Well the sun has finally started to shine after a very, very very, very long winter here in The Netherlands; and I have decided to get into the spring cleaning mood by starting with my body.

The health benefits of fresh juice have long been proven due to the massive amounts of nutrients that are packed into fruit and vegetables.  Any combination of fresh vegetables and fruits are  a rich source of much needed vitamins and minerals.  So if you are feeling:

Then continue reading.

Some Doctors say that fresh juice is a natural tonic for the digestive system, as it aids healthy digestion. Furthermore the amount of natural enzymes in fresh fruit and vegetables invigorates the body and helps with the healing process of colds, ulcers and any other mild complains.

Other studies have shown that consuming fresh juice on a regular basis help to reduce cancer and heart disease. I do need to point out that I am not a doctor and the health benefits that I have shared with you today are through research and through my own experience. Please be aware of the high sugar content in fruit if you are a diabetic.

I made the above juice yesterday and I have to say it was absolutely delicious! Here’s what you will need:

So there you have it, due to the mass amounts of nutrients found in fresh fruits and vegetables, you will be well on your way to adding a little extra spring in your step. Happy spring cleaning!

As always I wish you safe travels and calm seas.

K xxx

If you are a “juicing junkie” like me, this is the machine that I use:

The Philips HR1861 Whole Fruit Juicer, Aluminium

Philips HR1861 Whole Fruit Juicer, Aluminium

I use the above  Phillips HR1861 Whole Fruit Juicer, Aluminium, and I can rave all day about it.  This juicer is

Now if you need a little more help, I highly recommend Julia Edgely. Julia  is a trained classical, complex and practical homeopath based in Antibes and it is my pleasure to personally recommend this  lovely lady.

Her details are listed below:

Cocktail

The Stewardess Bibles Guide

To

Creating the Perfect Cocktail.

By Kylie O’Brien

I have this great opportunity to help a strong second stewardess find a new and exciting position. The details are as follows:

Please remember that The Stewardess Bile is NOT a recruiting agency and I am not receiving any financial compensation for this advertisement.

The Stewardess Bible is merely acting as an intermediary as a favor for a friend and as such I will not be checking your CV or references for errors or misinformation.

In addition to this please do not email me requesting updates on the position. If you are successful the yacht will contact you directly.

That being said I wish all of you the best of luck and I hope that you are successful with your future endeavors.

With that sobering thought in mind it is not all doom and gloom, with these helpful tips your mirrors and glass should be streak free and sparkling just like the rest of your interior.

Vinegar is every super yacht stewardess’s friend

• Vinegar has been used for centuries as a good ‘all-round’ cleaning product.

• It is an organic product so it is safe around children.
• It is non toxic so even though it may be a little smelly it is safe to breath.
• It is friendlier to mother earth.
• It is gentle on your hands.
• Finally it gives STREAK free results (Hurray).

Use Distilled Water:

If you are in port and are using the dock water don’t be surprised if it is a little hard…

Here is my little tip, you  don’t have to rely on “dodgy” dock water  use distilled water.

• As a general rule I always mix1 part vinegar to 3 parts distilled water
• The less vinegar you use the less it smells.
• Obviously when you have dirtier areas to clean like the bathroom mirrors you can increase the amount of vinegar into the mix.

The cloth!

Many people suggest to use newspaper to clean mirrors and whist this is an OK idea at home, I find newspaper to be messy (especially with the black ink) and do not want it anywhere near the fine furnishing of a super yacht. Instead I recommend a microfiber cloth specifically for glass. These cloths are soft and lint free, quiet often you can use a damp microfiber cloth (without any vinegar) to buff up the glass.

The Bridge windows!

I am specifically mentioning the bridge windows because it is so important to get these windows streak free for safety reasons! You will need to time the cleaning of the windows well (do not leave it until the last minute).

• Vacuum the console and the windows first, (the electronics on the bridge seems to attract dust).

• Work with the deck department to remove the covers.
• Do not clean the windows in direct sunlight as this will make them streak
• If the glass is too hot then you will also see streaky glass.
• Use cool water with a little vinegar and a microfiber cloth for best results.

