As a Chief Stew, you are in charge of welcoming the guests and ensuring they have an unbelievable time onboard. Welcome books have a significant impact on your guests’ experience.
Guests want to know how to watch a movie at night or adjust the temperature in their rooms. Giving them a resource on how to get comfortable living onboard will make their vacation stress-free for both of you.
Welcome books show guests that the crew cares about their safety and experience during their time onboard. Your advice on making the most of their stay gives guests the friendly engagement they want. It also protects their personal space and privacy by providing valuable information without requiring personal interaction.
WHAT TO INCLUDE IN THE WELCOME BOOK
From a friendly “hello” letter to your yacht’s policies, these are the sections you’ll need to assemble the most useful welcome book.
A PERSONAL WELCOME NOTE
Writing a note to welcome them to the yacht personally is another way to separate yourself from a hotel or another boat — and reinforce their decision to stay with you for their next vacation. This is not required, but it is a nice touch.
MEET THE CREW
A section with crew profiles is an easy way to invite guests to get to know the crew onboard. The bios should be short and engaging and give them a bit of background (career and hobbies) on each crew member. Read the How to Write Crew Profiles blog here.
SAFETY PROCEDURE GUIDELINES
Safety onboard is crucial, and even thou guests go through a rundown with the Chief Officer or Captain about safety procedures, a reminder of that meet-up is essential. Speak with the Chief Officer or Captain to get the information needed for this section.
WI-FI
Posting, Sharing, Liking, and Tweeting are essential to the guests, so please be kind and share the network and password with them to the online world. If your vessel has a social media presence, ask them to tag the yacht account.
LAUNDRY GUIDELINES
This is the perfect way to remind guests that clothing on the floor doesn’t mean “pick me up and take me to launder”. Use this space to educate them on your vessel's laundry guidelines and procedures.
ENTERTAINMENT
In this section, they will learn how to turn the TV or Music on/off, how to use the control remote, how to use their smartphones/computers/tablets with the system, and anything else they can do with it onboard. *Contact your A/V company; they usually have all these instructions ready for you!
HOW TO DIAL
Teach them how to operate the phone system internally, locally, and internationally.
KNOW THIS
Use this section to add any other essential information that will be helpful for your guests to know during their time onboard. For example, what not to put down the toilet, how to adjust the A/C temperature, how to use the safe, what to do in case someone feels sick in the middle of the night or has an emergency, etc.
ACTIVITIES
Get your guests excited about the activities available onboard the yacht that they can do while the sun is shining or the rainbow is visiting—for example, water toys, interior games, gym equipment, fitness/yoga classes, etc.
SPA MENU
Add the spa menu here if you have a stew/masseuse onboard. If you don’t have this option, you can add the information of the on-call massage therapists or spa locations in the areas they will be traveling.
LOCAL RESTAURANTS
Of course, they will love the food of the Chef, but let’s face it, it’s nice when they get to eat out and give the interior and Chef a break. This section showcases the best local restaurants with their location, time/day of operations, and available menus in the areas they will be traveling.
WHAT TO DO
Apart from the activities they can do onboard, you want to share with them what’s available to explore in the areas they will be traveling. Do you know of a secret spot? Let them know!
I love ending my creations with a quote. Here is one of my faves… “We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence then is not a single act but a habit at Yachts Mermaids.”
Alright, there you have it. The 101 basic info you need to create a Welcome Guest Book for your yacht. If you are running short on time, I have created a Welcome Guest Book and Crew profile templates. Grab them here. All it requires is to add the info about the yacht, and you are good to go! Get it here.
