The BVI Boat Show opens next month at Village Cay Marina on Tortola, BVI November 5th – 8th.  This is one of my favorite Charter Vacation Yacht events of the year and I will be doing the internet reporting during the show.  The Charter Yacht Boat Shows allows the Vacation Yacht Brokers from all over the world to view the Caribbean charter fleet at one location the week before their charter season officially begins mid-November.  The Charter Yacht Society was founded in 1982 by the owners of crewed yachts in the BVI.  Charter Yacht Society is the education arm, and advocate for the issues facing the charter industry within the BVI.  Crewed chartered vacations in the BVI serve clients from around the world, and the member-yachts of CSY are viewed as the best of the charter industry.  Janet Oliver is the Executive Director of BVI Charter Yacht Society, and is the hardest working advocate for the industry that you will ever meet.  Her efforts increase dramatically during all the planning for the Boat Show each November. Read the rest of this entry »

During our work the past years in serving Buyers interested in owning a Caribbean fractional  as their way of owning a piece of Paradise, Marriott International  has been a major player.  They recently announced that they are closing down their development of Caribbean fractionals and residence-club products.  Their decision to pull back from this very attractive real estate product is not a surprise.  All of Marriott International’s fractional, residence club and time-share business earned only $632 million in the first six months of 2009, compared to $863 million in the same period last year for the same division of the company.  

The other two major players in this division of worldwide real estate product, Wyndham Worldwide Corporation  and Starwood Hotes & Resorts Worldwide, are now being watched to see if they will scale back their Caribbean fractional projects because of falling sales and the loan products drying up for this type real estate.  ( You may recall from earlier articles that almost half of the fractionals purchased in the Caribbean were all-cash purchases.)  I do expect announcements soon from Wyndham and Starwood. Read the rest of this entry »

The Caribbean Charter fleet is getting polished and varnished  for the 35^th Annual Charter Boat Show hosted by the Virgin Island Charter League  November 10^th to 12^th in St. Thomas.  The location will be the beautiful Yacht Haven Grande Marina  which is one of the headquarters for the maxi-yachts in the Caribbean.  This is THE event of the year for the Charter Yacht fleet.  It is four days of having the Charter Yacht brokers from all over the world coming to St. Thomas to preview the yachts and crews that are the floating “Bed & Breakfasts” of the Caribbean.  The charter vacation yacht brokers will be selecting the yachts and crews they will be promoting to their clients for the upcoming season.  All of the yachts and crew will be at their sparkling best! Read the rest of this entry »