Bachelor and hen parties on a yacht in Oslo

Twelve people, four hours and no neighbours. Here are the rules, fewer than you would think, but not negotiable.

Request a charter

You get availability and a fixed price back, from the people who own the boats. Most bachelor and hen parties on a yacht in oslo run about 4 hours.

Why it works

No other guests, no queue, and no doorman deciding when the evening ends. You have the whole boat, and the fjord around it. For a group that wants to enjoy itself without disturbing anyone, it is close to ideal.

Four hours is the usual choice. Enough time to get out, lie still somewhere, swim if anyone dares, and be back in town while the evening still has legs.

The rules, briefly

Alcohol is fine. Music is fine, and there is a system on board. Swimming is fine when the skipper says it is safe where you are lying.

What is not fine: standing on the rail, jumping from a moving boat, and drugs. The skipper turns for shore if any of that happens, and the trip is over. It has happened once, and we have no plans for a second time.

Whoever is being sent off

We stay out of your plans. The skipper drives the boat and otherwise keeps his distance. If you have something planned involving equipment, climbing or anything flammable, say so beforehand rather than discovering it on board.

Food and drink

You bring your own. There is no galley, but there is cold storage, and the skipper helps get the crates aboard. Most groups bring something simple, because it is not a dinner party.

Paying and splitting

One price for the whole boat, agreed before the trip. How you split it between twelve is up to you, but the invoice goes to one person. That is easier for everyone than twelve part payments that have to add up.

Weather

The skipper cancels if it blows too hard, and it costs you nothing. The trip moves. A stag or hen date is usually easier to move than a wedding, so this tends to sort itself out.