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#YACHTLIFE VS #JETLIFE
Both industries provide an abundance of travel opportunities for the people lucky enough to work in them. While they're very similar in a variety of ways, the lifestyles each provides is incredibly different. Let's take a look at the key difference between working on yachts and jets and the major components of each job:
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#Yachtlife
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Working on yachts allows you to make a living cruising to incredible and exotic ports all over the world on magnificent vessels. Your "office views" will be nothing short of spectacular and you'll live in forever-summer. You'll witness pristine sunrises, sunsets, and magnificent starry night skies. You'll regularly encounter dolphins, manatees, sea turtles, rainbows, and crystal clear waters more beautiful than you can imagine. When you don't have guests on board your vessel, you're often free to explore whatever port of call you're docked in, and enjoy bucket-list destinations like the Bahamas, St Barths, Ibiza, St Lucia, Nantucket, the South of France, Alaska, and the Italian Coastline... just to name a few.
Living on board, you have NO living expenses. Food is paid for and most often prepared for you by a world-class chef. Toiletries, beverages, snacks, uniform - all covered too. So the superyacht industry provides an incredible opportunity to save money FAST if you're careful with it.
You'll meet crew from ALL over the world and many will become friends for life. Most yacht crew members or "yachties" are carved from the same mold - fun, adventurous, life-loving, and hard-working.
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With all of these amazing aspects highlighted, I'd be doing you an injustice if I didn't prep you for the challenges of the job as well... yachting is an industry of EXTREMES. To be considered for employment, you'll have to take a chance, pack ONE suitcase, and position yourself in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, which is the yachting hub of North America. (Don't worry, the industry makes it easy. This is common and quite doable... you'll find more info on your yachting relocation within your Career Guides.)
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Once hired on a vessel, you'll be working hard - often for long hours - and will likely have to put up with some pretty less than glamorous tasks such as laundry, housekeeping, serving, inventories, and catering to guest needs. You'll be living onboard the boat, so you must be willing to share your personal space with other crew members. You'll also need a positive disposition that will work well with a variety of personalities in exhausting and high-stress situations.
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This is why there is a very strong "work hard play hard" mentality in the industry. Yacht crew work tirelessly as a team to perfect every detail of guest experience, but are also notorious for fully enjoying their OWN experiences afterwards :) . You'll become family, and your hard work is rewarded with an exciting, fulfilling, and dynamic career and life most can only dream of. You'll carry your friends, work ethic, memories, and world experience with you for the rest of your life.
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#Jetlife
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You'll find that private jets and superyachts are sister industries. Both offer positions in VIP luxury service, both cater to the same high net worth clientele, and both give you the incredible opportunity to travel the world glamorously for a great living.
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Unlike its nautical sister though, the private aviation industry offers a more flexible lifestyle. If you live close to a major airport, there's a strong chance there will be private jet opportunities available to 'spread your wings'.
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There are a variety of job and "account" types, (discussed more thoroughly within the industry guides), but the general lifestyle in private aviation varies drastically from superyachts because this alternative allows you to have a home-base, often some more downtime, and more personal freedom.
You'll be responsible for menu-planning and ordering catering, shopping, setting your aircraft, prepping and plating gourmet meals, offering five star service, and most importantly - the safety oversight of the cabin and its travelers. The beauty of being a private jet flight attendant, is that once you complete your duties and deliver the passengers to their destinations, in many cases you're staying in a nice hotel wherever that may be and waiting to fly them back home. Aside from prepping for the next flight and perhaps a small amount of administrative work for your operator, the rest of the time is yours! Once again, lodging and meals during your travels are paid for as part of the job, so if you're on a busy account this is another amazing opportunity to save money WHILE traveling the world.
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Superyachts are a vacation toy for your wealthy clients, so you can always expect your boat to be headed somewhere magnificent and coastal. Private jets, on the other hand, can be going anywhere in the world for any purpose. You could be flying your clients to business meetings in obscure towns and cities, but could also be flying them when they travel for pleasure and leisure. I've personally visited and enjoyed Fiji, the Greek Isles, Ireland, Hawaii, Mexico, the Maldives, the Rocky Mountains, and the Italian coastline in my private flight attendant experience... just to name a few :)
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This job also has its unglamorous moments. Your body will feel a new type of exhaustion traveling the globe and switching timezones so frequently, and the work itself can be quite challenging. You'll be expected to order, prep, reheat, plate and serve gourmet meals in minimal space - all while maintaining consistent five-star standards. You'll be on your feet for long periods and forever expected to be upbeat and professional. You'll need to be a self-starter with a strong work ethic that thrives in an independent environment, as you're usually the only person in your role. Clients can be demanding and your resources are limited, so you must also be able to handle high-pressure situations, think on your feet, and be adaptable to passenger needs and requests at all times.
All of this said, your hard work is usually rewarded with a nice meal out with your flight team and a crisp personal hotel room - paid for and waiting for you at your destination - (hopefully somewhere amazing!) There, you're often able to explore wherever it is in the world you might be, and the most exciting part is... you never know where you'll end up.
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Both the Superyacht and Private Jet Industries have SO much to offer and I'm incredibly grateful for my experiences in both. I can't tell you which will be a better fit for you, but we're here to answer any questions you may have as you get ready to embark on your new journey! Reach out any time through our Contact Form or email directly to hello@tidesandtailwinds.com.