Most parents who call me about a family charter open with some version of "is this actually going to work with a four year old?" It works. We host families of every shape aboard the 52ft Marquis Flybridge at Yacht Away Now, toddlers included, and it is usually easier than the parents expected. Here is what you should know before you book a family yacht charter.
Is a Yacht Charter Safe for Kids?
Yes, and it is the part I take most seriously. Every charter is run by a USCG-licensed captain with years on Tampa Bay water, a lot of it with families aboard. I have had infants and toddlers on this boat and we have the routine down by now.
Here is what the safety setup looks like on our 52ft Marquis Flybridge:
- Life jackets in every size: we carry USCG-approved jackets from infant through adult, and every child gets a properly fitted one before we leave the dock.
- Railings around every deck: the flybridge, main deck and bow all have solid railings, high enough for children without blocking the view.
- Swim platform with a ladder: the oversized platform at the stern has a sturdy boarding ladder, so kids get in and out of the water in one supervised spot instead of jumping off the side.
- A crew used to kids: we watch differently when children are aboard, which is the point. You get to actually sit down.
The yacht is inspected and maintained to Coast Guard standards. I am strict about maintenance for a selfish reason: my own family is on this boat too.
What Ages Work Best on Board
Every age is welcome. We have had newborns and we have had teenagers. Here is roughly what each one does with the day:
- Babies and toddlers (0-3): bring a travel crib for nap time and use the air-conditioned cabin. The shaded flybridge keeps little ones out of direct sun with the breeze still on them. The motion of the boat puts most babies straight to sleep. Pack familiar snacks and more diapers than the trip needs.
- Young kids (4-10): this is the age that gets the most out of it. Dolphins surfacing beside the boat, jumping off the swim platform, shells on an empty island, standing at the helm watching what I do. They have the stamina for four hours and none of the cynicism.
- Tweens and teens (11-17): swimming, snorkeling and control of the music. Half the charter in the water, the other half on the flybridge taking photos. Egmont Key gives them somewhere to wander off to on their own. It is also one of the few outings I have seen where teenagers put the phone down without being asked.
- Adults: you get to sit down. The water, the dolphins and the islands do the entertaining, and you are on the flybridge with a cold drink watching the skyline get smaller. Half the parents tell me afterwards the charter was really for them.
What Kids Actually Do Out There
The best thing about chartering in Tampa Bay is that the water does most of the entertaining for you:
- Dolphins: Tampa Bay has a resident population of bottlenose dolphins and we see them on nearly every charter. Watching one ride the bow wave a few feet from the swim platform has never once got old for me either.
- Swimming off the platform: the oversized stern platform makes getting in and out easy. We anchor in calm shallow spots where the visibility is good and the current is slack.
- Snorkeling at Shell Key or Egmont Key: Shell Key and Egmont Key both have clear shallow water. Kids come up shouting about starfish, hermit crabs and whatever is hiding in the seagrass.
- Beachcombing: Shell Key is an uninhabited barrier island. Shells, sandcastles, tide pools, and on a quiet weekday it can feel like the island belongs to you.
- Fishing: bring your own gear. There is snook, redfish, trout and snapper out here. Catching nothing does not seem to bother anybody under twelve.
- Manatees and sea turtles: depending on the season you may get a manatee in the shallows or a turtle surfacing near the boat. Those are the ones the kids still talk about a year later.
- Fort Dade on Egmont Key: the island is a national wildlife refuge and also holds the ruins of Fort Dade, from the Spanish-American War. Older kids disappear into the crumbling brick and the overgrown gun emplacements for an hour.
Four hours goes faster than families expect. The kid who complained about being bored on a boat is usually the last one off it.
What to Bring For the Kids
A bit of preparation buys the parents a much better day. What to pack:
- Sunscreen, reef-safe if you can: put it on before you arrive and bring extra. The water reflects the sun back up, and kids burn faster than you think.
- Hats and sunglasses: brims for the little ones, caps for the older ones. The flybridge has shade, but the island stops do not.
- Swim gear: swimsuits worn under clothes saves a changing scramble. Goggles, water shoes for the islands, and snorkel gear if you own it. We can tell you where to pick some up if not.
- Snacks they actually eat: this is not the day to experiment. Crackers, fruit pouches, granola bars, whatever is reliable. A hungry kid two miles offshore is a long two miles.
- A change of clothes: they will get wet. Dry clothes for the ride back makes the last hour much nicer.
- Motion sickness remedy: if your child gets carsick, pack Dramamine for Kids or ginger chews. Most kids are fine, because the Marquis has a deep-V hull that cuts chop well, but pack it anyway.
