FAQs

Travelling with Join The Crew for the first time? Still have any questions? Here are the most common topics that people ask about, all in one place. If you don't find what you are looking for, just write us an email or give us a call!

  • Concept
  • Booking
  • Arriving there
  • The Tour
  • Life onboard
  • Sailing safety
  • Group bookings

Concept

On Tour, you'll be part of a Crew of likeminded, nature-loving individuals aged 20-39. You will also be joined by your personal JTC-Skipper, who knows the area you're going to and speaks English. Most Crews are made up of 8-12 people, with a roughly even split between male and female. We have separate Tours for those who speak English or German. On this website you find only English-speaking trips. If you change website language on the right corner on top, you'll switch over to our German-speaking trips. 

Our Board language on all tours, booked via this website is English. Whether it's your first, second or third language, everyone is welcome as Join The Crew no matter their nationality! We have separate, German-language Tours which you can find here.

Our Skippers are members of our crew who will join you on your Tour and stay for the whole duration. They're normally in the same age range as your Crew, speak English and are there to help with organization and planning your Tour. They know the local area and will let you know what activities are available to you, whether on land or at sea.

To help you prepare for your sailing trip, we've prepared a Packing List of the most important things you'll need for your adventure.

Although the majority of people in your Crew will be solo-travelers, we do not offer "solo" holidays. For us, the magic of our Tours comes from the harmonious group dynamic, made by amazing, open-minded people looking for a shared adventure. 

Of course, you can book onto a Tour together as a couple, or with a friend/small group of friends - we just ask you to limit yourselves to 4 people, so that the other members of your Crew don't feel left out. If, however, you and a large group of friends (8-14) would like to book a yacht to yourselves, just contact us and we can make it a whole Group booking. 

For getting to and from your Tour:

  • You'll need to take care of your travel (usually flights) yourself
  • Of course, if you live in a neighbouring country, then feel free to use the mode of transport that's best for you 
  • We recommend that you book your sailing tour first, and then take care of your travel
  • Immediately after booking, you'll get login details for our website, where you can view your Tours and access the Crew-Chat - here, you can get to know your Crew before the Tour begins and even plan your flights together, if you want!

  • The short version is unfortunately, no
  • Arriving before the Tour start date and staying after the official end date is possible
  • This will give you more time to explore the destination alone or, if you want to, with other members of your Crew
  • Logistically, it would be very tricky to meet up with everyone else part way through a Tour
  • You have any concerns before or after booking, feel free to contact our Community Support or your Skipper

After you've booked, you'll receive login details for our Crew-Chat. You can use this to message and get to know your Crew, and even plan your travel together!

One of the best things about a Tour with Join The Crew is that you decide what you do! We offer sailing trips with a wide variety of difficulty levels and most sailing trips are suitable for beginners. You can find information about the difficulty level of each trip on each tour description (Key Data - Difficulty Level).

Loads of people love dogs - others may however be allergic, have had bad experiences with dogs in the past and also on a small yacht at sea it is not the best place for a dog. For these reason, we unfortunately do not permit canine participation on our Tours.

If you are vegan, vegetarian, or have a food allergy, don't worry: let your Crew and your Skipper know and you'll be in safe hands. As we take care of food ourselves we are flexible with that. Shopping for the week is dependent on what the group wants to buy and what is available in the country you're in - which is why communicating your dietary needs is important. 

If there is something especially important that you need, that you may not be able to get abroad, it might be a good idea to bring it with you from home. 

It highly depends on which Tour you book and we give an accurate indication of how much party-potential each Tour has. It varies a from destination to destination: some Tours we are very adventurous, but we go out with a bang on a night out together as a Crew; on a Flotilla Sailing Tour, you can sail in a flotilla of 3-6 yachts with up to 50 participants and everyone likes to relax and unwind together. 

That being said, our Tours are definitely not pub-crawl, party trips. We want to bring you to some of the most beautiful destinations that the world has to offer, with a great balance between adventure and relaxation. Don't worry, we like to party, but the parties are more of a natural finishing touch to a great day/Tour and not the main reason for the holiday.

