superyacht crew review

$10k/mo On The Side — Sharing What You Already Know

If you’ve ever thought about traveling the world while getting paid (and mingling with the rich and famous on the side), Hugo Ortega’s side hustle story may appeal to you.

After spending 9 years working as a yacht crew member and captain, traveling to over 60 countries, the former engineer decided to turn his niche career experience into a fast-growing online course business— Superyacht Sunday School.

Now, it has grown into a full-time business earning $10K/month.

(Sign up for Hugo’s free superyacht training here !)

Tune into Episode 602 of The Side Hustle Show to learn how to:

• build your audience with free valuable content
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• boost sales through live virtual trainings and webinars
• monetize your expertise with courses, one-on-one mentoring, and memberships

A Stumble into Yachting

Starting small as a service provider, building the signature course offering, short-form videos for marketing, user-generated content, influencers, and continuity programs, branching into other revenue streams, unforgettable experiences as yacht crew, what’s next for hugo, hugo’s #1 tip for side hustle nation, episode links, serious about making extra money.

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Hugo didn’t grow up dreaming of working on boats. In fact, he admitted he couldn’t even swim when he first discovered the yachting industry.

It happened by chance while he was backpacking through Southeast Asia and met someone working as a yacht crew member. The more he learned about the job and lifestyle, the more appealing it became—especially the opportunity to get paid to travel the world.

As Hugo shared, “It’s really common for people to have envy towards your job and ask you, ‘How did you get into it?'” He was constantly fielding these kinds of questions from others interested in breaking into yachting.

Hugo thought nothing of it at first. He’d explain the basics of getting started, certifications needed, tips on finding jobs, etc. But then he started to notice a trend of people attempting to work online and leverage their existing skills and knowledge.

That’s when the light bulb went on for Hugo. He thought, “Maybe there’s something I can do on the side.”

In late 2022, Hugo began putting together some basic resources to help aspiring yacht crew members. This included PDF guides on how to create an effective CV/resume, a list of top crew recruitment agencies , and checklists outlining the steps to get started.

To get things going, Hugo turned to Facebook groups related to yachting and began engaging with the community, answering common questions, and adding value wherever he could.

Anytime someone asked a common question, Hugo made sure to answer it thoroughly. At the end, he’d say something like “If you want more resources on this topic, I’ve got a great guide here,” and include a link to opt-in to his email list. He also uses the software ManyChat to automate his audience engagement.

This was the “free upfront, paid content later” type of funnel. By offering valuable free content, Hugo could gain trust, expand his email list, and prepare for future paid offers.

Pretty soon Hugo had his first $299 sale for a basic package that included a 1-hour phone consultation and those same PDF guides he had offered as opt-in incentives. It was a simple proof of concept, but it showed there was real revenue potential.

Bit by bit, the email list began to grow. He uses a visual email builder called Flodesk for a more expensive/luxurious feel, as he claims.

He then constantly paid attention to which lead magnets were getting the most downloads, which content resonated best through open rates, and what people’s most burning questions were.

The current main offering from Super Yacht Sunday School is priced at either $997 for full upfront payment, or $99 per month for 12 months.

But as Hugo explained, “But if you go through the webinar sequence and funnel, that’s when I offer it pretty much at a 50% discount.” So students can get the full course for either $499 upfront or $99 per month for 6 months only.

Using a limited-time discount required Hugo to adopt some new software to handle the “open/close cart” expiration timing. That’s where the Deadline Funnel tool came into play to enforce that scarcity.

The tool that really helped open the revenue floodgates? Switching from a pre-recorded evergreen webinar to live weekly training sessions.

Hugo said this single shift doubled his webinar conversion rates. Now, instead of people watching a pre-recorded pitch at their leisure, they had to show up at a designated date and time for Hugo’s real-time training session.

By adding some artificial scarcity and demand, it created better shows, more engagement, and ultimately more course sales.

Hugo cited cheap or free marketing strategies as critical to his exponential revenue growth in 2024. That includes organic traffic through short-form videos on Instagram  and TikTok .

The videos follow a similar pattern of catchy one-line hooks followed by simple cuts of life on a superyacht.

Some examples:

• “This is how much money you can make working as a yacht crew.”
• “Here’s how much a superyacht captain makes per year.”

His best performing video with over 1 million views and counting is a short clip of Hugo on a yacht posing in different crew positions with text displaying those jobs’ earning potential.

@superyachtsundayschool How much do yacht crew actaully make? #salery #howmuch #crewtraining #superyachts #fyp #yachties #belowdeck #industry #luxury ♬ Summer day – TimTaj

Short videos under 15 seconds seem to be the sweet spot for engagement and views according to Hugo. The videos are designed to attract eyeballs to his free lead magnets and eventually to his paid training offers.

On the SEO front, Hugo has started expanding into long-form blog content as well. This involves taking some of his popular Instagram posts and spinning them into deeper “how-to” style articles to build his website’s authority and search rankings.

Of course, these blog posts include opt-in offers and calls to action to join Hugo’s email list and get more free training from him.

And as an advanced tactic, Hugo has started experimenting with paid Facebook ads , specifically targeting members of big yachting enthusiast groups on Facebook.

He uses a tool called LeadEnforce that can combine the audiences of up to 10 separate Facebook groups into a custom list to upload to Facebook for ad targeting.

Though he admits these are still cold audiences compared to his existing email list and followers, Hugo says he’s acquiring new leads through Facebook ads for $1-$1.25 each, which seems promising so far.

Beyond his organic and paid marketing efforts, Hugo has found ways to leverage other people’s audiences and influence too.

For one, he’s been working to build partnerships with cast members of the popular TV show Below Deck  featuring real-life superyacht crews and owners.

The goal is to have these influencers co-host trainings and events to cross-promote and tap into their large followings on social media (which can exceed 1 million fans in some cases).

Hugo is also starting to source user-generated content from his successful students to build social proof and case studies. The plan is to leverage these stories and transformations in an upcoming podcast currently in the works.

Another new frontier for Super Yacht Sunday School is creating paid continuity/membership programs to serve existing industry professionals.

Currently in a testing phase with a small group paying $59 per month , Hugo envisions building out more advanced crew training and development resources on an ongoing basis.

The tech tool he’s using for the community and course aspects of this premium membership is Hearbeat.chat .

Beyond just helping people get their first yacht crew job, this program would serve as a lead nurturing channel to continue advancing their skills and knowledge over time.

The online education piece was just the start for Hugo. Given his extensive industry expertise and connections, it was a natural pivot to also offer staffing and recruitment services for yacht owners.

Through some nice positioning and branding, Hugo started getting inquiries from yacht owners looking for crew. And as he explained, “Every time you place crew onto a yacht, as long as they stay at least 3 months, you get 1 month’s salary paid out also to you.”

Now Hugo has another income stream by placing his own students on crews after certifying them through his training programs.

One of the perks of working in yachting is getting to meet ultra-wealthy individuals and occasional celebrities like Jon Bon Jovi, George Lucas, and Pharrell. Though the “star factor” wears off as it becomes your everyday life and work environment.

