If you’ve been aboard a cruise ship, then you know the drill. You enter into a grand foyer with a bank of elevators near a front desk. The buffet restaurant is on the top deck near the main pool, and the theater is down near the ship’s bow, past the main dining hall. If there is an art gallery, it’s somewhere in the middle of the ship, probably near the card room and library. “Mr. Sexy Legs” contests are held on the Lido Deck, and the photo shop is along the main concourse. Bars are strategically placed in between all of these destinations, in case you want to buy a $12 piña colada to quench your thirst as you make your way around.

True, some higher-end cruise ships have more intimate layouts that include private restaurants and cigar bars, but for the most part, all cruise ships are designed in a similar fashion—because they all have to move masses of people around efficiently. The décor may change from ship to ship, but the general layout tends to stay the same whether you are on a Mediterranean cruise, a Panama cruise, a Hawaiian cruise, or a Caribbean cruise. The cabins are aligned in rows, identical within their decks and often quite cramped. You don’t see many cruise ships with sails, or with intimate tables for two inside the galley.

Charter yachts are a different story.

Some charter yachts do have sails, and intimate tables for two inside the galley, and all kinds of other features that make each boat unique. Some have indoor bars, some have outdoor bars, some have jacuzzis where others have sunbathing areas, some have workout rooms, some have kids’ playrooms, some have master cabins on the bottom deck while others have master cabins on the main deck, some have surround-sound theater systems, some have aquariums for viewing, some have wide swim platforms for getting in and out of the water, some have narrow passarelles for walking over the water and right onto shore in suits and gowns—and the list goes on and on.

Why? Because each yacht is owned by an individual person with individual tastes. Where one yacht owner might see a spare cabin where his children can sleep, another yacht owner might see a stowage area for his extensive wine collection.

Yachts are built to suit their owners’ desires, not the requirements of the masses. They are built to keep a half-dozen or a dozen people comfortable from time to time, not a stream of thousands content for months and months on end. Some are built for owners who like to go from port to port, exploring the shops and restaurants on land. Others are built for owners who like to spearfish and scuba dive, with lots of ocean access and watersports gear stowage compartments.

No matter what kind of layout and outfitting a charter yacht has, it typically carries anywhere from six to twelve guests comfortably—and those cabins cannot be booked separately. Prices for a week onboard will get you, your family, and your friends the entire yacht.

There are five basic kinds of powerboats up to 80 feet long that you can usually find for charter: trawler yachts, express cruisers, motoryachts, classic motoryachts, and wild cards. Each has pros and cons, and all offer unique elements that can add to different charter experiences. Above 80 feet long, most power-driven yachts are called motoryachts or megayachts, and they can be quite “mega”—the biggest in the world available for charter right now is Savarona, at 446 feet long (yes, she’s 44 stories high if stood on her stern!).

Sailboats available for charter also come in all shapes and sizes, starting around 30 feet long and going well up into the 200-foot range. The tallest single-masted sailboat available for charter today, for instance, is the 247-foot-long Mirabella V, whose mast is just shy of 300 feet high!

In addition to these styles of power and sailing yachts, you can also charter power or sailing catamarans. Whereas most powerboats and sailboats have a single hull (and are called monohulls within the industry), catamarans have two hulls connected by a rectangular deck. The boats originated with early sailors attempting to lash two tree trunks together via a tarp in between them that served as a seat. Today, the “logs” are long fiberglass pontoons big enough to hold full-size sleeping cabins and bathrooms. The “tarp” in the middle is a full-blown covered yacht interior that can encase a master cabin, sitting area and galley—all as elegantly decorated as any traditional, monohull sailboat or powerboat.

Which style of charter yacht will be best for you? It depends on what you’re like, where you want to cruise, and what kinds of activities you want to enjoy.

You can learn more about your options by reading Dream Cruises: The Insider's Guide to Private Yacht Charter Vacations, from which this information is adapted.