Brand Backstory
The Moorings’ long history makes it one of the most established luxury yacht charter companies in the world. The company was founded back in 1969 by Navy vet Charlie Cary, his wife Ginnie and their friends Tony and Sherryl Rainold. They started with just six yachts in the British Virgin Islands and have since expanded to over 20 destinations globally.
The Moorings’ fleet ranges from 2-cabin to 6-cabin yachts. What customers love about The Moorings is that they keep a newer fleet of well-maintained yachts. All the yachts in their fleet are less than ten years old, with most of them kept for only five years.
With The Moorings, you can charter a yacht and sail on your own, or book a crewed charter with a skipper and/or a chef. Since not everyone can get a group together to sail around the world for a week, cabin charters are also available so you can just book a single or double occupancy cabin and join a new group of sailors.
The Itinerary
The Moorings sails all over the world, and I joined a seven-day crewed trip around French Polynesia. After our Air Tahiti Nui flight to Papeete and a transfer to Raiatea, we were picked up from the airport for a short drive to the marina just in time for lunch on board.
The itinerary generally takes you from Raiatea to Taha’a, then to Bora Bora and back, although this may change depending on the weather. There are suggested excursions led by the skipper, but everything is customizable. The skipper can also help arrange any third-party tour or activity you’re interested in at any of the stops.
In Taha’a, we did an all-day island tour that included a visit to a black pearl farm, a Tahitian vanilla farm, and a rum distillery. It also included a Polynesian lunch on a beach and snorkeling through a coral garden. In Bora Bora, we went scuba diving, snorkeled with eagle rays, and hiked to see the World War II cannons. We went offshore a few of the nights to relax at a beach club or at the yacht club. The rest of the days are spent sunbathing on the hammock netting at the front of the boat or cooling down in the bright turquoise water of Bora Bora’s famous lagoon known as “the swimming pool.”
Boat Snapshot
The Moorings 5000 is a 50-foot, 6-inch Leopard 50 catamaran with five cabins. The sleek yacht was named Boat of the Year by Cruising World Magazine in 2019 and boasts plenty of seating, both shaded and not. Whether you’re trying to get tan or avoiding sunspots, there’s enough space for everyone.
We enjoyed all our meals on the shaded outdoor dining table, which has more than ample room for our group of eight. Above the dining area is the flybridge with a spacious lounging area complete with sunbeds. The foredeck is another great spot for sunbathing with its large netted hammock.
At the center of the boat is the kitchen and another small table with an L-shaped banquette. The five cabins are located down a short set of steps on either side. While there are five cabins on this boat, for a crewed charter the fifth cabin is used by the crew, so it can only accommodate up to eight guests.
Staterooms
The staterooms are all of similar size and come with a queen-sized bed. The room is pretty compact but well-designed and surprisingly with ample storage. I managed to store all the clothes from my carry-on in one of the two drawers under the bed and stashed the empty luggage in another space under the floorboards. A ledge next to the bed was just wide enough for all of our electronics. The attached bathrooms are cozy but also have a lot of storage for your personal toiletries. Yes, there is hot water.
Each of the rooms also has its own thermostat, although the air conditioner is only on when the generator is running. The generator is usually only turned on at night, but there’s also a small fan attached to the wall to help cool the cabin otherwise (although most of us spent the afternoons in the water or sunbathing.) Bathrooms are cleaned daily and when our itinerary calls for a day off the boat, the staterooms are refreshed and beds are made.
What’s Included in a Crewed Charter?
A crewed charter means that a skipper and a chef come along for the whole trip, so you don’t need to worry about anything. The skipper takes care of all the navigation, itinerary planning, and cleaning the bathrooms and public areas. All the food on board is included. The chef prepares three meals a day, and there are snacks offered in between including bananas and potato chips.
All drinks are also included, from juices to alcoholic drinks. Each guest fills out a pre-trip survey to share any dietary restrictions and preferences. There are fins for snorkeling, (although guests are asked to bring their own masks and snorkels), a kayak, and a paddleboard. Activities like snorkeling or hiking led by the skipper are included, but excursions led by a third party are extra.
Food & Drink
Our meals were all prepared by our chef, Hinano, and it was impressive to see her whip up the great spreads we enjoyed from the small galley. There was a nice variety to what we ate. Through the course of the week, the lineup included tuna sashimi, poisson cru, poulet rôti and lentils, and even Moroccan-style meatballs and couscous. Desserts range from freshly cut fruits to apple tarts. Hinano also took care of guests’ dietary restrictions quite well, ensuring there were gluten-free breads each morning (to go with our fancy French butter) and gluten-free pasta for lunch and dinner.
Freshly brewed coffee awaited us every morning, followed by omelets or Nutella crepes. There were plenty of juices, soft drinks, and alcohol. The bar was stocked with the drinks we requested on our pre-trip survey, including gin and tonic for me, sparkling water for my friend, and tequila for another guest. Other options included a range of wines, from champagnes to easy-drinking reds.
Keep in mind, though, there’s no bartender on board, so you’d have to serve your own drinks from the open bar. Occasionally, Hinano would blend some pina coladas for us.
Fast Facts
Location: French Polynesia
Vibe: laid-back luxury
Rating: 4 ½
Starting Rate: From $37,999 for a fully crewed yacht charter of up to 8 guests. By-the-cabin charter starts at $7,999 per cabin (double occupancy).
Cabins: 5
My Favorite Thing About the Boat: The plentiful shaded lounging areas
Dining: Excellent
Amenities: Kayak, stand-up paddleboard, fins, foam noodles, beach towels
Closest Airport: Raiatea (RFP)
French Polynesia
