Portbooker.com Debuts in North America as First and Only Online Booking Engine For Marinas Worldwide

Until now, it was impossible for yachters, boaters and captains looking to research, make a booking and get instant confirmation at marinas around the world. With Portbooker.com, all that has changed.

Just as websites such as Expedia and Hotels.com dramatically altered the way consumers research and book travel, Portbooker.com, with its extensive global nautical database, is revolutionizing the marina marketplace as the first, and only, real-time online booking service for marinas, slips, moorings and charters. What sets Portbooker.com apart is its sophisticated technology and proprietary booking engine developed specifically to meet the needs of the marina marketplace.

An all-encompassing web portal, Portbooker offers the most comprehensive online guide to marinas worldwide, with detailed information on more than 8,500 marinas and yacht clubs in 123 countries and 600 regions throughout Europe, the U.S., Canada, Mexico, the Caribbean, Central and South America, Africa, Asia and Oceania. Detailed information for each marina is offered in five languages: English, Spanish, German, French and Italian.

Rather than search multiple websites to get information on marinas, and then contact each individually to submit a booking request and wait for a response, users can check availability for multiple marinas in a destination and get a confirmation online all through Portbooker.com.

An ambitious undertaking that began in 2006, Portbooker.com is the brainchild of a Spanish team of entrepreneurs who share the passion and vision of where the marina marketplace needed to go. A concept long overdue, Portbooker was created as the ‘go to’ place where users can make a seamless one-stop-shop to find comprehensive information on marinas worldwide, check availability, make a booking and get instant confirmation, as well as submit reviews and share information and experiences with fellow seafaring travelers.

The idea came from a former member of the Spanish Sailing Olympic Team and avid seafarer, Guillermo “Billy” Cañellas, as he was sailing around the United States. Surprised and intrigued by the number of yachters using laptops, he believed that just as flights, hotels and cars are booked online, so could slips and moorings.

“One of the greatest frustrations for yachters and boaters over the years has been the lack of accessible and up-to-date information about marinas worldwide, and the ability to make a booking online in real time,” states Jorge Velasco, managing director and also one of the founders. “Gone are the days of cruising into a port unsure of finding a berth. What has long since been a difficult task, Portbooker makes easy.”

Portbooker has become the first meeting point between marinas and seafarers on the net. In the short time since its inception, the website has amassed an impressive global audience of 17,000+ registered users – a highly specific and niche market of like minded captains, yachters, boaters and seafaring enthusiasts.

Expansion in North America
Having established a strong presence in Europe and the Mediterranean, Portbooker is pursuing its global expansion with North America as its primary focus. With that, the company opened a New York office, marking its official debut in the region.

“Coast to coast, our mission is to introduce yachters, boaters, captains, brokers and the marina community-at-large to Portbooker.com, whether it be for researching and reserving worldwide, or using the website to exchange information, read and post reviews, tips, and recommended itineraries,” states Ron Neuman, who serves at the helm of the North American operation as managing director. For American boaters and yachters, Portbooker is an indispensible booking tool as well as a community meeting place to share stories, ideas, interests and adventures.

“We are also looking to engage marinas and yacht clubs so they can use Portbooker to gain greater visibility online, as well as take advantage of our powerful online booking engine, Port Manager, which for a limited time, is offered free to every marina worldwide,” Neuman adds.

Win a Free One-Week Charter
In tandem with its official North American debut, and as a way to introduce and promote the benefits of the site to the yachting and boating community, Portbooker is offering users who register online by Dec. 31, 2010 the chance to win a free one-week yacht charter in the Caribbean or Mediterranean. Details are available at www.portbooker.com.

Penned by the yachting community as “Mooring Glory,” major players in the industry have recognized the value of Portbooker, including American Express, who has chosen Portbooker as the preferred supplier of moorings and charters for their Centurion & Platinum cardholders.

For more information, call (914) 481-5154, e-mail [email protected] or visit www.Portbooker.com

Superyacht News
March 28, 2024
Tried & Tested - Best Yacht Mattresses: Product Review
Tried & Tested - Best Yacht Mattresses: Product Review

In the realm of maritime luxury, the quest to offer yacht charter guests the perfect night's sleep has become an art form, one which luxury bed and linen supplier, CC Design, has fully committed to.

By Ben Cooling
March 15, 2023
Best Yacht Crew Jackets: Product Review
Best Yacht Crew Jackets: Product Review

A jacket completes any crew member's uniform so it's an important garment to get right. In this Tried & Tested, Sea Design pits eight popular jackets against one another to determine which one is best for superyacht crew in 2023.

By Nathan Bees
April 19, 2023
iAQUA Sea Scooters: Product Review
iAQUA Sea Scooters: Product Review

iAQUA creates high-performance, technologically advanced underwater scooters. In this Tried & Tested, a team of experienced testers have rated and reviewed the AquaDart Pro and AquaDart Nano series to reveal the stand-out iAQUA sea scooter.

By Holly Sanderson

Finished reading? Now find your perfect supplier.

Search our industry-leading directory for over 20,000 superyacht suppliers, providers and marinas.

Search now