If you have booked a charter with Where Land Meets Sea Charters in the Virgin Islands, you have probably been presented with Playtime as a charter option. Quite simply, if Playtime is available for your approximate dates, I ALWAYS include her in my list to you. But with so many Lagoon 560’s available, why do I ALWAYS include Playtime? Why is it one of my favorites and why have I chosen Playtime as the first “Boat of The Month?” While I have had several very happy groups charter with Tyler and Kelsey (the crew of Playtime), for me, it’s a sum of the parts. Playtime offers all the things I consider most important: great crew, great boat, flexibility, known history and support.
Many people consider great crew as the one and only thing that makes a great charter. I think of it a little differently and believe: A great boat attracts a great crew. Lagoon 560 catamarans have become one of the most sought after charter options. They comfortably sleep 8 adults+crew and all of the cabins are well-appointed with proper head room, dry stall showers, and offer climate controls. The flybridge/3rd deck lounge is very spacious and is often where guests prefer to spend much of their time. The crew aboard Playtime-Tyler and Kelsey Dunn are equally impressive. After meeting on a dive in the Florida Keys many years ago, they have remained inseparable. They are both licensed captains, licensed dive instructors and chefs. This means they share a variety of responsibilities and are able to swap roles based on their individual strengths for each charter.
Playtime also offers a variety of flexible options based on what the guests’s needs are. They are happy to pick up in St. Thomas OR Tortola (subject to availability) and will even accommodate other locations if possible. They do NOT charge extra for alternate pick up locations. Playtime offers 3 queen cabins with a bunk cabin which is ideal for families. Alternatively, if a group of 4 couples books Playtime, the crew will swap cabins and offer the 4th queen cabin for the week. Lastly, a guest can submit a preference for branded alcohol spirits and the manager will stock with branded/upgraded bar assuming the alcohol is available on island.
Before Tyler and Kelsey were the crew, Playtime was managed and operated by one of the best crew in the BVI’s. Mario and Karine who are now operating a gorgeous Lagoon 620-Le Reve (we’ll feature them at some point in the future!) took immaculate care of Playtime. Knowing the history of a boat is a wonderful and helpful guide to predict how she will function for years to come.
A great boat, a great crew, flexible options and an amazing support network in place to help with provisioning and maintenance means the crew can rest between charters while the yacht is tended to.
All of these factors combined make her one of my “Go-To’s”….while she may not fit into everyone’s budget, I always select her as a boat to consider simply for compare and contrast purposes.
