A private yacht charter is one of the best things you can do with your family in Tampa Bay — and yes, that includes families with young kids. At Yacht Away Now, we host families of all sizes and all ages aboard our 52ft Marquis Flybridge, and the experience is nothing like what most parents imagine. It is safer, easier, and more fun than you think. Here is everything you need to know before booking your family yacht charter.
Is a Yacht Charter Safe for Kids?
Yes — and safety is our top priority. Every charter aboard Yacht Away Now is captained by a USCG-licensed professional with years of experience navigating Tampa Bay waters with families aboard. Captain Jason knows these waters inside and out, and he has welcomed countless families — including those with toddlers and infants — onto the yacht.
Here is what the safety setup looks like on our 52ft Marquis Flybridge:
- Life jackets for all sizes: We carry USCG-approved life jackets ranging from infant through adult sizes. Every child will have a properly fitted life jacket available from the moment they step aboard.
- Railing around all decks: The flybridge, main deck, and bow all have solid railings that are high enough to keep children safe while still allowing everyone to enjoy the views.
- Swim platform with ladder: When it is time to swim, the oversized swim platform at the stern provides easy, safe water access with a sturdy boarding ladder. No jumping off the side of the boat — kids enter and exit the water in a controlled, supervised way.
- Professional crew: Your captain and crew are experienced with families and understand the additional awareness required when children are aboard. They keep an eye on everything so you can actually relax.
The yacht is inspected and maintained to the highest Coast Guard standards. We take maintenance seriously because we put our own families on this boat. When you step aboard, you can trust that every system — from the engines to the safety equipment — is in top condition.
What Ages Are Best for a Yacht Charter?
All ages are welcome aboard. We have hosted families with newborns and families with teenagers, and every age group finds something to love about a day on the water. Here is what to expect by age:
- Babies and toddlers (0-3): Bring a portable playpen or travel crib for nap time — the air-conditioned cabin is a perfect retreat. The shaded flybridge is ideal for keeping little ones out of direct sun while still enjoying the breeze. The yacht's gentle motion tends to put babies right to sleep. Pack familiar snacks and plenty of diapers.
- Young kids (4-10): This is the magic age for yacht charters. Kids in this range are absolutely captivated by everything — dolphins surfacing alongside the boat, jumping off the swim platform, collecting shells on uninhabited islands, and watching the captain navigate. They have enough stamina for a four-hour charter and enough wonder to make every minute feel like an adventure.
- Tweens and teens (11-17): Older kids love the swimming, snorkeling, and music. They will spend half the charter in the water and the other half on the flybridge taking photos for their friends. Exploring islands like Egmont Key gives them a sense of independence and discovery. And honestly, a yacht charter is one of the rare activities where teens actually put their phones down.
- Adults: You get to relax. That is the whole point. While the kids are entertained by the water, the dolphins, and the islands, you are sitting on the flybridge with a cold drink watching the skyline fade into the distance. A family yacht charter is as much a gift to the parents as it is to the kids.
What Activities Can Kids Do on the Yacht?
One of the best things about chartering in Tampa Bay is that the natural environment does most of the entertaining for you. Here is what kids can look forward to:
- Dolphin watching: Tampa Bay is home to a resident population of bottlenose dolphins, and sightings are nearly guaranteed on every charter. Watching dolphins ride the bow wave or surface just a few feet from the swim platform never gets old — for kids or adults.
- Swimming off the swim platform: The oversized swim platform at the stern makes it easy and safe for kids to get in and out of the water. We anchor in calm, shallow areas where visibility is excellent and currents are minimal.
- Snorkeling at Shell Key or Egmont Key: Both Shell Key and Egmont Key offer clear, shallow water perfect for snorkeling. Kids love spotting starfish, hermit crabs, and small fish in the seagrass beds.
- Beachcombing on uninhabited islands: Shell Key is an uninhabited barrier island with pristine beaches. Kids can hunt for shells, build sandcastles, and explore tide pools. It feels like discovering your own private island.