Hugo claims that celebrities are actually more down-to-earth than you’d expect when on vacation.

He also had his share of wild experiences like getting caught in powerful storms during Atlantic crossings where the entire boat felt like it was going to capsize.

The luxury yachting world is full of surprises, but owners can simply postpone trips if conditions look too risky since they have the flexibility that cargo ships don’t.

Looking into the future, Hugo sees other opportunities to further modernize and innovate in the yachting industry through tech products and services:

“I feel like there’s a lot of antiquated practices, even with recruiting , where it’s just people emailing each other and saving PDFs,” Hugo said. “I want to automate and show that a small online entrepreneur can really take this by storm and make it better.”

Sounds like there’s potential for Hugo to develop some sort of “Upwork for yacht crews” style recruitment platform or marketplace.

“Just don’t give up.”

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About the Author

Nick Loper is a side hustle expert who loves helping people earn more money and start businesses they care about. He hosts the award-winning Side Hustle Show, where he's interviewed over 500 successful entrepreneurs, and is the bestselling author of Buy Buttons , The Side Hustle , and $1,000 100 Ways .

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BEST CHARTER YACHT CREW: Finalists revealed

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By Steph Loseby   14 July 2022

Designed to publicly recognize the achievements and contributions of hard-working charter crew, the shortlist of finalists for this year's ACREW Crew Awards has been revealed, giving us an insight into the best captains and crew in the yacht charter industry. 

This year's Crew Awards are to be hosted at Porto Montenegro on 14th – 16th October 2022 where Superyacht captains, crew, the awards nominees, and finalists will be invited to attend a weekend full of activities in the Mediterranean’s luxury marina village.

There are 20 nomination categories from Best Charter Yacht Crew Award, Best Deck Award, Best Chef Award and Environmental Crew Award. The three finalists per category were judged via video interviews by the panel ahead of the main event in October, where the overall winners will be announced during the ceremony.

Superyacht ROMA

Delivered in 2010 by Italian shipyard Viareggio SuperYachts, the 62m (203ft) superyacht ROMA , is effortlessly modern and totally entertaining with an abundance of water toys and expansive social spaces that guests can use for entertaining and relaxing. Comfortably accommodating 12 guests across 6 cabins, yacht ROMA has room for 17 crew onboard who provide a relaxed luxury yacht charter experience.

We pride ourselves on being a happy and harmonious crew, maintaining motivation by encouraging progression from within. Our Vision is: Creating and capturing unique moments of unforgettable happiness. RoMa Crew

Superyacht SKYFALL

Another outstanding finalist for the best yacht charter crew category is the outstanding 58m (190ft) yacht SKYFALL . Delivered in 2010 by Trinity Yachts, this yacht’s creative use of space, unique features and sophisticated flourishes ensure an unparalleled charter experience on board. Accommodating 12 guests across 6 cabins, she is also capable of carrying up to 14 crew members on board to ensure every need is catered to.

The Skyfall crew consists of a number of close-knit individuals of various nationalities. They are all unique and specialized in their skill sets yet understand they are no greater than the sum of the team.

Superyacht TRIUMPH

The third and final yacht in the best charter crew category is Benetti’s 65m (214ft) superyacht TRIUMPH . Delivered in 2021, this luxury charter yacht is the prime candidate for anyone looking for a taste of the superyacht lifestyle. From its sun-kissed deck down to its standout waterside beach club, this yacht has an ample amount of space for guests to kick back and relax. With room for 12 guests across 6 luxurious cabins, there are a total of 17 crew members on board this yacht who work together to create the dream yacht charter vacation for their guests.

The MY Triumph crew is a group of talented ‘artists’ originating from various different countries and cultures resulting in a team with an extensive array of varied skill sets

How important is the crew on a charter vacation?

The crew understands the unique needs and interests of every charter, they get to know you, your likes and dislikes and ultimately work together seamlessly to ensure you have a luxurious, relaxing and fun charter experience. It is the special touches, outstanding service and exemplary efforts demonstrated by a luxury charter yacht’s crew that ultimately ensure the success of any yacht charter vacation.

The yacht’s accommodation and facilities are important, but the crew is the one that goes the extra mile for guests and ultimately, they make the yacht feel like home.

To find out more about chartering any of the superyachts which have been nominated for the Crew Awards, please get in touch with your preferred yacht charter broker .

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Designing crew quarters aboard superyachts

The saying ‘Happy crew, happy ship; happy ship, happy owner’ is often heard around shipyards and designer’s offices, but the challenge lies in making this truism come true. One sure-fire way is to expand the crew’s living spaces on board – an enhancement that will be mandatory on many superyachts when the Maritime Labour Convention, 2006 (MLC) comes into effect. But some yachts have taken the initiative to provide exceptionally accommodating crew spaces before any regulatory agency requires it.

‘As a shipyard we try to set as high a standard as possible for the spaces where the crew sleeps and leisures,’ says Michael Breman, Lürssen Yachts’ sales director. ‘Our boats are larger, and therefore it’s easier to lay out a boat in a proper, professional way.

‘Some owners are more generous than others…” he adds, citing the 83.5m Lürssen Northern Star , launched in 2009. She has a two-deck crew area that incorporates a crew mess and lounge on the lower deck and a private crew gym on the tank deck.

‘What’s special about Northern Star is her owner. He wants to be sure that the crew is happy; that way he keeps his crew,’ Bremen says. ‘He doesn’t want to see new faces all the time.’

Another owner known for his attention to crew comfort is Dennis Washington, who recently transformed the 91.75m Evergreen into the 100m Attessa IV , winner of the 2011 World Superyacht Award for Best Rebuilt Yacht. According to Attessa IV’s captain, Ted McCumber, her crew spaces were enlarged substantially during the rebuild.

‘We actually took away some of the guest areas and made nicer spaces for the crew,’ he says. ‘We spend a lot of time at anchor; without the space we’d go nuts because there are not that many places we can tie up to.’

When Captain McCumber and the owner toured the crew accommodations on Evergreen prior to starting the rebuild, they immediately decided to change the configuration of the cabins.

‘A lot of the staterooms had three bunks, and the boss said, “There’s no way we’re going to do that,”’ says the captain.

Attessa IV accommodates her officers and chef in private staterooms and also has individual cabins for her therapist, pilot and two staff supernumeraries who may come aboard.

_Attessa IV’_s crew area also features an officer’s mess and a separate lounge for non-English speaking crew.

‘We run with a lot of Filipino crew, so we gave them their own space so they could speak their own language and be comfortable,’ Captain McCumber says. ‘On their time off, it’s hard to speak someone else’s language.’

Even more remarkable is the yacht’s new, two-level combination gym and crew lounge in the bosun’s locker area. The fitness centre features weight sets, heavy bags, treadmills, LifeCycles and stair steppers, while lounge amenities include two flatscreen TVs. It’s also a practice area for Contraband: a band that some of the crew have formed.

