The Short Answer
On a Rhythm & Sails trip, "all-inclusive" means your private cabin, every meal, every drink aboard, all the music, all the sailing and all the fees that come with moving catamarans through the Grenadines. What it doesn't cover is your flight, travel insurance, optional crew gratuity and whatever you choose to spend ashore. That's the whole picture.
Have you ever booked a flight with Frontier Airlines? At first, the fare looks cheap. Then they up-charge you for your seat. Then they charge you for checked luggage AND your carry-on. Want to talk to a real employee? That’ll cost ya!
Going to a music festival? You’ve got general admission tickets, VIP upgrades and extra ticket costs if you want to see the late-night sets. Want a couple beers? You might as well just hand your wallet over. We’re very intentional about our pricing because the entire point of this trip is to be present. It's hard to live in the moment when part of you is doing math every time you want a cocktail.
"All-Inclusive" Can Mean Many Different Things
On a big ship it can mean the buffet is free but the good stuff isn't. The drinks are complimentary until you order one you actually want and, very quickly, the price of your trip begins to incrementally creep. On a traditional yacht charter it can mean something else entirely. An advance provisioning allowance (APA) is when you hand the captain a fat stack of cash on top of the charter fee, to cover drinks, dockage fees, and other costs along the way. They’ll let you know when you’ve gone through it all. Both are widely-used models. Neither tells you what your week costs before you leave home. With R&S, we settle up before you board and we don’t come looking for your wallet throughout the trip.
What's Included in the trip?
Getting from the airport to the marina
You fly into Argyle International Airport (SVD) on the main island of St. Vincent. If you arrive on the first day of the trip, we’ll handle the ground transport from the airport to the marina, and back again at the end of the week. Send us your flights and we'll take it from there. If you choose to arrive early or stay late, the ground transport is on you, but we’ll be happy to guide you through the process.
A private cabin aboard a crewed catamaran
Our fleet of catamarans ranges from 40 to 50 feet. Each boat has 3–5 cabins, with one reserved for staff quarters and the others for guests. Your cabin will have a queen bed, linens, towels, fresh water and a private bathroom, with a shower because you might want a quick rinse after swimming with sea turtles. Each boat comes fully crewed. You’ll have a captain, first mate and a private chef to prepare your meals aboard. How much you lean into the sailing aspect is up to you. You can absolutely work the lines or even step behind the helm. But nobody is going to make that decision for you. It’s your trip.
Every meal, cooked and served
Breakfast on the back deck. Lunch in a beautiful bay. Dinner that your chef has been quietly preparing while you were frolicking in the ocean. Yes, there's a genuine, salt-of-the-earth human who cooks for your crew and knows, before you step foot on the boat, that you prefer chardonnay over pinot grigio and you don’t ever eat shellfish. Shared meals on a boat are one of the most underrated pleasures of this trip. It's where strangers trade stories and become lifelong friends.
Drinks aboard
Beer, wine and cocktails aboard your boat are included, all week. Prior to the trip, we’ll ask if you have any preferences and the boat will be stocked with those before you arrive. Two caveats: First, Caribbean distributors don’t stock all the brands you might be used to having back home, but we’ll do our best to accommodate your specific requests. Secondly, we do say "aboard" deliberately. If you choose to buy drinks on shore, that’ll be on you.
All the music
Every note. You don’t need to buy any late-night tickets or VIP wristbands. The artists are on the boats, sharing meals and strolling down the beach with the rest of us. They play music daily, in a variety of combinations and capacities. You can expect to hear music ringing out from catamarans, wafting down beaches and turning up in local bars. Our shows are some of the most intimate experiences you can have with your favorite artists, in the most incredible “venues” you’ll ever see live music. Unlike a traditional concert or festival, you can always saunter up to the front row and, if it weren’t for the palm trees, you’d feel like you’re sitting at a session on their own back porch.
The sailing, and everything it costs
Moving a fleet of boats through the Grenadines involves a running tab of fees most people never see: mooring balls, dockage, cruising permits, marine park charges, fuel, water. All of it is included.
Water toys
Paddleboards live on the boats and are yours to use whenever the mood strikes. We also have swimming fins and a few snorkels and masks, but we recommend bringing your own snorkel mask to guarantee fit and unlimited time with the fishies.
