Superyacht Life At 23

Whilst enjoying life in the Seychelles, Molly (23) a superyacht stewardess, shared her amazing travel experiences with ZK7.

Instagram: @Mollykershaw

What did you do before you became a superyacht stewardess?
I knew I didn’t want to go to uni from quite early on. I think sitting in an office would be the death of me. So I became a chalet host in Meribel (France) and then after that I did a couple of summers in New York (USA) at a kid’s camp. I was also a Zumba instructor which was pretty rogue but I had always been into fitness. I think I booked the instructor course when I was a few glasses of vino’s down, as I was just trying to build up my CV with interesting things.

This camp in America called me up and asked if I would like to come and teach in New York. I wasn’t sure at first but just totally threw myself into it. It was more like dance cardio but for the kids and I loved it. In between that, I did a little bit of travelling on my own. I went to central America for a couple of weeks. I decided to get into yachting because it seemed like perfect way to travel. It was a no-brainer for me.

What was your first yachting experience like?
So on the first boat, I was lucky enough to go to Australia. We were at sea for 8 weeks, sailing from France to Sydney. I had never been at sea before, so I did this 8-week crossing not knowing whether I even get seasick! We ran into some pretty hectic weather when we hit a cyclone that was coming in and you quite literally couldn’t stand up. Plates were smashing and cupboards were just flying open. It was one of those moments where I just thought ‘what have I got myself into here.’

Have you had any memorable experiences with nature?
We did a pacific season which included French Polynesia and the Galapagos islands. We also went to Tonga, where we got to swim with humpback whales. It was a guest excursion and they wanted to take some crew. I was just lucky enough to go. We were in this tiny boat and the whales were breaching about 100 yards from us. The whole boat was rocking because they were just everywhere. We got in the water and directly underneath us there was this baby humpback! I didn’t realise how big they were until I was actually right next to them.

What is the best thing about your life as a stewardess?
I think that because you are travelling so much, you are getting to know completely different cultures. Like in the last month I have been in Miami and then ended up in the Seychelles and they are just completely different environments. So having the ability to just see the world, especially on a superyacht is such a luxury. You also learn where is good to go back to. I definitely want to go back to Australia.
 
What is the toughest part of being a stewardess?
People always say to me ‘your life looks amazing’ and it is but obviously there is so much hard work which goes into it. What people don’t see behind the scenes is far from glamorous and the hours can get so hectic. Last season I had a few 18-hour days. Days off are also rare (which is why when we do get one, the crew tend to go big).

What are the rules with relationships amongst the crew?
In my experience, the most used phase in yachting is ‘don’t screw the crew!’ You become in such a bubble on the boat. A lot of the time, a relationship will form and then people will move boats and it will fizzle out. It is a bit of a temporary thing in yachting. At the end of the day, you know if you put a crew together of people between the ages of 20-40, you would just be silly to think people are not going to hook up with each other.

The main rule is that you can’t have drama. There are boats that fire crew if relationships get salty. We all work so hard and the last thing you want is tension between teams.

What are the festivities like on the superyacht?
Other than doing amazing table decorations, it’s like Christmas isn’t really a thing for me at the moment. This New Year’s Eve, I fell asleep and missed the whole count down. It was literally like New Year’s Eve did not happen. I woke up at 1AM and none of the crew were up. I texted my mum and went back sleep!

But then you get those blessings where you get a birthday or a Christmas where you don’t have guests on board and you can celebrate. A couple of years ago, we were in Barbados for Christmas and we had no guests on board and the captain was nice enough to let us get all the toys out. So, we went wakeboarding, jet skiing and paddle boarding. It’s always nice to have a hot Christmas when you are from the UK.

Have you been affected by the pandemic?
I did catch Covid when I was in Miami, so I was affected it by it that way - but it meant I could have a week off work which was a dream! In terms of affecting work, obviously the parties aren’t huge anymore. People aren’t having loads of friends over, so in terms of guests it’s a bit easier. Crew have to quarantine when we go to and from the boat. The Mediterranean season is a bit questionable at the moment, as we are waiting to see if things will be opening up.

Over on this side of the world (in the Seychelles) we are pretty lucky and are allowed to go the beach with beers.

What is your favourite country for food?
Mexico: I did a little solo trip which was epic. I had guacamole with every meal.

Which island has the most beautiful beaches?
French Polynesia: I can’t even find the words to describe it. It’s just so picturesque! The sand is white and the water is so clear.

We spent a lot of time in Tahiti and the beaches there are just at a different level. Also, Fiji, Bora Bora and all of that area is just stunning. They are really like honeymoon destinations. I would love to go back there.