 

The Spirit of Join The Crew
Enjoy a relaxed atmosphere 

  • At Join The Crew, we believe in respecting the planet we love to enjoy so much - this means we strive to take care of you, your Crew, the locals we come into contact with, as well as the gorgeous landscapes and environment we'll be traversing
  • Every Tour is unique, and every Crew is made of a wide range of individuals - brought together by their love of the outdoors. The chilled mood this creates, our Skippers and you, our wonderful participants, quickly start to feel like a family
  • We are grateful for the spectacular environment of each of our destinations, which we have the privilege of exploring and strive to protect and cherish the connections we have made - and continue to make: both to the locals, and the land itself

Skippers
Here to help your Crew!

  • Your Skippers are friendly young people, men and women, in your age
  • Their main job is take care of you and your Crew during your Tour and help things to run smoothly
  • Most of our skippers, despite their young age, have a lot of sailing experience.

100 % Stress-Free
So that you can switch off, and just enjoy!

  • Our concept is perfect for experienced explorers and beginners alike 
  • For any Tour-related questions just reach out to our Community Support or, once you've booked, ask your Skipper - they'll know best!
  • All of our Tours and destinations are tried and tested 

Booking

On each Tour page under "Dates & Prices", you can see a list of all available Tours being offered to that location. Booking takes about 3 minutes, with a laptop or phone:

  • Go to your Tour of choice, and scroll down to "Dates & Prices"
  • Click on "Book", for your selected Tour dates
  • Fill our the booking form
  • As soon as you've booked, you'll get a confirmation by E-mail

Once you've booked, you have 7 days to pay the deposit - 30 % of the total Tour price - and you have until 6 weeks before the Tour starts to pay the remaining 70 %. Of course, if there's less than 6 weeks until the Tour begins, you'll need to pay the full amount. 

We recommend booking as soon as possible, as dates may not be available if you decide to delay the booking. Although it's possible to cancel a place, this happens very rarely, and spaces don't tend to open up again. 

Yes! Our Tours can be booked alone, by couples, small groups (3-4) - or if you and your friends (5+) want to book a Tour for yourselves, that's also possible! Generally, our Tours are enjoyed by Crews of 8-14 participants, led by a Guide or Skipper, with a lot of flexibility in terms of planning. At Join The Crew, we want to bring shared experiences in the great outdoors to as many people as possible, so we always to our best to bring you the best holiday possible when you join us on Tour.

Whether you book a Sailing Tour, or one of our variety of Tours on land, the allocation of rooms in accommodation or cabins on board a yacht is decided on location with your Crew, according to what suits your Crew best. Unless you say otherwise when you book, we'll assume you're coming alone - let us know during the booking process if you know anyone else in your Crew, to make sure that there is a good spread of people in Crews, and to guarantee that you can be in a room/cabin with the person you're travelling with. 


Most of the sailors who book alone are accommodated together in double cabins. The cabins will be divided on the first day of the cruise and will take into account all crew members. We usually divide the cabins into the same sex, unless the crew division does not work for you.

Of course you can also register as a couple. Please indicate in the booking form that you are together, then you will be accommodated in a double cabin. When distributing the participants to boats, we make sure that there are no more than two couples on a boat.

So that no Crewmembers feel outnumbered by groups/couples, you have one of two options when you and several others want to come on Tour with Join The Crew:

1) Up to 4 people

  • If you and up to 4 friends want to book, let us know who's a part of your group when you each book as individuals, and (if you're booking a Sailing Tour) we'll make sure you're all on the same yacht

2) More than 4 people

  • If you and your group are 5 people or more, you have the option to book the entire Tour; if you're sailing, you'll be able to have the yacht to yourselves

Either way, you'll be helped throughout the Tour by a JTC Guide or Skipper. For Tours on land, let us know when you are booking, and we can secure the date for you and your group (as long as no-one else has booked the Tour for those dates). For Sailing Tours, you can either make a Group Booking, or make a Yacht Inquiry - let us know how many people what to book and where you'd like to go, and we'll find the right yacht, the right dates, and the right Skipper.

