Apr 16, 2014 | Interior Crew Interviews, The Chief Stewardess, The Superyacht Stewardess
The Stewardess Bible chats with Katija Kipre.
This beautiful Chief Stewardess has a passion for travel, with a healthy dose of experience to back up her yachting career.
What is your star sign? – Gemini, bubbly and smiley person 🙂
Where do you come from? – I come from Cavtat.
A lovely little fishermen town near Dubrovnik, where I have worked in the wine bar and met some great crews and yacht owners and one of them gave me my first yacht job.
Where do you call home these days? – Cavtat has and will always be my home, but I currently live in Palma with my fiancé.
What was your last job and what did you like/dislike about it: Chief stew on 40 m, a lot of work and a demanding owner.
- Likes – an opportunity to meet new people and expanding knowledge,
- Dislikes – guests’ ingratitude
What are your biggest accomplishments? – My greatest accomplishment is being exactly who I am today; healthy and smiley sister, daughter, fiancé, aunt and friend.
Can you work under pressure? – This is my favourite type 🙂
When you work under pressure, you can see the best that you are capable of and if you are on the right place. Time flies and you simply do what needs to be done 🙂
What is the most difficult situation you have faced? – Losing someone you love.
What are your pet hates? – I hate lies and pretending
Tell me about the last time you felt anger on the job – Last job, after training a stew for two months. Giving 150% to the job and her training, she left in the middle of the season and there I was all alone…
What do you do in your spare time? – My passion is yoga, writing my diary and travelling.
What makes you laugh? – Friends, my brother’s children (they always find a way to make me laugh regardless of where I am).
What would you like to be doing five years from now? – I would like to start my own business and spend as much time as possible with my family.
Where would be your favourite holiday destination and why? – Thailand, the land of smiles. It is perfect and makes you realize how little you need for happiness.
Where do like to shop? – Wherever I find things I like! 🙂
Can you recommend a service or a product that may be helpful to Super yacht Stewardesses? – My favourite one is a Hagerty flatware, silver dip and the best one and a must have is Murphy soap for a wood.
What specific training was required to obtain this job? – You are for the job, or you aren’t.
Even with the training it is all very logical. I have a medical care on board slip and in my opinion, every stew should have it! Regardless of the training you have the most helpful things are general knowledge and a smile 🙂
It is a great job, but it brings a completely different lifestyle and you need to make changes and be ready for them.
What type of reading do you do on a daily basis? – Always peak into stew bible, and lately after I got engaged, I read a lot of wedding magazines! I’m getting married in October next year, and it needs to be perfect! 🙂
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 be different in high school, I wouldn’t allow myself to lose a year, then it seemed cool, but it wasn’t, but hey, it’s all part of the life and it was definitely a good lesson
What inspires you? – I have always been inspired by the advices and wisdoms from my late grandmother, she has and will always be my Yoda.
The Stewardess Bible would like to thank Katija for the interview. We wish her well with her job hunt and lots sunshine on her wedding day :). Xonata AI
Jul 31, 2013 | Interior Crew Interviews
The Stewardess Bible Talks to 2nd Stewardess Katie Wilter
Journalist, graphic designer, half-marathon runner, and blogger behind Eyehearttravel — Katie Wilter brings a creative eye and a relentlessly positive outlook to life at sea. We caught up with her in Halifax, Nova Scotia, just before she headed back down the US east coast.
Where are you working at the moment? M/Y Solaia, currently in Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada. We are heading back down the US east coast on Saturday.
Star sign? Taurus.
Where are you from? Cape Town, South Africa.
How long have you worked on yachts? One year and three months — so still relatively green.
What did you like and dislike about your last job? I loved the crew and we had some great parties. What I disliked was the complete mismanagement and the genuinely poor treatment of the crew.
How did you get into the industry? A few friends had done it, and I needed a break from the nine-to-five office routine.
What are your biggest accomplishments? My degrees, certainly — a Bachelor of Journalism with Honours, and an MTN scholarship to complete a postgraduate Diploma in Media Management with Distinction, both at Rhodes University. Beyond that: completing five half marathons, exploring a good many countries with plenty still on the list, walking the Inca Trail, and still having the same best friends I had in high school. Love and miss you all.
Can you work under pressure? Of course. I am a stew and a graphic designer — both are entirely about meeting deadlines.
What is the most difficult situation you have faced? As a yachtie, being caught in horrible storms with extremely rough seas. In life more broadly, the loss of friends and family — and, like everyone, my own personal struggles along the way.
What are your pet hates? Constant sniffing — reach for a tissue! Narrow-minded perspectives, and cynical people.
