Professional diploma800 h · Online · 8 modules

Professional Diploma in Yacht Charter Business and Fleet Management

This professional diploma prepares you to work in the boat and yacht charter business, from managing a whole fleet to providing high-end customer service. You will learn to make your charter business more profitable while complying with the regulations and keeping everyone safe on board, so that you can stand out in a competitive market, offer memorable experiences at sea and run every operational and commercial aspect efficiently.

Duration800 h
ModeOnline
Start1 December
Modules8
Program diagnosis

Prior knowledge check

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About the program

What is the Professional Diploma in Yacht Charter Business and Fleet Management?

This professional diploma covers the charter company from the inside. You will study the market and its models, including bareboat, skippered, catamaran and luxury charter, destinations, seasons, client profiles and the role of agents, brokers and booking platforms; the legal framework for commercial charter vessels, MYBA and other contract models, insurance, security deposits, cancellation clauses, documentation and VAT; fleet management, including selection and purchase of boats, maintenance between charters, check-in and check-out, damage control and fleet renewal; operations and logistics such as booking software, provisioning, berths, crews, itineraries and multi-base operations; customer experience; marketing, pricing and broker relations; economics and owner management programs; and safety and sustainability.

What sets this diploma apart: it focuses on running a charter business and its fleet day to day rather than on the luxury guest experience alone, so you learn how turnarounds, damage control, deposits and owner management programs affect profitability; it gives practical weight to distribution through brokers, nautical booking platforms and dynamic seasonal pricing; it treats safety briefings, emergency procedures and an operator safety plan as part of the product; and it closes with a final project in which you prepare a complete charter business plan.

Program typeProfessional diploma
ModeOnline
Duration800 hours
Modules8
Start1 December

Program highlights

  • Charter market: bareboat, skippered, catamaran and luxury charter, destinations, seasonality and client profiles.
  • Contracts and law: commercial charter rules, MYBA contracts, insurance, deposits, cancellations and VAT.
  • Fleet management: boat selection, turnaround maintenance, check-in and check-out, damage and fleet renewal.
  • Operations: booking software, availability, provisioning, berths, crews, itineraries and multi-base logistics.
  • Sales and economics: pricing by season, nautical booking platforms, brokers, occupancy and profit per boat.
  • Final project: a complete business plan for a charter company, including its safety plan.
Syllabus

Syllabus of the Professional Diploma in Yacht Charter Business and Fleet Management

8 modules. Select a module to see its content.

Module 1

The nautical charter market

  • 1.1. Types of charter: bareboat, skippered and luxury
  • 1.2. Destinations and seasons
  • 1.3. The charter client profile
  • 1.4. Agents, brokers and platforms
  • 1.5. Industry trends
  • 1.6. Luxury and superyacht charter
  • 1.7. Catamaran charter
  • 1.8. Seasonality and emerging destinations
At this stage
100 hestimated workload
8 wkweeks at your pace
Module 2

Legal framework and contracts

  • 2.1. Regulations for charter vessels
  • 2.2. MYBA contracts and contract models
  • 2.3. Insurance and deposits
  • 2.4. Taxation of charter
  • 2.5. Vessel and crew documentation
  • 2.6. Operator's civil liability
  • 2.7. Cancellation clauses
  • 2.8. Management of security deposits
At this stage
100 hestimated workload
8 wkweeks at your pace
Module 3

Fleet management

  • 3.1. Selection and acquisition of boats
  • 3.2. Fleet management programs
  • 3.3. Maintenance between charters
  • 3.4. Check-in and check-out
  • 3.5. Control of damage and incidents
  • 3.6. Fleet renewal
  • 3.7. Cleaning and preparation management
  • 3.8. Inventories on board
At this stage
100 hestimated workload
8 wkweeks at your pace
Module 4

Operations and logistics

  • 4.1. Planning of bookings and availability
  • 4.2. Provisioning
  • 4.3. Berth management
  • 4.4. Crew coordination
  • 4.5. Itineraries and routes
  • 4.6. Multi-base logistics
  • 4.7. Client transfers
  • 4.8. Booking management software
At this stage
100 hestimated workload
8 wkweeks at your pace
Module 5

Customer service and experience

  • 5.1. Safety briefing and handover
  • 5.2. Personalization of the experience
  • 5.3. Complaint handling
  • 5.4. Additional services
  • 5.5. Customer loyalty
  • 5.6. Recommendations on routes and anchorages
  • 5.7. Communication during the charter
  • 5.8. Satisfaction surveys
At this stage
100 hestimated workload
8 wkweeks at your pace
Module 6

Marketing and sales

  • 6.1. Positioning and brand
  • 6.2. Online channels and nautical booking platforms
  • 6.3. Pricing policy and seasons
  • 6.4. Relations with brokers
  • 6.5. Boat shows and nautical events
  • 6.6. Digital marketing and social media
  • 6.7. Audiovisual content
  • 6.8. Affiliate programs
At this stage
100 hestimated workload
8 wkweeks at your pace
Module 7

Financial management

  • 7.1. Cost structure
  • 7.2. Profitability per boat
  • 7.3. Budgets and cash flow
  • 7.4. Occupancy indicators
  • 7.5. Investment analysis
  • 7.6. Fleet management under owner management programs
  • 7.7. VAT in charter
  • 7.8. Management dashboard
At this stage
100 hestimated workload
8 wkweeks at your pace
Module 8

Safety and sustainability

  • 8.1. Safety equipment and regulations
  • 8.2. Emergency procedures
  • 8.3. Good environmental practices
  • 8.4. Waste management on board
  • 8.5. Training of skippers and crews
  • 8.6. Environmental certifications
  • 8.7. The operator's safety plan
  • 8.8. Final project: charter business plan
At this stage
100 hestimated workload
8 wkweeks at your pace
Plan your pace

Duration and format of the Professional Diploma in Yacht Charter Business and Fleet Management

It is 800 hours. Tell us how many you can study each week and we will tell you when you will really finish.

