A recent survey of top company execs has revealed that sailing trips are the most desired Company Perks!  From a list of all the usual company incentive packages, including free tickets to NBA games, dinners in fancy restaurants, and weekends away in all-expenses paid villas or hotels, the perk that most executives would like to receive was a sailing holiday.

Whilst these perks are to be earned rather than given (which meant that the company car was ruled out from the list), it’s easy to see why Sailing holidays would be top of the list – and they are a trending luxury holiday experience in the Post-COVID world.

It’s easy to see why – this isn’t just sailing off with your family on a rusty old yacht, but setting sail from some of the best marinas in the Med on a stunning, lovingly crafted (usually brand new), yacht or catamaran, that will take you wherever you want to go, and have a staff of 3 or 4 to cater to your needs.  Imagine taking a catamaran charter around the Greek Islands on your own private luxury boat, and you can see why so many bosses are on board with it!

No more following the crowd, and no more worrying about other hotel guests or even the neighbours in the next villa – just you (and possibly the other most deserving members of the team) and an ocean of opportunities.

Yacht vs Catamaran

When it comes to drilling down on the details, the survey also found out that Catamarans are more popular than yachts.  Yachts only have one hull, whereas Catamarans have two hulls, and are twice as wide – meaning that these are more stable when out at sea and also benefit from double the space – making for a more comfortable ride, and also giving more lounging space for sunbathing and socializing, even when you’re on the move. There is also more space inside for the latest mod-cons, with many of them having full air conditioning, dishwashers, satellite TVs and even washing machines.  Since they have more space, they host more people and have more rooms and cabins where guests can enjoy their day without compromising their privacy.

Bareboat, Skippered or Crewed

If you have the sailing qualifications necessary amongst your team, you can take to the water on your own, but more likely you’ll be taking it with a skipper, will take you to all the hidden gems of the area as well as any tourist hotspots you want to see. He’ll take care of it all and your team can simply kick back and relax. If you want to increase the luxury, you can hire a hostess and a chef to do all the cooking and cleaning too, which makes it much more enjoyable. It really will just be me, you and the deep blue sea when you drop the anchor in a secluded bay for the night, and enjoy the usual home comforts with an incredible view.

Other Syrvey Take-aways

The other important take-away from the survey was that there was a growing trend of giving experiences rather than physical goods as perks.  Whilst it’s nice to receive a bottle of champagne or a new ipad as a reward for work done well, a growing number of execs questioned said that they preferred to be given experiences – and more specifically luxury experiences that they would not normally be able (or have the inclination) to fund – like being in the corporate boxes for the big game, dinner at the finest restaurant in town, or adventurous experiences like sailing.