Immediately after booking, you'll receive a confirmation email, and log in details for the website:

  • Log into the "Crew-Chat" and get to know the rest of your Crew, and your Guide/Skipper
  • Sort out you travel/flights on your own, or with the help of your Crew
  • Depending on your travel arrangements, meet your Crew at the airport, or your accommodation
  • Start your Join The Crew adventure!

Yes! Here's how:

  • Follow the normal booking process: find your chosen dates, click "Book", and fill our the booking form
  • Click "Reserve"
  • As soon as you've done that, you'll get an email confirming your reservation

What happens after I've reserved my spot?

  • You reservation is valid for 5 days
  • You will receive an E-mail reminding you 24 hours before your reservation expires
  • To book, follow the link in the confirmation email - you've already filled out the form, so you just need to click "Book"

If you like the look of a Tour, but need time to figure out how you'll book your flights, you can reserve your space, and have 5 days to work out your logistics. On your Reservation email, you can convert your reservation into a booking with one easy click.

Each Tour page has a detailed list of what is included in the Tour Price, and what you will otherwise need to pay for yourself. The Tour Price refers to the cost of the Tour, accommodation and any included activities. Each Tour then has a Crew Cashbox (see below); your flights to and from the destination country and any optional activities that your can plan in with your Crew are paid by you individually, and all vary depending on the Tour. 

The most popular activities are included in the Tour price, but on each Tour page we list ideas for possible, optional activities. These are all clearly listed as "optional", and you only need to pay for it, if you choose to participate in it.

In the event of a boat damage, the deductible of the deposit (max. € 250 per boat and crew, i.e. approx. € 30 per person with 8 participants on the yacht) is covered equally among the whole group, unless an individual/specific individuals are clearly at fault and the damage was caused by gross negligence or dangerous/inappropriate behaviour.

Having travel insurance when abroad is usually always a good idea. This can cover (some) of your costs in the unfortunate eventuality that your flights are cancelled. Travel insurance is not included in the price of any Tour we run, so you should organise this yourself. Depending on the agreement between your home country and destination country, it might also be a good idea to have health insurance, in case something were to happen to you during the Tour. 

Every group has a Crew Cashbox for the Tour. All Crew members pay the same amount in at the start of the Tour, and someone is nominated to be responsible for the Cashbox. We recommend this to make paying for group expenses easier. 

On each Tour page (under "What's Included?"), you can see what to expect per Tour, depending on the expenses in each destination. 

You can decide as a Crew what is paid for: we recommend paying for shared expenses for all participants (food for the accommodation, fuel for hire cars/public transport costs, mooring costs for yachts), but if you Crew wants to, you can also pay for your restaurant visits from the Cashbox. 

Any money leftover in the Cashbox at the end of the Tour will be split evenly between all Crew members. It's rare that you have to pay more into the Cashbox, as our recommendation is well calculated and based off of countless successful Tours we've already led. 

Traditionally, the Guide's food is taken care of from the Cashbox, and he/she is invited out when visiting a restaurant. 

Unfortunately not. We don't quite have a Jeff-Bezos-size yacht for you, which means you'll be sharing a double-cabin with another Crewmember. For Tours on land, we have large holiday homes with lots of rooms (usually spacious double rooms), so chances are you'll be sharing with one other Crewmember. 

If the Tour and dates you want are completely booked out, you can sign-up for the waiting list. If someone cancels, and you're top of the list, then the spot is yours!

That being said, it's very rare that someone cancels their place, so we cannot guarantee that signing up for the waiting list will result in you getting a place on your desired Tour.

Arriving there

Short answer is, it's up to your - as long as you're there on time at the start of the Tour, you get travel however best suits you. Most people fly, but some drive when this is a better option. We've tried to plan all are tours to be near airports with cheap flight connections, to make things a little simpler for you. 

Booking your travel to the Tour destination is your responsibility, and it is not included in the Tour price. 

You can theoretically  book your flights whenever - we recommend waiting until after booking a place on your desired Tour.

