Sarah Kroker started working as a stewardess in Fort Lauderdale at the age of 21. Later, she was responsible for the culinary wishes of guests and crew. The 34-year-old has sailed on yachts from 24 to 50 metres, both on classic yachts with and without sails, as well as on shipyard-new formats. She has experienced owners and their families as well as charter guests while travelling in the Mediterranean, but also in the Caribbean, Bahamas and along the US East Coast. "If a helping hand was needed on deck, that was no problem for me either," reports Kroker.
During your crew time, you travelled to the Caribbean, the US East Coast and the Mediterranean. Which destinations should families not miss out on in late summer and autumn?
If you want to make the journey to America, I can absolutely recommend the northern east coast. We travelled via Newport, Nantucket, Block Island and Boston up to Maine and it was simply beautiful. Lots of little fishing villages where you can enjoy freshly caught lobster in the sun. In Europe, Sardinia and Corsica are my recommendations, the entrance to Bonifacio alone is breathtaking. Mallorca also has so many beautiful bays where you can lie comfortably at anchor and play with the children in the pleasant blue water.
What real costs should a family expect for a charter trip?
Of course, I can't give a generalised answer, but you have to be aware that the charter price only refers to the yacht and crew, all other costs are additional. This can easily be 30,000 euros or more per week, assuming a 30-metre yacht.
What is an APA and how is it organised?
The Advance Provisioning Allowance is the budget calculated in advance for a charter trip, from which fuel, food, alcohol, mooring or anchorage fees and all costs incurred for the charter trip are paid. This is roughly 20 to 25 per cent of the charter price, for yachts over 50 metres even 30 to 35 per cent. Of course, this in turn depends heavily on the route and activity plans of the charter guests. The APA is paid before the start of the trip.
And then there's the tip. How much is the average tip?
It depends on the area, in Europe the tip is lower and is around ten per cent, in the USA and the Caribbean it is closer to 18 per cent of the charter price. The tip is divided equally between the crew.
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What is the crew happy about, apart from the tip?
It's always nice for the crew to build up a bond with the guests. When you realise that the guests are also interested in the crew's concerns. Then you have a lot more fun at work. And that makes a big difference in working days that can be 15 to 18 hours long.
A superyacht charter promises absolute freedom. Where are the limits?
There are not many, but the set route cannot really be changed significantly as this could affect the owner's other charters or trips. Even with drugs on board, the fun stops.
What should parents look out for when choosing a charter yacht when travelling with small children?
I would make sure that the owner of the charter yacht uses it in a similar family constellation as the customer. That way you can assume that everything is childproof. There may also be a stewardess or nanny on board who can look after the children. However, if the owner is a party animal, things look very different.
What do active families look out for?
Here, attention should clearly be paid to the toy equipment. If you like kite surfing or diving, this equipment should be available on board. In this case, too, there is usually at least one crew member on board who has a diving licence or similar.
Ever since the reality series "Below Deck", the world has known about the abstruse special requests of some charter guests. What has happened to you as a boss, and where does the fool's freedom end for you?
In culinary terms, I was able and allowed to develop freely, and I didn't have any abstruse special requests. Of course, you know the preferences of the guests and the owner beforehand. It's not unusual for an "allergy" stated in advance to turn out to be less important once the delicious food is on the table. On one yacht I worked on, the owner was keen to call at a particular harbour, which the captain strongly advised against as the weather was deteriorating rapidly. Unfortunately, in the following heavy swell and despite being secured, the wine fridge opened and the red wine flowed through the entire saloon. We were anchored in Miami with another yacht, and the owner's daughter was having a party with her future husband. The guests kept jumping off the upper deck. This is not really a problem, but there were a lot of tenders and jet skis around us, so it was really dangerous. As a crew, we had great difficulty stopping the fun. For me, the freedom to be a fool stops when my life and the lives of others are in danger, and of course in the case of sexual assault.
You have experienced both owners and guests on board. What can a holiday on a yacht trigger in people?
It's pure relaxation! The crew look after you around the clock, so you don't have to worry about a thing. Here you can leave work behind and concentrate fully on your family holiday. A holiday on a yacht creates a feeling of freedom that cannot be described, but must be experienced.
This article first appeared in BOOTE EXCLUSIV 04/2022 and has been updated for the online version.
