My family spent $7,700 chartering a 4-bedroom private yacht in Croatia for a week. It was better than a cruise.

After receiving quotes from five different agencies, we booked a seven-night excursion through Fair Wind Charters, where we’d sail round trip from the historic city of Split.

We chose a 40-foot catamaran with four bedrooms plus two crew berths and paid extra for our ship to have a captain and skipper on board.

Our catamaran felt sleek, inside and out, with many windows from which we could take in the superb views.

Each of the four bedrooms offered an en-suite bathroom that included a shower. The kitchen felt well-equipped with an oven, a range, tons of refrigerator and freezer space, and an ice machine for drinks.

Rooms were air-conditioned, but only when the boat was docked and connected to electricity. Otherwise, we relied on the breeze coming off of the water.

There was a large dining room table inside and one outside, so we could choose where to eat depending on the weather conditions.

One of the biggest highlights of our private trip was that we had the ability to customize the itinerary.

With advice from the skipper, we charted our own course for the sights and experiences that we wanted. We were able to make adjustments to the itinerary on the fly depending on the weather and our whims.

For example, one night we dined at a lovely terraced restaurant that included moorage for the evening. We enjoyed it so much that instead of exploring a different cove as planned the next day, we decided to swim at the beach nearby and have another meal there.

Our days were spent relaxing and admiring the passing boats, panoramas of natural beauty, and picturesque villages. It was also easy to climb right off of the boat and into the warm, clear water.

Since we were on a smaller ship, we were able to enjoy lesser-traveled areas that bigger crafts don’t visit.

Throughout the trip, our captain navigated us to secluded swimming areas and our skipper found calm coves for daily dips in the sea. We even spent one night in a quiet cove on Bisevo, an island with only about a dozen residents.

Although this trip wasn’t cheap, I’d say the price felt on par with a small luxury cruise.

Costs for weeklong cruises in the Adriatic I found start at about $1,675 per person (before taxes and other fees). For four people, we would’ve spent over $6,700 or about $957 a day to split two small staterooms.

In contrast, we paid $1,100 a day for an entire private boat. The size of our yacht felt big for just two couples, too, so we could’ve shared it with even more people to bring the price per person down.

Unlike a typical cruise, our rental did not include meals. We were responsible for feeding ourselves and our small crew. However, I appreciated that this meant we could eat what we wanted, including local food and wine that we purchased ashore.

If we didn’t want to deal with the logistics of this, we could’ve added a host to our booking for about $1,300. They’d handle grocery shopping, preparing meals, and cleaning dishes.

Overall, we had a dreamy experience. My family loved getting to visit under-the-radar destinations while controlling our own itinerary and having plenty of space on the boat.

The only difficult thing about the trip was occasionally being asked to lend a hand with the ropes, but that’s just part of the charm of sailing with a small crew.

Chartered vessels are a great way to take peaceful getaways around the world, and I would absolutely put together another private trip like this with family or friends.

Maybe next time we’ll head to the Caribbean.