It's time for a bit of crew recognition!

The Campers Crew Bash at Monaco Yacht Show may have ended with Al from the band the Blah Blahs somehow convincing a hundred of us to crouch down on the floor, but it began with something more serious:  The first Camper & Nicholsons Crew Awards - in recognition of the best crew performances among the huge C&NI charter fleet.

A bit of incentive never hurt anyone.  In this business, the job description is simply this:  to meet and exceed the expectations of the richest people on earth.  It might sound like a tough ask, but somehow - through sheer hard work, good humour and a bit of creativity - the industry rises to the challenge year after year.

This is the job and we love it but, let’s face it: it’s nice to be recognised.

In honour of this, Camper and Nicholsons created the Crew Star Awards.

“At Camper & Nicholsons we know our charter crew are all stars, but we wanted to create a way to recognise those who shine the brightest, so we have designed a brand new awards program - The Camper & Nicholsons Crew Stars."

Crew were encouraged to send in photos of their best table settings, guest activities, or nominate their best team members. 

                

















After a long summer, the winners were announced at the C&NI Crew Bash on the roof of the Miramar Hotel, co-sponsored by Camper & Nicholsons Marinas, Skin Society Monaco, Onboard Online and Med Yacht Services

SHINING STARS (Best Interior Crew) : Silver Angel

BLAZING STARS (Best Exterior Crew): Mary Jean

GALACTIC GALLEY (Best Crew Food): Swan

BRIGHTEST STARS (Best Engineer): Samira

ALL STARS (Best Whole Crew): Mary Jean

GUIDING STAR (Best Mentor) : Anjit Thapa Magar - Bosun on board Mary Jean

RISING STAR (Best Yachting Newcomer): Katherine Goodsell - Deckhand on board Mary Jean

                                                                       

*From top: The winning Galley team from Swan:  Willy Pastel and Bijay Karki
*The winning Interior crew from M/Y Silver Angel (from left) Cherry Sumile, Georgie Leonard, Natalie Glass, Danni Seresheff, Hilary Drover

*The winning All Stars crew from M/Y Mary Jean

In a series of interviews, Camper & Nicholsons got up close and personal with the winners of the All Stars, Rising Star and Guiding star awards to find out the secret of their success.

Captain Danielle de Vere, Captain of Mary Jean, winner of four out of our five Crew Star awards

Hi Danielle, where are you from originally?

I was born in Sydney, but grew up in Airlie Beach, Nth Queensland.

How did you come to be working in yachting and when did you start?

I worked on dive vessels for 6 years, so yachting was a natural progression. A few of my friends started getting jobs on yachts, so I figured if they can do it, so can I! I went to Fort Lauderdale in 2006 and got my first job there.

What does winning the All Stars and Blazing Stars awards mean to you?

It's awesome! It really brought the crew together and made the season so much more memorable.  It’s even more special because it's been my first real season as a charter Captain, so I hope I can keep the momentum going.

When did you join Mary Jean?

I joined Mary Jean in Oct 2011, in Auckland NZ.

What do you think makes Mary Jean so successful?

Our fantastic crew.  This season we had 8 different nationalities onboard, but everyone gets on so well.  We all help each other out where ever is needed - there is a lot of love on this boat.

How do you personally contribute to a great charter?

Communication: make sure all the crew know what's going on and what is expected of them - it helps everything flow smoothly.  Also pre-empting what the guests will want - having everything ready and organised before they ask for it.

What do you think is the secret to a successful charter?

Have fun!  If the crew enjoy their jobs and have fun at it, this will rub off on the guests. The guests can feel the atmosphere onboard amongst the crew, so having a happy crew is essential.

What is your favourite thing about working in yachting?

Seeing new places and the great friends I have made.