Tell me about the last time you felt anger at work. On my current yacht, honestly, I have not really felt angry at all. On my last yacht, though, I got genuinely angry about the mismanagement and ill-treatment of the crew — we were treated like the red-headed stepchild. Lack of sleep certainly did not help.
What do you do in your spare time? Blog, yoga, run, and explore wherever I happen to be — camera always in hand. Parties with friends, art galleries, wining and dining, reading magazines, books, and blogs, and generally trying to do something a little different.
Where do you see yourself in five years? I would love to have a successful travel blog or website running — something that gives me the flexibility for family life while continuing with freelance graphic design and writing. I would also love more time to paint and travel, and to keep being inspired by the everyday beauty I find in different places, people, and creations.
Favourite holiday destination, and why? Right now I am daydreaming about a yoga and surfing holiday in Costa Rica. Being outdoors in the sun and sea, meditating, doing yoga, relaxing, meeting new people, and experiencing a new culture — that would be a little slice of heaven.
Where do you like to shop? In Europe, H&M, Pimkie, and Zara. In the US, Gap, Victoria’s Secret, the Apple Store, Ross — and all the little boutiques I discover in tiny towns along my travels.
Can you recommend a product or service for fellow stewardesses? I am a big fan of Seventh Generation cleaning products — they are environmentally friendly, gentle on the skin, and scent-free. The washing liquid and dishwashing liquid are excellent. I also love wet Swiffer cloths for the crew mess floor; quick, easy, and they smell great. Domestic goddess, much?
Have you met any famous people, and what did you make of them? Nobody truly famous — just wealthy and well-known in their fields. I admire successful people and love chatting with them about how they got there. That said, I once served a famous model who was a complete airhead. You win some, you lose some!
What do you enjoy most about your job? The travel, and the salary — which is wonderfully easy to save.
Any advice for newcomers to the industry? Stay positive, stick it out — it takes a while to break in — and above all, follow your instincts.
Introducing: Eyehearttravel
Tell us about your blog — what inspires you, and how do you find the time to write? I write whenever I have something worth sharing — my favourite song of the week, recent photographs, or just my thoughts in words. I love all things travel, art, and beauty, so those are my main sources of inspiration. A phrase will pop into my head and I have to write it down immediately, then build it out from there. The content is quite varied — everything from wakeboarding to cooking lobsters.
The name Eyehearttravel simply popped into my head one day during my hour-long break on a charter. Despite being utterly zombie-tired with a growing pile of laundry still to iron, I snuck off with my mini laptop and created a WordPress blog. It is relatively new, but I am thoroughly enjoying my little project — even if the crew tease me about it and cannot quite see the point. (“Wait — you don’t get paid for this?”)
My yacht owner enjoys reading it, and it is a lovely way to share what I am up to with family and friends back home. It is frustrating not having the time to properly promote it on Twitter and the other platforms that demand constant attention, but I do what I can between charters. Blogging is all about the small wins — when I hit over 100 hits in a day, I do a little victory jiggle. It may be a tiny pip-squeak for now, but one day it might just blossom into something grand. Watch this space.
Thank you, Katie — here’s to Costa Rica, the small wins, and a blog that grows into everything you hope it will.
Jun 10, 2013 | Interior Crew Interviews
The Stewardess Bible Talks to Superyacht Stewardess Amy Dawes
Adventurous, well-travelled, and refreshingly candid — Amy Dawes has spent six years criss-crossing the Mediterranean, opened her own yoga studio, learned fluent Spanish, and very nearly come unstuck on the slopes of Snowdon. We sat down with her for one of our more entertaining crew interviews to date.
Where are you from? I am Australian, but I usually base myself in Argentina when I am not working on yachts.
What is your current position on board? I am 3rd Stewardess on my current vessel, though I have previously worked as 2nd.
How long have you worked on yachts? This will be my fourth Mediterranean season over the past six years.
What did you like and dislike about your last job? I loved that the owners were late risers and that the yacht was almost always in port — it meant I could get off board and go for a run every morning. What I disliked was how little we actually travelled; we spent weeks at a time in Cannes alone.
How did you get into the industry? In 2007, while travelling through South America for twelve months, I met a New Zealand girl in Peru who told me about working on yachts and the good salaries on offer. Towards the end of my travels I had a return flight booked to Europe, so — with no real idea what to expect — I jumped on a plane to Palma, landed in a crew house, and started learning what I needed to do. A couple of days later, CVs in hand, I went for a dock walk. A few minutes after that I had my first interview, and I was moving on board as a junior stew. It happened that fast.