In terms of time of arrival/departure, you can find specific information on each Tour page. If you can, we advise for certain Tours that you arrive the evening before the first day, to make sure that you have less stress on Day 1. Please plan your arrival so that your plane lands at least 2 to 3 hours before the first meeting. You can find specific info for each Tour on its own Tour page, under "Arrival & Departure". Check this information as well when planning you return flights, so that you know the earliest time that the Tour will be over. It's always best to leave as much time on the last day between the Tour end and your return flights - less stress for you, and more time to enjoy the last moments with your Crew. 

Once you've booked, you can always use the Crew-Chat to communicate with your Crew and Guide/Skipper, and even plan you travel together.  

We've done our best to organise Tours which are easy and simple to reach. Our participants usually have no problems finding good flights, but we understand that this is dependant upon budget and flexibility. If you're unsure, it's best to check you flights before booking your Tour. If you have already booked, then you can discuss travels plans with your Crew in the Crew-Chat. 

Tip: If you're not sure about booking, you can make non-committal reservation for 5 days, to give you some time to plan your travel. 

This varies from Tour to Tour. You can find the check-in times under “Arrival” in each cruise description. On most sailing trips (but not all!), The first meeting of all participants and the skipper takes place on the first day of the trip at 3pm and departure on the last day is at 9am

We often leave on the first day, so your punctuality is very important. Please plan additional time and not to miss the first meeting.

On some of our Tours (such as Sailing and Trekking) it is not possible to bring a suitcase for your clothes/belongings - instead which recommend a travel/duffle bag, that can be easily folded or stored away. 

You can ask us any time for advice by directly contacting us, or talking with your Crew and Guide/Skipper via the Crew-Chat. 

In order to make packing as pleasant as possible, we have put together Packing Lists for each different Tour type that we offer. Rule of thumb: the less the better. Often, space can be limited (such as on board a yacht), but it also means less weight for you to carry, and less things to worry about :)

Each Tour page specifies whether or not your need to bring your own bed linen - most of the time, you'll never need to. The only exceptions are of course Tours that involve camping (such as Canoe or Trekking Tours), or if you're planning on sleeping on deck under the stars on a Sailing Tour - in which case, we recommend a light sleeping-bag. 

Be sure to check each Tour specifically, and if in doubt feel free to reach out :)

An inflatable life jacket is part of our Packing List for Sailing Tours. According to IATA guidelines, it is generally possible to take it with you (see here in English ). Airlines interpret these rules individually. JTC therefore cannot guarantee that it will be taken along, as it is the airline's decision.

The safest option is to get a confirmation from the airline before the flight and stow it away with your vest in your main luggage. However, sometimes we have experienced that obtaining the confirmation was very difficult and without confirmation it usually works regardless. In our experience however, having your life jacket removed is incredibly rare. 

The Tour

Each Tour can look very different, but most of the time they run like this:

  • In the evening on Day 1, you and your Crew sit down with your Guide/Skipper and plan the course of the week - you Guide/Skipper will lead this, planning according to the Crew's preferences (and the weather!)
  • Mornings, we enjoy breakfast together from the comfort of our holiday home or yacht - most of the time, we make it ourselves, though some Tours have this included in the price
  • During the day, enjoy a wide variety of exciting outdoor and cultural activities, getting to know the awesome destination you've chosen
  • Usually, we head back in the late afternoon/early evening, to enjoy the evening together - cooking or grilling together in our private accommodation, enjoying a visit to a local restaurant, or soaking in the sunset on a secluded beach

How fit you need to be (or how much sailing experience you need) varies from Tour to Tour. For the most part, a decent/average level of fitness is absolutely fine, and no previous sailing experience is required. On Trekking Tours, where you carry all you equipment in a rucksack (~15-20kg), you definitely need to be used to this sort of exertion. Likewise, some of our Sailing Tours cover long stretches of sea, and would be harder for someone who gets easily seasick or has never sailed before. 

On each Tour page, you can find a very detailed description of what you can expect to experience on Tour. 

The can vary greatly between Tours. Our land Tours are guarantee once a minimum of 4 people have booked (which including the Guide makes 5). The maximum we can usually take, due to accommodation, is about 14. Most yachts can fit around 8 people comfortably; but for our Flotilla Sailing Tours, which involve several yachts, there can be around 50 people on Tour. 

