If you haven't purchased it yet, here is the link to the book or the Kindle download.
This is the handbook everyone is talking about. It is a great resource that encompasses the dynamics of formal and informal guest service, the difference between Old and New World wines, the basics of caviar service, and perfect coffee and tea. Get a handle on housekeeping, cleaning and laundry. Find the confidence to create your own floral designs, learn about basic knots and nautical terminology. Use the scheduling guidelines as essential tools to improve and create your own yacht bible. There should be one of these books in every crew mess.
Read more about The Yacht Guru Bible.
The writer happens to live here in South Florida. As a yacht stew for over 20 years, Alene Keenan continues to train interior crew and write a monthly column for the Triton yachting newspaper. She is a course writer and lead instructor at Maritime Professional Training in Fort Lauderdale.
She also happens to be one of my friends. Her witty sense of humor, classic elegance and friendly smile puts you right at ease almost immediately. She emanates a feeling of comfort and trust. I've had the pleasure of participating in several of her classes. She never ceases to amaze me with new information, and I get to see how it impacts our industry first hand. She is "THE" Yacht Guru, an instructor by day and a rebel writer at dawn.
As a yacht outfitting specialist and ex-yachtie, I understand how essential it is to train crew properly and to have good communication so that expectations are met and in most cases, exceeded. Very few interior staff join a yacht with a hospitality degree and specific service skills. It is not just about service and schedules, either. It is imperative for stews to learn how to take care of surfaces, fabrics, and china; to learn yacht & galley glossaries and etiquette; budgeting, inventories and financial responsibilities; and leadership. In essence, crew need to learn yacht management. Alene Keenan is the person to guide you through this process. Whether you are an owner, captain or a stew looking to polish the interior crews’ service delivery, Alene should be your first call.
Visit her website at www.YachtStewSolutions.com
Above: Stephanie Marsh from M/Y Capricorn & Alene Keenan, the Yacht Guru.