GUIDING STAR: Best Mentor

ANJIT THAPA MAGAR - Bosun, Mary Jean

Reason for Nomination as posted by Captain Danielle de Vere of MY Mary Jean:

Anjit has been with Mary Jean since January. He started as deckhand and we soon promoted him to Bosun. These nominations go hand in hand, because Anjit has taken his 8 years experience and guided our Rising Star Kat through her first season on deck. I have never seen Anjit get flustered or angry, he has the patience of a saint. He has taken Kat under his wing and taught her the art of varnish and painting, spent the extra hours and work load required to teach someone new, without ever complaining. He has also kept a watchful eye over the 4 temporary deckhands we have had over the last year for various charters and I can always sleep well at night knowing Anjit is on deck. Best of all - he loves a good dress up! Anjit you can never leave Mary Jean, thank you for everything.

An interview with Anjit:

Hi Anjit, where are you from originally?

I come from Nepal.

How did you come to be working in yachting and when did you start?

I began my yachting career working on MY Octopus in 2003, starting as a mess hand, and worked my way up to become a deckhand.

What does winning this award mean to you?

This award means everything to me, as it really shows that my crew value me as a great team member and appreciate my hard work.

When did you join Mary Jean?

I joined Mary Jean on 22nd January 2013.

What do you think makes Mary Jean so successful?

We have a fantastic crew who work together to make a great effort.

How do you personally contribute to a great charter?

I ensure that the yacht exceeds expectations, looking tidy all the time, and coordinate the deckhands, so that everything goes smoothly.

What do you think is the secret to a successful charter?

Teamwork is the main secret, communication with each other and hard work.

What is your favourite thing about working in yachting?

Travelling to new places, meeting new people and working with many different nationalities.

 

 *Anjit and Kat from Mary Jean

 

 

 

 

RISING STAR: Best Newcomer

KATHERINE GOODSELL - Deckhand, Mary Jean

Reason for Nomination as posted by Captain Danielle de Vere of MY Mary Jean:

Kat joined Mary Jean at the start of the Caribbean season as 3rd Stew, it was her first position onboard a yacht. While she did well in the interior, I could see she was made of tougher stuff and this summer we moved her onto deck. In the last 5 months Kat has learnt to varnish, she spent days literally sealed inside a small locker with a needle gun and grinder, then painting. Kat has become a competent tender driver, the guests adore her, especially the kids and she cooks yummy food for the crew on crossings!!! Thanks for all your hard work Kat.

An interview with Kat:

Hi Kat, where are you from originally?
I come from Kent in England.

How did you come to be working in yachting and when did you start?
Since I was young I have been fortunate enough to be out sailing with my family, but only when I was temping for a yacht agency for the London Olympics and met MY Mary Jean did I know the possibilities out there for working on superyachts.

What does winning this award mean to you?
This award means the world to me because I was a little nervous to move onto deck as I knew it would be a challenge with a lot of new thing to learn, and I could not have done it, had it not been for the faith my crew put in me, and the support of our fearless female Captain and fantastic team onboard.

When did you join Mary Jean?
I started on Mary Jean in November 2012 in Barcelona as a stewardess, doing the crossing to Antigua followed by a fantastic season in the Caribbean.

What do you think makes Mary Jean so successful?
To me the crew are what makes Mary Jean shine, we are a real family onboard, working together to give the guests an unforgettable experience.

How do you personally contribute to a great charter?

Over the season we have had many families with young kids onboard, and coming from a family with younger brothers and sisters there is nothing more fun than thinking of new ways to entertain them. Whether it be out on the water on the toys, or playing with them in the pool, it's such a great feeling when at the end of the day they have a huge smile on their face.

What do you think is the secret to a successful charter?

Teamwork definitely, it's important to be able to help each other out wherever it’s needed, we all need to work together to make a relaxed and fun atmosphere for the guests.

What is your favourite thing about working in yachting?
It’s a toss up between two things, when the crew get a chance to get involved with the guests on outings, it's always nice to be there with the guests when they kick back and have fun. The other is bringing together an awesome theme night, the last one was a 1920's evening finishing with our own fireworks.

*Interviews provided by C&NI

Camper & Nicholsons Monaco Crew Bash co-sponsored by: Camper & Nicholsons Marinas, Skin Society Monaco, OnboardOnline and Med Yacht Services

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 Didn’t enter this summer?  Get in contact with Camper & Nicholsons for more info on how to enter the next round to get your crew the recognition they deserve!