Check out each individual Tour page for specific details on how many people will be involved. 

Tip: In each cruise offer under "Dates, Prices, Booking" you can see the number of yachts for each appointment.

We look to bring friendly, adventurous people together for a balanced mix of outdoor activities, time in nature, experiencing local culture, and relaxed time. We also love a good night out - that being said, partying is a natural way to end a great day, not the reason we offer Tours. How much partying there is on Tour is more dependant on the Tour type - our Flotilla Sailing Tours involve up to 50 people and multiple yachts, and we usually end each day in style ;-)

On most cruises we are a little more often in bays than in harbours. The ratio depends on the preferences of the crew and the area: for example, in all Caribbean areas or in Sardinia & Corsica we almost only spend the night in dreamlike bays and in the Canaries almost exclusively in beautiful harbors.

Tip: In each cruise offer under “Cruise character” you will find information as to whether more bays or more ports tend to be approached on the sailing trip.

Most of our Mediterranean areas have pebble beaches. If you can't imagine a vacation without a sandy beach, go to Cote d'Azur, Sardinia & Corsica, Mallorca, Ibiza or Elba. In winter there are dream beaches with white coral sand in all areas. 

Tip: We experience the most euphoric reactions to the beaches from the crews in the Seychelles, Grenadines and Leewards.

At Join The Crew you have the following types of trips to choose from:

Vacation trip: Relaxed sailing trip with a good mix of sailing, nature, adventure and JTC spirit. That is the majority of our trips.

Student trip: This trip is specially designed for students.

If you want to have a lot of space or don't feel like skewing, book a catamaran. If the "sailing feeling", more intense group feeling or simply the noble line of a sailing yacht is more important to you, book a monohull boat.

Tip: Over the years we have been unable to tell whether a monohull or catamaran is better for seasickness. Some are better off on the catamaran because they feel safer overall without the skew, some are better off on the monohull boat because it is more stable thanks to just one hull and massive keel.

If you value new and comfortable yachts, it is best to book a yacht of a newer year of construction.

In order to keep the cruise prices as cheap as possible, our skippers sleep on most monohull boats in the salon. There is cabin space for them on selected (mostly the largest) single-boat and on most catamarans.

Some yachts have one toilet per cabin and on others several participants have to share one toilet.

Tip: In each cruise offer under “Dates, Prices, Booking”, if you click on a yacht photo, you will find a detailed description of the respective boat. There you will find, among other things, the year of construction, the crack with the number of cabins and toilets, you can see whether the skipper has cabin space and what extras your yacht has.

Don't worry - what we offer is not a school trip. Depending on the Tour, there is a lot that is left to you to choose:

Tours with set accommodation: for the majority of our Tours, you'll stay in the same accommodation, usually in a holiday home/chalet. From their, we start each day's adventure. Your Guide will help you each evening to plan the next day, according to your wishes (and of course the weather). Sometimes, it's even possible to split into smaller groups, so that everyone can enjoy what they are most looking forward to. At the end of each day, we meet at the house, and enjoy a relaxed evening together. Since we stay in the same accommodation the whole week, you can even take a day out to chill at the holiday home, if you want.

Tours with different accommodation: On our "one-way" Tours, the planning is much more rigid. That being said, over the duration of these Tours, we usually stay a couple of days in the same accommodation along a trekking route, which means you can choose from a variety of daily hikes. On top of that, one-way Tours usually have a rest-day planned, giving you breathing room for choice. 

Sailing Tours: our Sailing Tours are somewhere in between. You stay the whole week on board the same yacht, and (roughly) cover a round route. As long as you can get from A to B each day, from one highlight to the next, you and Crew are absolutely free to stop off wherever you want along the way for a chance to swim or explore. Likewise, some of our Sailing Tours are more relaxed than others in term so planning. Generally speaking, the motto is: "Seen a cool spot? Let's check it out!"

Life onboard

On most sailing trips we set sail after breakfast at around 10:00 and drop anchor in the afternoon/evening. If you spot something cool along the way, we can almost always take a detour to check it out. Most days, we have a specific destination along/at the end of the route, such as secluded bays, fascinating islands, and there will be ample opportunity to explore or relax. We usually spend the night in picturesque bays or in exciting harbours.  In places that we particularly like, we can take a day off from sailing and chill (especially for 2-week trips).