Other tips:

• If the glass is particularly dirty then washed it first with a gentle soap like (fairy liquid) this will get rid of any soap, hairspray or toothpaste residue. Dry it completely and buff with the microfiber cloth. You will not need to use any vinegar if you first clean it with soap, all you will need is a good microfiber cloth and a little “elbow grease

• Do not spray the vinegar directly onto the glass, spray it on your cloth first and then apply it to the mirror. By doing it this way you will avoid getting the vinegar on the marble or carpet.
• Do not use oil, steel wool, or any other abrasive sponge to remove any difficult marks on the glass. This will obviously damage the surface.
• Do not wash your class cleaning cloth with galley towels.
• Do not add fabric softener to the wash either. You do not want to be cleaning the oil residue from the cloth.

Thank you for reading my article on how to clean mirrors. By following these easy tips you will have clean mirrors and still maintain your sanity.

The simple luggage tag

It’s really no big secret in the Super Yacht world that when the guest arrived on board those first few minutes are crazy! New faces, drivers,agents,  luggage, luggage and more luggage…. Guests walking around,  welcome drinks , canapés, with a possibility of an immediate departure…yes there is no denying it that this is a very busy time.

As a super yacht stewardess you should have this routine so well organized that nothing will faze her cool calm demeanor. For the purpose of this exercise I will write it as if you have first time charter guests on board.

The luggage:

No matter if your guests are first time travellers or seasoned travellers there is ALWAYS a lot of luggage (I guess they don’t have to worry about the 20 kg rule or excess luggage ).

My system on board was really quite simple!

Think luggage tags!

This  system worked really well for me for many years, just like in a hotel when the luggage comes on board and sits like a mini mountain in its designated area, don’t despair . When the guest identifies their luggage simply tag the bag with the relevant cabin.

Amazon has a million luggage tags to choose from, but if you don’t have time to order them then just print out the labels, punch a hole in the top and thread an elastic band through it and there you have it!! It’s just that simple.

The luggage can then be delivered to the correct cabin and the tags will stay on the luggage until the guest departure… Simply remove the tag and use it for the next charter.

 Depending on your resources, size of the vessel and how big your interior team is, this is how I ran the welcome day.

Have ready:

• Hot or cold refresher towels, scented and presented well.
• Prepare a welcome cocktail, and refreshing non-alcoholic drinks.
• Have ready welcome canapés.

The above three tips are the most basic of any welcome service on board a super yacht. You do not want to be setting up any of this when your guests arrive.

 Unpacking:

Depending on the safety policy of your vessel, you will know when it is the right time to  allow one of your girls (normally the laundry stewardess) to unpack the principle guests’ luggage. Again this is normal practice on any super yacht that you start with principle guest. Depending on your resources you will continue to unpack the other guests’ luggage if they so wish to continue with the VIP guest and so on.

 Wardrobe management.

Colour co-ordinate

Mens wardrobe

• All shirts are to be facing left (this is easier for right handed people to select and take out their shirt)
• Button the top button, middle and last button (do not button all the way down)
• Keep the same colours together
• Keep short sleeved shirts together
• Keep the long sleeved shirt together
• Fold the under wear and socks the same way and order in colours
• Fold mens swim shorts the same way
• Arrange shoes by colour with the toes pointing out.
• Colour co-ordinate sports jackets and suits

 Ladies wardrobe.

• Keep with the same colour coding system
• Dresses are hanging by a length
• Do not put 2 skirts on 1 hanger
• Underwear is folded the same
• Fold bikinis the same way
• Fold one piece swim suits the same way
• Fold t-shirts, sweaters and cardigans the same way
• Shoes colour coded, in heel heigt with toes pointing out

 Ironing:

Unless you work on a 100m+ yacht with several people in the laundry, I would recommend taking a few pieces that the guest wants to wear that night and continue ironing their clothes bit by bit. This is usually very fine for most guests.

To summarise:

To summarize my article on wardrobe management, the rules are simple:

• Be prepared for your guest’s arrival (with fresh towels food drinks and food).
• Tag the luggage immediately
• Color co-ordinate the wardrobe
• Keep “like with like”
• Always fold the same way clothing the same way

Thank you for reading my article on wardrobe management. As always I wish you safe travels and calm seas.

K

Introducing… Super Yacht Luxury.

If you are like me and love understated luxurious organic beauty products then continue reading to find out what ex-chief stewardess Ruth Laver has been up too.

