Good Crew and You
It’s hard for me to get onboard so many gorgeous charter yachts. It really is. At a place like this year’s Fort Lauderdale International Boat Show, there are literally wall-to-wall marinas jam-packed with wall-to-wall yachts of all shapes and sizes. My job as a journalist is to figure out what makes each charter yacht different or special, and then let you CharterWave readers in on the secret. With so many great yachts lined up one after another, though, I sometimes find myself struggling to determine exactly what quality makes one boat stand out above the next.
I experienced this very problem earlier today while touring the 164-foot luxury motoryacht Andale, which is part of the charter fleet at Camper & Nicholsons International. Andale (pronounced ON-da-lay) is one of those jaw-droppers, the kind of yacht you step onboard and wish, in an instant, that you could live onboard for the rest of your life. She’s only two years old, she’s practically dripping with elegance, and yet she has a comfortable vibe to her that made me feel at home the moment I walked from the aft deck into the main saloon.
All of which is obviously part of the reason Andale has been one of the most successful yachts in the luxury end of the charter industry ever since she launched in 2004. Yet when I sat down in that stunning saloon and asked Dee Kraley, who works for Camper & Nicholsons, what she thought made the boat stand out, this is what she said: “There is not a lot of turnover in the key crew positions. This boat has a lot of repeat clients. Clients ask, ‘Is Capt. Eddie still onboard? And if he’s not, what boat is he on? We’ll charter that.’”
Having now met Capt. Eddie Cooney, I can attest to the fact that he’s extremely personable. And the yacht’s busy charter calendar, apparently full of repeat clients, is testament to the fact that he runs a great charter program. But the key thing I picked up from Dee Kraley’s comment was the lack of crew turnover. If a crew are being treated well, they’re going to stay onboard for a long time. They’re going to develop a strong bond and sense of teamwork. They’re going to do a better job of serving a yacht’s charter guests.
In other words, even onboard one of the most luxurious yachts in the worldwide charter industry, it’s the right crew that makes all the difference between good and great–not the thread count in the bedsheets or the amount of Lalique figurines onboard, but the crew camaraderie and service. It’s something to keep in mind no matter what size or style of yacht you choose for your own charter.
To check out more information and see photos of Andale, go to www.cnconnect.com.