Question 1

How long should we book?

Accepted Answer

Downtime Boat Charters has a two hour minimum, however we suggest booking at least 3 hours in order to truly enjoy Charleston and your time on the water. If you have a certain destination, sight, or idea in mind please contact us so we can make sure you have plenty of time.
 
If you have younger children please keep in mind how long they will be okay on the water. Depending on age, 2-3 hours tends to be the max, but you know your child better than we do.

Question 2

How far in advance should I make a reservation?

Accepted Answer

As soon as possible. Our schedule fills quickly and last minute reservations are not always possible. Holidays, events, and weekends are usually the first to be reserved so plan ahead!
 
We cut off online booking 3 days before. With at least a few hours notice we can attempt to assemble a crew and get the boat ready, but no promises. Please call as soon as possible if you are attempting a last minute booking so we can confirm availability and start work in the background.

Question 3

Can we add extra time once on the boat?

Accepted Answer

We would love to have you stay longer and we are happy to add on time. The only restrictions are if there is another charter scheduled after yours, the crew's availability, and at the discretion of the Captain. Odds are good that in the summer and during weekends we will not be able to extend.

Additional time added while on charter will be billed at the full hourly rate. Booking an extra hour ahead of time may save you money vs. trying to add later.

Question 4

Can we change the number of passengers after we book?

Accepted Answer

Absolutely! Let us know as soon as possible so we can make sure we have the right safety equipment and personnel assigned to the trip. If you were originally below 6 passengers and decided to invite a few more, we will update the invoice and invoice you separately

Please minimize changes within 7 days of the trip. Changes within 7 days may result in delays, additional fees, or be denied. There will be no refunds for passengers not showing up at the time of charter.

Question 5

What if we are running late the day of?

Accepted Answer

Traffic in Charleston can be unpredictable. We stress the importance of planning to be at the dock early to help account for delays in the group being ready to go and traffic on the way. 
 
If you are running late we will do our best to work with you to make sure you get as much time on the boat as possible. Our crew will prioritize getting our safety brief completed and leave the dock as soon as possible. 
 
It is difficult to simply push the start and end times due to other charters and crew scheduling. We can sometimes run a few minutes late returning back to the dock but anything more than 10-15 minutes will require extending the charter or paying for the crew standby time.

Question 6

How do we pay for the charter? Can we do a deposit?

Accepted Answer

Our online booking service will require the amount to be paid in full for automated approval of the trip. This can be done with a credit or debt card through our booking checkout.

At a minimum we need a 50% deposit to confirm the trip. If you prefer to do a deposit for now, contact us so we can send you a custom invoice. The remaining balance will be due 24 hours before the charter unless other arrangements have been made.

Deposits and invoice balances can be paid through Credit Card or Venmo