Wealthy travelers are chartering yachts for millions of dollars a week to see extreme destinations like Antarctica

Wealthy travelers have been charting yachts with EYOS Expeditions to explore remote and desirable destinations like Antarctica starting at $225,000 a week.

EYOS Expeditions

• EYOS Expeditions offers wealthy travelers yacht charters to explore remote and desirable destinations.
• Travelers can charter these yachts and receive a curated vacation itinerary for up to millions of dollars a week.
• EYOS has seen a rising interest in vacations to destinations like Antarctica.

After news about the Titan submersible tragedy, there's a good chance you've judged wealthy travelers who want to blow their money on risky vacations to remote destinations. But not all companies are OceanGate, and not all of these trips have to be just as dangerous.

Travelers with ultra-deep pockets and an extreme travel itch to scratch have been turning to another option: EYOS Expedition. And while the travel company won't bring you to the Titanic, it will bring its clients to destinations like Antarctica aboard a luxurious full-service yacht charter. 

As of late, talk about the Titan submersible wreckage could make travelers nervous to go on high-risk trips.

EYOS Expeditions

But traveling to extreme destinations doesn't have to be a life-threatening adventure.

"Recent events have shown the importance of having experienced teams," Ben Lyons, the CEO of EYOS Expeditions, told Insider.

EYOS Expeditions

"There's really no substitution for experience and expertise," he said, adding that clients need to understand which companies are taking a more responsible approach to extreme travel.

Before starting his role at EYOS, Lyons was an officer and captain on the Queen Mary 2 and several expedition ships going to the Arctic, he told Insider.

His company's model is straightforward — and there's no need to squeeze into a small submarine.

EYOS Expeditions

EYOS' clients can charter a full yacht with their friends and family to explore desirable and remote destinations. No need to travel with strangers when you have an entire luxury vessel to yourself.

As Lyons says, EYOS is in the business of "selling dream vacations and once-in-a-lifetime experiences."

"If you see people reacting to a whale surfacing nearby, it's a very different reaction than going to a museum or having a really good meal," Lyons said.

EYOS Expeditions

"There's something more fundamental about it," he said. It translates to a deeper experience and greater interconnectedness with a group.

By offering yacht charters, the guests — often groups of 12 to 22 people — can embark on a vacation fully tailored to their interests.

EYOS Expeditions

EYOS can bring guests to places like Antarctica, Vanuatu, and small islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans.

Several niche travel companies already offer Antarctica cruises.

EYOS Expeditions

But these aren't exactly cheap. In 2022, Insider's Taylor Rains paid $5,700 for an interior cabin she had to share with two random women on her nine-day cruise to Antarctica.

Cruise lines like Celebrity, Silversea, and Princess also offer passageway to the icy continent.

EYOS Expeditions

But travelers aboard these ships still have to share the experience with hundreds to thousands of other guests.

This is where EYOS has carved out a niche for itself.

EYOS Expeditions

Instead of bunking with strangers or sharing a ship with hundreds of travelers, EYOS focuses its attention on smaller travel groups and ships via these exclusive yacht charters.

Unsurprisingly, the company has been seeing increasing interest in charters to colder destinations like Antarctica and the Arctic.

EYOS Expeditions

As a Conde Nast Traveler headline read in March, "Everyone, it seems, is cruising to Antarctica." 

You may have seen endless social media posts about travelers going to Antarctica.

EYOS Expeditions

But according to Lyons, this destination "is not a fad."

"I always say that going there affects our clients more than any other destination I've ever seen," he said. "It's like going to another planet."

EYOS used to operate one or two yachts to Antarctica annually. Now, Lyons is predicting five or six a year.

EYOS Expeditions

He predicts this will only continue to grow, noting that EYOS will still expand its destinations outside of these icy regions in destinations like Papua New Guinea and Melanesia.

EYOS doesn't own any of the yachts listed on its website that are available for charter.

EYOS Expeditions

Instead, these vessels are privately owned and chartered out to the travel company, although EYOS does manage several of the vessels. This generally entails representing the yacht to other agencies or individuals and managing the operations.

Yachts like the Hanse Explorer, Nansen Explorer, and Legend have been especially popular choices, Lyons said.

EYOS Expeditions

Vessels like the Nansen Explorer — designed to accommodate 12 guests across seven staterooms — were originally built to be research ships while ones like the Legend — with a capacity of 22 guests —  have amenities like a five-person submarine.

And then there are vessels like the famed Octopus, a 414-foot superyacht formerly owned by Microsoft's cofounder.

14ft luxury yacht 'Octopus' owned by Microsoft co-founder, Paul Allen, is moored to fuel up at Ege Ports in Kusadasi district of Aydin, Turkey on April 27, 2015.

Getty Images

EYOS has not listed the cost of its trips aboard the Octopus. But in 2022, the 12-guest yacht was available for charter starting at $2.2 million a week with yacht firm Camper and Nicholsons. 

To afford these trips, EYOS' clients work high-paying roles. Think founders and CEOs in industries like finance with interests like skiing.

EYOS Expeditions

"Our clients are busy folks trying to be as efficient as possible without feeling that they're ticking the boxes," Lyons said. 

And it's no surprise most of these travelers are high-earners: EYOS' week-long charters generally range from about $225,000 to several millions of dollars.

EYOS Expeditions

Most clients spend seven to 12 days on the vessels.

For those on a tighter budget, the EYOS team will soon announce a significantly cheaper option — a breezy $ 95,000-a-week charter for 10 guests.

The exact pricing of the trip depends on the vessel, the targeted timeline, and the activities the travelers are looking at.

EYOS Expeditions

If you want a private helicopter, submarine, or a personal photographer, EYOS can provide it. Planning these vacations is a collaborative effort between EYOS and the travelers. 

Think of the process as ordering a custom vehicle.

EYOS Expeditions

EYOS uses a client's expectations for the trip to design their curated itinerary. From there, the traveler and EYOS can go back and forth tweaking the itinerary until it meets the traveler's (and their party's) demands.

If the trip requires specialized guidance, EYOS will provide these resources.

EYOS Expeditions

For example, guests who are interested in photography will be accompanied by professionals who've worked with National Geographic. Or if travelers plan on venturing into frozen regions, the company will provide an ice pilot to assist the captain. 

Recently, EYOS has seen rising interest in conservation.

EYOS Expeditions

For these travelers, EYOS brings aboard science and conservation experts, some of whom will work on these trips.

Some specialized trips can be more difficult to plan, Lyons said.

EYOS Expeditions

Compared to a group of 10 people who all have the same interest, it's not exactly easy to plan a curated vacation for a large group of 40 guests who all have conflicting activity interests and a need to travel on separate yachts.

But for those who'd rather a more rigid itinerary, EYOS also offers scheduled trips that can be booked by individuals, similar to a cruise line.

EYOS Expeditions

And they're much cheaper than these week-long charters: These scheduled trips range from around $15,000 to $60,000 per person.

Next year, EYOS will offer four or five of these itineraries.

EYOS Expeditions

But yacht charters will still remain its bread and butter. In comparison, it operates 50 to 60 charters annually. 

And the business is here to stay, especially as more wealthy travelers catch onto the chartered yacht trend.

EYOS Expeditions

 "Five or 10 years ago, people didn't quite realize what you could do with a private yacht," Lyons said. "We're seeing this tremendous growth in expedition yachting that people are now realizing is possible."

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