What a fabulous charter we had in the Whitsunday Islands aboard DeLisle III with her incredible crew. The yacht was fabulous, the crew outstanding, and the itinerary was superb. I can’t thank Whitsunday Holidays enough for helping us make this happen.

For context, we are a group of 10; friends and family who have chartered together in various locations around the globe for the last 10 years. We span a diverse age spectrum of 23 to 68. We love all the good things that come with yacht chartering: adventure, activity, fine dining, exploration and the harmony we feel when out at sea with each other. Without a doubt, our time on DeLisle III was one of the best, if not the best charter yet.

The yacht – DeLisle III

She is a wonderful ship. Freshly out of a refit that would make you think she was just built. A spacious, superbly and tastefully decorated layout makes for multiple areas to get together, or to have some private time. We spent most of our time on the upper-aft deck and contiguous bar and lounge area. A fresh sea breeze and 280 degree views of our ocean paradise. We made full use of the equipment on board for snorkeling, JetSkis (new), kayaking and the two tenders for shore runs (mostly hiking) or fishing.

The crew

The crew aboard DeLisle III were remarkable, and mostly long-term crew members. As guests, we were made to feel incredibly welcome and part of the yachts ‘family’. Their love for DeLisle III was apparent and unusual in the charter business. Their enthusiasm for everything around them was evident throughout, and particularly noticeable when the odd Humpback was spotted. Each crew member was engaging, thoughtful and provided the highest standard of service. Each day we would ‘plot’ with the Captain and plan the days activities (we are a very active group btw) and anchorage for the night. The two Stewards were always attentive and joyful to be around. Nothing was too much to ask of them, and they were always pro-active in anticipating what we might need or want. The First Mate and Deck Steward were always keen to enable our adventures, whether snorkeling, fishing, hiking etc. And the Engineer was quietly keeping everything in tip top shape and always happy to show us the operational side of a complex yacht like DeLisle III. And finally, the Chef was world class. It felt like we were in a Michelin-starred restaurant for every meal! There were many highlights, but one was the exquisite preparation of the fish we would have caught earlier in the day (e.g. spanish mackerel, emperor red snapper, coral trout). One in our party had her Birthday while aboard, and the crew made it a very special day for her!

The itinerary

For my wife and I, this was our third trip to the Whitsunday Islands and we wanted to share this incredible archipelago with our friends and family. We spent 8 nights aboard DeLisle III, which was ideal for us. Conditions were perfect for an overnight at the Great Barrier Reef, a sublime experience on a yacht of this caliber, where snorkeling, fishing and paddle boards were the main attractions. Mostly we island hopped (Cid, Whitsunday, Hook, Langford, Hayman, South Molle). We would be on or under the water every day and those amongst us who enjoy fishing were not disappointed. One of our days was spent lounging on Whitehaven Beach, including an outstanding lunch on the beach that the crew engineered. Privacy is important for us, and that was never a problem, even on this busy stretch of sand. We often went ashore to hike and managed to complete the trek to the top of all five of the ‘great walk’ climbs: Whitsunday Peak (400m), Whitsunday Cairn (285m), Spion Kop (269m), Sawmill Beach, Ngaro.
For us, it was the perfect combination of people, place and vessel. We will definitely be back.