What was your last position?  My last full-time position was working as the Chief Stewardess on-board MY Pegasus, 53m Feadship. 

Where do you come from? I ’m from Newcastle-Under-Lyme, in the UK, which is of course land locked…but I grew up with a fascination for the sea and boats.  My Mum is Irish so as a child we would travel to Ireland via ferry to visit her family…I was always intrigued by the ferry ride…I felt at peace at sea.

How long have you worked on yachts?  For 7 years.

Super Yacht Luxury

How did you get into yachting? After qualifying as a Solicitor in the UK, I decided to take a break from my career in Criminal Defence because I felt disillusioned by my career choice.  I did some soul searching and realised that there were 2 things that made me feel happy, the first was skiing / snowboarding, the second was being in the sunshine.  But it was May when I left my legal job, so I pursued the sunshine option.  I’d heard stories from some friends of friends that had worked on superyachts, and decided to give it a whirl.  To gain experience I worked on a Swan sailing yacht for free in Italy via Crew Seekers.  It was there on the Amalfi coast that I first saw a super yacht, and I was mesmerised.  I then landed my first job working as a Stew / Cook on a new build 26m Ferretti.

What did you like/dislike about your last job? 

What are your biggest accomplishments? Travelling solo through India where I trained as a Yoga teacher was a great accomplishment, though I was very relieved to get in a taxi to the airport when my trip was over!

Can you work under pressure? Yes, I thrive under pressure.  I loved working as part of hard-working crew, it was like a well choreographed ballet when things were going smoothly.

Super Yacht Luxury

What was the most difficult situation that you have had to  face? The owner of a new build yacht that I was Chief Stewardess on-board died a few weeks before the boat launched.  His widow used the boat subsequently, and was grief stricken.  The whole family were very upset, and it made life on- board very challenging.

What are your pet hates? Poor punctuality.

Tell me about the last time you felt anger on the job? I was pretty angry when a masseuse / stewardess would refuse to be involved in her stewardess duties!  Classic princess mentality.

What do you do in your spare time? I really enjoy practicing yoga, reading, mountain biking, cooking for friends and exploring the English countryside.

What makes you laugh? Peter Kay is hilarious, and is essential for blue days.

What would you like to be doing five years from now? I would like to be settled, land based, running a successful business. 

Where would be your favourite holiday destination and why? I deeply love New Zealand, the locals are pretty easy going, warm and friendly.

Where do like to shop? I decided last year that I would make a resolution to only buy from charity shops.  But I still get my basics from Zara and H&M.

Super Yacht Luxury

Can you recommend a service or a product that may be helpful to other Stewardesses? 

• Jamie Hill, Life Coach.  Jamie was instrumental in helping me to follow through with my dream of establishing my own business.  We held all our sessions on skype, so its a really accessible service for yachties;
  •  +44 (0) 7970 884224
  • jamiepmhill@googlemail.com
• http://leoniedawson.com/   – I use these life and business plans, they’re great for getting motivated and focussed on your goals.
• http://www.mootu.com/  is an online counselling Skype service, which can be really useful if you’re going through a rough time on-board.  Working on yachts can be a very stressful and lonely experience, so it’s important to have good support in place.
• http://myvirtualpurser.com/   is a great service for busy Pursers or Chief Stewardess’. 

Have you met any famous people and what were your thoughts? I met the Queen when I worked at a theatre whilst I was at University.  She was a very sweet little lady.  Apparently she only shakes hands with people whilst wearing her gloves!  It was fascinating to see her entourage, the ladies in waiting and the very security operation around this iconic lady.  The following week I was introduced to Prince Philip, at St James’ Palace, as I was awarded the Gold Duke of Edinburgh award.  

What do you enjoy most about your job? I really enjoy the flexibility of running my own business, the creative process is pretty fun too; I’ve really enjoyed collaborating with creative designers on my new website www.superyachtluxury.com, and coming up with innovative ideas like my Children’s Activity Pack.

Any advice for “newbies” in the industry? Make sure your Facebook account is private, and has an appropriate picture.  Ensure that your references are going to say positive things about you, and be ready for the adventure of a lifetime! 

Introducing Super Yacht Luxury 

Can you tell us about your service.  We supply luxury guest toiletries to yachts, and offer a great range of co-ordinating turndown treats.  We also offer spa training for Stewardess’, and I work as a freelance Yoga Teacher and Massage / Beauty Therapist.

