BVI Operations Update: April 11, 2022  

The Moorings has made excellent progress towards certifying the remaining yachts in our fleet with the help of our partners in the BVI Government. To date, nearly 200 yachts have been fully inspected and have received their Commercial Recreational License, with between 15-20 yachts added weekly. 

Over the past few weeks, we have worked tirelessly to minimize any impact to our charter guests. While some yacht changes have been necessary to accommodate as many customers as possible, there have been no charter cancellations in the BVI since March 28. Thanks to the continued work of the team and the steady addition of new yachts to the fleet, we anticipate very limited disruption from this point forward.  

Our team is now actively contacting any affected charters scheduled to depart through April 19 as we work to confirm upcoming charters on a rolling weekly basis.  

BVI Operations Update: March 25 

The Moorings continues to work with our partners within the BVI Government to complete the process of certifying the remaining yachts in our fleet with the utmost urgency. Our global team is currently prioritizing all BVI charter departures scheduled between now - April 1. No other charter destinations are affected. 

To provide some insight into the scope of the progress being made, we were able to accommodate over 90% of the scheduled charter starts for this upcoming weekend in the British Virgin Islands. While the impact of the situation is still being felt, this is a sign of the rapid improvement we have seen over the past few days, and we are working diligently towards completing the process for the entirety of our fleet. 

We sincerely thank all of our customers for their understanding and patience over the past week. We understand that trust is earned, not given, and we welcome the opportunity to regain the trust of the wider charter community in the weeks and months to come. 

BVI Operations Update: March 21

Over the course of the past few days The Moorings has been working round the clock to respond to the ongoing situation in the British Virgin Islands regarding delays to some charters due to a change in Commercial Recreational License Regulations. We have established a response team within the business dedicated solely to contacting and assisting all customers with upcoming charters to the British Virgin Islands over the next 7-14 days. Please note that this disruption only affects charters in the BVI over the next few days. No other charter destinations are affected.  

The relationship between The Moorings and the British Virgin Islands is one of symbiosis, bred of mutual respect and longstanding trust and partnership. This partnership remains strong, and we are working closely with relevant stakeholders within the BVI Government to bring this interruption to a rapid conclusion.  

With regards to safety and compliance: The Moorings, as part of the Travelopia Group of businesses, has an obsessive view of compliance across every level of the business. Mandatory compliance training is required of each and every employee globally, and our yachts are held to the highest safety standards in the industry, which is reviewed annually to ensure compliance across all of our global charter destinations. To date, The Moorings fleet meets and surpasses US Coast Guard safety regulations standards, and we have adhered to chosen flag regulations across our global charter destinations consistently and without issue for decades. The Moorings has developed nothing short of a stellar reputation over the past 50 years of operation in the BVI due to numerous internal policies put in place to ensure safety, reliability, and service which have made The Moorings the premier charter provider in the region today. 

Beginning in the late fall of 2021, the charter industry in the British Virgin Islands was asked to adhere to new safety guidelines above and beyond those to which we had adhered previously. These new regulations required the procurement of new safety items, from additional fire buckets to additional flotation devices. Upon learning of the new regulations, The Moorings immediately began the process of acquiring the necessary items, all of which was purchased and received prior to March 14.  

The procedure has now turned to processing the updated documentation for each of the 300+ yachts in our fleet. To date, we have already inspected and processed more yachts than any other charter company in the BVI and are in close communication with the relevant parties in the BVI government to finalize the remainder of the fleet in the coming days. The complexity and scale of this process cannot be understated, and we are deeply grateful for the assistance of HM Customs and Shipping Registry teams to complete this effort. 

The situation is improving rapidly, and we have made great progress over the past few days to minimize the number of impacted charters in the near future. We wholeheartedly thank the many members our global team for the herculean effort to mitigate the impact of this situation and help accommodate as many customers as possible.  

We sincerely regret the impact this disruption has had on our valued charter guests over the past few days, and are thankful for the patience and understanding so many have displayed during this challenging time. We also thank our industry partners and broader community for their support, and look forward to completing this process and a return to normal business operations in the coming days.