How To Plan A Millionaire's Yacht Trip On A College Student's Budget

This could be you (for much cheaper than you expect...)

Is there anything that screams 'luxury' louder than a private yacht?  Its a fantasy people dream of having after making their first (or second) million and right before the purchase of their private jet.

But this trip of a lifetime isn't limited to the very wealthy.  Its not even limited to the realm of the very middle class.  You can easily book a week long trip on your favorite seven sea for less than a few raucous weekends out.

Oh yeah, and you can do it surrounded only by the people you love.

I just spent a week on board a yacht with 15 friends and a private 4 person crew.  Our delicious food has been cooked for us, our rooms have been cleaned for us, and they've handled all the sailing and route logistics.  They did everything to free us up to sun, drink, and swim.

Million dollar treatment, right?

Except this experience cost us each 660 dollars which translates to less than 100 bucks a day, less than what you would pay for hotel and dining in most international cities.

Chartering your own yacht with your friends is not just possible-its easily doable.  To plan an amazing trip that all your friends who were foolish enough not to commit to will be jealous of, follow these steps.

1) Use the Google.  Finding a company to host your trip is as simple as searching 'yacht (or gullet) rental in _______'  Choose where you want to go and find a little about costs before you write your initial email.  This will give you some reasonable estimates to share and some spectacular photos to include to entice commitment.

2) Start early.  Although it's not that expensive to plan this trip, we are talking about international travel here.  Put the call out to your friends a year or so in advance.  You want a lot of people to commit-more people means a smaller per person cost and bigger party.  Additionally, though the yacht part of the trip will be inexpensive, air fare is always a bit of money.  Give people time to start saving and get rabidly excited.  I promise-it will be a conversation topic that will never get old.

3) Charge a little extra.  When figuring out what everyone will need to pay, keep in mind that you will most likely be dealing with currency conversion, and currencies fluctuate.  Make each per person buy-in 5-10% more to account for a potential decrease in the value of the dollar and any credit card fees that the company may add on.

4) Use a credit card.  Credit card companies will offer outstanding bonuses if you meet a minimum spend requirement, sometimes the bonus can even be redeemed for the airline ticket you will be purchasing.  Be smart and take advantage of this chunk of change you're about to spend.  Also keep a look out for cards with no foreign transaction fees.  Check out [the points guy] for the best promotions going on now (I got Chase Sapphire Preferred, which I love).  You'll be putting a lot of money on your card for at least the deposit, so be smart and make that money work for you,

5) Combine this with other trips.  The trip will seem more expensive if your paying for airfare just for a yacht trip.  Make this a portion of your vacation.  Some friends are coming to Turkey amidst their summer in Europe.  Others are spending a couple weeks in Turkey, in addition to the yacht trip.  Make this spectacular event a part of a spectacular trip, not the entire trip itself, and get more value out of your airline ticket.

6) Keep constant communication.  I set a few different dates early on for people to pay for portions of the trip by.  When it comes time for people to pay money, some people will eventually drop out, but if you keep the enthusiasm up by sending out excited emails with beautiful photos you'll keep most people and easily find others.  I had 4 people bail on this trip, and almost instantly found 4 people to fill their places.  Also, its fun to watch friends who missed the boat (*ahem*) get more and more jealous of the trip you will soon be embarking on.

It takes a bit of email work, but planning a yacht trip for you and your friends and family is really not that hard.  And I promise-it is completely worth it.

If you have any questions-leave them in the comments.  I'll respond to each one so that you can plan the trip of a lifetime on the budget of the everyday.

Check back for photos and updates of this awesome trip.