With Christmas just around the corner, it's time to book a luxury yacht charter if you're planning to spend the festive season on board. Offering something for guests of all ages, a luxury superyacht is an idyllic escape for those looking to reconnect with family and friends in complete privacy. Here are some of the finest superyachts available to charter over the festive season…
Halo
Stats: 57.4m, Feadship, 2015, 12 guests, 14 crew
Highlights: Famed for her distinctive profile, Halo is a guaranteed head turner with huge silver arches that dissect the superstructure. The 57-metre remains remarkably futuristic in appearance, despite being delivered in 2015, making her a top choice for this festive season.
Designed specifically with world cruising in mind, she boasts a cruising speed of 16 knots and a range of 5,000 nautical miles. Halo is also designed with plentiful outdoor living spaces, namely an enormous sun deck, which Feadship says extends five metres further forward than would be found on comparable-sized superyachts. This sun deck features a grey Jacuzzi, matching the yacht’s paint scheme, which can be covered with an electronically powered carbon fibre sun awning.
Halo is available to charter with Y.CO with a weekly rate from €450,000.
ZeXplorer
Stats: 40m, Newcastle Marine, 2013 (2023), 12 guests, 8 crew
Highlights: The 40-metre expedition yacht ZeXplorer returns to the charter fleet in 2023 after a 20-month refit. The work saw a 3.7-metre extension, a new aft main deck seating area and more stowage in the lazarette for dive gear and water toys among much else. Remarkably tasteful, the interiors are contemporary and elegant with white walls, cream free-standing furniture and wooden accents. A top choice for families, the main saloon is waiting to be embellished with Christmas charm.
Out on deck, there is plenty of space for relaxation (or celebration), with a Jacuzzi, sunpads and additional dining space. For those that opt for ZeXplorer this Christmas, the sundeck is where you will likely spend most of your days, as the vessel will be in idyllic French Polynesia.
ZeXplorer is available for charter with Fraser with a weekly rate from $150,000.
Axioma
Stats: 72 metres, Dunya Yachts, 2013, 12 guests, 20 crew
Highlights: Looking for fun this Christmas? Axioma should be at the top of your list. The 72-metre has some marvellous toys to offer the whole family, including an Aquaglide custom slide and an ocean pool. She also has a range of inflatable pool toys such as a basketball set and football net, perfect for letting the kids have a paddle in the sea. Additionally, she boasts two inflatable sailing boats, water skis for adults and children, an eight-person banana boat, SeaBobs, a Waverunner, kayaks, paddleboards, diving equipment and a surfboard.
Designed by the eminent Alberto Pinto, her elegant interiors offer an impressive mezzanine main saloon, a formal dining room, a 3D cinema, a fully-equipped gym, a massage room, steam room and deck spaces complete with a Jacuzzi with a swim-up bar.
Axioma is available to charter with Camper and Nicholsons with a weekly rate from $660,000.
Arctic
Stats: 87.6m, 1969, Schichau Unterweser, 12 guests, 28 crew
Highlights: Is there a more adventurous superyacht than Arctic? Probably not. The 87.6-metre explorer vessel, which has circumnavigated the globe, is the top choice for exploration and those seeking an adventure-fuelled Christmas. This year, Arctic heads to New Zealand for Christmas and New Year with her crew of 28 for 12 guests.
Her homely interiors are more traditional but no less impressive than any modern vessel out there. She features a spacious gym, onboard library and intimate cinema with a state-of-the-art sound system and vibrating chairs. Up on deck, Arctic has two sun decks with plenty of options for dining and sunbathing around the vessel. Her toybox is brimming with high-octane fun, with a Seadoo, kayaks, SUPs and diving equipment.
Arctic is available to charter with Y.CO with a weekly rate from €450,000.