‘We can seat about 16 on huge couches and beanbags. It’s really kind of a neat spot where everyone relaxes. The area gets used every single night,’ McCumber says. ‘We probably spent $2 million dollars on that one space. It was a pretty big deal to do what we did.’

Giving the crew their own dedicated deck (or decks) may be common on superyachts in the 100m range, but it’s practically unheard of on smaller vessels. That’s part of what makes the 42m ‘soft expedition’ vessel E&E unique.

On the Turkish-built and Vripack-designed E&E , the master stateroom is on the bridge deck and four guest suites are on the deck just below it. That leaves the entire lower deck – about 39m in length – dedicated to crew use and storage.

‘The main focus of this project is to put the guests on the right level where they should be. If they pay a substantial charter fee, then they should be in premium location,’ says Bart Bouwhuis, Vripack director of design.

‘This has a perfect crew accommodation, not only cabin-wise and bathroom-wise but also crew lounge-wise,’ Bouwhuis says. ‘This is a crew lounge you would only see on a yacht of 50m – if you were lucky.’

The crew deck also has a good-size laundry room at the foot of the central crew stairs, allowing efficient transport of laundry to and from the upper-deck guest accommodations.

_E&E’_s six en suite crew cabins are configured with bunks, but Bouwhuis says, ‘In daily operation, they will have only one person per cabin.’

If necessary, two crew can double up and make a cabin available for a nanny or other supernumerary staff. Bouwhuis reported that the sleeping arrangements are big enough to meet the MLC 2006’s requirements – and this on a 42m boat.

Vripack pioneered this private crew deck arrangement on the 36.8m expedition yacht Jasmine a decade ago. ‘It has a very high return charter rate,’ Bouwhuis says, but admits, ‘This concept has not been followed – and I don’t know why.’

The 1999 56m Trinity Pangaea (ex-Dream; ex-Samantha Lin ) is another example of an expedition yacht with enviable crew quarters. Her raised foc’sle forward is used to house a large crew lounge and mess, leaving space on the lower deck for roomy crew cabins, some with side-by-side berths rather than bunks. Pangaea’s crew also has private access to the exterior decks for outdoor recreation time.

‘We literally had people throw résumé’s on the boat at the Fort Lauderdale show,’ says Billy Smith of Trinity Yachts.

While traditional ‘white yachts’ typically can’t offer the sort of bonus crew space found on an expedition yacht, several new projects feature innovative owner and guest accommodations that benefit their crew areas in major ways.

Take, for example, Trinity’s 60.3m Areti . On this new launch, the owner’s suite is on the upper deck, where the wheelhouse would be on most yachts of this size. The wheelhouse was moved to the main deck, but raised a few feet above deck level for a better view of the waters ahead. This enabled Trinity’s designers to fit a unique ‘crew upper loft’ deck beneath the wheelhouse and above the lower deck.

The loft area is fitted out with six spacious, double-bed crew cabins that share three heads on the deck below. Her lower deck has two additional bunkrooms with en suite heads, a large laundry and an extra-large crew mess.

‘Trinity’s position on crew,’ Smith says, ‘is that if you have a good crew you are yachting, and if you have a bad crew you are boating – and there’s an enormous difference.’

Even on motor yachts that place both guest and crew quarters on the lower deck, some designers and shipyards are coming up with ergonomic and efficient areas for the crew. The second Picchiotti Vitruvius motor yacht, the 55.8m Galileo G , designed by Philippe Briand in collaboration the Vitruvius team, is a good example. Galileo G’s crew mess is more than 150 square feet, and the laundry is almost that large.

Star Fish has an owner’s deck, complete with swimming pool, which let Marshall turn the valuable real estate on the main deck forward into a home-away-from-home for her crew. In addition to a huge galley, there is a large crew lounge to port – a major change in design from Big Fish, which has its lounge on the lower deck. Star Fish’s crew lounge incorporates a media area/coffee bar, small galley and large dining/meeting area. It features large, floor-to-ceiling windows that would not be physically possible on the lower deck.

On Big Fish , the crew quarters are finished to the level of the guest areas and are similar in décor. But when Marshall asked the crew about the new boat, they surprised him by saying they didn’t want as intricate an interior this time.

‘They wanted an interior with much less maintenance, and in addition, they wanted another décor that designated that they were in their off-time, so that they don’t feel like they are just in another space in the owner’s quarters,’ he says. ‘So the décor in the crew lounge is a bit like a trendy café. It’s decorated like nothing else on the rest of the boat, so it’s purely their space.’

Another improvement that Star Fish offers the crew is private access to the exterior deck.

‘From the crew lounge, they can go directly up onto the deck, instead of having to go through the owner’s spaces,’ Marshall says. ‘They end up with sort of an inside/outside crew space, and on nice days they can let fresh air into the lounge.’

Star Fish is not MLC compliant, ‘but it’s really close,’ Marshall adds. (His next design for this owner, 54m Sword Fish, will be designed to MLC standards.) In Marshall’s opinion, the MLC regulations on outdoor recreation space for crew may have an even bigger impact on superyacht design than the regulations for their sleeping areas. The question for owners, he says, is: ‘Where do you want the crew to hang out outside?’

Update: Star Fish was badly damaged in a yard fire during 2012. Her hull is currently for sale to a buyer who wishes to complete her superstructure.

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A Case for Crew Performance Reviews

A recent yacht crew survey has uncovered some interesting food for thought when it asked the question: “If you had a mentor, what areas would you specifically like to focus on?” The answers spoke for themselves, with the vast majority identifying the same three points: unbiased feedback, department specific training and career progression. These responses raised an interesting point, highlighting an obvious but curious blind spot when it comes to the unique working environment that is yachting.

Reading as an officer, my knee jerk reaction was: “Oh, a regular performance review would be really handy for that”, but moments later I realised that in my nine years spent in the industry, although I had facilitated and conducted sessions like these, I myself had never had one with a superior. Never one to assume my experience is the rule, I reached out to my network, where my sentiment was echoed - only one stewardess said she had worked on a yacht that conducted regular, structured performance reviews. And yes, apparently, they worked a treat.

It’s strange that a practice that is very much commonplace in nearly every other industry is still so far from standard in yachting. Bearing in mind that most of us could easily identify the benefits, is there something peculiar to yachting that explains the absence of this powerful practice?

Why is there a lack of performance reviews?

Could the glaringly obvious difference between ours and more traditional workplaces be to blame? I don’t know many other jobs where you could be brushing your teeth in your PJs next to your boss who has just had to tell you that you’re not meeting the expectations of your role just hours before. Or unpacking the dishwasher at 7am alongside your decky who you’ve just had to give stern feedback to. Does the physical lack of personal and professional boundaries discourage us from getting real and having the tough conversations when it comes to personal performance?

Perhaps it’s simply a lack of tools on how to engage constructively from both sides. As much as I’d like to say I haven’t, I myself have fallen into the trap of not addressing an issue with a deckhand until it’s too late, and my frustration has boiled over into an unconstructive encounter. Equally, as a decky, I have memories of copping an overly harsh talking-to about something I was totally oblivious to.

