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If you have more than a one day changeover between guests, you maybe lucky enough to have a Captain that allows you a day off, one of those things that is as rare as gold dust. So, what does this time off actually mean in the middle of a busy charter season?
1. I cant remember which days the “Weekend” are…
On charter, everyday is a Monday. Whilst your guests are in continual Friyay mode, you very much have a weekday, everyday mentality. The concept of a weekend to you is currently a random Tuesday afternoon, when guests decide to unexpectedly take an earlier flight home, a Thursday evening when they go for a long dinner ashore or that Monday off you have after a Sunday changeover and the next group isn’t arriving until the middle of the week.
2. I have more bags under my eyes than the owners Gucci collection…
You’re in an idyllic anchorage, just a short tender drive away from shore but you’ve woken up feeling like a zombie, with sore feet and very tired eyes. That age old question floats into your sleepy head of whether to seize the moment, get out and explore or go back to sleep. Sometimes, a face mask, a movie, Facetiming friends and family whilst enjoying leftover charter desserts is all that will cut it without feeling remotely bad for not leaving your cabin all day.
3. My Instagram stories aren’t always what they seem…
You post boomerangs of spinning dolphins, in between handing guests their cocktails, you write #lovemyjob captions of white sandy beaches, which you can see peering out from your deck locker and you take cultural shots of cobbled streets whilst looking for a gluten free bakery in a European town. A day off is spent being snap happy, which you then post on a Saturday when you are in the depths of the laundry pile or a bilge whilst your friends at home are 3 Proseccos deep into their bottomless brunch. Sigh.
4. I never actually leave work…
Working in tropical locations means that there isn’t any shortage of where to go for a relaxation session, be it a beach club, a spa or a cute little bar you’ve stumbled across. Trying to enjoy those few stolen hours of solitude though can be harder than expected. The florist keeps calling to tell you that they can’t get your specific requests needed for tomorrow, the provisioner can’t get hold of any lobster and the guest transfer has double booked so you need to find another driver to get to the private airstrip by 5am. Back at ‘home’, with the yacht guest ready, the engineer has accidentally spilt grease on the saloon carpet whilst fixing something last minute. Just because you are ‘off’, living where you work makes it a lot harder to ignore that impending charter.
5. Note to self, hangovers are not ideal…
Your night off coincides with the local beach party so you go and get carried away by the free flowing cocktail happy hour. The next morning, your 7am alarm to re-detail guest cabins welcomes all sorts of letting your hair down regrets and headaches. Here’s hoping that your charter guests want that all day expedition ashore and lunch at the local market, meaning you can squeeze in a late afternoon nap.
Just remember that light at the end of the tunnel. Whether it’s a month long trip you have planned to Asia at the end of the season, a week at home to catch up on much needed sleep or a friend’s wedding that you booked off a year ago, that much needed time off is in sight.
