Provisioning a Grenadines Yacht Charter: Food, Drinks & Preference Sheets Explained

One of the advantages of a fully crewed Grenadines yacht charter is that you do not arrive with bags of groceries and start planning meals.

Before the charter, the crew provisions the yacht specifically for your group. Your chef knows what you enjoy eating, the stewardess knows what you drink, dietary restrictions have been communicated and the yacht should already be stocked when you step onboard.

Almost all of that preparation begins with one important document: the yacht charter preference sheet.

Several weeks before embarkation, you will normally receive a preference sheet asking about the guests travelling and how you would like to eat and drink during the charter.

The completed information is passed to the captain and chef, who use it to create menus and purchase provisions before you arrive. On larger yachts operating with APA, the provisioning costs are paid from your Advance Provisioning Allowance.

By the time you board, the yacht should already have the ingredients, snacks, beverages and other requested supplies needed for the trip.

This matters particularly in the Grenadines because your itinerary may take you through small islands and remote anchorages such as Tobago Cays and Mayreau, where you cannot simply walk into a large supermarket and find every specific product you want.

The better the crew understands your preferences beforehand, the easier it is to source everything before departure.

The preference sheet is much more detailed than simply asking whether you prefer chicken or fish.

Typical questions include:

Food allergies

Dietary restrictions

Favorite cuisines

Foods you dislike

Breakfast preferences

Preferred lunch style

Dinner preferences

Snacks

Children's meals

Coffee and tea

Soft drinks and juices

Beer

Wine

Champagne

Spirits

Cocktails

Preferred brands

Special occasions

Meals you plan to eat ashore

Preference sheets may also include guest ages, travel details, cabin arrangements, medical information and preferred activities because the document helps the entire crew prepare for the charter, not only the chef.

Be specific when completing it.

Writing "we like wine" is far less useful than explaining that you prefer dry Sauvignon Blanc, Provence-style rosé and medium-bodied red wine.

Similarly, do not simply write "healthy food."

Tell the chef whether that means grilled seafood, salads, Mediterranean cooking, low-carb meals, plant-based dishes or something completely different.

Specific information allows the chef to design the menu around you rather than guess.

There is usually no fixed restaurant-style menu that every charter guest receives.

Your chef develops meals around the preference sheet, dietary requirements, available ingredients and the style of your group.

A typical day might include breakfast on deck, a lighter lunch after swimming, snacks during the afternoon and a more elaborate dinner in the evening.

Grenadines crews can also incorporate Caribbean ingredients and locally available seafood into the menu. Current local charter guidance specifically highlights fresh fish such as mahi and snapper alongside locally grown produce, subject to availability and season.

This is where being open-minded can make the experience better.

You can certainly request familiar favorites, but you can also tell the chef that you would like several meals inspired by the islands you are visiting.

The same applies to children.

If younger guests prefer pasta, burgers, fruit, pancakes or earlier dinners, put that information on the preference sheet. The chef does not expect every child to eat the same tasting-style dinner as the adults.

Drinks are handled in essentially the same way as food.

Your preference sheet may ask for:

Still and sparkling water

Sodas

Juices

Coffee

Tea

Beer

Wine

Champagne

Rum

Gin

Vodka

Whisky

Tequila

Cocktail ingredients

Non-alcoholic alternatives

Again, brands matter.

If you specifically want a particular Champagne, gin, whisky or wine producer, say so in advance. Preference-sheet guidance for charter crews recommends listing exact brands where they are important rather than assuming the crew will select the same product you normally buy at home.

This becomes especially important with premium wines and spirits.

A standard bar may already be included on some all-inclusive yachts, but particularly expensive bottles, unusual vintages or specialist products may carry an additional charge. All-inclusive charter terms vary from yacht to yacht, and premium beverages are commonly listed among potential exclusions.

If your group barely drinks alcohol, tell the crew that too.

There is no reason to provision large quantities of wine and spirits simply because guests normally expect a yacht to have a full bar.

That depends on the yacht's charter terms.

On an all-inclusive crewed charter, standard meals, drinks and normal provisioning may already be incorporated into the weekly rate. Exactly what qualifies as included varies by yacht, and premium food, premium alcohol or special requests can still be charged separately.

On a plus-expenses charter, provisioning is normally paid from the yacht's APA, or Advance Provisioning Allowance.

The APA commonly covers:

Food

Drinks

Fuel

Mooring fees

Marina fees

Local shore expenses

Other variable charter costs

Grenadines charter operators currently suggest budgeting around 25% to 30% of the base charter fee for APA on yachts using this structure. Any money not spent should be returned at the end of the charter.

So if you request expensive Champagne, premium steaks and specialist ingredients flown or shipped into the region, your provisioning expenditure will naturally be higher.

If your group prefers fresh local fish, casual lunches and moderate beverages, it may be considerably lower.

This is the part of the preference sheet where you should be extremely precise.

Do not treat an allergy as a normal food dislike.

The chef needs to understand whether someone simply prefers not to eat shellfish or whether exposure to shellfish could cause a serious allergic reaction. Good provisioning guidance specifically recommends identifying the allergy and its severity rather than leaving the crew to interpret vague information.

Crewed yachts can commonly accommodate requirements such as:

Vegetarian

Vegan

Gluten-free

Dairy-free

Food allergies

Children's diets

Other medically or personally required diets

More specialized requirements should simply be communicated as early as possible so the chef has time to source appropriate products.

The same rule applies if one person follows a particular diet while everyone else eats normally.

The chef can usually accommodate different preferences within the same group, but only if they know beforehand.

Absolutely.

Provisioning does not mean you have to eat every meal onboard.

A Grenadines itinerary gives you opportunities to dine ashore in places such as Bequia, Mustique and Canouan, and many guests intentionally combine chef-prepared meals onboard with a few restaurant evenings.

Tell the crew beforehand if you already know you want to eat ashore on certain nights.

There is little point provisioning dinner for eight people if everyone intends to spend the evening at a restaurant.

Some crewed yachts even operate on half-board arrangements, specifically including a certain number of onboard meals while leaving several lunches or dinners for guests to enjoy ashore at their own expense.

Your plans do not need to be rigid, however.

If you reach Bequia and suddenly decide you would rather have dinner ashore, tell the crew. A private charter is meant to remain flexible.

The easiest way to improve your onboard dining experience is simply to take the preference sheet seriously.

Tell the crew:

What you love.

What you dislike.

What you cannot eat.

What your children actually eat.

Which drinks and brands matter to you.

Whether you want local Caribbean food.

And how often you expect to dine ashore.

Your chef can then build the week around your group before you even arrive.

Good provisioning should almost disappear into the background of the charter.

You wake up and your coffee is already the way you like it. Your favorite drinks are cold. The children have food they enjoy. Allergies have already been accounted for, and dinner reflects what you actually wanted rather than what somebody guessed you might like.

That is exactly what the preference sheet is designed to achieve.