Perfect Summer Day Cruise Tips for Your Next NYC Yacht Charter
9 Essential Tips for the Perfect Summer Day Cruise on a NYC Yacht Charter
Summer celebrations bring a host of options for weddings, birthday celebrations, retirement parties, and other events. Grand galas in a local ballroom, sophisticated affairs at a local party venue, intimate gatherings by a swimming pool … or, a fun-filled day cruise on one of NYC’s beautiful yacht charters. Instead of the humdrum hotels in the city, you may have some creative friends or family members who opt for something more interesting and exciting for their next celebration. NYC yacht charters are ideal for putting a new twist on the everyday party. When your invitation comes in the mail, you may have no clue what to wear, what to bring, or what to expect. Relax! We’ve got you covered. Here are your essential tips for getting the most out of your summer day cruise in NYC
- Arrive a Little Early for Departure
If you arrive late to the Holiday Inn or Four Seasons, it’ll still be there. Arrive late to a NYC charter cruise, and it likely won’t be. If the party does wait on you, it’s still extremely inconvenient on the crew, hosts, and party director. Due to the nature of a cruise, the party planners have to carefully time the entire event, from departure to food service to entertainment and time for things like speeches, toasts, and unwrapping gifts. Throwing this timing off by even 10 or 15 minutes can be considerably inconvenient for the hosts and party director. Be thoughtful and considerate. Plan to arrive several minutes early, so that the ship can depart right on time. When it comes to day cruises, on time is late, and early is right on time.
- Dress for Comfort First, Style Second
Dress levels for summer day cruises are the same as for any function: casual, business casual, business formal, semi-formal, and formal. Usually, the dress code is specified on the invitation, but if not, always feel free to call or email your host for information. Whatever the style for the occasion, choose your outfit based on comfort first and style second. Dress for the weather, too, because on a summer cruise you are likely to spend some time on the deck, outside the climate-controlled ship’s interior. At a party on a NYC yacht charter, you might be standing a bit, depending on the itinerary. For example, you might stand in line for a buffet or stand while people make speeches or propose toasts. There might also be dancing, games, comedy routines, magic shows, or other entertainment that keeps you moving, laughing, or on your feet. A pinching dress, uncomfortable shoes, or too-tight waistline could put a serious damper on all your fun.
- Don’t Arrive Starved
Say your cruise departs at 2, and the invitation specifies that a light meal will be served. You can expect this meal to be dinner, due to the late hour in the day. If you board the ship at 1:45 with a growling tummy, it could be hours before the ship departs and attendants begin serving dinner. Depending on the type of event and the host’s budget, there may or may not be hors d’oeuvres served in the meantime. Just like wearing uncomfortable attire, you just won’t get the most out of the fun and entertainment your host provides if your stomach is trying to gnaw through your abdomen. Don’t board your NYC yacht charter stuffed, but don’t arrive famished, either. Perhaps eat a normal lunch and munch on some fruit or crackers right before the ship departs. A full tummy also helps ward off motion sickness and diminishes the effect of any alcoholic beverages you drink between departure time and dinnertime.
- Don’t Bring any Non-Essentials
Toting a large bag or lots of lose items on a cruise (or at any party, for that matter) is simply uncomfortable. Generally, all you will need is any medication you take and any essential items like touch-up makeup, lip balm, or anything else you can’t go without for a few hours. In fact, unless there is a cash bar, you probably won’t even need money or a credit card, although you should bring some photo identification in case of a medical or other emergency. The only thing you absolutely must carry is your car keys, house keys, and ID. Packing light gives you the freedom to stand and chat without worrying about your purse or bag walking away, and frees you up to enjoy an impromptu dance with the bride or the chance to linger on the deck watching the sunset. NYC yacht charters almost always have extras like bottled water, so that you don’t have to pack for a wedding or bar mitzvah like it’s an extended camping trip on the Amazon.