In hindsight, these situations are always avoidable when issues are addressed head on in a constructive way, which is easier said than done after the physical and mental stress of a season has worn both sides down. And, more often than not, there are only two common outcomes: unconstructive conflict and resentment, both of which erode motivation, trust, group dynamics and ultimately performance. 

The Importance of Performance Reviews

In a time where we have so many resources at our fingertips on how to create inspired workplaces with self-empowered employees (in our case crew) and an obvious appetite for feedback, perhaps we can turn the nightmare of conflict into an opportunity for change through performance reviews.

The benefits are obvious and far reaching: the raised morale of crew knowing that someone cares enough to look closely; the feeling of accountability and reduced complacency of all parties; the ability to properly assess whether bonuses or incentives have been reached and earned without the question of “is this personal?” looming over the decision. It encourages leaders to really observe and invest in their crew in a professional way, enabling them to create self-empowered cultures.

On the other side of the coin, it gives crew the tools and, in some cases 'fair warning', to cultivate their personal performance and skills. Expectations can be clearly set, and in turn easily achieved. The excuse “well you never said” becomes obsolete when we as leaders can clearly paint what success looks like.

What Does a Good Performance Review Look Like?

So how does one go about creating that safe space where all parties feel they can ‘rumble', as Brene Brown puts it? Where both parties can get real with their expectations and desired outcomes in a way that clears the air, builds trust and confidence, and results in better performance and job satisfaction for everyone involved?

From personal experience and from asking how this has been achieved on other boats, giving crew a worksheet to read and fill out ahead of their review seems to be a great way to get the ball rolling. This gives crew members the chance to ask themselves real questions and give honest answers without the pressure of being put on the spot, which can sometimes lead to defensiveness rather than openness. It’s always helpful if facilitators also complete the sheet themselves so they can lead by example and find common ground during the conversation.

The best example I've seen of this is broken into three sections: self-evaluation, department evaluation and goal setting. This gives crew a chance to tell you exactly where their blind spots are, where they want to grow and what they need from you. This is invaluable information when it comes to creating a challenging but fulfilling work culture and gives your crew a certain level of power and control over their own progression.

The next step is scheduling one-on-one time to go through these worksheets with crew. Brene Brown has a fantastic checklist for facilitators to ensure we create a safe, constructive space. This includes: I can hold you accountable without shaming or blaming you; I can talk about how resolving these challenges will lead to your growth and opportunity; I’m willing to put the problem in front of us rather than between us (or sliding it toward you); I’m ready to listen, ask questions, and accept that I may not fully understand the issue; I can model the vulnerability and openness that I expect to see from you.

You’ll be establishing a constructive space instead of a critical one, and making it clear the conversation is about how we can be better together instead of pulling people down. I always find this part a really great time to ask crew if they would be willing to address issues they have with other crew in a group and, more often than not, I’ve been pleasantly surprised with the results.

Once one-on-one evaluations are done, it’s usually a great idea to bring the department together (or the entire crew in a smaller operation), to consolidate strengths and growth points, and dispel any issues that have been quietly brewing. If everyone is on the same page, everyone can see the goal and the pay off at the end.

Doing these on a seasonal basis will create great continuity for crew and enable you to track progress, try new tactics or make any changes as you see fit. 

Performance reviews give people a voice, hone their skills and build drive and trust within the group. They don’t have to take all day; in fact the more concise the better. Crew want to be seen and heard, and as HODs, it’s of huge benefit to us too. 

Images: Instagram: @yachtarience, @sherry_dan and @rounds_the_world

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• The Superyacht crew hierarchy explained

When you first start looking for Superyacht crew jobs, you’ll most likely be considering becoming a Deckhand or Stewardess.

These are two of the most popular entry point roles into a Superyacht career, and – as we never tire of saying here at Flying Fish – promise an abundance of benefits and incredible experiences!

Of course, these are not the only Superyacht crew jobs on offer, and if you are about to or have completed your Deckhand or Stewardess training, you may be wondering what other kinds of crew members you’ll be working with.

What’s just as important to know however is the hierarchy of those crew members; not only so that you know who to report to in different situations, but so that, if you want to progress your career beyond the Deckhand or Stewardess role, you’ll have an idea of the best path to take!

To help you out, we’ve outlined the hierarchy of a Superyacht crew for you below…

Depending on the size of the Superyacht, the hierarchy of a Superyacht crew goes something like this:

Working under the owner of the Superyacht or the owner’s representatives, the Captain of a Superyacht is responsible for the safe and smooth running of the ship – so he or she is who you will ultimately need to answer to!

The duties of the Captain go beyond navigation and the sailing of the vessel to managing admin, health and safety, ensuring compliance with maritime regulations, financial reporting and much more.

If you’re looking to become a Superyacht Captain yourself, you’ll need to have worked your way up from the majority of the other roles in this blog, as well as undertake a number of other qualifications and be able to demonstrate a variety of knowledge and skills, including seafaring, admin, IT, health and safety, and even accounting.

2. Officer of the Watch (OOW)

The OOW is second in command to the Captain and is responsible for the day-to-day running of the deck, as well as taking care of navigation and running watches when on passage.

They’ll also have a significant hand in the maintenance of the Superyacht, as well as being in charge of the deck equipment inventory.

If this is a role you’d like to progress to, there are several different paths you can take, all of which we’ve shared in our blog “ Becoming an Officer of the Watch (OOW) ”.

This is one of the lesser-known roles on a Superyacht (as their duties will usually fall to the Captain on smaller vessels), but is nevertheless important!

In brief, the Purser works under the captain, taking charge of financial matters on the Superyacht (e.g., accounting, purchasing food, drink and cleaning supplies etc.), as well as taking care of HR and recruitment.

In fact, they may well be one of the first people you meet when you begin applying for Superyacht crew jobs!

In order to become one, you’ll need to have sound knowledge and experience of the Superyacht industry, and have a range of financial and IT skills and qualifications under your belt on top of your STCW certificate and ENG1 Medical certificate.

4. Chief Engineer

A Superyacht is a vast and complex vehicle – so, as well as Deckhands taking care of its exterior, it also needs someone to manage it’s mechanical functioning – and that’s where the Chief Engineer comes in!

In a nutshell, the Chief Engineer (and the 2nd Engineer who works under him/her) are responsible for ensuring that every aspect of the Superyacht’s mechanics runs without a hitch.

If Chief or 2nd Engineer is a role you’d like to pursue, starting off with Deckhand training is a good choice, as it will provide you with a good introduction to Diesel Engine Maintenance and general maintenance and repairs.

5. Head Chef

A Superyacht holiday wouldn’t be complete without delicious meals for guests to enjoy. Every Superyacht therefore has an appointed Head Chef to take on the role of providing these to the highest possible standard throughout the day.

