Superyachts and megayachts moored in tourist ports always attract a certain curiosity. Given the size and irresistible charm of these luxury vessels, it could not be otherwise: in many marinas, superyachts become the main attractions for hundreds of curious onlookers. Among the aspects appreciated by owners of super and megayachts who choose to moor at our marina in the center of Genoa is, not surprisingly, the restricted access to the docks: only those who moor at Marina Porto Antico can pass through the entrance gates. Obviously, however, the interest surrounding these floating marvels remains: the same boaters who moor their 10, 14 or 16-meter vessels just a few steps away inevitably end up wondering how many cabins are on the nearby superyacht, what the cost of that other yacht is, how much a berth for a superyacht in Genoa costs, and so on. Among the topics that arouse the most curiosity is the management of the crew aboard these luxurious vessels: what is the crew of a superyacht typically like, and how is it managed?
The crew of a superyacht: how many people are needed?
In years of managing our port in Genoa, which offers berths for vessels up to 75 meters in length, we have repeatedly seen that there is no rigid correspondence between the size of a superyacht and the number of crew professionals. Many other factors are also at play: type of boat, age of the vessel, type of use, owner’s requirements, and so on.
Consider, for example, the crew size of a superyacht of approximately 30 meters: a modern motor yacht, used only for day trips, with an enthusiastic owner on board who wishes to actively participate in navigation, could very well have only two professionals, namely a captain and a deckhand, or even (rarely) the captain alone. The same vessel, however, used for long cruises, with an owner who primarily wishes to relax, with a good number of guests on board, might instead require 6 or even 8 professionals.
Roles aboard a large luxury yacht
The nature of the various professional roles on board also often arouses curiosity about the topic of a superyacht crew. As we have seen, each vessel is unique: on a 24 or 30-meter yacht there might be only one professional, while on a megayacht of over 60 meters there could be a crew of 15 or more members. Each obviously has different duties, with the “departments” of a crew that can be divided into:
- Command: here we find the captain, responsible for the crew, the yacht and the guests
- Deck crew: here are the professionals responsible for the yacht’s operations
- Engineers: professionals who, together with the deck crew, handle the maintenance of the superyacht, and who are directly responsible for the operation of the systems and equipment on board
- Interior crew: includes stewards and hostesses, responsible for managing guests and interior spaces
- Galley crew: namely the kitchen brigade, which on smaller units with fewer guests on board consists of the chef alone.
How much does a superyacht crew cost
At this point, it is possible to understand that the cost of a superyacht or megayacht crew can vary greatly, based on the number of professionals on board, but not only. Salaries also vary significantly based on the level of experience and the duration of the collaboration; this knowing that, for proper management of a superyacht, the presence of a reduced number of professionals is necessary even during mooring in port, to ensure continuous maintenance of the vessel. To give a reference, a 60-meter megayacht with a dozen crew members, from the captain to the chef, from stewards to ordinary deckhands, can easily spend between €60,000 and €80,000 per month for crew salaries alone (an expense that is reduced at the end of the season, when only 3 or 4 professionals will be present).