Recently there was an eYachtCharter review posted by Kim Kavin from a website called CharterWave. Apparently the site is a platform where charter brokers can become a sponsor and have a favorable review written about their services. Being perfectionists, EYC is always open to constructive criticism but the eYachtCharter.com review written by Kavin simply missed the mark.
In her recent blog entry she commented that after reviewing our site she “didn’t see any reference to the key professional organizations run by reputable charter brokers.” If she is referring to us not having logos from the associations whom she promotes than she is absolutely correct.
Kavin must have skipped the About eYachtCharter page because we are a multiple listing service for yachts that is open for the public to view and we provide 24-hour assistance to connect travelers with the best yacht, captain, crew and of course the broker to fit their needs. As for our listing rates, they are clearly displayed on the page titled Listing Services.
Large firms with outstanding term charter reputations will facilitate $100,000+ per week vacations of the highest caliber, but they don’t necessarily cater to luxury day charters or corporate events that some smaller firms may provide. eYachtCharter.com offers yachts and information for all types of charters whether it is a romantic wine tasting cruise in the San Francisco Bay or a weeklong honeymoon in Greece.
Kavin mentioned in her entry that choosing the yacht is just the beginning of the charter booking experience and seems to profess that the broker is the most important element. That is where she and EYC seem to differ. We believe that the consumer is the most important element of the yacht charter, not the broker, because after all it’s the client’s vacation experience.
On January 2, 2008 eYachtCharter announced its official grand opening of its luxury yacht charter directory. The company began accepting listings from reputable listing agents, owners and clearinghouses for sail and motor yachts that charter to exotic destinations throughout the globe, after over a year of extensive research and development.
Being the new kid on the block we wanted to introduce ourselves to the professionals of the industry. We invited marine professionals to register on the site and become part of our global yachting community. We wanted to share a platform that has become one of the top ranking yacht charter websites on the Internet and attracting thousands of highly targeted, unique visitors each month from around the world. This can be attributed in part by the fact that the site is published in nine different languages to provide our international users with an opportunity to receive information in their own vernacular.
We invited listing agents who may want to be considered to list their yachts, charter agents who could utilize our database to find yachts free of charge, marine professionals who may provide complimentary services to link up and become part of our resources section or captains and crew who would like to share their tales from past charters. The opening was a huge success!
Kavin was invited to contribute to http://www.eYachtCharter.com as a yachting resource and declined because, and I quote, “you guys are a competitor, you’re infringing on my way of life.” It was shortly after that conversation that her “review” was posted. This I can assure you was no review. This was simply one misguided individual taking Clintonian cheap shots against their opponents.
She also referred to the Cayman Islands as an improper location for a “Proper Yacht Charter” but what exactly is a proper yacht charter? Does this mean that a three-day scuba diving expedition on a 58’ Catamaran in the Cayman Islands is improper?
Kavin wrote “Buyer Beware” in reference to our company and the quality of the yachts listing in our directory. Now this is where she lost her credibility altogether. EYC has associates around the world who aid in qualifying each and every one of the yachts before they are included in our system.
While some may not support our business model, everyone is entitled to their opinion. We are flattered by the attention and look forward to the competition.
