As we reach the end of another year we invited some of our Captains and Crew to share their favourite festive experiences and wondered if this year would be different?
Many of you said that the festive season is a time for coming together as a crew family, especially when loved ones are far away back home. One Captain told us how he tries to ensure that all ranks are broken down, with no uniforms for the day, meaning you can usually find him and the Chief Engineer helping out in the galley first thing in the morning, before everyone else gathers in the crew mess after chatting with their families. You all said how grateful you’ve been for technology allowing you to keep in contact with loved ones throughout the year, but especially at Christmas time.
There seems to be a Secret Santa present swap on nearly every yacht we spoke to and a real blend of traditions to cater for all nationalities with the dinner becoming a banquet of roast turkey, amazing seafood dishes and curries! In some regions there may be restrictions imposed on going ashore after lunch, but in those cases we found that the crew plan to go all out with treats and food to make up for it.
Whilst here in the UK we will probably be looking out at grey drizzle or watching TV repeats, many of you love the fact that your view is always different. Whether it’s gazing out at a beautiful island through the open door of the tender garage or watching the sun reflecting off the waves, the Christmas season onboard is pretty magical and it doesn’t look like this year will be any different.