- Fishing: Bring your own gear and try your luck. Tampa Bay is full of snook, redfish, trout, and snapper. Even if you do not catch anything, the kids will love the thrill of casting a line off a yacht.
- Spotting manatees and sea turtles: Depending on the season, you may encounter gentle manatees in the shallow waters or sea turtles surfacing near the boat. These are the moments that kids talk about for years.
- Exploring Fort Dade ruins on Egmont Key: Egmont Key is a national wildlife refuge that also houses the ruins of Fort Dade, a Spanish-American War-era fort. Older kids and teens love exploring the crumbling brick structures, overgrown gun emplacements, and the historic lighthouse.
Between the marine life, the islands, and the yacht itself, most families find that four hours flies by. Kids who were nervous about being "bored on a boat" are the ones who never want to leave.
What Should You Bring for Kids?
A little preparation goes a long way toward making sure everyone — parents included — has an amazing time. Here is our recommended packing list for families:
- Sunscreen (reef-safe preferred): Apply before you arrive and bring extra for reapplication. The reflection off the water intensifies sun exposure, and kids burn faster than you expect.
- Hats and sunglasses: Wide-brim hats for younger kids, baseball caps for older ones. The flybridge has shade, but hats make a big difference during swim stops and island time.
- Swim gear: Swimsuits (worn under clothes is easiest), goggles, water shoes for island exploring, and snorkel gear if you have it (or we can recommend where to pick some up).
- Snacks they will actually eat: This is not the time to experiment. Bring the crackers, the fruit pouches, the granola bars — whatever your kids reliably eat. Hungry kids and boat trips do not mix well.
- Change of clothes: Kids will get wet. Having dry clothes for the ride back to the marina makes everyone more comfortable.
- Motion sickness remedy: If your child is prone to car sickness, consider Dramamine for Kids or ginger chews. In our experience, most kids do fine on the yacht — the Marquis has a deep-V hull that handles chop smoothly — but it is better to be prepared.
- Favorite toys or tablets: For the cruising portions between stops, some kids like having a book, a tablet, or a small toy to keep them occupied. That said, most kids are too fascinated by the scenery to look at a screen.
- Extra towels: We have towels on board, but with kids, you can never have too many. Bring a few extras from home.
What About Food and Drinks for Families?
Our charters are BYOB — and that means bring everything, not just beverages. This is actually one of the biggest advantages for families, because you control the menu completely. No overpriced kids' meals, no worrying about whether the restaurant has something your picky eater will touch.
Pack a cooler with the basics: sandwiches or wraps, cut fruit, chips, juice boxes, water bottles, and maybe a special treat for the occasion. Keep it simple — elaborate meals on a boat with kids usually means elaborate cleanup. Finger food and grab-and-go snacks work best.
The yacht has a full galley with a refrigerator, microwave, and counter space, so you can store everything properly and warm up anything that needs it. We provide coolers and ice for drinks and perishables.
If you would rather not deal with packing food at all, we can recommend family-friendly catering options that will have everything prepared and delivered to the marina before your charter. Several local restaurants do yacht-friendly party platters, sandwich trays, and fruit boards that make life easy. Just ask when you book and we will point you in the right direction.
One tip from experience: pack more water than you think you need. Kids get dehydrated quickly in the Florida sun, especially when they are swimming and running around on islands. A case of water bottles goes a long way.
What's the Best Itinerary for a Family Day?
Every family charter is customized to your group, but here are three proven itineraries that work beautifully for families with kids:
Morning Adventure (9:00 AM - 1:00 PM): Depart the marina and cruise south toward Shell Key, keeping an eye out for dolphins along the way. Anchor at Shell Key for beach time, swimming, and shelling. The morning light is perfect for spotting marine life in the clear shallows. Head back toward the marina around noon, arriving with plenty of time for lunch on land and afternoon naps for the little ones.
