I shot the above photograph on the sundeck of the 141-foot Palmer Johnson motoryacht Pure Bliss a week ago today, on the last day of the Genoa charter yacht show. It may seem unremarkable here–a picture of a nicely set table surrounded by perfectly fluffed pillows and seat cushions–but the truth is that this photograph is evidence of just how can-do the Pure Bliss crew really is.

The yacht, you see, was late in getting to the Mediterranean from the United States. The transport ship that was carrying it over didn’t arrive in Palma, Spain, until last Tuesday–after the boat show in Italy had already begun. Whereas other charter yacht crew had spent several days preparing to demonstrate their skills and vessels for the brokers and press in Genoa, the Pure Bliss crew had to get their yacht into show-ready condition while racing along the Mediterranean coastline.

They left Palma on Tuesday night and cruised nonstop, making it to Genoa and their slip at the boat show at 5:30 on Thursday morning. You can imagine how exhausted they were–but they had Pure Bliss organized and ready to show, with welcoming smiles on their faces, by 10 o’clock that same morning. They hosted a cocktail party for brokers and press later that night, and were right back at their posts on Friday morning, with the yacht looking spotless, as you can see in the above photo that I snapped that afternoon.

Boy is that impressive. And it’s exactly the attitude you want in a top-notch charter yacht crew. Reputable charter brokers always say they want a “can-do crew,” a crew that simply gets done whatever needs to get done, no matter the circumstances. In my opinion, this crew of nine onboard Pure Bliss fit that description last week to a T.

The 10-guest yacht, which is entering charter seriously this summer for the first time in her 11-year history, is part of the fleet at International Yacht Collection. Contact any reputable charter broker for more information.

Meet Capt. Doug Stein and chef Peggy Langenbeck, the new crew onboard the 75-foot sailing yacht Bahamian Rhapsody. I haven’t had the chance to meet them yet myself, but the folks at management company Northrop & Johnson tell me that Doug has more than 100,000 nautical miles under his belt. That sounds like a good start in terms of knowing how to get around the islands.

As on all charter yachts, it is the crew as much as the boat itself that can make or break your charter vacation–and crew changes like this one happen more frequently than you might imagine. It’s fairly common for someone to book a charter a few months in advance after diligently reading a boat’s crew profiles, only to find out a few weeks before the charter starts that an entirely new team is in place.

Any reputable charter broker can help you keep track of which crew are operating onboard which yachts at any given time. Often, if the yacht’s owner takes crew issues seriously, a replacement team will be just as good as the crew you heard about when booking your charter.

After all, good yacht owners want to receive good service just as much as you do.

I met this month’s CharterWave Chef of the Month, David Beltran, onboard the 160-foot motoryacht Jo at the Antigua Charter Yacht Show. Not only did he prepare a delicious and beautifully presented luncheon, but he also treated us to a poem–something he does for all of Jo’s charter guests.

My guess is that after meeting Chef David via this three-minute interview, you’ll have just as big a smile on your face as I did after meeting him in person.

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