Wanderlust

I’m writing to share the amazing experience we had (6 total guests) on Wanderlust. My husband and I have been on crewed charters 6 times now in the VI/BVI over the years and have always had an amazing experience and have been very happy. However, this experience on Wanderlust was so far beyond wonderful that I seriously think we will be forever unable to find any other boat/crew that lives up to this one.
The Yacht: Wanderlust is beautifully appointed for luxury cruising and adventure. Elegance is evident everywhere-from the high-end glassware and table settings, to the bedding, the décor, artwork, and bar stock. She is equipped with a wide variety of water toys and high-quality dive gear enough to keep any guest occupied with choices for ocean fun. Other wonderful extras include an ice maker, filtered water on demand, a high-end coffee/espresso maker, and a custom flybridge with tabled seating (generally only seen on larger cats). Did I mention the on-board air compressor to refill scuba tanks? The cleaning products and body wash/shampoos on board are environmentally friendly, the boat is meticulously clean and the entire boat has a soft fresh scent that keeps everything feeling so fresh for the entire week.
The Crew: The crew on Wanderlust excelled so far beyond any other crew we’ve experienced in our time chartering. In all our other experiences there were areas of excellence that stood out on that particular trip as compared with others. And there were areas that were good, but not as good as other experiences. For example, when comparing the gourmet quality of food or skippering skills, divemaster skills, etc., every crew we’ve experienced had significant strengths in some areas but not all areas. In the case of Wanderlust, I can confidently say that this is the only crew that exceeded expectations in every area. I have a hard time expressing everything I love about them but I will try to briefly summarize here.
It’s no wonder the chef has won so many awards for her cuisine. The beautiful presentation of each meal and the variety and quality of the ingredients were superb. Edible flowers, fruit, and desserts gilded with gold leaf and many other fine touches graced each dish. The meals were as beautiful as they were delicious and rivaled the cuisine of a 5-star restaurant. I don’t think any restaurants on the islands could compete with Chef's food and presentation. We also appreciated the wine selection and how thoughtful each evening’s wine choice was for the meal served. The chef is a cheerful, wonderful conversationalist and loves preparing a good theme night, of which we enjoyed two while on board! So much fun!!!!
Capatin: what an absolute treasure of a captain and skilled skipper and divemaster! a professional and super friendly. It’s clear he enjoys making each experience special and can pivot plans on a moment’s notice to optimize guest comfort, preferences, and safety. As an example, we had several experienced scuba divers onboard who were interested in multiple dives but also had a large north swell that week. Navigating the need to find a dive site with good visibility for the divers and shelter from the swell for the non-diving guests was no doubt challenging but he checked all the boxes for us. I also want to note how skilled and professional he is as a divemaster and how well he assessed our skills as guest divers and led us on some amazing adventures. I always felt very safe (and I have certainly experienced the opposite on charters) and the onboard dive equipment was meticulously maintained. Beyond this, the pride in maintaining and operating a top-notch sailing yacht is evident in everything he does. He is always attentive to everyone on board, having the toys ready for use right away, drinks poured, and to safety. We enjoyed spending many hours on the flybridge while underway sharing stories, and sailing tips, and learning more about yachting and the BVI. Cap this off with his excellent bartending skills, generous local knowledge, and his cheerful kindness and helpfulness and, well, what else could you ask for in a captain?

As a team, they are an extremely talented crew and execute the thousands of details that make an experience special with professionalism and grace. They are very special.

I know I haven’t captured everything that made our week on Wanderlust so incredible and I’ll probably think of many things I wanted to include here once I hit the “send” button, but suffice it to say, we are completely over the moon about Wanderlust, her crew and the memories we made during our charter week. Thank you so very much!

The crew were wonderful and kind and made the Wanderlust a perfect home for the week. The Wanderlust was beautifully decorated, well maintained, and equipped with a wide array of water toys, including underwater scooters. Captain created and revised the itinerary to meet the particular interests of our family, finding excellent snorkeling spots, beautiful beaches, and great shore experiences. The grandchildren thoroughly enjoyed the almost daily knee board time with the captain and they and my son enjoyed the Hobie Cat sailing lessons at Virgin Gorda. We all enjoyed a “movie night” under the stars with a large screen rigged outside on the bow. Chef isn’t just a good chef. She is phenomenal!! Even breakfast was a gourmet meal. She accommodated all the special dietary requests made in our preference sheet and made every meal and appetizer a delicious culinary adventure. Captain curated a lovely selection of South African wines and proved to be an outstanding mixologist at cocktail time. Each day was an adventure, a once in a lifetime trip, enjoyed by everyone in the family. 

Week on the Wanderlust was more than a great vacation. The two of you made it exceptional! We wouldn’t change anything about this trip. The itinerary was great providing stella opportunities for snorkelling Hobby Cat sailing and Island exploring. In addition to being a great Captain, he was so attentive to our travel requests and spent so much time making sure our grandchildren enjoyed the watersports. Every meal and charcuterie board created by chef was a gourmet delight. Beautifully served and beyond delicious. She went so far beyond our expectations, making sure the different dietary requirements were incorporated in all the meals. This was truly a vacation of a lifetime

None of us will ever forget chef’s Thanksgiving feast, and how welcome and homely she always made us feel. Will be making our best attempt re-creating her amazing food as part of our holiday tradition from now on. Captain’s wine pairings were perfect, and so were his hand crafted, virgin and non-virgin cocktails! We dreamed of a vacation like this for years, but the two of you made it so much better than we imagined.

This experience was amazing. Exceeded all our expectations. The Wanderlust is gorgeous. Our crew was the best! I highly recommend. Our entire trip was amazing and would love to do it again!

The Wanderlust adventure will be one we’ll always remember. We enjoyed the food, snorkeling and new friendships with the crew!

We love this boat and crew! They are the best. Chef-you are the best cook/baker and one of the sweetest people we have ever met; always in a cheerful mood. She makes every dish unique and very flavorful and she is very attentive to everyone’s needs. Captain is the best captain ever! They both made our experience on Wanderlust AMAZING!! Our beds were made and cleaned right after we woke up and made perfectly every night before we went to bed. The cabin, interior of the boat and exterior of the boat was always clean and tidy. Everything at all times smells so fresh and clean. Overall what a beautiful boat with wonderful crew. We loved Soggy Dollar, Saba Rock, Bitterend and Cooper Island. We have so much fun, but our family fun and experience was easily heightened by the crew.

2023 started with a gift-The Wanderlust arrived in time for our group and we got to be the first charter! The crew are experts at what they do. But, besides being a wonderful crew-they made us feel cared for and shared their knowledge and love for sailing, boatings and the BVI! Thank you for an amazing week!

 

Thank you, Thank you for a fabulous voyage. Truly-everything was fantastic. The food was beyond what we ever expected and was DELICIOUS! The boat was kept so clean and neat. The excursions were all well planned and enjoyable. Hard to focus on one highlight when every day was a new fun and yummy adventure.  You guys were a great team. Thank you for everything and smooth sailing!

We can’t thank you enough for creating a spectacular week for all of us. You both were perfect hosts and went above and beyond. The meals you created were beyond great-each one better than the next. We loved exploring Anegada with you. So glad we were able to make it there. We are so glad also for being on the maiden voyage and wish you both a very successful season and all the best in the future!