RESERVATION PROCEDURES AND DEPOSITS:

To reserve a yacht or service with YC YACHTS, the client must proceed with a minimum deposit payment of 50% of the total charter of the vessel(s). This amount may vary depending on the service and will be outlined in the line-item invoice submitted to the client prior to deposit request.

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Accepted forms of payment are the following: PayPal, Credit Card (Visa, Mastercard, Amex), ACH (local wire transfer or international wire transfer), or Cash.

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Deposits ensure the requested date and confirms the availability for activities, transportation, boats, etc., which allows us as a company to cover several expenses prior to the trip start date. In order to proceed with service, the client must complete the payment of the remaining balance within a minimum of 48 hours prior to the departure date for single day or half day excursions in Panama City if paying by credit card, PayPal, or ACH.  For Multi-day charters the final balance is due at a minimum of two weeks prior to the start of the charter departure date.

 

DAY OF DEPARTURE PROCEDURES

• All passengers must have their Cedula or Passport on them at time of boarding. Failure to provide your official documentation could result in your denial to depart from the port.

• All passengers should arrive at least 30 minutes prior to departure to allow for passenger registration and dock protocols. 

• If you are not at the designated meeting point at the arranged time of your activity or service, YC YACHTS reserves the right to not provide a partial or full refund. However, we will always try our best to locate you and accommodate any trip delays that are outside of personal control. After all, we want you to come on the trip and have fun. That is our goal. 

• YC Yachts is not responsible for any delays at the dock during boarding or disembarkment related to marina & dock protocols, traffic, or safety procedures. 

• Speed of the vessel is not guaranteed unless otherwise noted on your invoice- please provide patience and understanding to the crew given the weather conditions of the day.  

• Crew members speak Spanish and do not necessarily speak English. You may request to add bilingual guides at additional cost 

• Following the completion of your charter, YC Investments S.A. is not held responsible for any lost or forgotten belongings on any vessel. If someone in your group happens to lose something during the charter, please contact us as we are happy to assist in recovering this lost item for you, but we do not guarantee or insure any personal belongings.

 

FISHING CHARTERS

• We do not guarantee that you will catch fish. This is called fishing, not catching. 

• The destination selected for fishing refers to the general zone where you will be fishing, and depending on the captain’s discretion based on his knowledge of the fishing grounds, the exact location where you are trolling may vary, but will be within the confirmed destination zone

• This activity does require a level a physicality. We are unable to provide assistance to individuals with physical disabilities or limited mobility. We recommend that you confer with our sales representative prior to booking if you have a disability or limited mobility.

 

CITY BAY CHARTERS (HALF DAY)

• City bay charters are 4 hour long charters unless otherwise stated in your invoice

• The vessel does not stop or anchor during the duration of the charter

• Swimming is not permitted as the vessel does not stop or anchor

• The route takes the vessel around the amador islands to the Bridge of the Americas and back into the city bay, between the peninsula of Casco Antiguo y Punta Pacifica

• Catering options that require the use of the BBQ are not offered on these charters 

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ISLA TABOGA CHARTERS (FULL DAY)

• Isla Taboga charters are 8 hours unless otherwise stated in your invoice

• 2 stops are included in the charter around Isla Taboga, but in case you wish to continue navigating or change the destination while charter is underway - additional charges will apply

• You do not need to utilize the entire amount of time if you do not wish to

• If you wish to disembark and go onto the island, use of the public dock is permitted pending availability (additional fees may apply). You can contract a water taxi to go to the island at additional cost. 

• Jet Ski rentals at the island are offered by a third party operator. Service hours and rates may vary and are not associated with YC YACHTS. 

 

PEARL ISLAND CHARTERS (FULL DAY)

• Pearl Island charters are 8 hours or more depending on the yacht of selection

• 2 stops are included in the charter around Isla Taboga, but in case you wish to continue navigating or change the destination while charter is underway - additional charges will apply

• Dinguis or other water transport from the yacht to the islands is not included unless specifically stated in your invoice

• All day charters within the archipelago of the Pearl Islands must pull up anchor and begin return trip no later than 4pm 

 

DECORATIONS & PRE-DEPARTURE PREPARATION

• You may arrive one hour prior to your scheduled departure time to decorate the vessel if you wish. This hour is complimentary 

• Glitter and/or confetti is strictly prohibited and will result in a cleaning fine of $150

• You may not staple anything into any of the vessels and strong adhesives should not be applied to any fabric or carpeted surfaces

 

FUEL SURCHARGE 

• All charters include fuel cost, but due to shifting global supply chains and pricing, fuel surcharges may or may not apply depending on the actual market value of fuel. In case of a fuel surcharge you will be notified the week prior to departure. This is rare and we try to absorb any fluctuations within normal market ranges.

