Unwinding on Sun Daze: A Dreamy Fam Trip Aboard Crewed Yacht Sundaze in the BVI

There are a lot of perks that come with being a luxury crewed yacht broker in the beautiful British Virgin Islands…1, being the awe-inspiring islands themselves, and 2, receiving the invite to explore those very islands on a luxury crewed yacht and being treated to the full guest experience.

Needless to say, the rest of us in the office were slightly jealous of Kayleigh. But rather than keep it to ourselves, we thought we’d share her experience with you so that you can either join us in the jealousy or book your own luxury crewed vacation.

Day 1: Friday

Friday morning was spent finishing up at the 2024 Fall BVI Boat Show with a few final viewings and crew meetings, before it was time to make our way over to our home for the next 3 nights – Sun Daze. We stepped aboard and were warmly welcomed by Captain Tiago and Chef Kiki who had just finished a busy 4 days at the same BVI Boat Show and Chef Kiki who had swept up a well-deserved 1^st place for best appetizer in the culinary competition – well done Kiki!

We were shown to our cabins, and once settled in, were offered a cold refreshment while Tiago ran through the safety briefing and unveiled where our first stop would be – Cooper Island.

We swiftly left the dock at Nanny Cay Marina, hoisted the sails and made our way over to the eco-friendly and idyllic, Cooper Island. Before we knew it, we’d picked up a mooring ball and were making our way down from the expansive flybridge to Kiki’s spread, a lovely light lunch including her award-winning appetizer featuring local papaya as the mandatory ingredient. Needless to say, it was divine!

After our delicious lunch, we promptly changed into our bathing suits and jumped straight into the inviting waters of the British Virgin Islands. We bobbed in the ocean for a while, enjoying free-flowing conversation (and an Aperol spritz’!) while taking in the surrounding beauty of the BVI. Once we were sufficiently sun-kissed and ready to head ashore, we explored the island and all it has to offer; a lovely boutique, rum bar, brewery, coffee shop, restaurant, and a white-sandy beach to enjoy the sunset.

Returning back to the boat, we were greeted with a delicious snack board and cocktail, which we enjoyed on the seating area at the bow – the perfect way to wind down, enjoy the serenity and watch the world go by. We were then ushered inside for a stunning dinner of sea bass with roasted vegetables and a fondant potato followed by and decadent take on s’mores – absolutely delicious!

We were all exhausted so it was early to bed to get a good night sleep and be refreshed for Saturday shenanigans!

Day 2: Saturday

I’m an early riser so I crept out of my cabin (still in PJs!) helped myself to a much-needed first cup of coffee, which was already brewing at the coffee station that has been set up for an easy self-serve, and went straight outside to enjoy the sounds of the morning. “Morning sounds”, to me, is the most amazing time of day when you’re on your own, out on the ocean as you can listen and take in the peace and tranquility that you only get when waking up on the water. You might hear a splash of someone taking that first-morning dip, the sea wake nudging the side of the hull, the busy seagulls fishing for their breakfast or feel the gentle woosh of fresh sea breeze gently waking you up in the best possible way.

Breakfast was served around 8:30 and there was a lovely fruit platter with a basket of chocolate croissants as well as a hot breakfast, eggs benedict, but not your usual eggs benedict! Kiki prepared a sourdough loaf, which she lightly toasted, topped with avocado, crispy prosciutto, the most perfectly poached egg and a tangy hollandaise sauce. Tiago makes a great cappuccino as well! The whole breakfast was absolutely divine and fueled us for the day ahead.

As we were finishing up breakfast, Tiago set off to head to our next stop, one of my favourites – North Sound, Virgin Gorda. He expertly navigated around the North side of Moskito Island, between Eustacia Island and the back of Prickly Pear, before finally coming through the channel between Saba Rock and Bitter End Yacht Club to give us the full tour of North Sound. We ended up on the Western side of Prickly Pear where we met with the other 7 boats travelling in tandem and it was a lovely opportunity to swim over to spend some time with our other broker friends and find out what delights are being offered onboard their respective yachts!

Since breakfast was so delicious and plentiful, Kiki read our signals and prepared a lovely light salad for lunch which was happily welcomed. We moved around to my old stomping ground of the Bitter End Yacht Club and headed to shore to browse the shops and enjoy a cocktail (or 2!) at The Reef Sampler, a cool bar made out of the old ferry that used to do taxi between Gun Creek and BEYC before Hurricane Irma in 2017. I love that the BEYC team turned some of the much-loved BEYC memorabilia into the post-Irma BEYC and it is always so wonderful to remember the BEYC I worked at in 2007! The day really did go by so quickly and before we knew it, it was time to head back to the boat as Kiki was preparing an Italian-themed pizza night. We quickly showered and got ready for the incoming Italian feast. Kiki made 5 pizzas, all of her own dough and pizza toppings which were so original and unique and of course – delicious! The pièce de résistance was her grandmother’s tiramisu which was the perfect end to this fabulous meal.

Day 3: Sunday

In true Sunday Morning fashion, I headed outside with my cup of coffee and went to the flybridge to get acquainted with the day. It was a very still morning, not a ripple on the sea. Breakfast served was a yummy shakshuka and amazing French toast which we surprisingly devoured and before we knew it we were saying goodbye to North Sound and heading to our next stop.

We had a quick swim and snorkel on the way before we heading into Spanish Town Marina where we stayed on the dock for the rest of the day as the North swell was high and this was the safest option. From there, some of us took a taxi to explore the infamous Baths, while others relaxed onboard. Lunch was waiting for us when we returned. Just as the heavens were about to open, Kiki served us an Asian-inspired lunch; a fresh shrimp spring roll with satay sauce and an absolutely incredible homemade ramen which was just what we needed on this soggy afternoon!

We had the afternoon to ourselves before our last night onboard. The wonderful team who invited us on this FAM Trip, planned a wonderful evening ashore at one of the top restaurants in the BVI – CocoMaya. We were welcomed with a cocktail and which gave us an opportunity to mingle with our fellow brokers & friends along with the crews who had worked so hard to make our few days out an absolute delight. Dinner, as expected, was excellent and we enjoyed the entertainment and ambience that CocoMaya has to offer.

Day 4: Monday Drop-off The morning came around far too quickly and it was time to head back to Tortola, to resume life on land. While we packed our bags, and left the dock, Kiki made homemade ginger blueberry lemon muffins. By the way, these are far superior to a regular blueberry muffin – I will never look at a regular blueberry muffin the same again! We motored a short distance to Trellis Bay where we said our goodbyes and shared a taxi to Road Town. Before I knew it, I in the office by 11am and back to reality with a lot of catch up to do! This weekend was the perfect insight into what to expect on a crewed yacht charter in the British Virgin Islands! It was a time to connect and network with fellow brokers about the industry, enjoy the natural beauty of our  islands, and brainstorm fun ways to connect with our loyal guests. We would like to extend a heartfelt thank you to the managers and owners of Sun Daze for having us and especially to our hosts, Kiki and Tiago for taking such great care of us!

To you, our readers thank you, and if there are any topics that you are interested in knowing about or learning more about, contact us or give us a follow on social media @horizonluxurycrewedyachts