost swept the Cayman Islands off of the map. The Caymans’ notoriety as one of the world's leading offshore financial centres has helped bring the economy back to life.

Since 2005, the Cayman Islands have been experiencing a reconstruction and building real estate boom similar to Grand Bahama Island. This region has become home to a large international base of white-collar investors and professional experts dealing with clientele from around the globe.

The Cayman Islands financial services industry encompasses banking, mutual funds, captive insurance, reinsurance, vessel registration, companies and partnerships, trusts, structured finance and the Cayman Islands Stock Exchange.

As of December 2005, just over 70,000 companies were incorporated on the Cayman Islands including 430 banking and trust companies, 720 captive insurance firms and more than 7,000 funds. The government distinguishes between local (or "ordinary" companies), doing business primarily with the local population, and "exempted" companies conducting business primarily with overseas entities.

The Cayman Islands have been recognized as a focal point for offshore finance and their economy is developing at a rapid pace. In addition to finances being protected in the Caymans, assets are also protected. Yachts of any size may be registered in the Cayman Islands.

A luxury yacht has been considered a safe tax haven for many corporations but has also been utilized by many for corporate yacht charters. Anything from corporate seminars, social events, fundraisers to team building trips throughout the Caribbean have originated from vessels registered in the Cayman Islands. While the many governments and groups have been formed to monitor financial laundering regimes in the Cayman Islands, the laws here have provided logical solutions for international commerce that numerous Caribbean economies have benefited from.

The Cayman Islands’ shallow waters may not provide the optimum waters for a conventional Caribbean Yacht Charter but diving yacht charters, fishing yacht charters and several aquatic adventures are welcome. Its proximity to the U.S., just south of Cuba, has made importation for provisioning a breeze.

With past devastating hurricane seasons and the customs law changes for U.S.citizens traveling to the Caribbean Islands and Bahamas the region has taken an economic blow. However the U.S. governments and travel tourism groups are working together to make traveling within the Western Hemisphere as simple and hassle free as possible. Because of the Cayman Islands international business reputation, and the current real estate boom that is drawing serious American and European investors alike, the local economy has been able to stay afloat as tourism begins to thrive again!

Miami River Expansion Propels Creation of 500+ New Jobs in Yachting Industry

The December, 2007 issue of South Florida CEO, The Business Magazine of Miami-Dade, Broward and the Palm Beaches, featured an article about Merrill-Stevens' Miami River expansion and the future growth of the company. Merrill-Stevens CEO Fred Kirtland was interviewed for this article written by Jennifer LeClaire.

The Miami-Dade County Commission recently approved plans for a $55 Million expansion of Merrill Stevens Boat Yard that will facilitate yacht re-fits and repairs for luxury mega-yachts.

The yard located along the Miami River was pending approval from the Florida department of Environmental protection and two other government agencies. The shipyard has been on the river since 1923 and will soon be breaking ground for this expansion project set to begin in 2009. The firm is still waiting for final approval for the project.

This newly expanded facility is said to bring 500 + high paying marine trade jobs to South Florida. The state-of-the-art facility will refit yachts up to 250 feet, helping South Florida remain one of the most important regions for the global industry.

Facilities like this will continue to service existing boats since there is already such a high demand for new yacht builds. The overflow of those on the waiting list to have a yacht built will bring older vessels to refit shipyards and have them serviced to be put back into the water, will even draw additional revenue to South Florida if the yacht is chartered. The typical maintenance costs per year for a luxury yacht range from about 10-15% of the original cost of the boat.

By public officials working together with marine industry professionals, marine maintenance, dock master and yacht charter services will also be attracting new high paying jobs to South Florida and revenue back into the local economy. If Fort Lauderdale can follow suit by approving new dockage projects, the marine industry will greatly benefit.

eYachtCharter.com review by CharterWave.com misses the mark

Recently there was an eYachtCharter.com review posted by Kim Kavin from a website called CharterWave.com that reported inaccurate, defamatory information about the yacht listing service. Apparently Charter Wave is a platform where charter brokers can become a sponsor and have favorable reviews written about their services. Being perfectionists, EYC is always open to constructive criticism but the eYachtCharter.com review written by Kavin simply missed the mark.

Kavin’s recent blog entry commented that after reviewing eYachtCharter.com she “didn’t see any reference to the key professional organizations run by reputable charter brokers.” If she is referring to EYC not displaying logos from the associations whom she promotes than she is absolutely correct.

Kavin must have skipped the About eYachtCharter page because she obviously misconstrued the company’s services in her post. EYC is a multiple listing service for yachts that is open for the public to view and provides 24-hour assistance to connect travelers with the best yacht, captain, crew and of course the broker to fit their needs. As for listing rates, they are clearly displayed on the page titled Listing Services, which is located on the site’s top tool bar.

Large firms with outstanding term charter reputations will facilitate $100,000+ per week vacations of the highest caliber, but they don’t necessarily cater to luxury day charters or corporate events that some smaller firms may provide. eYachtCharter.com offers yachts and information for all types of charters whether it is a romantic wine tasting cruise in the San Francisco Bay or a weeklong honeymoon in Greece.

Kavin mentioned in her entry that choosing the yacht is just the beginning of the charter booking experience and seems to profess that the broker is the most important element. That is where she and EYC seem to differ. eYachtCharter believes that the consumer is the most important element of the yacht charter, not just the broker.

On January 2, 2008 eYachtCharter.com announced its official grand opening of its luxury yacht charter directory. The company began accepting listings from reputable listing agents, owners and clearinghouses for sail and motor yachts that charter to exotic destinations throughout the globe.

Being the new kid on the block, EYC wanted to introduce itself to the professionals of the industry. Marine professionals were invited to register on the site and become part of the global yachting community. This was to share a platform that has become one of the top ranking yacht charter websites on the Internet and attracting thousands of highly targeted, unique visitors each month from around the world. This can be attributed in part by the fact that the site is published in nine different languages to provide our international users with an opportunity to receive information in their own vernacular.

All marine professionals including listing agents who may want to be considered to list their yachts, charter agents who could utilize our database to find yachts free of charge, marine professionals who may provide complimentary services to link up and become part of our resources section or captains and crew who would like to share their tales from past charters. The opening was a huge success!

Kavin was invited to contribute to eYachtCharter.com as a yachting resource and declined stating, “you guys are a competitor, and you’re infringing on my way of life.” It was shortly after that conversation that her “review” was posted. This was not an accurate review and many details were neglected. This was simply one misguided individual taking Clintonian cheap shots against their opponents.

She also referred to the Cayman Islands as an improper location for a “Proper Yacht Charter” but what exactly is a proper yacht charter? Does this mean that a three-day scuba diving expedition on a 58’ Catamaran in the Cayman Islands is improper?

Kavin concluded her post with “Buyer Beware” in reference to the yacht charter service and the quality of the yachts listing in its directory while EYC has associates around the world who aid in qualifying each and every one of the yachts before they are included in the system. Due to her irresponsible journalism and unwarranted invective, her credibility  has now become subject to question.

While some may not support eYachtCharter’s business model, everyone is entitled to their opinion. eYachtCharter.com is flattered by the attention and looks forward to the competition.