The Best New Expedition Yachts to Charter to the Ends of the Earth

Julia Zaltzman
·2 min read

Following last year’s blowout season and a sustained demand for seclusion in the Covid era, the charter industry is looking beyond the Med to a new destination: the ends of the Earth.

Take the expedition yacht Ragnar (pictured above), which will explore sections of Iceland and Greenland with a focus on adventure. Converted from a supply vessel in 2020, the 224-footer comes with Jet Skis, Seabobs and a BigBo amphibious ATV you can use to land on pristine tundra. Available from Burgess Yachts from $525,000 per week, Ragnar has a wood-clad interior—featuring a double master suite, fireplaces, a spa and an observation lounge—that is pure, elegant warmth, while her top-deck Jacuzzi is ideal for soaking beneath the stars as you cruise Iceland’s fjords. Want to heli-ski Greenland’s untouched early-summer slopes? A helipad gives you the option.

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Also from Burgess, following a 2020 refit, Lady E will cruise the Galápagos Islands, from $595,000 per week. The 244-footer’s list of toys includes a flyboard, eFoils and sailing dinghies, meaning guests can kayak with dolphins or snorkel with seals; for divers, the famous Gordon Rocks site offers encounters with multiple species of shark. As a bonus, the yacht’s newly extended beach club and wellness area are ideal for a post-adventure sauna and massage.

Meanwhile, the 167-foot, two-masted sailing vessel Dunia Baru will spend her summer in Indonesia. Expert-led trips range from observing Komodo dragons in their natural habitats to snorkeling the coral reefs of Raja Ampat. The beautiful hull of Dunia Baru, available from Y.CO from $120,000 per week, is crafted from traditional Bornean ironwood and teak, while her newly redesigned interior includes a master suite with a private deck and open-air salon.

For a more traditional route, the head-turning, 446-foot Flying Fox will roam the Côte d’Azur, the Italian Riviera, Sardinia, Corsica and Turkey. The world’s largest charter vessel, offered by Imperial from about $4 million per week, has 11 staterooms for up to 25 guests and was designed around the owner’s twin passions for wellness and water sports. Her two-level spa, with heated limestone floors, is equipped with a Cryosauna, beauty salon and hammam, plus a Jacuzzi pool that changes from warm to icy-cold in mere minutes. A dedicated scuba center means wreck-diving in Sardinia is an option, while nine tenders and the option of a helicopter put Corsican mountains and ancient Turkish ruins within reach.

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