Chartering with a Hostess | 10 Surprising Facts You Should Be Aware Of
Charter a yacht with a Hostess
Employing a host or hostess to assist with the day-to-day operations of the vessel is one uncomplicated step you can take to improve the overall quality of your yacht charter experience. Despite the fact that this dynamic is undergoing significant transformation, it is still rather unusual for males to fill this job. Because of this, the word “hostess” will continue to be used in the blog for the time being.
Although chartering with a hostess is a rather basic transaction, there are a few things you need to be aware of before you get started.
Before you go ahead and employ a hostess, there are a number of things that you should be aware of, and we have compiled a list of the ten most important ones using the expertise we’ve gained over the years.
This in-depth guide will walk you through all you need to know about chartering a boat with a hostess so that you may have an enjoyable and memorable experience.
1. What is the definition of a hostess?
2. What is the cost of hiring a hostess?
3. On a boat charter, what will the hostess NOT DO?
4. What does a yacht charter hostess do?
5. Who is responsible for hiring the hostess?
6. How many hostesses are required?
7. How much does a yacht charter hostess earn?
8. How much do you tip your yacht’s stewardess?
9. Do hostesses have any qualifications?
10. What is the process for becoming a stewardess?
The Role of a Hostess in a Home
There are a variety of definitions for the role of hostess, some of which center on nightclubs while others refer to those who work in transportation settings (aircraft, trains, cruise ships). When it comes to chartering with a hostess, I believe that it is a combination of all three of these aspects, and your hostess will put in a lot of effort throughout your voyage to meet the requirements of your crews.
Above all things, their primary purpose will be to serve the skipper or captain in whatever way they can. Your well-being will be their number one concern, to paraphrase a common expression. In this regard, they will normally have some fundamental sailing abilities in order to assist the skipper with his or her responsibilities.
After that, your hostess will bring you your meal and beverages when she returns. Your staff might break up the day into a breakfast service, a lunch service, an afternoon tea service, and a sundowner service, even if in practice it might be seamless. This may also involve the service of dinner or an evening meal. Your hostess will continue to do other responsibilities and take a rest in between services, despite the fact that they will be accessible at other times.
In all, you shouldn’t anticipate a hostess to put in more than eight hours of labor each day at the most.
How Much Does It Typically Cost to Employ a Hostess?
The question that everyone is most interested in hearing the answer to is, “How much does it cost to hire a hostess?”
It is possible for there to be differences from place to place and even depending on the season. The going rate for hostesses in Europe is around 140 Euros per day.
Who Is Actually Responsible for Hiring the Hostess?
When you’re chartering with a hostess, this may seem like an unusual item that you need to be aware of. However, having this information might be helpful because it may not be what you anticipate at all.
When you rent a boat that comes with a permanent crew, the crew members are often full-time employees of the crewed yacht charter company that you work with. They are often a married couple who share a cabin in order to make the most efficient use of the space available to guests.
Keep in mind that each crew member will require their own cabin in order to comply with employment legislation in the majority of nations if you are recruiting crew members individually. Having said that, there are a great deal of unforeseen circumstances, therefore it is best not to make assumptions.
When recruiting staff in this method, the majority of the time, they will be working for themselves. The operator will have their own reputation to uphold and will always make an effort to collaborate with the most qualified individuals that they can locate; nevertheless, they will not always be personally accountable.
What Is Your Hostess NOT Going to Do While You Are Chartering a Yacht?
When it comes to chartering, it is essential to figure out exactly what your hostess will not do. Because of this, there will be no room for misconceptions. It is also the question to which the answer is the most difficult to come up with because no two operators are the same. In fact, it may even change from hostess to hostess, which is why it is even more crucial to know where the lines are.
The following is a list of the six things that your hostess will probably not do for you:
- Cook. The majority of hostesses will put out service and serve straightforward breakfasts, but they are not trained chefs and will not normally prepare cuisine that goes beyond the most basic level of preparation.
- Put the Service on Hold It is also uncommon for the cabins on charter yachts to serve primarily as personal storage places and to be difficult to prepare, in comparison to hotel rooms or cabins on bigger luxury yachts. During the week, it is possible that your cabins will not be maintained in any way.
- Arrival of the Late Runs The tender will be your mode of transportation onshore in order to participate in land-based activities. It is likely that the Skipper or your hostess will be the one to do this during the day. After a certain point in the evening, however, they will not continue to remain awake in order to run visitors back to the yacht.
- Provision. The provisioning, but not the “provisioning,” will be handled by your hostess. You might be wondering what the difference is between the two. Your host will go to the grocery store and pick up the necessities that you have specified, but they won’t figure out what it is that you require and won’t buy things based on your tastes. You are entering into the territory that is traditionally reserved for cooks. At the majority of marinas, there are services available where you may pre-select your provisions, and your hostess will most likely be able to assist you with this process.
- Do Something Else Besides Service. On a yacht charter, a competent hostess will need to take breaks to recharge their batteries while still attending to other responsibilities. If they remain on call during the whole day, you will see that the general performance of the business suffers as a result.
