• My family of five chartered a yacht for six nights in the Bahamas for about $14,000.
• It had perks and felt luxurious and relaxing. We loved seeing many beautiful beaches.
• However, we felt isolated at times and uncomfortable for several reasons throughout the trip.

A decade ago, my husband hatched a plan to celebrate his 50th birthday on a boat — one we didn't have to pilot ourselves.

After extensive research, I made his dream come true by booking a private, captained six-night yacht charter in the Abacos, an island group in the Bahamas.

The private cruise cost about $14,000, including tips and groceries, and we boarded the 42-foot yacht on New Year's Eve.

Yacht charters are advertised as the ultimate in vacation freedom and luxury. In many ways, they deliver. We visited three locations most days, often having stunning white-sand beaches to ourselves.

Throughout the trip, we never had to drive or look for a parking spot. We didn't even have to plan — the captain just took us to all the best spots.

Despite the fun, beauty, and memories, we wouldn't do this again. Here are four reasons yachting isn't for our family.

Island hopping felt like traveling in a sealed bubble

It was so convenient to text our captain to pick us up the moment we finished exploring historic Hopetown or petting the swimming pigs at No Name Cay.

However, this convenience meant we barely spoke to anyone except each other and our skipper throughout the trip.

We loved all the family time, but we would have also loved to meet and connect with more local Bahamians.

It felt weird to have the captain with us day and night

Some folks have the expertise to charter a "bareboat" yacht and pilot it themselves, but we definitely do not.

Our captain did a good job getting us from place to place safely, and he added local expertise to the trip. But as an introvert, I sighed with relief when he retired to his cabin each evening.

As a mom, he also felt like one more person to worry about. For example, he didn't care for the groceries we'd bought to share.

Because of the holiday and the scarcity of markets in the Abacos, we weren't able to take him shopping for food right away. I spent that time worrying that we were starving our captain.

The yacht wasn't nearly as comfortable as we expected

The 42-foot yacht felt luxurious when we were reclining on deck, sipping bubbly.

When we were showering using a nozzle connected to the bathroom sink, smelling the used toilet paper in the trash? Not so much.

I'm sure superyachts used by the rich have more comforts. However, I found living aboard this (nearly new) Bali Catspace felt surprisingly similar to staying in an RV.

The mattresses felt no thicker than gym mats, the storage space was limited to a few hatches, and the quarters were — naturally — tight. I ended the trip with bruises on both arms from banging into grab bars.

Plus, despite taking medication, each of us felt a little seasick at times.

For a family, the cost can be prohibitive

The thing about a family vacation with children is that the parents often pay everyone's way. That's a big factor in making the yacht a one-time thing for our family.

The timing — necessitated by school schedules — made our trip even more expensive than average. Charter companies usually have longer minimum rentals and charge a higher fee during holidays.

I might consider chartering again, but only with friends who could share the cost.

Overall, I'm glad we tried chartering a private yacht at least once

These are the reasons I'll be framing a photo of our family wading in the most gorgeous clear waters we've ever seen but not making a plan for our next yacht charter.

Yachting very much felt out of our league, but I'm glad we tried it. After all, our typical family trip entails driving to a national park and home swapping to save money.

I'm already thinking about next winter's family vacation, though. It will involve hiking, cultural experiences — and no boats.