Superyacht chief stewardess Martina Drezancic (above) pulled back the curtain on Web Travel in the ‘real’ world of Below Deck
“A guest asked for chicken eggs from chickens that only eat worms. He wanted the maximum amount of protein in the eggs.”
Superyacht chief stewardess Martina Drezancic pulled back the curtain on Web Travel in the ‘real’ Under Deck world – and revealed she has fulfilled many unusual guest requests.
She is currently working on a 150ft boat called M/Y Freedom which cruises the Adriatic Sea and sleeps up to 22 guests, features a cinema, gym, pool, jacuzzi, massage room and a full range of water toys’ – and rent costs between €80,000 (£67,000/$80,700) and €100,000 (£84,000/$101,000) per week.
Martina said: “Most of the time we find solutions – or alternatives if we can’t. But sometimes guests ask for things you can’t imagine you can do.”
Whatever the request, Martina takes a “never say no” approach.
And completes its tasks with military precision.
There were some idlers and troublemakers on Below Deck, the hit reality TV show chronicling life on a charter yacht. But according to Martina – who has been chief stewardess for the past two years – if you don’t play by the rules, it’s time to get off the ship.
She said: “Working on a yacht is like being in the army – order, work, discipline. Those who do not comply do not need to be on board at all.
“Right from the start I knew what was expected. It’s really important that they’re there. There is no place for the word “but”. It doesn’t matter how they’ve done it before on another boat, there’s only one way to do things.
“And trust me, I’ve tried every possibility.”
The Croatian’s urge for disciplinary methods earned her the nickname “Hitler”.
Martina works on the work M/Y Freedom (above), which costs between €80,000 (£67,000/$80,700) and €100,000 (£84,000/$101,000) per week to rent
Martina said: “Working on a yacht is like being in the army – order, work, discipline. If you don’t comply, you don’t even need to be on board.
“Right from the start it was clear to me what was expected,” said Martina. “It is really important that they are on board with this. There is no place for the word “but”. It doesn’t matter how they’ve done it before on another boat, there’s only one way to do things.
She added: “I’m very strict indeed. But that’s the only right way. If everyone does their job, we continue as a Swiss movement. There is no needless checking, repeating and wasting time. And each crew member must be able to do what is necessary.”
And what does the job involve besides the egg hunt?
Long hours and lots of cleaning.
“We clean what is already clean,” says Martina. “And my working days are at least 16 hours.
“Let’s say we get up at 6:30 a.m. … we need to be ready by 7:30 a.m. to serve breakfast, which sometimes lasts until 11 a.m.
“After we’ve put that away and prepared lunch, which is usually 1-3pm, we might have some free time while the guests swim and enjoy our toys.
“But there is always something to do, from stocking fridges to cleaning fingerprints, from checking on guests to organizing laundry.
“We clean what is already clean,” says Martina. ‘And my working days are at least 16 hours’
“Later we go through the menus with the chef, and special requests are always possible. Then at 6 p.m. we change into our night uniform and start serving cocktails and preparing for dinner, which often turns into a party and often ends around 2 a.m..”
Are crew romances commonplace?
Martina said: “Romances with guests are a big no-no for me and on the boats I have worked on so far. You can be polite and friendly, but always aware of the line you must not cross.
‘[A romance] could affect the working atmosphere. For example, if you fire a member, their friend or whoever will leave. Losing two people is not recommended at all in this industry, especially in the high season.”
The hardest part of the job for Martina is recruiting and leading a crew that gets along.
Martina said: “I’m really strict. But that’s the only right way. Once everyone has done their job, we continue as a Swiss watch movement.
Martina has a “never say no” approach to guest requests
She said: “It’s not easy to find up to 12 people who can work together. You live with these people for at least six months. I have to figure out how to behave towards everyone. You take two people and throw them to the sharks, one gets eaten and the other keeps swimming with them. So building a good team is the hardest part.’
But while the job involves long, romance-free hours and hard work, the rewards can be huge — sometimes financially huge.
Martina, 28, added: “The biggest tip I’ve received was €10,000 in cash (£8,400/$10,200). And I got a lot of presents.’
To book M/Y Freedom visit www.goolets.net/yacht-rentals/freedom-croatia.