- A book or a tablet: some kids want something for the cruising legs between stops. Most of them never open it.
- Extra towels: we have towels aboard. With kids you will still want a few more from home.
Food and Drinks For Families
Our charters are BYOB, and that covers food as well as drinks. For families it is the whole ballgame, because you set the menu. Nobody is paying restaurant prices for chicken tenders that get sent back.
Pack a cooler with the basics: sandwiches or wraps, cut fruit, chips, juice boxes, water and a treat if it is a special occasion. Keep it simple. Elaborate food on a boat with kids becomes elaborate cleanup. Finger food wins.
The yacht has a full galley with a refrigerator, microwave and counter space, so everything stores properly and anything that needs warming can be warmed. We provide the coolers and ice.
If you would rather not pack anything, we can point you at catering that delivers to the marina before your charter. A few local restaurants do platters, sandwich trays and fruit boards that travel well. Ask when you book.
Pack more water than you think you need. Kids dehydrate fast in the Florida sun, especially once they are swimming and running around an island. A whole case is not too much.
Itineraries That Work with Kids
Every family charter gets built around your group, but these three come up again and again:
Morning adventure (9:00 AM to 1:00 PM). Leave the marina and run south toward Shell Key, watching for dolphins on the way. Anchor for beach time, swimming and shelling. Morning light makes it much easier to see what is moving in the shallows. Turn back around noon and you are home in time for lunch on land and an afternoon nap.
Afternoon explorer (2:00 PM to 6:00 PM). Head out early afternoon to a swim spot in Boca Ciega Bay or off the barrier islands, anchor for an hour of swimming and snorkeling, then take an island: Shell Key for beachcombing, Egmont Key for the fort ruins and the lighthouse. The run home is timed for sunset. Best for families with older kids who can take the afternoon heat.
Full day expedition (9:00 AM to 5:00 PM). Morning at Shell Key for beach time, snorkeling and dolphins. Lunch aboard in a calm anchorage out of the galley. Afternoon at Egmont Key for Fort Dade, the trails and one last swim. Sunset on the way home. Eight hours means nothing is rushed, and kids can crash in the air-conditioned cabin between stops.
For a first family charter I usually push the four-hour morning option. You miss the worst of the heat, the water is at its calmest, the wildlife is moving, and the kids still have fuel in the tank. Book longer next time, once you know how your family does out there.
What a Family Charter Costs
Family charters cost what every other charter costs. There is no upcharge for kids and the rate does not move with group size, up to our 13-guest maximum.
- Weekday rate (Mon-Thu): $500/hr all-inclusive with a 4-hour minimum, so $2,000 for four hours including captain, crew and fuel
- Weekend rate (Fri-Sun): $600/hr all-inclusive, so $3,000 for five hours or $3,600 for six, on an island-hopping route
- Split between families: two families sharing a charter is roughly $900 each. Three families is about $600 each. With a group of 10 that lands near $200 a head for four hours of private yacht time.
Put that next to a day at a theme park once you have counted tickets, parking and food, and it is closer than people assume. It is also a day nobody spends standing in a line.
Current rates and package details are on the pricing page, or contact us for a quote built around your group and itinerary.
Five Things I Tell Parents
The advice that actually changes how a family charter goes:
- Start with four hours. Kids love it and kids also run out of battery faster than you expect once you add sun and swimming. Four hours is the sweet spot for a first trip. You want to leave still wanting more.
- Book the morning. Tampa Bay is at its glassiest before the afternoon sea breeze fills in, and the dolphins, manatees and turtles are more active early. With young kids it is not close.
- Bring a waterproof phone case. You will want the shot of your kid coming off the swim platform, and you will want it while standing in the water. A case means you do not have to pick one.
- Ask me to let them steer. I bring kids up to the helm on most family charters and give them the wheel for a stretch of open water. For a seven year old it beats every other part of the day, dolphins included.
- Double the snacks. Whatever you packed, pack it again. Salt air and swimming make kids ravenous. No parent has ever told me they brought too much food.
What sticks with me is the face a kid makes when they work out that yes, they are allowed to jump in the Gulf, right now, off the back of this boat. And the ride home, everybody tired and slightly pink, kids asleep in the car before you clear the parking lot, already asking about next time.
Ready to Plan Your Family Charter?
Tell us your kids' ages and how much day they can take, and we will build the itinerary around it. A morning run to Shell Key, a full day at Egmont Key, or a sunset cruise, whichever suits.
There is more on the family yacht charter page and the pricing page, or contact us to start planning. Calling (727) 609-2248 gets me directly. I am a parent too, so ask me the awkward logistical questions.