You are most likely in your prime age if you are working on a superyacht as a deckhand or a stewardess. Most people in their prime seek a stable job, and relationships and have thoughts of settling down by the time they are 30-35. Superyacht crews do not necessarily have this luxury. In this article, let’s pursue the answer to the question: can you be in a relationship while working on a superyacht?
What is it like being in a Relationship while you work on a Superyacht?
Working on a superyacht is no easy feat. It means working long hours, doing long stretches on a seagoing vessel for months, and having very little personal space. With so many things on your plate, it is indeed challenging to maintain a relationship while working on a superyacht.
Being away from your loved one for a long time is no easy feat. Feelings of loneliness and desperation creep up more as the time passes on a superyacht. Besides that, the lack of personal space makes it challenging to maintain contact, especially in personal matters. And of course, as the partners spend most of their time away from each other, that ‘special’ feeling retains little to no meaning, usually.
Such a situation can affect a crew’s output negatively.
This is one of the reasons why many superyachts prefer hiring single crew members. They usually do not want to deal with distractions that come with hiring a crew member in a relationship.
However, most crew members are in their prime age and you cannot just expect them to be single, which raises valid concerns about work-life balance, difficulty in finding ‘the one’, and all that jazz.
If you want to work on a superyacht, your choices of finding a partner narrow down unless you are willing to change your career. Let’s talk about them.
Finding a Partner who understands the difficulties of your job
Not everyone understands the challenges of a deckhand or stewardess’s role on a superyacht. Or better yet, not many would compromise on such a relationship where a partner is largely unavailable due to reasons, even if they are valid.
The key is to find an understanding partner who understands and is willing to compromise. Preferably someone who has worked on yachts/superyachts in the past or has done long stretches in the hospitality industry.
If you and your partner understand the difficulties and are willing to communicate and compromise, the relationship will have a higher chance of working out.
Finding a Partner who is in the same Trade as You
This is a more realistic approach for anyone working on a superyacht. Superyachts often have a mix of both genders and as they are in their prime, it would be wrong to expect the crew to ‘keep their hearts close’.
However, while these situations are funny and fuzzy amongst the crew, they can also be a nuisance. Most people are not necessarily fond of ‘PDAs’. This can disrupt crew harmony on the yacht or reduce crew morale. From the management’s point of view, this is reasonably unacceptable.
So, can You be in a Relationship while working on a Superyacht?
Let’s make one thing clear: you do not decide to fall in love, you just do! Depending on the circumstances, it can either be a painful or a delightful experience. So, can you be in a relationship while working on a Superyacht? You definitely can. But are you prepared for it?
It all boils down to communication between you and your partner. Are you willing to compromise and work it out? Just like you, your partner has their own needs too. It is extremely crucial to communicate honestly and understand what both of you want.
If you and your partner both work in the superyacht industry, it might become relatively easier for you to manage the situation. However limited your options can be, if both of you are highly qualified and can work together and maintain a professional demeanour, superyachts will likely favour you.
Some superyachts that are open to couples believe that a functional couple brings harmony to a yacht. Furthermore, if they are happy and comfortable in their position AND their relationship, they are likely to stay longer in their position. This means a yacht has to hire less and can keep some familiar faces around that can work better as a team.
Besides that, a yacht favouring couples onboard also shows openness towards having relationships onboard. Healthy relationships without any display of indecency may boost overall crew morale and well-being.
Conclusion
Being in a relationship while working on a superyacht is no different. It is just that you have to deal with extra layers of loneliness, feelings of longing, and compromises on personal time. But you definitely can be in a relationship while working on a superyacht.
With that being said, if you have what it takes to work on a superyacht, feel free to contact us in South Africa. Sail and Power SA focuses on providing high-quality courses and training to prepare a seafarer to take on bigger challenges. For more information, please check out our website or contact us for more information.