While standing on the deck of your mammoth cruise ship or on the beach of your over-priced resort hotel, have you ever wondered who those people are that sail by on those luxurious yachts? Well, most of them will not be appearing in any TV episode of "Lives of the Rich and Famous." They are people just like you, but they have discovered the secret of how to leave the hordes of people and time tables behind by chartering a private, fully crewed yacht to guide them on their tropical Caribbean cruise.

The ideal place to go, for those first-timers who would like to try this type of a cruise vacation, is the Virgin Islands. This area of the Caribbean offers easy air travel connections, while the sailing is done in protected waters that offer many secluded bays, coves and harbors within easy reach.

Once onboard your yacht, the crew will greet you with one of the many island rum punch concoctions to help you settle in on "island time." This is usually an opportune moment to discuss an itinerary for the week. If you are unfamiliar with the islands, your captain will help you. Keep in mind that whatever your itinerary, it's not written in stone so you'll have flexibility to change it at any time.

About one half the crewed yacht charter fleets is based in Tortola, in the British Virgin Islands, while the other half is based in St. Thomas in the U.S. Virgin Islands. Yachts that meet their guests in St. Thomas usually add the island of St. John to their itinerary. The luxurious Rockefeller-built Caneel Bay Resort is located on St. John adjacent to the 13,000-acre Virgin Islands National Park, all accessible from your yacht.  Charters that begin in Red Hook, on St. Thomas, have about a one-hour, 10-mile cruise to West End, Tortola, in the British Virgin Islands.

For those charters that begin in the British Virgin Islands, there are three possible options for meeting their yachts. People flying into Beef Islands International Airport on the east end of Tortola can arrange to have their yacht waiting for them in the bay, at the end of the runway, about a five-minute walk from the terminal. A second option is for those who want to stay ashore the night they arrive to lodge at one of the small hotels located near the center of the island in Road Town, Tortola. In this case, they will meet their crew in town at the Village Cay Marina. The third option is for those that arrive by ferry from St. Thomas in West End, Tortola -- their yacht will be waiting at anchor.

The British Virgin Islands stretch approximately 30 miles from east to west with Tortola, Jost Van Dyke, Virgin Gorda and Anegada being the four largest islands, along with another 30 smaller islands, all of which offer many destination and anchorage options.

Here are a few of the more popular destinations while cruising:

Norman Island, until recently, was uninhabited. This is the island that inspired Robert Louis Stevenson to write his famous novel "Treasure Island." Once at anchor in an area called the Bight, it's a short dingy ride over to Caves at Treasure Point for great snorkeling or scuba diving. For the evening's entertainment, on the beach, there is the Pirate's Bight bar and restaurant, and there is also the notorious floating bar and restaurant known as the Willie T. Both are fun.

The Baths, one of Mother Nature's great phenomena, is located on the southwestern tip of Virgin Gorda. It's one of the BVI's most famous landmarks: randomly placed large granite boulders at the edge of the beach form small grottoes and tide pools for great snorkeling.  

The North Sound, located on the northeast tip of Virgin Gorda is usually the midway point of the week's cruises. This is a lovely spot to drop anchor for a couple of days. The Bitter End Yacht Club Resort is one of six resorts in the North Sound. All of the resorts welcome yachts as their guests. The use of all the facilities, such as swimming pools, restaurants and shopping sprees in their boutiques are encouraged.

Jost Van Dyke is home to the world famous Foxy's where friends are met and memories are made. It is amazing the number of places worldwide where you'll see someone with a Foxy's T-shirt walking by. The atmosphere is casual and everyone is welcome. If you do nothing else, stop in, buy a T-shirt and have a Painkiller. This is the kind of place you'll never see from a cruise ship.

These examples are just a smattering of destinations you can reach while cruising in the Virgin Islands aboard a fully crewed private charter yacht. What makes it interesting is that you can be dining alfresco on the deck of your yacht in a secluded cove in the morning, shopping in a boutique in the exclusive Peter Island Resort in the afternoon, and in the evening attend a Bomba Shack Full Moon Beach Party -- a place to dance to the Reggae music in a structure that looks like the aftermath of a hurricane.

One of the real highlights of cruising aboard a fully crewed private yacht is the gourmet meals and beverages. They are planned in accordance to client preferences, and are prepared specifically for them and not for a mass seating of 50 or more guests. Whether you are dining alfresco or by candlelight in the salon, each meal will be a delight.

To work off some calories, the yacht offers guests numerous activities, including participating in the sailing of the vessel. These yachts also carry a wide variety of water sports equipment for snorkeling, kayaking, windsurfing and water-skiing. Many of the yachts offer scuba diving directly from their boat with one of the crew members being either a Dive Master or Dive Instructor.

What does it cost to book a fully crewed private yacht? Couples can expect to spend $1,800 to $2,800 per person for a 40-to-50 foot yacht with a captain and chef onboard. The larger the group, the lower the rate becomes per guest. Parties of four to eight guests typically pay $1,200 to $2,000 per person aboard a 50-to-75 foot yacht. These rates are for yachts cruising in the Virgin Islands and include all meals and beverages served aboard.

Not included is the gratuity, which is between 10% and 15%, if earned, and the airfare. In addition, each yacht sets its own policy regarding the local cruising taxes, which amounts to about $45 per person, and scuba diving costs --  approximately $30 per dive for each certified diver.

The big difference in cruising aboard a fully crewed private charter yacht is that there are no lines to contend with and no timetables to meet. You spend your time aboard the yacht as if it were your own.