Afternoon Explorer (2:00 PM - 6:00 PM): Depart in the early afternoon, cruise to a swim spot in Boca Ciega Bay or near the barrier islands. Drop anchor for an hour of swimming and snorkeling. Then explore an island — Shell Key for beachcombing or Egmont Key for the fort ruins and lighthouse. Time the return cruise to catch the sunset on the way back to the marina. This itinerary is ideal for families with older kids who can handle the afternoon heat.
Full Day Expedition (9:00 AM - 5:00 PM): The ultimate family adventure. Morning at Shell Key with beach time, snorkeling, and dolphin watching. Lunch aboard the yacht in a calm anchorage — sandwiches, fruit, and cold drinks from the galley. Afternoon cruise to Egmont Key for exploring Fort Dade, walking the trails, and one last swim. Sunset views on the return cruise. Eight hours gives you time to truly explore without rushing, and kids can rest in the air-conditioned cabin between stops.
For first-time family charters, we generally recommend the four-hour morning option. It avoids the hottest part of the day, the water is calmest in the morning, marine life is most active, and younger kids still have energy. You can always book a longer charter next time once you know how your family does on the water.
How Much Does a Family Yacht Charter Cost?
Family charters are priced the same as all of our charters — there is no upcharge for kids, and the rate does not change based on group size (up to our 13-guest maximum). Here is how the numbers break down:
- Hourly rate: $300/hr with a 4-hour minimum, approximately $1,800 all-in for a four-hour charter including captain and fuel
- Weekend packages: $2,000 to $2,500 for five to six hours with a curated island-hopping route
- Split between families: This is where the math gets really attractive. Two families sharing a charter = roughly $900 each. Three families = about $600 each. Per person with a group of 10, you are looking at approximately $200 each for four hours of private yacht time.
When you compare that to a day at a theme park — tickets, parking, food, and the exhaustion that comes with it — a yacht charter is genuinely competitive. And the experience is the kind of thing that becomes a core family memory, not just another day in line.
Check our pricing page for current rates and package details, or contact us for a custom quote based on your group size and preferred itinerary.
Tips from Captain Josh for Families
After hosting hundreds of family charters on Tampa Bay, here are the tips that make the biggest difference:
- Start with a four-hour charter. Kids have a blast, but they also get tired faster than you expect — especially with the sun, the swimming, and the excitement. Four hours is the sweet spot for a first-time family charter. You leave wanting more, which is exactly how it should be.
- Morning is best for calm water and marine life. Tampa Bay is typically glassiest in the morning before the afternoon sea breeze fills in. Dolphins, manatees, and sea turtles are also more active in the morning hours. If you have young kids, morning charters are the way to go.
- Bring a waterproof phone case. You are going to want photos and videos of the kids swimming with dolphins in the background, jumping off the swim platform, and exploring deserted islands. A waterproof case means you do not have to choose between capturing the moment and protecting your phone.
- Let kids help the captain steer. This is a family charter tradition aboard Yacht Away Now. Kids absolutely love being invited up to the helm to help "steer" the yacht. Captain Jason is great with kids and makes them feel like real crew members. It is often the highlight of the trip for younger children.
- Pack more snacks than you think you need. Seriously. Double whatever you were planning. Something about salt air and swimming makes kids ravenous. We have never heard a parent say they brought too much food — but we have heard plenty say they wish they had brought more.
A family yacht charter is not just a boat ride. It is dolphins and deserted islands and your kids' faces when they realize they get to swim in the open Gulf. It is watching the sunset from the flybridge while everyone is tired and happy and sunburned in the best way. It is the kind of day that ends with kids falling asleep in the car on the way home, already asking when they can go again.
Ready to Plan Your Family Charter?
We love hosting families aboard Yacht Away Now, and we are happy to help you plan an itinerary that works for your kids' ages, interests, and energy levels. Whether it is a morning adventure to Shell Key, a full-day expedition to Egmont Key, or a sunset cruise the whole family will remember, we will make it easy.
Visit our family yacht charter page for more details, check the pricing page, or contact us directly to start planning. You can also call Josh at (727) 609-2248 — he is a parent himself and knows exactly what makes a family charter special.