What's Not Included?
- Airfare: Getting yourself to St. Vincent is on you. It's a shorter trip than most people assume, with nonstop options from the U.S. East Coast, and plenty of one-stop routings through major US airports. We're happy to help you with planning.
- Travel insurance: We do require that you carry it. This is a remote corner of the Caribbean and you're on a boat; things happen, flights get cancelled, and we'd rather you were covered.
- Food and drinks ashore: When we're on the beach at a local spot or out for the evening on Bequia or Mustique, those rounds are yours. Any money you spend then stays in the islands we're visiting and supports the people who live there.
- Crew gratuity: Standard practice in the Caribbean is 10–20% of the trip cost, handed to your captain at the end of the week, to share among the crew. It's not automatically added, nor is it mandatory, but your captain and crew will have worked 10x harder than you realize to make your week look effortless. If they did that successfully, this is an opportunity to say that.
- Optional adventures: Many of our guests (and artists) are excited to dive in the Grenadines and we regularly arrange SCUBA outings through local outfitters. This also applies to anglers who want to cast a line into some of the best sport fishing waters in the world.
- Anything you choose to buy yourself: Souvenirs, spa treatments or that bottle of hot sauce you want to take home.
So How Much Does a Rhythm & Sails All-Inclusive Charter Cost?
The cost varies slightly by trip and will be listed in the FAQ on the trip page. Our May 1-7, 2027 voyage costs $8,970 per person. A $975 deposit will hold your spot and we offer easy payment plans because there's no reason a trip you're taking next year needs to be paid for this month.
Here's the honest way to think about that number. Set it next to a week of premium travel where you're booking flights and hotels and restaurants and excursions and concert tickets, and then set it next to the fact that you and a roster of your favorite musicians will spend seven days deep in the Caribbean, somewhere very few people ever get to. It’s not a discount vacation, but it's one price, and it's the real one.
Frequently Asked Questions About Our Caribbean Sailing and Live Music Trip
Does all-inclusive really include alcohol?
Aboard your boat, yes. Beer, wine and cocktails, all week. No tab. Drinks at bars and restaurants ashore are on you.
Do I need to know how to sail?
Not at all. Every boat is fully crewed. Many of our guests have never sailed. Some of them still end up at the helm halfway through the trip.
Is there an option for single travelers? Can I come solo?
Absolutely. Cabins are double occupancy, but you can reserve one to yourself if you’d like. We can also try to link you up with another solo traveler. If you want to chat about it, reach out to us via our contact page or email us at info@rhythmandsails.com.
How much sailing is there throughout the week? How long are the sails?
The float plan is slightly different on every trip, but we usually sail on four or five of the seven days. We intentionally include layover days on which we don’t sail at all, to ensure the pace of the trip feels relaxed. The sails range from 1.5 to 4.5 hours. Whenever we’re not sailing, the catamarans are moored next to each other in beautiful bays and you’re free to move around between boats.
What if I get seasick?
Not to worry! The sailing is more gentle than most people picture. Catamarans are notably steadier than monohulls, which reduces the risk of serious seasickness, and our sails between islands are relatively short. That being said, it does happen from time to time, but most guests are able to get past it quickly with over-the-counter remedies. We also have a full-time medic on board to help you deal with seasickness or any other ailments.
How much personal money should I budget on top of the cost of the trip?
Some guests go through the whole trip without spending a dime, but you’ll most likely want to buy a couple souvenirs and a drink here or there. Most guests find a few hundred dollars covers it, plus gratuity. You won’t be nickel-and-dimed.
Is there Wi-Fi?
We do have Wi-Fi in the fleet, for use when needed. We also have cell service throughout most of the voyage. However, we'd gently encourage you to disconnect as much as possible. It’s not an inconvenience of the trip—it's mostly the point.
How it All Comes Together
Everything we've laid out here comes down to a single idea: nothing should stand between you and the experience. Not a tab. Not a wristband. Not a barricade between you and the person playing music just a few feet away. We keep these trips intimate because they're about more than just an artist lineup. They're about a small group of travelers setting out on an adventure that will likely turn out to be the best week of their lives.