- Orient Yourself as Soon as You Get on the Ship
Once you board the ship, it’s a good idea to familiarize yourself somewhat with where everything is. Find the restrooms, locate where they’re serving drinks or hors d’oeuvres and determine where guests are supposed to gather. Taking a few moments to get to know your surroundings makes you more comfortable and able to enjoy the rest of the NYC yacht charter. You can also case out who’s sitting where and decide who you’d like to hang out with during the cruise. Knowing your surroundings is particularly important if you tend to get a little silly after a couple of glasses of champagne, or if you typically have trouble with directions. “Walk to the end of the bar, take a left, follow the hallway to the third door on the right, then take the ….” Complicated directions like that are frustrating when you desperately need a restroom!
- Stay Hydrated
On a summer NYC yacht charter day cruise, your hosts will almost certainly schedule some time outside on the deck. Otherwise, what’s the point of being on the water instead of in a hotel or landlocked party center? If the party is in the middle of the day, it’s a good idea to tuck a small tube of sunscreen in your pocket. Stay hydrated, because this helps ward off motion sickness, helps prevent overheating on those sweltering days, and also keeps any alcohol you drink from hitting you too hard, especially on an empty stomach. A good rule of thumb is to drink one bottle of water for every alcoholic beverage you consume. Remember: tea, soda, and other caffeinated beverages don’t hydrate you as well as good, old water. Add some cucumber slices, lemon wedges, or lime juice if you simply can’t stomach plain water.
- Do a Little Reading Before the Party
Unless you know most of the people on the guest list, you’ll likely be spending some time during the cruise with people you don’t know at all or don’t know too well. It’s a great idea to have an arsenal of safe, general-interest topics to talk about, especially if you’re afraid that you don’t share the same political, religious, or social ideologies as the rest of the crowd (which is increasingly likely this day and age). There are lots of “safe” and interesting topics to keep conversation moving smoothly among virtual strangers. Read up on the latest sporting matchups, the weather (cliché, yes, but it doesn’t tend to lead to angry words and riots), popular movies and TV shows, news topics everyone tends to agree on (stories about the woman who hit the gas instead of the brake and plowed into the local theater or something uncharged by strong beliefs, such as a local firefighter honored for saving a kitten or a missing child that was found safe), or simple chitchat about your family, your work, your hobbies, or recent trips you took. If you aren’t much of a talker, master the art of asking questions. Ask the right question of the right person, like: “What are some of your hobbies?” or, “What do you do for a living?” or, “Are you a Jets fan or a Giants fellow?” and you can just sit back and listen for a while.
- Consider Taking a Few Dance Classes
Maybe you don’t know the cha cha from the rumba, or haven’t danced in public since the humiliating incident at that college frat party … Almost anyone can master a few basic dance steps and manage to navigate the floor with a half-decent partner without incurring or inflicting any serious injuries or damages. If you have enough advance notice of your NYC yacht charter party, consider taking a few dance classes. Nobody expects you to be Fred or Ginger, but it’s no fun sitting on the sidelines while everyone else is whooping it up on the floor. A good dance instructor can teach you three or four basic dance moves that’ll get you safely through most any party featuring dancing on the itinerary.
- Join in the Fun & Games
When you don’t know the crowd or tend to be somewhat of an introvert, it’s tempting to sit out on the fun and games. Depending on the type of event and the host’s preferences, there may be a few party-type games, like shuffleboard, casino games (think keno or bingo), scavenger hunts, or TV game show type games, such as a twist on “Family Feud” or “Who Wants to be a Millionaire?”. You might even be subjected to those ridiculously hokey games people play at bridal and baby showers. Believe it or not, you stand out more by not playing than if you get in on the action. Let your hair down. Have some fun. Nobody is paying attention to anything silly you do, because they’re all just as focused on themselves as you are! Sitting out is likely to make your host feel like he or she didn’t do a good job choosing fun activities. Make sure that they can relax, knowing you are thoroughly enjoying yourself. Who knows? You may have an uncanny knack for diapering plastic baby dolls while blindfolded or naming five wedding items that begin with the letter Q.
Does a day cruise on a NYC yacht charter sound like something you or a friend needs to try this summer? Yachts for All Seasons offers a variety of boats, dining options, and entertainment selections for any type of event. A package even includes party planning. We’re experienced in all kinds of day cruises and private parties, from retirement to Sweet 16 to welcoming home a returning soldier or hosting a one-of-a-kind wedding your guests will never forget. So pop over to Yachts for All Seasons and get started planning your fun and exciting summer day NYC yacht charter today!