Of course, there's always time for swimming!

Possibly, but you shouldn't worry too much about it on most trips. Most of our sailing trips take place in very calm waters, so seasickness is less common.

If you end up getting seasick, the symptoms usually go away after 1 - 2 days - this is how long it takes most first-time sailors to get used to life on board. For each Tour, under "Overview", you'll get a summary of what the Tour should be like, and further info in the specific FAQs. 

Our tips for seasickness:

  • Distract yourself: think about your dream island or paradise, sing a few songs (sea shanties, of course) or tell stupid jokes and funny stories

  • Keep a centre of gravity: look into the horizon, stay in the centre of the boat, sudden movements, and (if you're struggling) just lie down flat

  • Stay in the fresh air and keep yourself warm - you'll start to get cold when you are seasick

  • If you get seasick: sit tight somewhere safe - seasick people tend to forget about personal safety

  • Simply prevention: enough food, enough sleep, no alcohol

Working on board is required at JTC, but it's fun, not a chore! You're Skipper will show you the ropes (literally), and you can get stuck in as much as you like. Don't worry though - there is more than enough time to relax and have fun.

The first day of every sailing trip is usually the most strenuous: food has to be bought, the crew has to familiarize themselves with the boat and complete a safety briefing.

The rest of your time on Tour is much more relaxed, but the skipper should be able to count on the participation of all Crewmembers in all activities as required. Typical situations are, for example, setting sail, rowing, shopping, cooking, scrubbing the deck, setting anchor, etc. - the Crew always sticks together.

The cabins are allocated on the first day of the cruise. Together with the skipper, the crew decides who is housed where and with whom. Due to there being limited space on board (not everyone can afford a mega-yacht unfortunately) most cabins on most yachts are double-cabins. In our experience, there is often a long discussion about the cabin allocation, but in the end everyone sleeps on deck because it's way cooler there :)

Do you want to be accommodated with a specific person? No problem: you can specify your wishes directly in the booking form - we try to accommodate you as much as possible!

We try to allocated men and women to different cabins, but in some circumstances they may end up being accommodated together in one cabin. If this is not desired, we will do our best to find another solution!

We want you to enjoy the freedom of sailing to the fullest! Therefore, we do not set our route in advance - the wind and the mood of the crew are crucial. Your Skipper will help you to plan things so that you can rely as much as possible on the sails (and avoid using the motor), and to get a good mix between bathing in bays and shore excursions, all optimally adapted to the wishes of the participants. Since there are a certain number of highlights in the general vicinity on our sailing Tours, there's usually a pretty logical route to take to see as much as possible - but you and your Crew always have the choice to change plans, or stop off at cool locations along the way. 

If several boats are sailing together, the planning is somewhat more specific: the Skippers meet each evening and discuss the weather conditions and the mood of the individual Crews and then decide together on the daily goal for the following day. But here, too, each crew can decide what to do on the way to the meeting point each day.

With the one-way Tours, we are somewhat more specific due to the specified destination port. But these trips are also planned so that there is enough scope for flexible route planning.

There will be a variety of different toilet/bathroom facilities depending on which yacht you book. Some yachts have a bathroom with toilet and shower per cabin and others only one or two toilets per yacht. The sanitary facilities on board, consisting of a small sink, toilet and shower, are kept tight and simple. There's also usually an outdoor shower on the swimming platform, which you can use to rinse off after swimming. Since we only have a limited supply of hot water, if you're the sort of person who needs a long, hot shower every day, life on board may not be for you.

Depending on the area and route, we call into port every two days with access to sanitary facilities (much less common in the Caribbean and some areas of Greece). Depending on the country and port, these can be very simple such as on many Greek islands, or very comfortable like most toilets in the Croatian marinas.

Tip: The exact build year of the yacht and the number of toilets and showers can be found in each cruise offer under dates, prices, services.