To become a Head Chef on board a Superyacht, you’ll need to have completed all the necessary culinary qualifications to become a chef and have comprehensive experience of working as a Head or Sous Chef in a hotel or restaurant. You’ll then also need to have your STCW Basic Safety Training certification on top!

Working as a Crew Chef (working under the Head Chef and making meals for all the members of the Superyacht crew) is a great entry point into this role.

“Bosun” is another term for “Senior Deckhand.” Their role is to take charge of daily cleaning and maintenance tasks, as well as drive the yachts tenders and (if on a larger boat requiring more crew) look after the Deckhands working under them.

After a few seasons of experience and proven hard work and dedication as a Deckhand, you’ll be in a great position to apply for a Bosun job!

7. Chief Stewardess

The Chief Stewardess is in charge of the Superyacht’s interior, including laundry and service. It is their duty to ensure that guests on board have a five-star experience around the clock! Like the Bosun, the Chief Stewardess will also be in charge of looking after a team of Stewardesses, depending on the size of the boat.

Again, as with a Deckhand, after a few seasons working as a committed and stand-out Stewardess, the Chief Stewardess role will be within easy reach.

8. Deckhand

The role of the Deckhand is to maintain and clean the exterior of the yacht to ensure that it is in perfect condition at all times.

The Deckhand is also involved in other deck operations , mooring, anchoring and sometimes security.

This, along with the Stewardess, is at the bottom of the Superyacht hierarchy, and is best pursued after the completion of a Superyacht Deckhand course .

9. Stewardess

As a Stewardess, you’ll be assisting the Chief Stewardess to ensure that guests on board the Superyacht enjoy only the best possible experience.

This involves working on the interior of the yacht, including service, cabin preparation and providing guests and owners with whatever they need.

Although you can work as a Stewardess without any prior experience (same as a Deckhand), it’s always a good idea to undertake a Superyacht Stewardess course first and gain a number of other skills to give you the upper hand when applying for roles!

How much money do these crew members earn?

Once again, depending on the size of the Superyacht, salaries can vary in these different roles. You can find out more about this in our Superyacht salary guide.

In sum, the hierarchy of Superyacht crew jobs is straightforward – but offers a wealth of exciting career possibilities to the most dedicated of seafarers!

If you can see yourself taking up an office on the ocean and climbing the Superyacht career ladder, be sure to take a look at our Superyacht training courses at Flying Fish.

After just two weeks of Deckhand or Stewardess training, you’ll have everything you need under your belt to impress yacht crew agencies (such as YPI Crew and Insignia Crew ) and take that very first step into a truly rewarding and memorable career!

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The unspoken rules about how to behave on a superyacht

• The superyachting world is very small, with only 5,800 yachts longer than 30 meters at sea.
• That insularity has bred a specific etiquette, which is often hard for outsiders to know about.
• These are the de facto rules of the most expensive billionaire toys, superyachts .

For the owners of superyachts , privacy is often the most valuable thing money can buy. It's one reason centimillionaires and billionaires pay eight or nine figures for a palace at sea, far from the prying eyes of land dwellers.

Even the most gossipy crew members should stay tight-lipped about the name of a former owner or charter guest, and many brokers shy away from answering benign questions.

That means that, aside from basic safety guidelines, most of the rules of superyachting are unwritten. The very few who need to know them — there are only about 5,800 yachts longer than 30 meters at sea, according to SuperYacht Times — already know them.

But if you do happen to be a lucky guest at a party on a billionaire's $500 million ship or find yourself included in a $1 million-a-week vacation, there are a few things you need to know.

After four days of touring superyachts that sell for as much as $75 million and chatting with the people who buy, sell, and work on them at the Palm Beach International Boat Show , Business Insider gleaned a few key edicts. Given the discreet nature of the industry, almost all the people we spoke with requested anonymity to protect their working relationships, but here's what they had to say.

Take off your shoes

While it's a basic rule for anyone in boating, it may come as a surprise to an outsider that no matter how rich you are or how expensive your heels are, in the vast majority of cases, you can't wear shoes on board.

It's partly for safety — you don't want anyone slipping on a wet deck — but partly to keep the yacht clean. So expect to see barefoot billionaires, and if you forgot to get a pedicure, bring a set of special boat shoes.

Don't make any assumptions about money — but know the signs

In the superyacht world, it's safe to assume almost everyone you meet is very, very rich, and many brokers and builders say you can't judge a book by its cover when it comes to prospective clients.

"It has nothing to do with how they're dressed," one broker told BI. "It's the biggest mistake you can make because a complete slobby-looking guy or couple could be a multibillionaire."

There are, however, a few clues. Watches are one; new footwear is another.

"Rich people always have new shoes," a superyacht expert said. But because of the shoe rule mentioned above, this tip probably applies only when they're on land.

Book your massage early

Wellness areas, including spa rooms with a massage bed or two and a professional-grade facial machine, are becoming must-haves on superyachts . Most have a customized spa menu and a crew member who doubles as a trained masseuse or beautician — and they're usually in high demand.

One captain said he'd implemented a booking system to ensure people weren't fighting for the same spots. A broker said sometimes masseuses would be so busy they wouldn't leave the small spa cabin for hours on end.

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So if you want to make the most of your relaxing time on board, reserve your pampering slot as soon as you get your welcome cocktail.

Pirates are more real than you'd think, and many superyachts have hidden safe rooms

While you might dress up as a fake pirate for an onboard theme party, there are very real ones — and other dangers — on the high seas.

In certain areas, including parts of the Indian Ocean and the Gulf of Aden, pirates are a cause of concern . In the Red Sea, owners are concerned about the Houthis .

Superyachts can come equipped with sonic weaponry, lockdown systems, and anti-drone protection. Builders are even designing safe rooms — which are apparently just as plush as the rest of the ship.

The longer the boat, the closer to $1 billion

While you can't judge a buyer based on appearances, you can judge them on the length of their boat.

One rule of thumb: If someone has a brand-new 50-meter vessel, chances are they have $1 billion to their name. If it's over 100 meters, expect the owner to have at least $2 billion. And for a boat bigger than that — like Jeff Bezos' 127-meter megayacht Koru — it takes many, many billions.

Money can't buy you everything

The world's biggest, most expensive yachts are custom-built by shipyards that produce only a handful of boats a year.

But no matter how many tens of millions of dollars clients are spending, there are things to which builders will refuse to say yes.

"In the end, the boat has our name," an executive from one of the world's biggest shipyards told BI.

They recalled a client who requested a yellow hull to match his Lamborghini . The shipyard declined, steering the client in another direction.

"If I don't like it, I don't build it. I finalize two or three contracts a year," another builder said. "If somebody can say your vessel is ugly, my reputation is bad."

Yacht crews are trained to make the impossible possible. A guest requests fresh caviar flown into the middle of the Caribbean? No problem. Fresh flowers every day while at sea? It'll cost you, but it can be done.

But they can't time travel, and captains and crew members say the thing that causes the most friction is when a client or owner wants to go from point A to point B — right now.

