“Uber Yatch” allows tourists holidaying on the Balearic Island of Ibiza to get a taste of the high life and the Mirror’s consumer editor Natasha Wynacyzk went down to check it out
Handed a glass of champagne as I sunbathed on the deck of a £2million Sunseeker yacht, I instantly felt like a film star.
Over the years, the likes of actors Michael Douglas and Catherine Zeta-Jones and Nicole Kidman have owned Sunseeker Yachts, with the most expensive costing £32million and being owned by racing tycoon and Top Gear presenter Eddie Jordan. The Poole, Dorset firm’s luxury boats have also appeared in the James Bond films Casino Royale, Quantum of Solace and Die Another Day.
And now thanks to taxi app Uber, tourists holidaying on the Balearic Island of Ibiza can get a taste of the high life – for eight hours at least – for €200 (£169) by being able to rent out an Uber-branded Sunseeker. Launching on July 30 at 9am, holidaymakers on the White Isle will be able to pre-order a private yacht trip for up to eight people using the reserve function on the Uber app.
The Mirror was one of the first to board the yacht from the Ibiza Town Marina before hire opened to the general public. We spent an afternoon travelling to the neighbouring picturesque island of Formentera, one of five routes that consumers can choose when they book the vessel. The new experience has been billed as the most luxurious mode of transport ever to launch in the Uber app.
“We wanted to give holidaymakers a VIP experience that matches Ibiza’s reputation as a luxury travel destination,” an Uber spokesperson told The Mirror.
And VIP it certainly is. For a €1,600 fixed cost (£1,350) or €200 per person if they are in a group of eight, passengers will get an eight-hour trip with crew including a personal skipper, champagne, beer and soft drinks such as bottled water and cola as well as locally sourced snacks such as seafood, soft cheese and blinis.
While it may seem pricey, Ibiza, which attracts around 800,000 British tourists a year, is known for currently being one of the most expensive travel destinations in Europe.
To put it into context, entry to some of the bigger clubs can start from as much as €100 (£85) bought in advance, with drinks regularly hitting over €20 (£17) for a spirit and mixer or €10 (£8.50) for a bottle of water. And premium experiences in these venues is even more eye-wateringly expensive.
For example the nightclub Hï, located in Ibiza’s Playa d’en Bossa, offers a VIP ticket for one person for €1,000 (£850). That comes with entry to some VIP areas – but not the table areas – and has just four drinks included, with champagne left out of the deal.
Transfers to and from the boat are also included in the Uber Yacht price from anywhere on the Ibiza, but the experience has to be reserved through the Uber app with at least 48 hours’ notice. It is capped at eight passengers, as in Spanish law the maximum number of people allowed on a chartered boat is 12 including the crew.
The Uber Sunseeker’s deck comes complete with a white sofa and table seating, which offers stunning views across the waves. Meanwhile, as The Mirror toured below deck we saw it was reminiscent of a swanky hotel suite.
It boasts a sizeable living room and kitchen with space for eight people, a bedroom with a double bed should anyone need a post-Tattinger nap and ensuite toilet and shower as well as a second bathroom. After the yacht stopped to allow passengers to swim in the beautiful blue waters off Formentera, we were then treated to a buffet of local seafood, including large king prawns, crab and mussels, served with tortilla, blinis and a selection of dips, olives and fresh vegetables.
One of the other standout routes available to those who book Uber Yacht is going to Cala D’Hort, to see the famous Es Vedrà rocky island at sunset. The rock has long been thought of as a spiritual place, with legend saying it is home to mythical sirens and sea-nymphs who tried to lure Odysseus from his ship in the Greek epic Homer’s Odyssey.
Uber Yacht will be available to order in Ibiza between August 3 and 17. It is not the only tourist destination Uber has targeted with its new expansion plans this summer.
Last year, it launched Uber Boat in Mykonos, Greece and has now expanded to Athens, Corfu and Santorini. Available to book in the Uber app, the product will allow visitors to travel in style to beach clubs, visit scenic coves and reach remote areas.
Meanwhile those visiting the French capital Paris can jump aboard an electric boat to enjoy an Uber Cruise, a free one-hour private tour down the river Seine taking in landmarks including Notre Dame, Le Louvre and the Eiffel Tower while sipping fizz. And since earlier this month, customers can use the Uber app in Venice, Italy to summon a ‘Limo Boat’ on-demand to get around the Venetian Lagoon. Uber said it is launching the new travel products in response to rising demand for its services in tourist hotspots around Europe.
Data from summer 2023 showed that in countries such as Spain and Greece demand from international customers was up by 55%, with over 800,000 people opening the Uber app in the past 12 months in Ibiza alone.
Anabel Diaz, vice president, EMEA Mobility at Uber, said: “At Uber we want to give our customers the opportunity to go anywhere, wherever they are travelling. This summer we are adding a series of bucket-list worthy nautical experiences to the Uber app in some of Europe’s hottest destinations, helping holidaymakers make the most of their trip on the high seas.”
Uber started out as a ride-hailing app in 2010 in San Francisco, the US. Since then it has grown to be largest ride-sharing company worldwide, operating in around 70 countries including the UK and having over 150 million monthly active users.