Of course: at the beginning of the trip, the participants are put together into small cooking teams that alternate daily. The cooking teams then take turns cooking and cleaning up

Each of our chartered cruising yachts has a gas cooker with two hobs, an oven and 1-3 refrigerators. We prefer to cook with local products (no ready meals) so typically vegetarian or vegan meals - on the other hand because you are in hot weather, you tend to eat light dishes because meat doesn't last long in the fridge on the yacht.

Not at all - there's always something you can do to help on board.

Smoking is permitted on deck to a limited extent: only on the leeward side of the boat and never during maneuvers. Smoking in the cabins or inside the boat is strictly prohibited. Furthermore, we make sure that no cigarette remains are disposed in the sea.

Based on our experience, we would say that most JTC Tours have cell phone coverage about 80% of the time. If we are further away from the shore or anchored in a deep bay, you will most likely have no reception.

You can charge your phone on most yachts. However, if the on-board battery is weak, you have to wait until we are connected to the shore power in a port again.

After each JTC Tour, the Skipper will send you an entry in your mileage book or proof of nautical miles, depending on your wishes. If you are new to sailing, your Skipper will give you a JTC mileage book.

Sailing safety

Each of our Skippers has all the necessary sailing and radio licenses that are required to navigate the respective sailing area. Our skippers have SKS, SSS, or SHS sailing certificates, or their foreign equivalents.

What is even more important: our Skippers are recruited in a multi-stage application process, go through a one-week JTC Skipper Academy, complete a theoretical course on the JTC concept, a refresher first-aid course every two years and regularly take part in exclusive training courses for JTC Skippers. So you are in the safe hands with us.

Most of our Skippers, despite their young age, are seasoned sea veterans, who have already gained a lot of knowledge and experience in various sailing areas.

The most experienced skippers look after our flotillas as "flotilla leaders". They have several thousand nautical miles of experience, know the area like the back of their hand and are always available for advice.

All Join The Crew Skippers have a professional Skipper liability policy with the renowned insurer Yacht Pool for € 7.5 million.

In general, it is not absolutely necessary to take out insurance. But since you never know what will happen before or during the trip, you should at least consider some insurance. Here is an overview of our recommendations:

Cancellation insurance for the sailing trip
The cancellation fee in the event of a participant's withdrawal is - depending on the time of withdrawal - up to 100%! So you should definitely consider whether you would rather be on the safe side and take out insurance.

Travel cancellation insurance for the journey
If a participant suffers a serious accident, for example, he can not only take the sailing trip, but also the journey to the sailing area. Therefore, this should also be insured for withdrawal.

International health insurance
The Tour price do not include health insurance. Ask your health insurance provider whether your policy is valid in the area where the sailing trip takes place. If so - don't forget to bring an appropriate insurance certificate with you on the trip. If not - taking out your own foreign health insurance is urgently advisable.

Accident insurance
No accident insurance is included in the Tour price. If an accident happens to you during the sailing trip, health insurance will usually cover your treatment costs. However, the compensation costs remain uncovered. It is therefore recommended that you take out your own foreign health and accident insurance.

Liability insurance
Accidents often happen faster than you think and the damage is not always manageable. So that you don't sit at any cost if you accidentally break something, we also recommend taking out liability insurance.

Luggage insurance
You know best whether it makes sense to insure your luggage. In any case, you should keep in mind that it is also possible to insure this.

We want to help you and your Crew to have a great time, but we never compromise on safety. Therefore, every yacht has a complete rescue equipment consisting of foam life jackets, life belts, distress signals and a light buoy. In addition, many of the boats have a life raft and an emergency radio beacon (EPIRB).

Our data protection regulations are up to date with the new EU General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR). We will also never pass your data on to third parties. All data that we receive from you through the completed booking form, newsletter subscription and the questionnaire after the trip are used by us exclusively for internal purposes to improve our services. All pages on which you provide information about yourself are secured with an SSL security certificate.

First of all, the most important thing: we have never had to cancel a Tour part way through due to a problem with a yacht.

