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Cover Image by: Photo by Lynda Hinton on Unsplash
For some, it can be the most challenging time of year. The 25th of December is often a struggle for superyacht crew with family at home getting together and creating memories.
Surviving Christmas as superyacht crew can be a challenge so to help ease the pain of being away during the festive period, we have put together a list of 5 things to be grateful for if you’re working on board this year:
1. Your Family Will Be Missing You!
It may not feel like it, but we can guarantee your family back home thinking of you. As Superyacht crew, our family are often accustomed to only seeing us a few times a year.
When they are all together making memories, we can guarantee there will be a few family members that will picture you walking through the door as a surprise to celebrate Christmas with them. Although this may not be the year for surprises, be grateful for having a wonderful family back home that are thinking of you on Christmas day.
Your family is most likely very proud of what you are doing and the experiences you are having. So be grateful for them, free up some time to call them. Even if it is only for 5 minutes, it will make you feel a lot better for being away.
2. You’re On A Superyacht
Ok, this may be an obvious one, and if you are a seasoned yachtie, it may not feel special. However, it is one to remember. There are currently only 37,000 people working within the superyacht industry. When you compare this with the 6 billion people on the planet, you are one of the 37,000 who get to experience a Christmas onboard a superyacht. Even if you are not happy about being away, and you tell yourself, this is the last time you will ever do it. Embrace it, find the positives and soak it in because, for most, this is not forever. It’s just what you are doing right now, so enjoy it.
3. The Food!
If you’re a foodie surviving Christmas onboard won’t be so difficult. Ok, It’s not your mum’s roast potatoes or your dad’s delicious gravy but you are about to eat a Christmas dinner cooked by a professional chef! Very few people will get to experience a meal like this without paying a price. So, indulge, enjoy and appreciate the delicious food you will get to eat on Christmas day. Don’t forget to offer the chef a hand, they’re working on Christmas day too.
4. The Location!
Maybe you’re in the shipyard, or in a country you never thought you would visit, or perhaps you have guests on and are somewhere hot. Wherever you are, it is likely to differ from what you’re used to. If you are off this Christmas, explore the country you are in, try out their Christmas traditions, venture into the local markets and test their Christmas cuisine. You may have to be away from your family this Christmas but make sure you come home with a story to tell them.
If you’re working, make sure you take a moment out of your break to go outside, take in your surroundings, remember where you are and don’t forget your team is missing Christmas with their family too, so be positive and make it as special as you can for them.
5. Your Pay Check
As much as we love the job, the vast majority of us enter the industry for the money. We are incredibly well looked after for what we do, and this is certainly something we should be grateful for. A good wage, accommodation, food, and toiletries are covered while working onboard a superyacht. Once you leave the industry, we can guarantee that you will miss this. So make the most of it whilst you are there and be grateful for it. If nothing else will help you survive Christmas as a superyacht crew, your wage at the end of the month is something that should ease the blow, and a lucky few may even be treated to a Christmas bonus!
It is certainly not an easy time to be away, but we hope this has given you a few things to be grateful for this year!
The Superyacht Content Team would like to wish you all a very Merry Christmas and a happy, healthy and successful 2022!
