Throwing a Panama Yacht Party: Budgeting, Destinations, and Logistics
If you are looking to throw some baller style party on a yacht like a rap god or some NFL player then it’s doable in Panama. Obviously, talk is cheap and money walks so the bigger the budget the better the boat. Remember that bigger does not always equal better because you could get a mega yacht that’s 30 years old but priced the same as some 40ft Beneteau. What’s the difference? Quality!
If you’re planning on or still just considering to organize a yacht party out of Panama City, Panama then there are 3 factors you should consider: (1) budget, (2) destination, (3) food, drink, and entertainment. Do not get stuck on some old fishing trawler with no booze and entertainment. Scan through this to make an informed decision for a memorable experience.
Budget
Whatever you already have set as the budget, go ahead and increase it. This is a unique experience, so if you’re going to do it you should do it right. There are three things you need to consider when you’re budgeting for the yacht party:
1. Base rate on the charter. Every charter boat in Panama comes with captain, crew, and fuel costs built into the price. What isn’t built into the price of the boat are dock fees (sometimes they’re included and sometimes not), crew tips, and loading fees if applicable. Guys on a budget tend to try and cut out everything else I’m going to write about to get the price of the charter as low as possible, but regardless you will end up spending money on everything else one way or another – it just depends on how much extra time, effort, and potentially more money do you want to spend.
2. Logistics. Think about it – you’ll need to get yourself from your hotel/villa to the marina and back (ka-ching $), you’ll need to buy food, drinks, maybe extra ice (ka-ching $), if you’re inviting some guests along for the ride you’ll need to cover their expenses (ka-ching $). All the logistics details add up quick, so plan accordingly, or let the charter broker take care of it all.
3. Entertainment. Do you want to have a DJ, dancers, bartenders, servers, or something else?
Not only will you need to consider these additional costs, you’ll have to factor them into your logistics costs and your capacity numbers on the boat. So realistically if you have a group of 8 guys and you want a bartender, DJ, and to invite some guests you will need a boat with capacity for 20.
Destination
For a day charter out of Panama City you have 2 options for full day:
1. Isla Taboga. This is the primary destination since it is only 45 min from the downtown marinas. Because of the proximity it is the cheaper destination and allows for the budget to be allocated more towards logistics and entertainment. Isla Taboga is great, with a beach you pull up to, lots of other boats anchored and partying, and normally calm waters. You pull into the cove, drop anchor, and party all day.
2. Las Perlas. The Pearl islands is an archipelago approximately 50 nautical miles from Panama City. This is the equivalent of going from Miami to the Bahamas for the day, so I’m sure you can imagine that the base rate cost of the yacht is going to much higher. Not only will the base rate be higher, but you need to factor in travel time. Not every boat can do Pearl Islands as a day charter. Because of this the Pearls only really works for smaller vessels with bigger faster engines. It is absolutely gorgeous with turquoise waters and some deserted islands. If you have a group of 20 and want to do the Pearls, then I recommend breaking up that group into two smaller groups. For budgeting purposes, a boat base rate will run you $400 + more than an Isla Taboga charter.