I’m planning a small birthday celebration in Dubai and got stuck at the yacht size question. We’ll be around 10–12 people, not a wild party but not super quiet either, and I honestly can’t tell if a smaller yacht will feel cramped after an hour or if going too big is just throwing money away. Photos online always look spacious, but I know reality is different once everyone’s moving around, sitting, eating, taking photos. For those who’ve actually done this, how did you decide what size yacht made sense for your group or event?
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I had the same confusion last year when we organized a sunset cruise for a friend’s engagement, so I totally get what you’re saying. From my experience, the biggest mistake is choosing based only on the number of guests. Yes, 10–12 people technically “fit” on a smaller yacht, but once you add food, drinks, people wanting shade, others wanting to stand on the deck for photos, it starts to feel tight very quickly. We originally thought a compact yacht would be fine, but ended up going one size up, and I’m glad we did.
What helped me was looking at real layouts and imagining how the group would actually behave. For example, if it’s a relaxed celebration where people sit, talk, move between indoor and outdoor areas, you need extra space even if the guest count isn’t huge. We also considered the event type: engagement meant photos, speeches, a bit of privacy, so cabins and open deck space mattered more than speed or luxury finishes.
I browsed different options and descriptions on yacht booking dubai https://charterclick.com/ because they show capacity and layout clearly, not just glossy pictures. That made it easier to compare and think practically. In short, I’d say choose based on how people will use the space, not just how many of them there are. Slightly bigger usually feels more comfortable and less stressful.