How did you become a stewardess?

I grew up in Montreal, Canada and studied Early Childhood Education at McGill University. After 4 years of university and 2 years of teaching, I decided it was time for me to go and explore the world. I took a year off and traveled to Australia on a working holiday visa. I met my boyfriend there who was a yacht Captain and introduced me to yachting. 5 years later, we are still together and loving working on yachts. I have worked on both private and charter yachts mostly in the US, Caribbean and Mediterranean. I am currently the Chief Stewardess onboard M.Y. Constance.

What is the most "unforgettable" thing a guest has ever said to you?

The last yacht that I worked on was really busy both private and charter. One night, we had the owner's teenage daughters and their friends onboard for their usual weekend party. One of the girls came up to my stewardess and me in the pantry and asked us why we never went out on weekends. We politely told her that we couldn't go out because it was our job to serve them whenever they were onboard, therefore, we could not go out (as they were onboard every weekend!). She then just looked at us in despair and said: "I'm going to make sure that I stay in school so that I don't end up like you". The funny thing is that my stewardess and I both have university degrees and work in the yachting industry because we genuinely enjoy it. But try to make a teenager understand that!!!

What advice would you give new stewardesses in the industry?

As with any job, working on yachts has its good moments and its bad moments. Fortunately for me, the good times have always outweighed the bad. My philosophy is that no matter how bad things may get at times, they could have always turned out worse so keep your chin up and keep smiling! Worst case scenario, the yacht's Pratesi sheets that you sent out to a world renowned resort to get dry cleaned come back with tire marks and holes in them from them being dropped from the back of a golf buggy and then folded in a way that you could not see the damage. Best case scenario, to reward a job well done in the middle of a busy season, the yacht's owner takes you and the rest of the crew out in the VIP section of the best nightclub in Cannes, France to see a world famous DJ perform. I am speaking from experience with both these stories!!!

Where is your favorite destination?

Having worked in this industry for a few years now, I have been fortunate enough to visit some beautiful places, some of which are only accessible by boat. I would have to say that so far, my favorite destination has been Staniel Cay in the Exumas, South of Nassau. The highlights were snorkeling in Thunderball Cave, and feeding the pigs at pig beach. It is amazing to see these huge wild pigs swimming towards you in a picturesque setting! Quite amazing. My ultimate dream destination which I have yet to reach though would be Alaska. Hopefully I will get to go there on a yacht before I retire from this industry.