"The hardest request is when they want the boat in a place — yesterday," one captain said.

The best person to know? A friend with a superyacht

Superyachts are expensive to build and expensive to maintain . According to the industry standard, owning a superyacht will cost 10% of its new-build price annually. For a $100 million yacht, that's at least $10 million yearly going to crew, regular maintenance, insurance, fuel, and dockage.

Chartering, too, is costly . Beyond the list price, which can be hundreds of thousands a week, guests must pay for provisions, which are pegged at 35% of the charter fee, and are expected to tip between 10% and 20%.

So the most important unspoken rule of superyachting is actually that the only thing better than owning a superyacht is knowing someone else who does — and invites you along, of course.

Watch: Why it costs $1 million a day to run one of the world's biggest cruise ships

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Reference Checking

Superyacht References diligently reviews every superyacht candidate registered with us. We review and contact all referees listed by the yacht crew in order to thoroughly vet and verify the candidate’s skills and attributes. This means the future employer understands ahead of time the candidate’s strengths and possible weaknesses.

Crew Development + Mentoring

Our overall focus is not just assisting with the short-term crew employment and superyacht hiring process, but with longer-term crew development and career progression. We understand the importance of providing valid feedback alongside crew mentoring to help guide each crew member to learn and grow into the future leaders of the yachting industry.

Yacht Crew Certificate Verification

We will verify each of the candidate’s professional certifications with the associated issuing authority. This ensures your new crew member has undergone the relevant shore-based yacht crew training and has been awarded the appropriate certification as stated on their C.V.

National ID Verification for Yacht Crew

In certain cases, it is possible for us to verify the authenticity and validity/status of a candidate’s National Identity Document. Where this is an option, we will confirm the candidate’s ID to provide you with an extra level of safety and security so you feel confident about who is on board your superyacht.

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Ensuring crew well-being is an important part of the work we do here at Superyacht References. We support positive workplace cultures and employee experiences through precise security and background checks, tailored specifically for each client.

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By SuperyachtNews 10 Jun 2022

Quay Crew publishes crew salary report

Rotation is on the rise, what impact could this have on an already candidate short crewing landscape.

The goal of attaining a rotational position is a driving force for many ambitious yacht crew. Rotation can be held up as the ideal endpoint for crew on their career pathway through yachting, with many captains working towards it for their entire careers. It’s seen as the moment when the hard work pays off and the elusive work-life balance is achieved. However, the complexities and costs associated with it are often a sticking point for yacht managers and owners.

Rotational structures range from five months on, one month off (5:1) up to the idealised time for time spilt, most commonly two months on, two months off (2:2). When a rotation is implemented effectively, it can give a level of balance and structure to the vessel’s operational profile, the guest experience and the life of the crew on board and ashore. It also elicits a strong reaction. As a friend once put it to me, "in the industry, rotation is an emotive word." 

As the comprehensive report from Quay Crew highlights, rotation is on the rise. As crew expectations for it evolve from privilege to what they feel they are entitled to, the need for quality crew may exceed the capacity of an already strained market.

One of the key findings of the report is that junior roles offering rotation are increasing. One in three deckhands and stews surveyed are now getting some form of rotation onboard 70m+ yachts. This, as termed in the report summary, comes as the industry scrambles to appeal to more crew in a competitive and candidate-short market.

The survey was from 170 captains, who provided a full breakdown of the salary, leave and benefits packages for over 1,500 crew across all onboard departments. For 11 of the 18 roles featured in the survey, time for time rotation was the most common form of leave, including all HOD’s with the exception of chief stews and bosuns. 

In a surprising finding, across all yacht sizes, 15 per cent of deckhands and 23 per cent of stews have some form of rotation. The former largely get 46-60 days leave while 28 per cent of chief stews get less than 45 days leave and the same amount get time for time rotation. 

As could be expected,  there is a mostly linear increase in salaries for the senior roles with the most training expectations, such as the chief officers on 100m+ yachts. The above graphic showing the best monthly salaries proves that bigger is not necessarily better for all roles, highlighting a few sweet spots for certain roles, such as 2nd engineers on 70-79m yachts. 

Although not published yet, Quay Crew will be releasing a separate report featuring the captain's salaries later in 2022.  Of note, according to Quay Crew, 58 per cent of captains surveyed said their yacht reviewed pay annually as standard, but two-fifths are still taking a sporadic or informal approach. 

Tim Clarke, one of the founding Directors of Quay Crew, comments: “We’ve seen many of our own clients improve salary and leave packages for some time now, particularly for junior crew, but wanted to get a more accurate picture of the whole market. What this survey tells us is that there is definitely an upwards trend in pay as well as leave, but personally, I think it’s disappointing to see how many yachts continue to only give 60 days or less leave.”

“Having said that, I believe 3:1 will increasingly be seen as the norm for junior roles onboard 50m+ yachts and those who do not review their leave packages will become far less appealing employers for the most talented crew.” Says Clarke.

Just under half of 90-99m yachts have some kind of mental health support, followed by 80-89m (40 per cent), but only 9 per cent of 100m+ yachts offer this and none of the 40-49m yachts surveyed provide it.  No 100m+ who responded to the survey allowed the use of yacht toys and only one-fifth give a 13-month bonus and/or life insurance.

“With the superyacht sector experiencing an extreme candidate shortage and increased competition to secure the best crew in the fastest possible timeframe, yachts need to evolve their offering," Clarke continues.  "COVID, especially, has made everyone reassess their career goals and work-life balance, seeking out more leave over higher salaries and some yachts are starting to take notice."

“However, even though anecdotal evidence from our own clients suggests packages are improving, the survey reveals that industry-wide, the uptake is still slow." Concludes Clarke "The fact remains - if yachts don't review the compensation for crew, they will have to be more flexible on candidate requirements and potentially look to recruit talent from other sectors.”

To request access to the full report, please contact  Quay Crew.

Image credit: Quay Crew 

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How to Put Together The Perfect Yachting CV

Your Yachting CV (Curriculum Vitae) is most likely the first point of contact a superyacht has with you. Therefore, putting together the Perfect Yachting CV is essential . After all, it’s your personal sales pitch to the Captain or Head Of Department looking to hire you!  

A Yachting CV differs significantly from a land-based CV. It features maritime jargon, qualifications, and a photo. As well as this, it also requires a particular layout that needs to tick the relevant ‘industry standard’ boxes. Imagine a Captain or Chief Stew has 150 CV’s on their desk. If your CV doesn’t look like a Yachting CV, it’s probably going straight to the shredder. It needs to look the part! 

Today we have teamed up with yachting entrepreneur, Jess aka The Seaworthy Stew . Jess has created a simple step-by-step guide providing all you need to create a perfect, professional yachting CV:  

1. Primary Information

Start by filling in all primary information within the top half of the page, including your phone number, email, date of birth, nationality, and passport. Also include your health status (if you’re COVID vaccinated), marital status, driver’s license, your location and availability. 

