Exceeded expectations! I reached out to Michelle when looking for a private charter for a special occasion. She immediately got back to me and her responsiveness was... read moreI reached out to Michelle when looking for a private charter for a special occasion. She immediately got back to me and her responsiveness was the same throughout the entire process. She also checked in with me the morning of boarding, during the charter, as well as the sad day we had to leave.
Through multiple correspondences, she truly listened to my needs and matched me with the most perfect yacht and crew. We spent a week on the beautiful “Gracious” and with her incredible crew, Captain Andrew, Michaela and Caroline. Michelle could have not been more spot on with both the yacht and crew. Our trip to the USVI's was so incredible and far exceeded expectations. I can’t thank Michelle enough for facilitating this amazing charter. read less

Fantastic USVI Vacation and Charter Experience We booked our boat charter through Epic Yacht Charters based on a recommendation from a friend and took our family of five (3 teenage boys)... read moreWe booked our boat charter through Epic Yacht Charters based on a recommendation from a friend and took our family of five (3 teenage boys) down to the USVI for a week vacation during spring break.

Working with Michelle was excellent, and she quickly responded when coordinating and answering questions. We felt the whole process from start to finish was very smooth and well organized. The arrival through the airport and to the boat and getting underway was easy and clearly communicated to us by Michelle and the crew before we left home.

We sailed on a relatively new 46' Lagoon, Rendez-Vous, for a full week. Because the BVI‘s remained closed for the pandemic, we sailed around St.Thomas and St.John for the week. We had to scrub our sail to St.Croix because of the winds, but we hope to return to do that next time. We were able to explore a different cove every night and had some nice side trips to St.James, Buck and Water Islands. The boat was a great size for our family plus the crew, was spotless and had all of the components and amenities that we needed to be able to relax and be comfortable while onboard. The head/bathroom was fine, the shower was better than expected and the bed was comfortable. We used the AC at night simply because the bedrooms got hot with the windows closed and we discovered that a rain shower in the middle of the night was likely and we couldn’t keep the windows open. The boys sometimes slept on the deck in the open air. Other than doing some land hikes and a little bit of shopping, we spent the entire week on the boat since there was really no need to have to get off the boat – other than to check out the beach or snorkel or to go into town for a few hours.

Our crew of Captain Darrin and Chef Isla were fantastic. Captain Darrin was an experienced sailor, and because he grew up locally, had great knowledge of the islands (he runs his own day boats too at viwatersports.com). Every night, we had a meeting with Captain Darrin and Isla to make sure that we knew what the plan was and could provide input into what we were going to do for the next day.

Isla is a private chef on St.Thomas (facebook.com/chefislabertrand ), and she cooked amazing food for us every day – which is no small feat with three large boys. There was plenty of food on board, plenty of snacks and plenty of drinks and alcohol. The only thing we had to stop for was gas and ice a couple of times.

There’s also pretty much everything on board for water sports. There were paddleboards, snorkeling gear and floats. We felt safe in the water the whole week, and the water and snorkeling were incredible as expected.

Overall, we had a blast and a perfect vacation. Epic Charters, Michelle, Captain D and Isla and Rendez-Vous were amazing. We will be recommending our friends and will be back again.

Specific recommendations on what to bring…

Bring high SPF sunscreen if you need it. There is typically some on board, but we were glad we had extra.

We did not get seasick and didn’t use any Dramamine, but sea bands seem to do the trick for the gentle rolling in the coves.

We only packed t-shirts, shorts, flip-flops, swim suits, sneakers for hiking and a sweatshirt for the trip home. We were able to carry-on and avoid long lines at the airport and be able to breeze through customs by not checking baggage. We found that saved a couple hours in all directions.

Specific recommendations on where to go…

We have been to the BVI’s before and expected to miss the snorkeling and beach bars there. We did not. The places around the USVI’s are so beautiful and awesome, we were in a different, amazing spot each day. Just spending time on the boat, swimming, chilling or reading was a perfect way to spend the day.

The Eastern side of St.John is mostly national park and quiet. There are some great hikes to break up the time on the boat. The hikes to the old sugarcane factory and to Rams Head are fun.

