Cabin crew spill the beans on the outrageous demands and workloads of life below deck. Photo / Unsplash
Cabin crew spill the beans on the outrageous demands and workloads of life below deck. Photo / Unsplash
A multimillion-dollar superyacht sounds like a glamorous place to call your office.
Cruising by private Caribbean islands to remote South Pacific atolls, it sounds like a dream job for travel lovers.
The pay isn't bad either. Depending on the size of the boat and your sailing experience, even a lowly deckhand can expect to earn around $60-90k a year according to the agency Crew Finder.
The Crew Network, a jobs board for itinerant sailors, has positions as diverse and specialised as sailing sushi chefs to au pairs.
But some former crew have revealed there's a more brutal side to working all hours miles away from home, at the whims of mini-oligarchs and - still, worse - their mates.
Don't get any delusions of grandeur, and never forget whose 120-metre schooner you are press-ganged onto. There's a reason why the pay is 'so generous'. You don't buy a megayacht and not expect to get your money's worth.
Here are three reasons why it might not be the dream job it appears to be.
Monaco, Ft Lauderdale in Florida and St Kits can be a great place to land a superyacht job. Photo / Kit Suman, Unsplash
The guests
Like any employers, yacht-owners come in all varieties. On the whole, deckhands say they get on well with the owners and feel appreciated for their services.
Most difficult is when ships are let out on private charter. When owners are away, which is most of the year, they tend to rent their yachts to cover some of the cost of owning a floating palace.
As you can imagine a $2 million a week superyacht attracts courageous parties, people and their demands.
"If you are a student of politics, it can be difficult to wait on someone you find morally abhorrent," said experienced deckhand Sarah.
Guests might bring their wife aboard one night and their mistress, or mistresses aboard the next. Crew are expected to be discreet, keep secrets, and cater for their every need, she told the Daily Mail.
Once this included being awoken at 3 am by a person she detested to cook them an alpaca steak, while they were in open water.
There's plenty of down time for salaried crew. Photo / Paddle North, Unsplash
A wild workload
Space - at least below deck - is tight on a ship. Crew often have other jobs to tend to on top of their day-to-day. Cooking, repairs and endless, endless cleaning are among the tasks that quickly fill 24-hours, one deckhand told The Sun Online:
"Basically imagine a 164-foot yacht, which contains six crew bedrooms, crew mess, galley, seven guest bedrooms, eight guest bathrooms, main saloon, dining room, front lounge and bridge.
"All of which myself and two stewardesses are responsible for keeping clean 24/7 while doing all of the food and beverage service and at times containing as much as 11 crew and 16 guests. It was intense."
Mutinous crew mates
Tiny crew cabins are a confined space for big personalities. As any casual viewer of the reality TV show Below Deck can tell you, politics and long grudges are rife between crewmates. Especially during long tours together.
If you detest the people you're serving, that's one thing. But if you can't escape your crewmates and generally have to share bunk beds with them, it's a pressure cooker of an environment. Especially in the hot seas of the tropics.
"There can be tension and fighting. When you spend your time around the clock eating, working, and sleeping on the same deck in closet-sized rooms, it's bound to happen," former crew member Melissa McMahon told Power & Motoryacht.
Superyacht guests can be super demanding. Photo / Mohammed Massau, Unsplash
Still not put off? What does it take for life below deck?
Another crew member said, despite the downsides, jobs are highly competitive.
Most specialised positions require sailing qualifications, however, anyone can build up experience if you're in the right place.
They flyer for jobs in port, which is one way to tell if crew life is right for you.
"We call it 'daywork'. It's not a permanent position, maybe lasting a day to a week," she said.
Answering Redditors' questions on the real life of a deckhand, she said experience is important but often being in the right place at the right time is invaluable.
"I know many New-Zealanders that have travelled to Fort Lauderdale, Florida to find work. That is one of the main hubs for the yachting/maritime industry. Antibes, especially," she said.
Don't be fooled by all the ships registered in the Cayman Islands, she says. Despite the large number of yachts registered at these tax havens, few ever weigh anchor there.
Be willing, be ready and be good looking, are her three pieces of advice. It's a distinct advantage if you can include an attractive photo with any resume.
"It's the only industry where you need a photo of yourself on the top of your CV," she said.
From afar a superyacht may appear like a dream workplace for travel lovers. Photo / Vika Chartier, Unsplash
Odd jobs on a yacht are often far more difficult than the roles given to salaried positions, which enjoy days off and more security to their life below deck.
"Day workers get worked very hard, and I can have days where I do f**k all."