 

ALTERING YOUR RESERVATION – CHANGE OF VESSEL:

In some cases, your group size may fluctuate, or your event needs may change, and you would like to change the vessel for your charter or the date. Given proper notification we would be happy to make any adjustments to your reservation but given that we do market and represent a variety of boats for a variety of owners we have set policies in place for handling these reservation alterations. This refers to changing the vessel of selection  or date change (all changes to group size within the limits of the selected vessel, additional services, or extras may be adjusted for the same vessel selected without any charge up to 2 days prior to departure):

 

• 30 days prior to your date of charter there is no change fee, and any reservation can be altered as needed

• Up to 2 weeks prior to your charter we can realize any change, but there is a $150 change fee

• Between 8-14 days prior to your charter, we can alter the reservation (this refers to date changes only), but you will lose 50% of initial deposit and the remaining amount will be applied to your new reservation

  • *Any date changes or cancelations to reservations on the 78ft catamaran must be done with a minimum of 21 days advance notice. Cancellations within 21 days of departure date forfeit deposit on this vessel.

  • *Bookings on the 42’ Leopard do not accept date changes. All reservations are final and non-refundable deposits

•  Within 7 days of your date of charter we are unable to make any vessel changes or date changes to your reservation without forfeiting 100% of your initial deposit

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CANCELLATIONS AND REFUNDS (single day or half day charters in Panama City)

It is important that before you book with YC YACHTS you as a client take into consideration that as soon as you book with us, we immediately begin to prepare your trip. Therefore, we incur several expenses. Consequently, we a have a REFUND POLICY on the deposit amount in case a cancellation from the customer occurs.  Please note that YC YACHTS is not responsible for changes in your travel plans such as flight alterations or cancellations (whether by you or the airline), family emergencies resulting in group size reduction or complete cancellation, and/or health-related issues. Whatever the stated reason for cancellation, the following cancellation & refund policy will apply:

• More than 30 days prior to date of charter/activity- 100% deposit refund (minus any processing fees if they apply)

• Within 8-30 days prior to date of charter/activity -  50% deposit refund (minus local taxes and processing fees) or option to rebook or reschedule activities without any surcharge. All rates will be maintained for up to 1 year from time of initial trip.

  • *not applicable for 78ft catamaran

• Within One Week (7 days) of date of charter/activity – zero refund. 

• IMPORTANT: any reservations made within 7 days of your departure date is a non-refundable deposit

• * All reservations are final and non-refundable deposits for the 42’ Leopard

 

Rarely, services are cancelled or postponed by YC YACHTS  or at the captain’s discretion, due to mechanical issues, extreme weather, or other unforeseen events. Please note that cancellations due to weather are deemed appropriate at time of boarding at the marina by authorities (SINAPROC) who deem whether it is safe for departure or not. Given that Panama is a tropical nation with micro-climates, rain systems change quickly and a basic rain does not constitute extreme weather for unsafe departure.

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 Should this occur, we will attempt to contact you about the cancellation and to inform you of refund or rescheduling procedures for the particular service. For exact instructions on any cancelled or postponed trips or services, please contact us. In the case of a cancellation of your trip by YC YACHTS, we will either offer you a full refund or schedule you for another trip if possible. 

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CANCELLATIONS AND REFUNDS (Multi-Day Charters): 

•  More than 3 months prior to departure – 100% deposit refund (minus local taxes and processing fees)

• Between 1-3 months prior to departure date – 50% deposit refund (minus local taxes and processing fees)

• Between 2 weeks to 1 month prior to departure date – 25% deposit refund (minus local taxes and processing fees)

• 2 weeks prior to departure date – 100% of payment is due and zero refund is provided·        

 

In case that services must be rescheduled, there is no additional service charge to the client, but rates may vary and cannot be guaranteed for future bookings. In the case that the charter must be cancelled due to mechanical issues, extreme weather, or acts of God, then full refund will be provided on the yacht charter itself minus any additional services provided in conjunction with the yacht charter itself. For exact instructions on any cancelled or postponed trips or services, please contact us. In the case of a cancellation of your trip by YC YACHTS, we will either offer you a refund or schedule you for another trip if possible.

Regarding postponements or rescheduled bookings – once the option to reschedule has been selected, no further options for refund can be applied to any postponed or rescheduled bookings. 

 

 DAMAGES CAUSED DURING CHARTER

Clients are held responsible for any damages caused during the charter. Some damages include, but are not limited to (including their cost):

• Red wine stains - $250

• Improper use of toilets causing sub-pump damage (flushing non organic waste) - $300 per pump

• Smoking inside or where smoking is not permitted - minimum $400

• Broken mirrors - starting at $150

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REFUNDS:

To receive a refund for a cancelled or postponed tour, you must submit a formal request via email to info@ycyachts.com and write "refund" in the subject line. Instructions will be provided in order to obtain your refund.