Essential Contact Details:

• Website: www.superyachtluxury.com
• Face Book:https://www.facebook.com/WellnestNelson?ref=hl
• Phone Ruth Laver: +44 (0) 7887 724272
• Email: ruth@superyachtluxury.com

What specific training was required to obtain this job? I trained as a Yoga teacher in India in 2007, and gained qualifications in Massage and Cranio Sacral therapy and Reiki In New Zealand. Finally my university degree in Law and Business Administration is now becoming useful, whilst I establish this new business venture.

What type of reading do you do on a daily basis? I‘m reading Tim Ferriss’ 4hr work week at the moment.  I always read a business book whilst having a fictional book for relaxation.  Seth Godin has taught me so much about effective marketing.

If you could go back and change something related to your education or your life as a student what would you change or what would you do differently? I would have partied harder and studied less at University.

What inspires you? I find TED talks very inspirational. 

• http://www.ted.com/talks/tony_robbins_asks_why_we_do_what_we_do.html

It has been a challenging transition moving from life on-board to being land based.  So I used a life coach, Jamie Hill, to assist, support and inspire me through this huge change.  He introduced me to Tony Robbins, and I’ve moved forward ever since.

What are the pros and cons of running your own company?

Pro’s: 

• Having complete control over your working day / schedule is refreshing.
• I really enjoy my morning walk in the park.
• I love working from the comfort of home.
• I am location independent, and can work anywhere in the world, so this gives me lots of freedom.

Cons:

• It takes strong self-discipline.

How can your service benefit an international community like yachting? Super Yacht Luxury is tailored to the demands of the yachting community, so that I am available 24/7, and can offer and prompt, speedy and 100% reliable service.

 Contact Super Yacht Luxury today.

• Website: www.superyachtluxury.com
• Face Book: https://www.facebook.com/WellnestNelson?ref=hl
• Phone Ruth Laver:  +44 (0) 7887 724272
• Email: ruth@superyachtluxury.com

Thank you for reading my article on Super Yacht Luxury. Next week I will be writing a review on all of the lovely samples Ruth sent me so stay tuned for that one and finally Do pop on over to Super yacht Luxury and check out their amazing products, you won’t be disappointed. 

There is something about cigars that stirs a memory of old fashioned glamour filled with a little naughtiness.

Despite the obvious health risks, cigars remain fixtures of pop culture and  have been connected to significant celebrations;  and are usually associated with masculine gatherings, just have a look at a few examples:

• To celebrate a man coming of age.
• To celebrate a mans engagement/ wedding.
• To celebrate the birth of a child.
• Always associated with 2 old friends, a glass of fine whiskey and a quiet chat.

These days not many people smoke (hurray) however as a super yacht stewardess you will need to know a little bit about the allure of the cigar and what to look for when buying them. Unless you have had specific instructions as to what brand to buy, then I would suggest you follow the  below rules of buying and storing cigar’s and you will be fine.

Cigars have been around for eons, where it is believed to have been a popular thing to do in the Mayan culture… fast forward  a little bit and good old Christopher Columbus can be credited for the introduction the fermented tabacco leaf into Europe.
King Edward VII, Queen Victoria, Franz List and the US president Ulysses S Grant  are just a few historical figures who were known to enjoy a bit of a puff.

A Cigar is a tightly rolled bundle of dried and fermented tobacco; and needs to be grown in humid and warm countries. The most popular cigars are grown in the Dominican Republic, Honduras, Nicaragua, Costa Rica, and Jamaica with the most famous place being Cuba cigars. The flavour of a quality cigar will vary from region to region and like a fine whiskey, a premium cigar will have characteristics unique to that manufacture.

Cuba is one of the world leaders in producing  premier cigars.  Even with the US trade embargo imposed on Cuba in the 1960’s, did little to deter the cigar smoker form searching out and enjoying the Cuban cigar.  The Cuban cigar is skilfully rolled. The flavour is very full and smoky compared to those made in the Dominican Republic where they tend to be a little more spicy. According to some experts it takes approximately 6 years to master the process of hand rolling a a cigar.

