Lena Sundell
Chief Stewardess, m/y Northern Cross

Date interviewed: May 2007

How did you realize you wanted to become a
charter yacht stewardess?
I started on boats in Finland, where I’m from. I owned a restaurant in a yacht club in Jacobstad, on the West Coast, so boats have always been of interest to me.
     I heard about the big, beautiful boats in the South of France, and one day I got a call from a captain there who knew me. It was the captain of this boat, Northern Cross, and it was 1999. He asked me to come onboard as the second stewardess.

What training did you undergo?
In Finland, I attended a hotel and restaurant school for waitresses and cooks. The school also included studies in cleaning and housekeeping, which are good for using onboard boats. I also trained in restaurants, as a head waitress in some places, and I have a business diploma in international trade from a polytechnic institute in Finland.
     And since working on boats, I have gotten my STCW95 training [an international course for yacht crew].

When did you join your current yacht’s crew?
In 1999, as second stewardess. I was 30 years old when I joined. I have been the chief stewardess since 2002, and I still love it.
     Once, a couple of years ago, I thought I would return to Finland, but after a half-year I realized that I love to be on the boats. It’s been eight years now. Sometimes I think I should do something else, but there just isn’t anything else I would rather do.

What do you think makes your yacht’s service unique or special?
We have been a team for a long time, which is unusual on yachts. The captain and I have worked together for eight years. The second stewardess and chef have been here for six years, the chief engineer for four years.
      We have a strong team onboard, and we like to believe we are the friendly yacht. We can take all kinds of charter clients. Formal, informal—we see how they want us to be, and we can accommodate anything.

How do you determine a charter guest’s preferences for being served?
That’s the skill you need to have to be a good chief stewardess. It is emotional intelligence.
     Sometimes we get no preference sheets at all. After all these years of working onboard, it now takes us maybe a day to see how the guests want their charter to be.

How important are guests’ preference sheets to you?
They help for the provisioning, but not for the service.

What are some of the unique things you do for guests to set your yacht apart?
I do onboard massages, and our chef does sushi demonstrations where the guests can learn how to cook sushi. We also do a casino night where we bring in roulette tables and professional crappiers to teach the guests how to play. In 1996, this boat was in the movie Goldeneye, so we like to remind our guests of our ties to James Bond.
     Also, I created a few all-inclusive packages that are new for the summer 2007 season. This is something new for us, and we have not heard of all-inclusive, shorter charters being done onboard other large yachts.
     We have a three-day Riviera golf weekend, for instance, that includes one round each in Cannes and Sanremo for 50,500 euros for 10 guests. Another one of our packages, Riviera 101 for beginners in the area, is a three-day tour of Nice, Villefranche, Cap Ferrat, Cap d’Antibes, Cannes, Sainte Marguerite and Monaco. That inclusive package is 52,000 euros for 10 guests.

What cruising areas do you like best for incorporating local “flavor” onboard?
I like St. Tropez, especially if the guests like to party. We do the casino night there, and then we also will find out which restaurant is the restaurant for the season, and I order the guests a table in advance with a good view. We anchor the yacht right outside the restaurant, within their view. It’s spectacular.

What is a typical day’s service that a guest might experience onboard your yacht?
Breakfast is served inside in the formal dining room, with everything you can imagine. We have sliced fruits and vegetables, sausages, cold meats, cheeses, homemade muffins, biscuits, croissants, breads, cereal, yogurt, coffee and tea, decaf, espresso, plus hot-cooked meals to order, whatever the guests would like.
     Then usually we do some cruising, maybe water sports or sunbathing. Around 1 or 2 o’clock it is lunchtime, and usually that is served on the aft deck or on the upper deck. The aft deck is best on sunny days, because it is shaded. Usually we do a sit-down buffet, with some food on the table and some served. Lunch is usually salads plus a dessert with fresh fruit, homemade ice creams and homemade puddings.
     After lunch the guests like to relax, and maybe we move the boat into a port for the night. Before the sun goes down, we will offer hors d’oeuvres or cocktails, or if the guests prefer just move straight into dinner, which three or four courses plus a dessert.
     Some guests like to go ashore after dinner, maybe to the casinos or the clubs. Or, if they would prefer to simply sleep, we can cruise overnight and allow them to wake up in a new port like Corsica.

What kind of charter guests are your favorites?
I like families with children the best. That’s the perfect atmosphere.
     The children break the ice. Sometimes the guests are a little shy, or afraid to ask for things. The kids aren’t afraid. Two or three kids on our boat is ideal.

What, if any, awards have you won?
I was named 2001 Crew Member of the Year by All Services, an agency that supplies services to charter yachts in Sanremo. I think it was because I am organized. When I give them my order, it is professional.

What else should CharterWave readers know about you and your yacht?
I speak English, Italian, Finnish, Swedish, and a little bit of French and Chinese. I’m also a trained masseuse, and I know how to cook Kosher for guests who would like it.
     In general, I’m a very positive person I’ve always been a smiling person. Being in a good mood, it helps to set the mood on the boat.

The 141-foot motoryacht Northern Cross is part of the Nigel Burgess fleet. She takes 10 guests with eight crew at a lowest weekly base rate of 94,500 euros, or about $16,000 per person with 25-percent expenses included. Contact any reputable broker for information.