• Phone numbers: I recommend having a local sim card when you are in an area to ensure a boat can contact you at any time. WhatsApp is extensively used within the industry. Therefore I recommend getting a WhatsApp number. Once you are in the industry, you will most likely have various international sim cards. It’s a good idea to keep one consistent WhatsApp number. Then, use the local number you may have at the time for phone calls and data. 
• Email: If your email isn’t professional sounding (e.g. rubytherockstar@hotmail.com), create a new one. 
• Location : Ensure this is kept up to date, as captains will use this location to work out your flight paths and travel arrangements when you secure a job.  

2. Qualifications

Here you will need to separate your maritime qualifications (mandatorily required certificates) and other qualifications to avoid clutter.  

For your Maritime Certifications such as STCW, PDSD and Food Hygiene Level 2, add the expiry dates or the year of completing them if an expiry date is not applicable.  

If you have other relevant qualifications , you can create another heading and include certificates such as University Degrees or Diplomas, Post Graduate Education, PADI or SCUBA (Dive Certifications), Carpentry or Electrician (Deck related only), Floristry course, Mixology or Wine Courses.  

3. Work Experience and your transferable skill s

In this section, you need to list your land-based and/or yachting experience. If you’re green , you will need to pull apart all your land-based work experiences, h ighlighting the duties/skills that could be transferable to the yachting industry.  

If you have worked in restaurants, hotels, events or the aviation or cruise ship industry, this is all highly transferable to yachting. It is essential to pull out any key skills and include them under your type of experience, such as Hospitality Experience or Other Experience. It is not necessary to write all aspects of the job. Choose  the duties that are the most relevant to your desired yachting role. From here, you can further break down and add relatable skills to help explain your background and what you’re capable of.  

Once you have day work experience, you can add this to your ‘Yachting Experience’ heading, including all of the key duties you had and the time you were on board .  

If you have Yachting Experience, highlight everything unique about your position and the direct responsibilities you had. Then you need to back up these with examples as proof.   For example, instead of writing you have ‘Wine Knowledge’ you need to think about how you used this skill. It may have been a food and wine pairing menu for charter guests, here you SHOW OFF your talent’s with a practical example. Think about what your working highlights were whilst onboard. What did you LOVE to do? Maybe you have been setting up themed nights and planning events such as beach BBQs.  

For your yachting experience, we should write it  as per the below:

• MM YY – MM YY M/Y NAME, 80 M OCEANCO • 2200GT – STEWARDESS
• Followed by a paragraph about the position (This format also applies to any day work experience).  

Your hobbies should be a brief paragraph where you can add  a few quirky things, outdoor activities, and water-sport activities. If you’re aiming for an interior role, you can add something creative if it suits you (do not put socialising).  

It’s a good idea to look at transferring your hobbies into skills. As the hobbies section is an excellent place to put secondary skills superyachts may look for. For example, you may have on your CV that you’re into photography and filming. They could turn this into taking crew profile pictures, creating a guest charter and welcome videos.  

It is not uncommon for charter boats to request crew to have additional skills that guests may find interesting or helpful. It allows charter brokers to sell a yacht having valuable crew skills such as kite-surfing or a pilates teacher onboard. These skills are also usually listed under your crew profile in the boat’s Welcome booklet .

5. The Perfect Yachting CV Personal Profile

This section is one of the LAST steps as it ties together all your experience and skills. It’s also the most important paragraph of your CV and should be six sentences or less and sit right below your primary information.  

Your Personal Profile is where you persuade the reader to carry on looking at your CV. Your profile should concisely and effectively display who you are, your skills and strengths relevant to the role and the experience to back it up. Therefore, I recommend saving this key paragraph to last as it’s a summary and the hook, line and sinker as to why you are fit for the job.

I suggest splitting your profile into three sections:

• What are you searching for?
• Who you are
• What can you offer?

Bullet point things you might mention under each section , then list the qualities that position you as the ideal person for the job.  

If you’re green for the ‘what you’re searching for’ section, I suggest broadening this statement . For example:

“I aim to secure a position as a yacht stewardess/deckhand/chef/engineer position on a motor or sailing yacht.”

You want to avoid being too picky with what you want based on no experience yet.  

When you are writing what you can offer, you need to know what you can bring to the table that is unique? You can use a mix of hard and soft skills to position yourself as well-rounded. Last, back up your skills with evidence. Don’t just add ‘attention to detail’. You need to give an example of this.

6. References

Put down a minimum of three references you can rely on to have positive things to say about you. Ensure their information is current when writing on your CV and structure it so   the most recent reference is at the top with correct contact details as they will no doubt be checked.

7. Your CV Headshot

Your photo is a really important part of your CV. It needs to show you are professional, smiling and looking the part. This means you will need to dress in a white polo shirt or white blouse (ironed) and ideally have a background of yachts in the distance or water. If you can’t take a picture in these environments, a plain white background is ok. TIP: When you are taking your photo, have your shoulders back and put your hands behind you as it helps to stand up tall, also face into the sun (at the perfect time in the day), so you don’t have shadows on your face. Natural makeup and neat hair are best for females. For males, ensure you are well-groomed.

Other important yachting CV rules to follow:  

• Your CV should be no longer than two pages
• Font sizes should be between 10.5 and 12
• Correctly labelled and saved as:

NAME SURNAME CV  

• Send your CV as a PDF document to a yacht or PDF and .doc to yacht crew agents
• Make sure there are NO Spelling and grammar errors
• List certificates and experience in reverse chronological order

A yachting CV can be the difference between you getting a job and being overlooked among a sea full of other candidates. If you need some help, check out The Yachting CV Toolkit . It’s a comprehensive toolkit that gives you everything you need to create a professional Yachting CV that ticks the industry boxes, and stands out from the rest. It includes:

• Three CV Templates;
• How to recognise the transferable skills from your land-based jobs and apply them to your new CV;
• How to use power words to communicate your message firmly and confidently;
• The secret personal profile formula;
• Advice on how to create the perfect CV headshot (no fancy equipment required!)
• And a full CV review.  

Jess is an Australian superyacht stewardess with six years of experience working on superyachts. Jess helps aspiring yacht crew through her online courses. She teaches you what is required to prepare for a career as a superyacht stewardess and the proven steps to land your first job successfully. If you think she can help you check out her website – www.theseaworthystew.com or follow her on Instagram @theseaworthstew.  

For access to our Superyacht jobs board and the latest vacancies within the industry, register here.

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Death of José Andrés' World Central Kitchen crew marks a new low in Gaza war, aid workers say

If world central kitchen, run by celebrity josé andrés, can be attacked in gaza, no one is safe, observers say..

• José Andrés said his team of seven Gaza was killed "systematically, car by car" after delivering tons of grain to a warehouse.
• Andrés is 'well known in Washington, with a direct line to the president.'
• The deaths show 'a pattern of permissive rules of engagement and a willingness to conduct war in a way that doesn’t protect civilians or humanitarians,' Israeli human rights activist Tania Hary said.