Typically you may know what brand to buy from popular reputation, however when buying cigars please remember that not all cigars are created equally. The single most important point to make is the consistency of the cigars. Premium cigars will have consistency in the quality of the tobacco, and consistency in the  quality of the construction of the cigar. For a super yacht stewardess who was sent to buy cigars make sure you check the following:

A cigar humidor is a box, case or in some instances a room where the temperature is kept at an optimal level to ensure that the cigar maintains an ideal moisture level; too humid then the tobacco will rot, and to dry the tobacco will dry out and lose its aroma and flavour.

Thank you for reading my article about ‘Things you should know when buying a cigar’. I hope it has been helpful.

When you have worked on super yachts as long as I have you come across an array of people cultures and races. Russians are big spenders in the world of the Mega yachts, with more and more billionaires buying up BIG every year.

Your role as a super yacht stewardess is to know as much as possible about your guests as possible.  The following article will give  you a glimpse of Russian cultural etiquette that I have  observed over the years.

Below is a brief overview of popular types of vodka. Until you know your guest preference keep a bottle of vodka in the freezer  and the rest in the cabinet.

• No one liked room temperature vodka.
• Russian guests preferred clear vodka
• Russian guests stayed away from flavoured vodka.
• In addition to wine with dinner, I also served a lot of cognac and fine whiskey to my Russian guests.

It took me a while to understand the Russian culture, and to be honest I used to think they were very cold  and “standoffish”people;  but I found out that this is not the case. Russians love to entertain and you do not need an excuse to invite a friend over or to go visit someone. It is wise to have a selection of canapés and hor d’oeurves at hand (and not chips or nuts).

As mentioned before the Russians love to drink and to entertain. They tend to sit at the table and discuss all of kinds of things, and when entertaining guests or celebrating an occasion, you will see the true Russian warmth in the cheers. Toasts are usually given at the beginning of the meal through the meal and at the end… (especially if it is a celebratory meal), so make sure you have plenty of their chosen beverage on hand.

Thank you for reading my article about: 5 Things you need to know about your Russian Guests.

• Kylie O’Brien
• http://goeasteurope.about.com

The art of good table service is one that is usually learnt over a period of time and is a skill that is taught by mentoring, repetition and theoretical knowledge. Whist etiquette has changed over time it is important to know the fundamentals so that you can draw on it if required.

To ensure this multi course event is executed in the manner in which it is intended, here are a few tips that will help you and your team deliver exceptional service.

The art of good service:
Good table service is more than just impeccable service. It requires other skills such as communications and an understanding of what the quests need, all three skills (Impeccable service knowledge, good communication skills and guest understanding), are required to produce a relaxed and comfortable dining experience.

Tips to remember:

• Good service is unobtrusive.
• Good service is prompt and efficient.
• Your fingers should never touch the plate, or the food. Keep your fingers on the rim of the plate.
• Never lean across your guest.
• Never interrupt a guest when he/she is speaking.
• Traffic in the dining room should be kept to a minimum.
• To ensure excellent service, of a multi course menu requires exceptional communication between the chief stewardess and the head chef.
• All dinning proceedings should be conveyed and directed by the host via the Chief Stewardess through to the Chef.

The order of service.
The order of service may vary from culture to culture and it is important to know the cultural norms of your guest; however for the purpose of this article I will use English etiquette as an example.

• Service begins with the lady of honour who is normally seated to the right of the host, and proceeds counter clockwise ending with the host. However if you do not know who the guest of honour is ( a good clue would be who is sleeping in the VIP cabin), or if the atmosphere on board is not so formal then a ‘general rule of thumb’ is to serve all of the female guests first.
• Followed by all of the men ending with the host.
• If you get confused with who is more important, etc., the most important tips is to always follow the order of service in 1 direction. Do not go back and forth as this wastes time and looks very unprofessional.
• Depending on your resources there will normally be 2 or more stewardesses on service so the flow of service should be smooth and efficient.
• Plates are always served and cleared on the left.
• Plates are normally cleared at one time, after the host has finished , with the exception of desert where individual plates are cleared as the guest finish.
• Beverages are always served and cleared from the right.
• If the same wine is served consecutively then you may use the same glass, however if the wines are changing with the courses the you will need to place a fresh glass for the new wine.

Thank you for reading my article on ‘The Art of Good Table Service’, I hope it helps.

You can also check out related topics such as:

• How to set the perfect table.
• How to be creative when setting a table.
• Simple table settings.

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