4 h30 h
With 12 h per week
15
months to finish
67 weeks
weeks in total

This is the pace at which most students finish. It fits well with the installment plan.

Faculty

Academic leadership and faculty

The Navalis teaching team: working professionals who teach and supervise the programs.

Dra. Marina AlcoverDr. Marina AlcoverAcademic Director and Head of Quality Assurance
Ing. Diego CifuentesEng. Diego CifuentesSenior Lecturer in Naval Welding and Non-Destructive Testing; Head of QA/QC for Welded Joints
Cap. Javier Abaroa (MCA)Capt. Javier Abaroa (MCA)Senior Lecturer in Ship Handling, Electronic Navigation (ECDIS/Radar/ARPA) and GMDSS; STCW Compliance and Bridge Resource Management Coordinator
Dr. Pau FerrerDr. Pau FerrerSenior Lecturer in Naval Architecture and Simulation; Director of the Hydrodynamics and CFD Laboratory
Dra. Nuria LlobregatDr. Nuria LlobregatSenior Lecturer in Marine Meteorology, SAR and Operational Safety; Navigation Risk Management Coordinator
Ing. Javier BañulsEng. Javier BañulsSenior Lecturer in Electrical Engineering, Automation and ETO Engineering; Electronic Integration and Engine Alarms Coordinator
Ing. Sofía MarquinaEng. Sofía MarquinaSenior Lecturer in Materials, Composites and Corrosion Protection; Coordinator of the Advanced Paints and Coatings Line
Ing. Tomás RieraEng. Tomás RieraSenior Lecturer in Propulsion, Alternative Energy and Hybrid Systems; Energy Performance and Vibration Coordinator
Objectives

Objectives of the Professional Diploma in Yacht Charter Business and Fleet Management

01Manage and optimize the operation of charter boats, planning efficient routes that take account of weather, currents and tides to maximize passenger safety and comfort.
02Master the legislation and regulations of the nautical sector, applying maritime safety and environmental rules such as SOLAS and MARPOL, where relevant, to daily operations, inspections and documentation.
03Develop communication and customer service skills that deliver exceptional charter experiences, using active listening, empathy and problem-solving to exceed client expectations and build loyalty.
04Understand boat maintenance and repair well enough to keep the fleet operational and safe, recognizing faults in mechanical, electrical and hydraulic systems and organizing efficient, lasting solutions.
05Design effective marketing and sales strategies that maximize occupancy and profitability, analyzing the market, segmenting clients, setting dynamic prices and optimizing distribution channels.
06Assess and mitigate the risks of navigation and charter operations, implementing a robust safety management system with pre-departure checklists, clear emergency protocols and regular crew drills.
Careers

Career opportunities after the Professional Diploma in Yacht Charter Business and Fleet Management

01Charter fleet managerboat administration, maintenance, crew hiring and profitability.
02Charter base manager or operations coordinatorturnarounds, check-in and check-out, provisioning and berths.
03Charter sales and booking agentsale of charter services, promotion of destinations and management of bookings and contracts.
04Charter broker or nautical adviseradvice on chartering or buying boats, route planning and contract matters.
05Charter skipper or captain (with the corresponding official license)tailor-made cruises and VIP client care.
06Nautical events organizerregattas, boat gatherings and team-building activities at sea.
Frequently asked questions

Questions about the Professional Diploma in Yacht Charter Business and Fleet Management

No. Skipper and captain licenses are issued by the maritime authority of each country and depend on the size and type of boat. The diploma teaches how to run a charter business and its fleet, not the license itself.

Bareboat charter, skippered charter, catamaran charter and luxury and superyacht charter, with their different clients, contracts, operations and pricing.

That program focuses on the guest-facing side of luxury cruising and superyacht charter. This diploma focuses on running a charter company: fleet, turnarounds, bookings, contracts, deposits, distribution, owner programs and economics.

Yes. The legal module covers MYBA and other contract models, insurance, security deposits, cancellation clauses, operator liability, vessel and crew documentation and VAT in charter.

Yes. The operations module covers availability planning and booking management software, and the marketing module covers nautical booking platforms and broker relations.

Yes. The diploma is designed for entrepreneurs as well as employees, and the final project is a complete business plan covering market, fleet, operations, sales, finances and safety.

Through practical exercises and case studies in each module and a final project in which you prepare a charter business plan, including the operator's safety plan.

Fully online, through a virtual campus available 24/7 with live sessions that are recorded. The diploma comprises 800 hours across 8 modules of about 100 hours each.

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Online admission

Admission process

No waiting for a call back. If your documents are in order, you can enroll in the same session.

Entry requirements
  • Profile: aimed at tourism professionals, entrepreneurs who want to start a boat rental business, recreational skippers, travel agents specializing in nautical tourism and experienced sailors who want to turn their passion into a career; a recreational boating license or higher, or proven experience in managing charter boats, is recommended, together with basic knowledge of boat mechanics and maintenance and of maritime regulations.
  • Language: sufficient command of English to follow the classes and the technical documentation.
  • Technical resources: a computer with internet access, an up-to-date web browser and basic office software skills.
  • Admission: online application, review of your profile and a short interview with the academic team.
  1. 01
    Application
    Your details, background and documents.
  2. 02
    Instant review
    We check that everything is complete and in order.
  3. 03
    Enrollment
    Choose full payment or instalments and reserve your place.
Start my applicationFrom $344 deposit

Admission is provisional until the committee validates the documents provided. If you do not meet the requirements, the full amount is refunded.

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