What It’s Really Like to Vacation on a Luxury Super Yacht

I know you have big goals and dreams. Perhaps your goal is to work from wherever you want, to own an apartment in New York or, I don’t know… vacation on a luxury super yacht?

I understand that it’s difficult visualize and manifest something when you don’t know what that experience is truly like. Luckily for you, I worked on super yachts for 6 years. I know exactly what happens when some of the richest people in the world charter a yacht.

You may have heard of, or even watched, the Netflix show Below Deck. Below Deck is a reality TV show that highlights the drama between crew working on yachts. These types of situations can happen but not to the extent that is presented in this show. As a viewer, you also won’t get a very good idea of what the guests are up to during the day. Overall, Below Deck is a negative representation of what life is like for both crew and guests on a luxury super yacht.

Let me help you to visualize what it is actually like to be an Ultra High Net Worth Individual (UHNWI), who is on vacation on a large luxury super yacht…

Last night you went to sleep in France, and this morning you woke up in Italy. You pull back the crisp 100% cotton sheets and press the button next to your bed to roll up all the blinds. Now, you have a panoramic view of the glassy Mediterranean ocean.

You might get out of bed and put on a robe, or perhaps you decide to call for room service. There is no need to tell the crew member on duty what you want; they already know because they have studied your ‘preference sheets’ before you arrived on board. Within 5 minutes, you have your tea (or literally whatever you asked for) delivered to your room.

As you walk out of your cabin and towards the aft deck, you can see an indulgent breakfast buffet ready and waiting. The stewardess delivers a hot coffee to you on a silver tray and places it on your place setting. The table is adorned with crystal glasses, silver cutlery and linen napkins that are folded into a fan and placed on top of your porcelain plate. Soft jazz music is playing in the background and you help yourself to some fruit, smoked salmon, and a freshly baked croissant that came out of the oven just a few minutes earlier.

The deckhands are not visible, but the water park is set up, and equipment like jet-skis, seabobs, and stand up paddle boards are ready for use. The stewardess arrives and asks what you would like for breakfast. You can literally ask for anything you could dream of, but you decide to keep it simple and order an eggs benedict.

A splendid choice. The chef cooked your breakfast to perfection and now you’re ready to jump in the water. You’re in Capri surrounded by many super yachts and decide to have fun by taking a jet ski to see the famous Faraglioni rock formations.

It’s time to relax further and after all that fun on the jet ski, you are ready to have a 2-hour massage with the on-board masseuse. Enjoy the best massage of your life and complete the experience with some time in the sauna, followed by lunch on the Pool Deck.

As you arrive, the stewardess welcomes you with a smile alongside an extravagant tablescape. This time; of shells, pearls and glass. Your chair is pulled out for you to take a comfortable seat and you are offered a glass of Chardonnay. It will pair perfectly with the Spaghetti alle vongole, and the poached pear that is for dessert.

After lunch, a walk ashore to do some shopping will be a lovely way to spend the rest of the afternoon. The deck crew is alerted and you make your way down to the swim platform where the tender awaits. Your shoes are laid out and you notice that they have been cleaned since you last wore them. You step onto the tender and enjoy a quick ride to the shore. One of the crew will always be nearby incase you need anything. After-all, you might require an extra set of hands to help you with your shopping.

As you return to the yacht and step back on to the swim platform, a smiling crew who hands you refreshing welcome drinks and scented cold towels greets you. It’s time to kick those feet up and rest on the sun lounger. Soon, you will work out in the gym with the personal trainer for 30 minutes.

It’s time for a shower and you can’t help but notice that every time you return to your cabin, it has been cleaned – even the toilet paper is folded. It’s as if the crew are always watching you; yet somehow you hardly see them. Your clothes are steamed and ironed, ready for you to slip on. All you need is the on-board hairdresser to give you a beautiful blow-wave before the evening begins.

It’s time to meet the others in the main salon where caviar, cocktails, champagne and appetizers await. Everyone is gathering in their luxury gowns and suits while the pianist plays on the white grand piano.

The sun is setting and it’s time to make your way to the Pool Deck for a 4-course dinner underneath the stars.

Everything is perfect: the wine the food, the service, the location, the company.

With a full stomach and a full heart, you head to your cabin to get ready for bed. The stews have turned down the bed covers; the lights are dimmed, and it’s pristinely clean. You enjoy a sip of the Fiji water and take a bite of the chocolate that is on your bedside table.

As you get into the king size bed that night, you think about how proud you are. You did it. You never gave up on your dreams, even when you felt like quitting. Look at you, you’re vacationing on a luxury super yacht as you always dreamed. And now that you look back, it feels like you got to this point quicker than you expected…