Where do you see yourself in five years? I would like to move back to Australia at some point, and perhaps even start a family. That said, I love the hospitality and service industry, so I would like to combine that with my passion for yoga, alternative therapies, health, and nutrition — ideally working front of house at a health resort back home to gain some experience before exploring my own business opportunities.
What are your biggest personal accomplishments? Learning fluent Spanish, and opening my own yoga studio. Both took a great deal of work, and I am proud of both.
Can you work under pressure? Absolutely. Hospitality is fundamentally about working under pressure and managing your time well, and there are no exceptions to that during a stewardess’s busy season.
What is the most difficult situation you have faced? Losing the trail on a late summit attempt on Snowdon — I found myself climbing almost vertically up falling slate, with a rescue helicopter hovering over my shoulder watching our every move. I genuinely thought we might not make it. That, and my first season on board, living in such close quarters with so many people of different cultures, interests, and personalities. It is a bit like a Big Brother house — all the ups and downs included — and you learn an enormous amount about yourself, if you take the time to reflect on what is happening around you.
What bothers you? Negativity, more than anything. It is like a rotten apple in a barrel — it affects everyone in close proximity, and sometimes well beyond.
Tell me about the last time you felt real anger at work. I know there are moments in every season when everyone snaps, but a single specific instance of anger? I honestly cannot recall one — so it clearly cannot have been that important. Either that, or the eight months of travelling before this job did me a world of good!
What are your long-term career goals? As I mentioned, I would like to move into resort work in health and alternative therapy, and eventually open my own business. Time will tell. Honestly, I do not like to plan too far ahead. I would much rather enjoy the present, learn everything I can, and take advantage of the opportunities that present themselves along the way. Where that leads, nobody knows — and that is exactly what I love. The freedom to adapt.
When and why did you set these goals, and how are you preparing for them? Getting married earlier this year, to someone outside the industry, made me question the instability of yachting and reassess my future. I find organisation and business planning come naturally to me, so I am using my time to network, learn from people and experiences, pursue personal study — and, of course, put a few coins in the piggy bank along the way.
What do you do in your spare time? I love being in the sun, travelling, running, yoga, and eating. That last one is probably why I enjoy working on yachts so much.
What makes you laugh? Good company, every time.
What makes you cry? Sad films — and sympathy crying!
What is your favourite colour? It depends on the day. I love colour — anything bright. No blacks, greys, browns, or blues for me, thank you.
What do you think of the term “stupidess”? Used to describe a dim stewardess, I suppose? Like most terms of that kind, it depends entirely on context. I would be the first to laugh at myself for a daft mistake, and if someone said it in that spirit I would not think twice. But if it were said in a chauvinistic way about stewardesses in general, it could be quite offensive.
Have you heard the crew talk about the “stewie bum,” and how do you feel about it? Ha! Yes — I am growing one as we speak. You have got to love the incredible food we get on board during a season. I enjoy a bit of banter; nobody is perfect, so give it right back to them. They are not gods, after all.
Have you ever met anyone famous? I have never spent any real time with anyone famous, but working on yachts and in restaurants I have certainly served a few celebrities. The thing is, I do not watch much television or read gossip magazines, so I am usually entirely oblivious to who they actually are.
What is the most embarrassing thing you have ever done? Without going into detail… let us just say it involved a boyfriend, an intimate moment, and my father. I will leave it there.
The most embarrassing thing you have seen someone else do? I could not possibly say — in case they ever stumble across this on the internet!
How do you find working on a new build project? I really enjoy it. It is wonderfully busy, with interesting things happening every day. There is far more organisation and office work involved, which I love, and the best part is that you can set everything up exactly the way your department wants it. I have learned a great deal about brands and suppliers, and have taken on some of the chief stew’s responsibilities while her hands have been tied up with administrative work.
What is it like being based in Vlissingen? I have had some fun times in town these past few weeks. Vlissingen is close enough to Amsterdam and Belgium to make for interesting trips on days off. On a sunny day, the alfresco dining in town and along the coast is lovely — though in general it is a touch too cold and windy for my liking. I am desperate for some Mediterranean sun!
Favourite destination, and why? Oh, I could not possibly choose just one. I have spent the last ten years travelling to more than forty-five countries, and every single place holds its own magic and happy memories — sometimes for the location, sometimes for the people I was with or met along the way, sometimes for the culture and the food. In general, I am drawn to developing destinations for their simplicity and natural beauty, and because the locals are so often warm, happy, and generous with their time.
Thank you, Amy — here’s to Mediterranean sun, new business ventures, and never quite knowing where the road leads next.