Calypso
Stats: 38m, Feadship, 1978 (2019), 12 guests (10 cruising), 8 crew
Highlights: Built by Feadship in 1978, Calypso is a great example of a true Dutch pedigree. Her extensive refit in 2019 saw the yacht revived to her former glory, with great efforts to maintain the original Feadship aesthetics while imbuing her with the newest technology. There are five cabins on board, comprising a master suite, VIP suite, two doubles and a twin, all with entertainment centres, television screens and marble en suite bathroom facilities.
Living space on board is bright and airy, with oversized windows allowing for plenty of natural light. An inviting white L-shaped sofa, oversized upholstered swivel chairs, and ivory carpeting create an idyllic space to relax and enjoy the yacht's ambience. The 38-metre will be in the Caribbean for those who want to bask in the sunshine this festive season.
Calypso is available to charter with Fraser with a weekly rate from $80,000.
Sarastar
Stats: 60.2m, Mondomarine, 2017, 12 guests, 16 crew
Highlights: Having been sold earlier this year, the 60-metre superyacht Sarastar has returned to the charter market and is available for a special Christmas charter. She's a fine choice for those in search of a lavish holiday season, thanks to her interiors by Luca Dini. High-gloss floors and backlit pear-green marble do well to encapsulate the sumptuous feel on board, and there is a backlit white onyx bar, glossy dining table and custom-made light fixture in the main saloon.
Up on the sundeck are enormous sun pads shaded by an awning, perfect for those looking to top up their tan or those seeking protection from the midday sun. Right at the bow, a touch-and-go helipad allows guests to arrive in style and can double up as a dancefloor.
Sarastar is available to charter with Camper and Nicholsons with a weekly rate from $348,000.
Mes Amis
Stats: Fitzroy Yachts, 44m, 2007 (2021), 10 guests, 6 crew
Highlights: Built by New Zealand’s Fitzroy Yachts in 2007 to an Ed Dubois design, Mes Amis is available for those looking for an exhilarating Christmas. With a warm and contemporary interior by Adam Lay, Mes Amis saw an extensive refit in 2021 that saw a totally reimagined interior.
Accommodation on board is for up to ten guests in four cabins, including a full-beam owner’s cabin. Her interiors are abundant with light, thanks to several skylights in the main saloon and her bright colour palette. The action on board doesn’t stop when she furls her sails as Mes Amis has SeaBobs, kayaks and SUPs on board to keep guests entertained.
Mes Amis is available for charter with Cecil Wright with a weekly rate from $125,000.
Joy
Stats: Feadship, 70m, 2016, 12 guests, 19 crew
Highlights: Delivered in 2016 by Feadship, the 70-metre Joy is centred around comfort and can sleep up to 12 guests in eight cabins. Highlights on board include a mesmerising skylounge cocktail bar and a beach club that can be converted into a disco room should you wish to dance in the festive season.
If keeping up the fitness regime is what you’re looking for, then look no further than this 70-metre Feadship. She features a deck that's wide enough to enjoy a tandem jog around and has a glass-wrapped bridge deck gym, which is filled with state-of-the-art equipment. A basketball and badminton court is set all the way forward on the owner's deck, and there is a vast dedicated spa with an onboard masseuse.
Joy is available to charter with Burgess with a weekly rate from $650,000.
Sunrays
Stats: 85.5 metres, Oceanco, 2010, 12 guests, 29 crew
Highlights: She’s up there with some of the most expensive superyachts to charter in the world; It’s hardly surprising with her lavish spa, home cinema, gyroscopic pool table and a vast bridge deck designed for parties and entertaining. Sunrays has got everything you need on board, and her distinctive colour and unique sweeping profile mean that she’s a serious head-turner anywhere she goes.
Her outstanding owner's deck features a full-beam lounge, dining for up to 22 guests and a master suite with an adjoining VIP cabin. Here, the master suite boasts its own private terrace with Jacuzzi. A beach suite also lies on the lower deck and offers stunning views from its own sea terrace.
Sunrays is available to charter with Edmiston with a weekly rate from €1,150,000.