Luxury experiences for Gen Z: How Millennial yacht charters are redefining luxury travel

Travel is identity, not just a vacation

No matter which generation you come from, yachting has always been the ultimate achievement and status symbol. What other vacation comes with the same level of luxury and exclusivity?

Each generation wants different things: locations, activities, yachts. But today, we’re in a digital-first world where social media dominates. And the beach clubs our parents once returned to time and time again—Club 55, anyone?—aren’t so much a thing anymore.

Now that Millennials and Gen Z are coming into their own, they’re changing the face of the luxury market. Expectations and standards are shifting with the changing tides, and the old rules don’t always make sense anymore.

How young luxury consumers are rewriting the (yachting) rules

For Millennials (born between 1981 and 1996) and Gen Z (1997 to the early 2010s), luxury travel isn’t about indulgence so much as it is about expressing identity. Recent research by Deloitte shows that young people are looking for luxury purchases that match their values. This is especially true when those experiences promote growth, wellness, and adventure.

In other words, they want meaningful experiences, not just luxury goods.

How then do we define luxury yacht charters for young consumers?

The most important insight is this: charters have become more than a holiday. They’re reflections of taste and lifestyle, combining adventure, experiences, and opportunities to share memories with family and friends—even if that’s via social media.

Itineraries are carefully chosen to reflect who they are and how they want to be seen. In other words, Millennials and Gen Z see holidays less as a chance to relax and more of a chance to define themselves, to grow, and build community.

Discovery is a big part of that, says charter broker Roy Posthuma.

“Tradition is less interesting to Gen Z consumers. They don’t care which beach clubs mum and dad went to. They want to know about the newest ones with the best DJs.”

Charter broker Léa Abbas Tintaud agrees. “One of my recent charters was to southern Sardinia, as opposed to the more popular north. They were there to support a friend. I find, more often than not, word-of-mouth recommendations are more important, and they don’t mind going off-the-beaten-track.”

That doesn’t mean they’re not going to the classic hotspots, but once they get there, younger charter guests are looking for unique experiences.

Top yacht experiences Millennials and Gen Z are booking in 2026

Millennial yacht charters: designed for speed and style

Like most Millennials, Roy’s clients are interested in variety.

“Young people are hungry for things to do,” he explains. “They want things to capture and keep their attention. They shouldn’t take too long though. A nice dinner is great, but it shouldn’t take all night either.”

They’re also not interested in peace and serenity. They want immersive experiences.

“Give them something active to do. Spend the afternoon playing with water toys, book them into a beach club for lunch and dancing before a cocktail to watch the sunset while the DJ starts their set.”

And make it look good.

“Social media is a much bigger part of the experience,” says Roy.

Surprisingly, this need for speed also shapes how they plan their charters. Where their parents don’t mind lengthy, detailed planning, Roy finds easy, visual itineraries are much more effective.

“Make it quick and easy to understand,” advises Roy. “They have less time, prefer digital, and they tend to plan and book later than their parents did. I keep the data low—only the most relevant information—and make it much more intuitive.”

What luxury looks like to Gen Z at sea

But what about Gen Z? With the oldest of the cohort turning 29 in 2026, they’re still a bit young, says Léa. Roy agrees, though says they’re similar to their Millennial counterparts.

Itineraries built around energy

Mornings dedicated to wellbeing, afternoons dedicated to adventure before hitting the sexiest nightclubs on shore—variety is still the luxury like their older Millennial siblings.

Influencer- or celebrity-endorsed experiences

Where celebrities go, attention follows. Both Millennials and Gen Z pay attention to where their favourites are going.

“Kylie Jenner and Timothée Chalamet, Justin Bieber—celebrities around their age—or celebrities like Beyoncé and Lady Gaga; they want to know where they’re going and which yachts they’re chartering. These insights shape their purchasing decisions,” Roy explains.

It’s not just the celebrities themselves though, says Léa.

“Set-jetting is a trend we’re seeing across the board—vacations centred around visiting the sets of films and television shows—but particularly with younger charterers. I experienced this myself in Dubrovnik, one of the cities in which Game of Thrones was filmed.”

Social media as part of the experience

Yacht charters are typically designed to be experienced with groups, so it’s not surprising that social media is going to be a part of the experience.

So, when it comes to luxury travel for Gen Z, aesthetics matter.

“I’d consider the lighting, the layout, and the flow of the yachts for younger clients,” says Roy.

But they’re not only documenting their journeys via social media. Younger travellers are also relying on generative AI and social media for travel inspiration, turning to Pinterest, Instagram, and TikTok to help them plan.

New hotspots versus old traditions

The French Riviera, the Balearic Islands, the Adriatic coast, and Sardinia are all popular locations for Moravia’s Millennial and Gen Z clients—the usual hotspots. Roy cites Mykonos and Saint Barths too.

“Saint Barths is particularly popular for New Year’s, which we saw just this past December.”

The difference is what they’re doing once they get there.

“The old, stalwart beach clubs of their parents’ generation are no longer interesting to them. They want new. It’s not Club 55, it’s the Jacquemus Beach Club collaboration with Monte-Carlo Beach.”

While collaborations with luxury brands may hold obvious appeal, research would suggest it’s less about the prestige, more about being in-the-know.

The most popular charter yachts for Millennials and Gen Z

The charter yachts most popular with younger charterers are brand new, says Roy.

“They don’t go for classics, they go for modern, chic,” he explains. “They want clean, light, and they need to look good on video.”

Beyond that, the yachts they want range in size, builder, type, and style.

Certain yachts are more popular than others, however. These are the ones with different onboard amenities, well-appointed beach clubs, pretty pools, DJ set-ups—and those that have been chartered by celebrities. Others have been the set of popular films and movies, including:

TRANQUILITY
The 91.5-metre Oceanco famously hosted Kylie Jenner’s 22nd birthday cruise off the Italian Riviera. Since then, she has attracted other famous guests: actor-musician Jared Leto and singer J Balvin.

SAVANNAH
SAVANNAH, the award-winning Feadship, starred as THE AURORA BOREALIS, the set of Netflix’ psychological thriller, The Woman In Cabin 10. And no wonder: she is the world’s first hybrid-propulsion superyacht, and the first to feature a Nemo lounge on board.

WHISPER (ex. KISMET)
The former 95-metre KISMET once played host to Beyoncé and Jay-Z during a Mediterranean charter. It was also the set of 2019 Netflix film, 6 Underground, starring Ryan Reynolds.

AXIOMA
Some of AXIOMA’s more well-known guests have included F1 champion Lewis Hamilton, Kendall Jenner, Bella and Gigi Hadid, and Hailey Bieber.

GOLDFINGER
Dua Lipa’s 2025 summer cruise was on board the shimmery GOLDFINGER around the Balearic Islands.

But why watch from the shore when you could be on deck? Explore the yachts Millennials and Gen Z can’t get enough of. Contact us to start planning your perfect summer.

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