
Early check-in – why is it worth it?
If you have ever sailed, you surely know this feeling when you are in the marina waiting for the yacht to be picked up. Minutes are long as hours, hours as days, everything becomes irritating, especially those who get their yachts earlier. However, there is no trick or favoritism here: some people just pay extra for this possibility. You could too - and in many means, it would be a very beneficial solution for you.
When you go on a cruise, you want to use it 100%. This is particularly important in the case of expensive yachts, where the value of every hour on board is doubled. In this case, it is good to talk with your crew and calculate what is more profitable.
Cheaper than you think.
In general, the cost of early check-in ranges from 80€ to 250€. This is not a particularly excessive amount, as it allows you to sail on the yacht on the same day, and it is only a fraction of the charter price. Calculated per “head” and per day of the cruise, it is really a symbolic fee.
Time is money.
A yacht charter usually lasts a week, the first day of which is usually picking up, formalities, shopping, etc. The sooner we pick up the yacht, the greater the chance that we will be able to start sailing on the same day(it is worth reading how to do it). From our point of view, it is better to pay extra and sail for the full 7 days than to spend the first day of the cruise in the marina. Usually, yachts can be picked up from 5:00 pm to 6:00 pm. Early check-in allows you to board, depending on the operator, from 12:00 to 14:00. The exact difference between the two variants, however, is of little importance here; the important thing is that if you pick up the yacht a few hours earlier, you will be able to leave the marina almost 100%. This means that theoretically gaining a few hours, you will in practice get one more sailing day. Net profit.
First come first served
Does early check-in have any disadvantages? Yes, one: the offer of yachts that can be picked up early is limited. As a result, this option has to be booked in advance - on the spot, especially in high season, it is simply impossible. In the off-season, you do not have to worry about it, the operator should then have more free boats and time to prepare them.

Satisfaction (almost) guaranteed
It is worth remembering that booking an early check-in is only half the battle. No operator can predict with 100% certainty what will happen in the peak season. It may happen that a yacht booked for early pick-up returns from a previous cruise damaged so badly that it cannot be repaired in time. Fortunately, early check-in is usually charged on-site, so you simply won't be charged in those cases. If you have paid earlier - it will be returned to you immediately, so there is no risk of losing your funds. At worst, you'll get your money back and board a few hours later.
The question then remains:
Is it worth it?
If we are talking about a more expensive yacht and a date in the middle of the sailing season, it is worth choosing this option. In some cases, these few hours of difference can save the entire first day of the cruise. Early check-in is also great in those situations when we expect to reach the marina in the early morning - there is absolutely no point in wasting time nervously waiting for your turn. In other cases, it can be safely assumed that you will not need early check-in.