- Support Prior to the Charter. The crew puts in a lot of work during charters to make sure you have the most enjoyable experience possible. On your charter, the crew having to deal with queries from guests regarding prospective charters is the very last thing you want because it will make them less attentive to your needs. Because of this, the majority of operators ensure the safety of their crew by delaying the point at which they respond to your queries and provide pre-charter support until considerably closer to the day of your charter, if not the day itself.
What EXACTLY will your hostess be responsible for while you are on a yacht charter?
Because of this, we are now aware of a few things that, while chartering with a hostess, your host will not do. Let’s concentrate on what you ought to anticipate from them.
When you charter a flight with a hostess, you may anticipate the following 12 things:
- Service of Drinks and Other Beverages On more luxurious charters, silver service will often be provided at four different times throughout the day. The personnel will be especially attentive during these times. You will discover that hostesses on charters with a more moderate price point are significantly less stuffy.
- Breakfast and Coffee Service Putting together a breakfast in the form of a buffet.
- Catering for lunch Once more, the normal procedure involves setting up a lunch buffet with the bare minimum of preparation.
- Sundowners. All hostesses are experienced mixologists! at least all of the ones I’ve ever had to deal with. In light of this, prepare your preferences ahead of time, and look forward to some wonderful sundowners in the early evening.
- The meal service was delayed. If you already have a chef, your hostess will be able to work harmoniously with them. In the event that you want to prepare your own dinner while onboard, you can count on receiving their undivided attention and assistance.
- Doing the Dishes This is the part that we were interested in learning more about! After service, it is almost usually the responsibility of the hostess to do the dishes.
- Housekeeping. Your hostess will be on top of all of these details during the whole event.
- Cleaning. After each and every service, the hostess will always clear the table and assist the captain in maintaining a general level of cleanliness around the boat. They are not responsible for cleaning up the mess the next morning after staying up late the night before. In situations like this, I’ve found that the hosts will frequently use diplomacy and friendliness.
- Reaches the coast. Hostesses will run you ashore during the day and in the early evening, but they won’t remain up late to bring you back from the local nightclub.
- Concierge. Your hostess will most certainly be able to assist you in making meal reservations, as well as recommendations and bookings for activities.
- Tour Guide. Your hostess most likely has a strong command of the local culture as well as the language. It is reasonable for you to anticipate that they will be ready, willing, and able to assist you with that.
- Purser. Your hostess, and even the captain on occasion, will want a quantity of money from you in order to cover incidental expenses. It is a huge assistance for the crew to be able to look after you and pay for things like fuel, mooring, and other necessities without having to come to you each time. You will never fail to get a complete breakdown, and any APA that is not used will be returned to you. What exactly is the APA? Read our entire APA guide.
How many Hostesses are Needed for This Event?
A really interesting subject is how many hostesses are required for the event. When you charter a superyacht, the crew is already organized, and you will be provided with information on the staff-to-guest ratio.
When you engage your own crew for a charter in a more moderate price range, it is common practice to employ only one hostess. Having said that, once there are more than 8 guests, we do recommend seriously considering the possibility of bringing in a second set of assisting hands if you want the experience to be as positive as it can possibly be.
How much money can one expect to make working as a hostess on a yacht charter?
In most cases, the hostess will keep the entirety of the price that you pay her. This is a touch higher than the men who are salaried and are paid whether they are on charter or not and often earn larger tips. This is a little higher than the guys who are salaried.
The operators keep some hostesses on staff and pay them a portion of the total revenue (usually between 15 and 20 percent).
A hostess working aboard a superyacht might expect a monthly salary of around $3,500 to $4,000, in addition to tips that are often larger than those received on mid-range charters.
How Much Should You Tip Your Stewardess When You Are Renting a Yacht?
The amount of gratuity that you provide to the stewardess on a yacht charter may vary depending on a variety of variables, including the cost of the charter, the location, the number of crew members, and so on. Because of the practice of tipping throughout the Caribbean and North America, tips are often larger in these regions.
The Mediterranean Yacht Brokers Association (MYBA) has proposed some suggestions for the appropriate amount of gratuity to provide. The standard recommendation is to leave a gratuity of between 10 and 15 % of your weekly charter price, excluding any other fees or taxes that may apply.
Although we do notice more information, we believe that to be about accurate.
Are Hostesses Required to Have a Degree?
Are there requirements for qualification for the hostesses on your charter? It’s possible, but it might not be.
Bethan, who is Europe Yachts chief charter hostess, just finished the STW95 basic safety training program, which is designed for those who work on boats. It is possible that your hostess has attained at least this certification if she is a member of a larger crewed boat than your own.
It is considerably less likely to happen on a smaller charter when you hire the hostess on an individual basis.
How Does One Obtain a Position as a Stewardess?
Perhaps you are interested in learning how to get a job as a stewardess, and that is why you are reading this. We have devised an action plan that consists of eight points:
- Get the STW Basic Training that you need.
- Get your medical certificate for English Level 1.
- Check that your vaccines, passport, and visas are up to date before you travel.
- Take a class on how to arrange flowers.
- Get some instruction in food hygiene.
- Participate in a number of crewing agencies.
- Acquire some sort of certification in sailing.
- Always, always, always do your research.