How do you deal with difficult guests on board?
Every situation is always different with guests. Like sometimes, you will get really particular guests and that’s obviously just a bit challenging because you are always on your feet. I have had guests in the past that have wanted you to be around all the time. So even if you didn’t have a job to do, we just had to stand there. It ends up normally coming down to just smiling and finding someone like the chief stewardess to come and diffuse.
  

Do you have a favourite musical experience?
To be honest I went to festivals when I was younger but I haven’t been home for summer in so long, so I haven’t really done festivals. But we did have a few boozy nights when we were in Sydney and we actually went out with the boss because she used to love taking out the girls. So we had a huge rosé session and then came back and blasted ABBA. It was just one of those moments where you have to pinch yourself and say, ‘this isn’t normal… This never happens on boats!’

Then I have worked on boats where we are not even allowed to talk to the guests, so I was super lucky with the first one. But yeah, that was a great afternoon!

When you are travelling, do you miss anything about home?
My Mum’s cooking! Don’t get me wrong, we have three amazing chefs on board who cook for us. But God, what I would do for a Sunday roast from my Mother. She just does it so well. I also miss animals. I love dogs and you just never see pets. So, when I go home, I just want to cuddle my puppy.

If you could travel with anyone famous, who would it be?
I would say a comedian, like Michael McIntyre would just be so funny to travel with. You could just imagine anything would go wrong and it would be hilarious.

What has travelling taught you?
I would say, don’t take yourself too seriously.

I find with solo travel there is a lot of stress which comes with planning stuff. Or if you miss a flight or get something wrong and end up in a rogue place. I think you just need to take a breath and be like you know what, its fine. You are healthy and happy and you can just get yourself out of any situation. Just try not to panic. I just think you need to keep chilled and remember why you love to travel and why you’ve gone to different places. It’s because you want to see the world essentially. So, it’s best to see it when you are in a good mood.

What advice would you give to someone who wants to travel?
1: I would say pack light because realistically you will gather a lot of stuff along the way. I think I went to my first boat with one bag and came back with three.
2: If you are a first-time traveller, go with a friend who has some idea of travelling. You don’t want to be two peas in a pod, with both of you having no idea about the world.
3: If you are not experienced with places to go and how to get there and stuff, just put in the research and try to make a plan but a vague plan. So then you can go in different directions if you need to or if you get to do an amazing experience somewhere else, you can still do it.

I can’t tell you the amount of times I have gone somewhere without a plan and I have got there and just been like ‘oh, what do I do now?’ I went to Queenstown (New Zealand) for a week. I booked my first night in accommodation and then I was like you know what, I will just wing it. And then I got there and I was like ‘wow, I really didn’t think this one through.’ It was the wrong time of year. So it was freezing cold but not cold enough to ski.

I have done a lot of solo travel and I do enjoy my own company but I do sometimes struggle by myself. I just want to share what I am doing with people. I would always choose to travel with someone now, just because I personally find it more fun, even though you have more freedom by yourself. If you are a person who enjoys your own company, then you know you are a lucky one. But for me, I am too much of a people’s person to spend too much time by myself.

How do you travel the world safely?
I wouldn’t say I am all that safe as I do wing it a lot of the time, but it’s just important to be logical with your decisions.
 
What are your future plans?
So I have a five-year plan.
I want to stay on this boat for a year or two more. I was promoted on my last boat but it was a smaller boat, so I am not really looking for a promotion now. I am just so content with having a good crew and being able to travel. Then I want to go and do another ski season. I want to go to Whistler (Canada) or Japan. I want to go somewhere rogue. So then I will go on an interrailing summer in Europe because I feel everyone has done it and I have never had the chance to see Europe properly. That’s three years. Then I want to do a whole year with a backpack and no set plans. I want to visit Asia, Africa and I want to go back to Australia, so that takes me up to four years.

At that point hopefully, I will have some idea of a job that I can be more settled in. I want to start thinking about getting a place, maybe at some point get a boyfriend if it arises but it’s not something which is in my plan. Let’s just put it that way.

Do you know where you would want to live?
I am just kind of winging it. I would like to live in Palma in Mallorca (Spain) just because I spent a lot of time there when I was looking for boats and it is stunning. My Spanish is no good though, so I need to work on that. In terms of being settled and somewhere for a period of time, I don’t see myself living in the UK. It would have to be somewhere hot and somewhere different. I could see myself living in Melbourne (Australia). I just think I would be in my element as it ticks all the boxes.

What would you like to be remembered for?
As someone who would always take a risk.

I have had it said to me before, ‘you are someone who once you have got an idea in your head and you’ve said it out loud, you will do it.’ So whether it is leaving a boat or going somewhere or whatever, I really like the idea of being someone who can stick to their word.

Also, I try to always be positive and optimistic even when sh*t hits the fan. There has always got to be some kind of light to come from it. So, I think having a positive outlook is a good thing to be remembered for.

Instagram: @Mollykershaw