Working onboard a superyacht can be a very fulfilling job. You will probably receive great benefits, have unforgettable experiences, and develop lifelong relationships. While there are many positives to working on a yacht, there are still aspects of the job that can be quite taxing on someone, and make them consider transitioning to a job onshore. If you find yourself wanting to settle down, and have a more stable position, the following is a list of things you need to consider when transitioning from a yacht crew member to working a 9-5 job!
Pay
Wages for yacht crew members are unique to each position. Crew members can make anywhere from $25,000 per year to upwards of $250,000. If you have been part of a yacht crew for an extended period of time, and worked your way up the ladder, there is a good chance that when transitioning to a corporate job, you will be making less money than what you have become accustomed to working onboard a yacht.
Expenses
Something else that must be considered by yacht crew who are transitioning to a 9-5 job is the additional expenses that you are going to incur. While working onboard a yacht, you don’t have to worry about expenses such as rent, car payments, grocery shopping, etc. These are expenses that are sometimes unavoidable in order to live. Also, many times people assume the cost of living is a lot less than it actually turns out to be in the end.
Work Environment
The work environment in an office is much different than on a yacht, so you may experience a bit of a culture shock. While working on a yacht, you are usually on call 24/7, and much is expected of you. Go above and beyond to keep guests happy, as they are usually paying top dollar. While you should still go above and beyond in any workplace, working in an office won’t require the same demands. For example, if something is broken on the vessel, you may be required to get your hands dirty and do some physical labor. Working in an office typically doesn’t require much physical labor.
Rules
Rules are rules, and they are not meant to be broken if you wish to have a successful career. An office setting has different rules than a yacht. There are privacy laws regarding clients, privacy laws regarding colleagues, local government laws that must be followed, possible federal ones, and everyone’s favorite, HR. Working in close quarters allows people to become close and maybe develop special relationships that may be inappropriate for the corporate world.
Benefits
The employee or job based benefits that people get working in corporate positions are different than those of people working on a yacht. For one, many places only cover 50% of your health insurance, while onboard a yacht it is usually covered 100%. Also, most jobs will offer some sort of retirement planning program like 401K that you can use to prepare for retirement.
Something to keep in mind if you are working for the United States for the first time is that the U.S. does not have socialized healthcare like many European countries do.
Having proper insurance is important whether you are at sea, or docked at a shipyard. MHG is your specialized broker when it comes to crew insurance. Our insurance specialists have the knowledge and experience to find the policy that works best for you. If you are interested in purchasing, or have any questions about yacht crew insurance or travel insurance, please contact us at +1 954 828 1819 or +44 (0) 1624 678668 or visit us online at mhginsurance.com.