Chef José Andrés said Wednesday that Israeli forces had targeted a World Central Kitchen convoy in the Gaza Strip "systematically, car by car," killing seven aid workers, including one American, as the White House said it wanted to see “accountability” for the attack. 

The deaths of the World Central Kitchen staffers on Monday wasn't the first time humanitarians have been killed in the Israel-Hamas war. But this attack killed foreigners, provoking a notable response.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu apologized in a video, promising an independent investigation, and Israel's military expressed “severe sorrow.” President Joe Biden placed a condolence phone call to Andrés, and the White House said he was “outraged” by the attack.

Humanitarian experts said the deaths were all the more striking because World Central Kitchen was known among aid groups both for its caution and its close coordination with the Israeli military in delivering aid.

More: Biden tells Israel's Netanyahu strikes on humanitarian workers in Gaza 'unacceptable'

Prep for the polls: See who is running for president and compare where they stand on key issues in our Voter Guide

Israel even helped Andrés’ group build a jetty on Gaza’s Mediterranean seafront to bring food by ship into Gaza. 

If World Central Kitchen – run by an internationally respected celebrity chef, boasting a formidable relationship with the Israeli Defense Forces, operating on a “deconflicted” route arranged with the military – can be attacked, observers say, then anyone in Gaza can.

“What this incident shows us is the IDF’s total disregard for the protection of civilians in Gaza,” former National Security Council spokesman Tommy Vietor said in an interview.

More: Joe Biden expresses outrage over deaths of World Central Kitchen aid workers in Gaza

Waning support among Americans for Israel's Gaza war

The attack on World Central Kitchen workers comes as some recent polls show fading American support for Israel's war in Gaza. A Gallup survey published late last month shows approval for the war falling from 50% in November to 36% in March, with 55% now disapproving .

"It makes Biden's position even more difficult," said Hank Sheinkopf, a veteran Democratic political consultant. "It will create panic among Democrats who are worried about losing younger voters and African Americans who have expressly called for a cease-fire."

A history of attacks on humanitarian workers

More than 200 aid workers, the vast majority of them Palestinians, have been killed in Israeli airstrikes and gunfire since the war started with Hamas’ Oct. 7 attack on Israel, U.S. officials say.

Israeli forces have fired on or bombed approved aid convoys , shelters located in designated safe zones , hospitals, and an American aid group’s staff residence .

None of these incidents, though, inspired anything like the Israeli and U.S. government response to the deaths of the World Central Kitchen workers.

The World Center Kitchen team was killed by three missile strikes from an Israeli attack drone while driving on a designated route they had cleared with the Israeli Defense Force.

The Biden administration has decried the ever-mounting civilian and humanitarian deaths in Gaza, where the Hamas-run health ministry says a stunning 32,000 people have been killed, while continuing to supply Israel with arms. Israel blames Hamas for the death toll, saying that it operates and hides in civilian areas.

A 'glaring' atrocity

Monday’s strike was different. 

“It was a very quick response,” Tania Hary, executive director of Gisha, an Israeli human rights organization, said of Netanyahu’s apology. “I don’t know that they had a choice. It was so glaring.”

“You’ve got humanitarian workers being killed and they worked for an organization run by a very high-profile person,” Jeremy Konyndyk, president of Refugees International, told USA TODAY. ''They finally found a victim they couldn’t blame.”

More: Muslim leader walks out of meeting with Biden in protest of Israel-Hamas war

José Andrés: 'More of an aid worker than a celebrity'

José Andrés owns more than a dozen restaurants across the U.S., stars in a travel and cooking TV series and has been awarded the National Humanities Medal for the work of World Central Kitchen, which provides food for victims of catastrophes across the globe.

In the cast of globally recognized do-gooders, the Spanish chef is compared with Nobel Peace Prize-winner Malala Yousafai and climate change activist Greta Thunberg. World Central Kitchen has supplied more than 350 million meals at disaster sites around the world.

More: Who is José Andrés? What is the World Central Kitchen? What to know after deadly airstrike

“In recent years he’s been much more of an aid worker than a celebrity,” said Konyndyk, who served in humanitarian roles in the Biden and Obama administrations. 

It was Andrés' image as a guardian angel for survivors of war and calamity that forced the U.S. and Israeli governments to speak out, Konyndyk said.

“Jose is a beloved human being,” Vietor said. “He’s well known in Washington, with a direct line to the president.”

'As if they were being hunted'

Monday’s tragedy underscores months of prior Israeli attacks on humanitarian workers and shows how the U.S. has failed to persuade Israel to ensure the safety of civilians and aid workers, experts said. 

World Central Kitchen said its workers, traveling in three vehicles – two of them clearly marked with the group’s logo – were targeted as they left a warehouse in the central Gaza city of Deir al-Balah after dropping off food that had recently arrived from Cyprus.

Andres told Reuters the attack wasn’t merely a "bad luck situation where, 'oops,' we dropped the bomb in the wrong place." 

"Even if we were not in coordination with the IDF, no democratic country and no military can be targeting civilians and humanitarians," he said.

“It was a series of three attacks in succession,” Hary said. “It was almost as if they were being hunted while they tried to escape.” 

Israel said its forces mistakenly identified the convoy as hostile.

“It’s indicative of a pattern of permissive rules of engagement and a willingness to conduct war in a way that doesn’t protect civilians or humanitarians,” Hary said. 

The only surprise, Konyndyk said, was that Westerners weren't killed sooner. "Humanitarians have been screaming about this for six months," he said of the unsafe conditions for aid workers. "It was only a matter of time − and time ran out."

'Unconscionable,' says Cindy McCain

World Central Kitchen suspended its operations in devastated northern Gaza, where the U.N. World Food Program says one out of every three children below the age of two "is now acutely malnourished or 'wasted.'"

"It's unconscionable," WFP Director-General Cindy McCain said on CNN. "This has to stop. We need to get food in, to the north especially, to stave off famine."

On Tuesday, Secretary of State Antony Blinken called for an “impartial investigation” into the drone strikes. 

"We shouldn't have a situation where people who are simply trying to help their fellow human beings are themselves at grave risk," he added.

White House waits for 'accountability'

It was unclear whether the deaths of the World Central Kitchen team would impact Israel’s conduct in Gaza or American support for its top Middle East ally. “Whether this has any real effect depends on President Biden,” Konyndyk said.

On Wednesday, National Security Council spokesman John Kirby said the administration would monitor Israel's investigation.

"We need to see what they learn and we need to see, just as importantly, what they do about what they learn − what changes they're willing to make, what accountability they're willing to observe," Kirby told reporters. "We're just not there yet."

For now, the attack may have drawn Americans’ attention back to the Gaza war as the conflict approaches its sixth month. 

“Often these things get lost in the news cycle,” said Erick Sanchez, a public relations consultant who volunteered with Andres and World Central Kitchen after Hurricane Ida struck New Orleans in 2021. “When we see tragedy unfolding in his organization, it gives us the ability to see the need to bring peace to innocent civilians.”

Contributing: Francesca Chambers, USA TODAY