There is usually a large network of partner companies in the sailing areas in which we sail. In the event of damage that cannot be repaired by the Skipper, it is therefore usually possible for a specialist to come on board in a relatively short time to carry out the repair. In very complicated cases, a replacement yacht can be provided from a nearby charter base. We are also in contact with many Skippers who step in for a sick Skipper at short notice.

If it is still not possible for us to complete a Tour, you and your Crewmembers will receive the money paid back for the cruise in full. Since the flights are booked by the participants themselves and cannot be reimbursed by us, it is strongly recommended that travel cancellation insurance be taken out for the journey.

The comprehensive insurance of each yacht has its excess (or deductible), which is paid in the event of damage. Depending on the yacht, this amounts to between 1000 € and 8000 €. For all Sailing Tours (and most JTC group bookings) the size of the deposit is limited to 250 € per yacht via the so-called “limited excess“. So, if you are sailing as part of a Crew of 8 participants, the amount paid by each person would be approximately 30 €.

The exception is when you choose a yacht that does not come from our regular charter partner. In such a case, the excess will be blocked via your credit card as a deposit, similar to renting a car; alternatively you can book your own, separate insurance for the yacht - please tell us though when booking. 

Group bookings

If you prefer to sail as a closed group, you can book a yacht all by yourself via “Group booking”. Of course, the price includes the same services as for our co-sailing trips: an experienced skipper, security payment (does not apply to starting ports outside the main JTC program), outboard, mileage confirmation and final cleaning. In addition there is your arrival and the usual board cash.

You can find more information under group bookings on our website. 

Up to 4 people:

With up to 4 people you do not need to book your own yacht: You can register for the entire JTC program for every sailing trip. When booking online, write that you belong together, then we will all assign you to the same yacht.

From 5 people:

For good group dynamics, we avoid that a closed group forms the majority of the people within a crew. Therefore larger groups book their own yacht with a JTC skipper.

It makes sense to book an entire yacht from four people - we would rather recommend a small yacht with three cabins. Most groups book 4- and 5-cabin yachts with 6 to 10 people with us. We also offer larger yachts for a maximum of 12 participants plus skipper.

No problem - with our crew finder you can easily find the missing crew members. The whole thing goes like this: You place your application on our stock exchange, the interested parties contact you and you can then see together if you fit well together. Voila, your crew is ready. The payment will then be processed directly under you.

As long as there is a JTC flotilla in the area at your appointment, you are welcome to join. For the smooth organization, a connection is only possible for yachts that are booked via JTC with our skipper.


If you join one of the JTC flotillas for a day or the whole trip, you logically sail the route of the flotilla. If you want to be on your own, you can basically choose any route you want, provided your skipper has no safety concerns (e.g. due to the current weather forecast) and if you bring the boat back in time. However, since our skippers have a lot of experience in these areas and often know their way around, it definitely makes sense to listen to their tips.

Online booking:

In each cruise offer under “Dates, Prices, Booking” you will find offers of yachts from the JTC contingent under “Group booking”. We book these yachts as part of our large booking process long before the season starts and can therefore offer you great prices. Online booking is particularly interesting for groups who want to join our flotillas, because all yachts here are on dates with JTC flotillas.

About yacht request:

With an individual request you can enter all your preferences such as area, period, yacht type, flotilla connection and we will find the perfect yacht with JTC skipper for you.

All JTC skippers speak fluent English. Since they are used to sailing with different nationalities, communication is usually very easy. 

Most groups shop and cook themselves on the boat or eat in local restaurants. When shopping for the first time, our shopping list can be helpful (accessible after booking in the online area). Your skipper can recommend good restaurants along the way. Alternatively, you can book our standard set of food and beverages or your individual list. We deliver the products directly to the boat on the check-in day.

Immediately after booking an entire yacht with a skipper, the group boss receives a leaflet with all information about the starting port and tips for self-organized arrival. Almost all Join The Crew launch ports are in the immediate vicinity of an airport and can be reached by taxi within 5 to 30 minutes.

As a group that books an entire yacht with a skipper, you do not need any other yacht insurance. The price of a JTC group booking includes an experienced skipper, including a professional skipper liability policy, and the deposit (except for yachts that do not come from our regular partners).

Traditionally, the skipper is taken care of by the group on board.

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