The snorkeling off of Little St.James next to the Epstein compound is fantastic.

Snorkeling (or diving) over the wreck at Buck Island is cool.

We ate one meal off the boat at Greengo’s on St.John and it was great. Fortunately for us, we had Isla’s great cooking on board.

Check out Honeymoon Beach on Water Island (Honeymoon Beach on St.John is nice too) and make sure you eat at Dingy’s (dinghysbeachbar.com/). read less

Epic doesn’t begin to describe! My family recently booked a week excursion on Relentless through Epic yach charters. Michelle was the most person! From the very beginning of our booking... read moreMy family recently booked a week excursion on Relentless through Epic yach charters. Michelle was the most person! From the very beginning of our booking process, she took the time to get to know our family, what we were wanting in a vacation, etc. She was in constant touch with us to make us feel important!! More than that, Epic yach charters really invested time into my family and paired us with the crew that best fit. And what a fit!! I cannot recommend Michelle and her team enough! If you truly want a remarkable experience from start to finish, there is nobody else I would use other than Epic Yacht Charters! read less

Simply the best! We had an exceptional sailing experience aboard Tortuga. Our crew’s passion for sailing and service shined through everything they did for us. They made our... read moreWe had an exceptional sailing experience aboard Tortuga. Our crew’s passion for sailing and service shined through everything they did for us. They made our week a beautiful unique adventure. Their personal passion for sailing and scuba was simply amazing. We truly appreciated all the special touches, dedication to details, the expert diving, the meals and their adventurous go with the flow spirits. A big thanks to Epic charters for finding the perfect charter and crew to meet our needs. read less

Service beyond expectations! Our family booked a week on the Gracious catamaran in the USVI through Michelle and we got phenomenal service. Michelle was accessible, accommodating, and friendly!... read moreOur family booked a week on the Gracious catamaran in the USVI through Michelle and we got phenomenal service. Michelle was accessible, accommodating, and friendly! She made sure everything went smoothly which is not so easy during a pandemic. I knew the crew would make a huge difference in our experience and Michelle reassured me that we had a top notch crew and she was absolutely right. Captain Andrew, chef Michaela and Louise were beyond awesome! They’re easygoing, fun, hardworking and so enthusiastic! Loved our morning yoga with Louise, captain Andrew’s easygoing humor, and chef Michaela’s incredibly delicious creations! Only complaint is that we all gained ten pounds because we couldn’t stop eating! read less

S/V Katrina - USVI Sailing Trip “Michelle made planning our sailing trip to the USVI so incredibly easy. We truly had an amazing experience on the Katrina with Captain Jacob and... read more“Michelle made planning our sailing trip to the USVI so incredibly easy. We truly had an amazing experience on the Katrina with Captain Jacob and Dani. The food was incredible and Dani and Jacob are what really made this trip so special for all of us! They are kind, super fun, and highly attentive to our needs. We view them as family now, and look forward to sailing with them again soon!" read less

1 week charter vacation Beginning with Michelle Heyns, our booking agent, continuing on thru Captain Richard and Chef Christina, our week aboard the sailing vessel Ventana was superb. We... read moreBeginning with Michelle Heyns, our booking agent, continuing on thru Captain Richard and Chef Christina, our week aboard the sailing vessel Ventana was superb. We had numerous needs beyond the normal group and every effort was made to accommodate our requests. Would highly recommend the entire group. read less

1 week charter vacation Beginning with Michelle Heyns, our booking agent, continuing on thru Captain Richard and Chef Christina, our week aboard the sailing vessel Ventana was superb. We... read moreBeginning with Michelle Heyns, our booking agent, continuing on thru Captain Richard and Chef Christina, our week aboard the sailing vessel Ventana was superb. We had numerous needs beyond the normal group and every effort was made to accommodate our requests. Would highly recommend the entire group. read less

This is my second time working with Michelle and Epic. As was the case during my first booking this most recent trip was also magical.... read moreThis is my second time working with Michelle and Epic. As was the case during my first booking this most recent trip was also magical. Working with Michelle made booking a perfect trip painless even during these difficult times. My highest compliment is my repeat business. read less