Turnaround Day Between Charters: A 24-Hour Interior and Galley Plan

A practical 24-hour turnaround plan between yacht charters: disembarkation, cabin reset, laundry, galley restock, provisioning, crew rest and the next welcome.

About this guide

A charter turnaround is the window between one group disembarking and the next embarking. In 24 hours the interior resets every cabin and guest area, the galley clears and restocks, provisioning arrives, and the crew still needs a few hours off before the next welcome.

This guide gives an hour-by-hour plan chief stews and chefs can adapt. Shorter turnarounds compress it; longer ones give the crew a proper break.

Before the last guests leave

Confirm next guests' preference sheet, cabin plan and arrival time. Place the provisioning order with delivery slots for turnaround day. Book laundry help or extra day crew if the yacht uses them. Start laundry on unused cabins and crew areas the day before.

A sample 24-hour plan

Hours 0–2. Farewell, then strip cabins and guest areas. Clear, clean and audit fridges and stores. Hours 2–6. Laundry running, deep clean cabins. Receive and check deliveries. Hours 6–10. Bathrooms, amenities, minibars restocked. Stow provisions, plan the first menus. Hours 10–16. Crew rest. Crew rest. Hours 16–20. Flowers, set-up to preferences, final checks. Prep for the welcome meal. Hours 20–24. Cabin walk-through, welcome briefing for crew. Final prep, welcome drinks and canapés

Protect the rest block. A rested crew at the welcome matters more than one extra polish.

What gets missed on turnaround day?

Lost property from the previous guests. Allergen and dietary changes for the new group. Toys, tenders and deck areas, if deck and interior don't coordinate. Guest-facing itinerary, menus and guest information for the new charter. Closing the previous charter's requests and guest history notes.

Making short turnarounds work

For same-day turnarounds, do as much as possible before the last guests leave, split the crew into cabin, laundry and galley teams, and keep set-up simple. Agree the minimum standard with the captain in advance so nobody improvises under pressure.

Mistakes worth avoiding

  • Provisioning deliveries arriving at the same time as cabin cleaning peaks.
  • No crew rest between groups.
  • Setting cabins to the previous group's preferences.
  • Forgetting to switch the guest information and itinerary to the new charter.
  • Leaving the last charter's notes until later.

Frequently asked questions

What is a charter turnaround?

The time between one charter group leaving and the next arriving, used to clean, reset, restock and rest the crew.

How long does a yacht turnaround take?

Most crews prefer at least a full day. Same-day turnarounds are possible but need preparation before the last guests leave and a simple set-up.

What should the galley do on turnaround day?

Clear and audit stores, receive and stow provisioning, check allergens for the new guests and prepare the welcome meal.

How do you give crew rest on a turnaround?

Plan a protected rest block in the middle of the day, after the heavy cleaning and before the final set-up.

Where the tooling helps

The next guests' file ready

Preferences and dietary needs are in hand before turnaround starts.

Duplicate and adjust

Start the next itinerary from a similar trip rather than a blank page.

Guest pages per charter

Each group gets its own itinerary, menus and information.

Continue reading

Start the next charter ready

Some crews prepare each group's itinerary, menus and preferences in Guest Trip before turnaround day begins. Try it free on your next charter.