This month, OnboardOnline was invited to attend a lunch for the Crew Academy PYA accredited GUEST Level 2 Interior Training course. Rather than outdated and unrealistic theory training, The Crew Academy uses a villa with a realist...
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Keeping within the spirit of natural cleaning products that I have been discussing over the past few columns, it would be almost irresponsible of me not to dedicate an entire column to the most magic natural cleaner of all – good ...
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What will it take for yachting to see that interior training is commercially viable? If the reaction from the first PYA GUEST Awareness Workshop held earlier this week is anything to go by, the industry is slowly but surely waking...
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As promised in our previous article in September, this month, we are focusing on undoing some of those laundry horrors that many of you have had to deal with.
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Like many others, I thought that interior training courses were unnecessary money-spinners, after all, we all managed fine without these courses before, didn’t we? Well I’m not sure that most of us did, not at the beginning of our...
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When I was in yachting – back in the day – my laptop weighed more than my aeroplane luggage allowance, a cell phone was something you kept in your cabin all season and needed dusting off at the end of the summer, we still used to ...
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We've got four cocktails that cover all the taste bases. If you learn to make them well, you'll pleasantly surprise your guests every time. (And the crew probably won't mind being your guinea pigs.)
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This year at Monaco Yacht Show the PYA held their first ever table setting competition. OnboardOnline were invited to cover the event, following the judges on their journey through various interpretations of the theme ‘Monaco Glam...
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Steward/esses work in an environment where a 'disaster' is something that people on land might discount as merely a little accident, but for yacht crew, could spell the end of their job.
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I stood on the dock in the baking summer heat, with my bags next to me and nowhere to go. I'd never jumped ship before that day, and had never thought I would.
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Most of us have encountered it. Sitting in a guest cabin, watching the chief stew pulling out the uniform from under the bed, only to find that the size you requested doesn't fit.
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Bianca Meyjes, OnboardOnline's newest contributor and author of popular yachting blog The Swedish African, tells us about the challenges of having guinea pigs on board and the silliest thing she's ever heard on a boat.
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Healthier products in cleaning caddies mean healthier stews and a healthier ocean, and it's naive to think that strong, chemically laden cleaning products will do a better job.
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Wouldn't it be great if it didn't cost a fortune to create professional stowage. Doesn't everyone want a beautiful walk in china store to house the yacht's collection of plates, flatware, glassware and accessories?
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Stews often fear or dislike cleaning suede. In her third Q-Tips and Toothpicks column, SYSA's Isobel Odendaal gives some advice about the care and cleaning of this difficult fabric.
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I thought I knew a lot about yachting when I made the decision to join the hordes in Antibes. I suspected dockwalking was a thing to be feared and that I was immune to seasickness.
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Most stews have had to look after those dreaded Phalaenopsis orchids. This month’s column is dedicated to tips for keeping them alive for longer than the guests’ arrival day.
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To kick off the new '10 Things' series from OnboardOnline, Lauren Williams tells us 10 things she didn't know before joining yachting, starting with the wonder that is toilet paper origami.
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Steward/esses, as a group, have a huge amount of knowledge when it comes to solving problems on board, but are often unable to take advantage of each other’s experience.
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If someone had asked my teenage self where I expected to be living in my 30’s, it’s unlikely I would have said I was aiming for a bunk-bed situation.
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Elise Ciappara joined yachting after a diverse career in finance and wedding planning. Now second stew on M/Y Titania, she tells OnboardOnline about the virtues of taking a risk to find a career you love.
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Some people are sailing yacht people, others are motor yacht people, but rarely is someone both. In fact a (mostly) friendly rivalry runs through the water between these two worlds. Each has perceptions about the other; perception...
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Chief stewardesses often get a bad wrap for nagging and over-reactions to trivialities. But, as Mrs Steele argues, sometimes you just have to stand your ground.
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Charter guests and owners will use, touch and sleep in the linens on board. They will notice and appreciate luxurious softness, but will also remark on scratchy towels or bed linen. The interior of the cabins need to make a great ...
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10 years ago, choice in yacht uniforms was limited. The fit mattered, but not how uniforms matched the yacht or the personality of the crew. Fortunately, as the industry evolves, suppliers are pushing the boundaries, with fashion...
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Tired of serving the same old cocktails? Ever thought of garnishing a cocktail with a sprig of lavender and a macaron? Do sherbet, olive oil and pink peppercorns feature in your cocktail repertoire? In the first of his series fo...
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Odd socks, whingeing crew and mugs left in the sink...it's clearly time for a mid-season hissy fit.Jo Morgan on what drives us batty when life in the crew mess gets messy.
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In an industry where ‘attention to detail’ needs to be ‘obsession to detail’, it is perhaps no surprise that yacht crew have a bewildering array of ‘pet hates’ and phobias.
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There's an excellent chance that you'll travel over water this month. The forecast is for blue skies, except for when it will be raining, or gloomy. Or nighttime.
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Imagine if you found out that half the generous tip you gave to the waitress last night for outstanding service had been confiscated by her manager and was being held ransom for a year, in a bid to coerce the waitress into staying...
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