Written by: Bharat Wood
Last summer, I embarked on a journey with 7 of my friends to The Yacht Week: Greece. For 7 days we voyaged as a part of a group of over 20 boats, docking in various coastal locations for relaxation, exploring, and downright fun.
As a frequent traveler, I went into the experience feeling excited but I knew that diversity could be an issue on this trip. To my pleasant surprise, I was treated better on this trip than I am often treated in many American cities. Everyone involved was pleasant, my skipper was one of the nicest people I’ve ever met, and I can honestly say that this was a life-changing experience for me and everyone on our boat. Some of my major observations from my trip are as follows.
The Energy
Everybody seemed to be in a great mood. It could be the fact that we were cruising coastal Greece for 7 days, but hey, that’s part of the package. Right?
The Optics
Aesthetics matter. Not just for Instagram but as a backdrop to your real-life experiences, especially when on vacation.
I remained visually stimulated throughout the entirety of my trip, and yes it made for some pretty good pictures too!
The Party
It’s not required, but the yacht week definitely had an unlimited supply of “turn up” opportunities. Every single night. If you can get through that many parties unphased, you are a certified global party animal. From the yachts themselves to the parties on land, there’s far more than enough to go around.
The Experience
I was able to develop authentic relationships with great people from around the world. I’ve been able to explore business opportunities and I now have true connections that I can use for my future travels.
I also learned so much about yacht and boats in general via our skipper. He made sure to show me how to sail a yacht, how to properly anchor a boat, and much more.
The payment plan and organization of the trip made it doable for the group and it ended up costing just under $2,000 in total. For 7 days in Greece, that’s not too bad.
Lastly, the idea of docking in different locations and being able to explore the land via scooter, bus tour, etc. is a really fun and efficient way to explore a country.
The Diversity
I won’t act like it’s a “black” experience. We were definitely not the majority. But, the idea of enjoying the experience with my own circle of close friends, as well as meeting new ones from all walks of life, wasn’t bad at all. There were 3 other “melanated” groups as well, so it wasn’t like we were singled out or felt excluded in any way.
All things considered, I can truly say that I had the time of my life. I recommend going to at least one of these in your lifetime and I’ll be back in January or March for their Caribbean run without a doubt