Latest news with #superyachting
Daily Mail
02-08-2025
- Daily Mail
Why did tender leave Kate and Wills' superyacht to get George a 'specific dietary item'... from one of the few Greek islands with a McDonald's?
In the rarefied world of super yachting, no request is too outlandish – particularly if it comes from a future King. Sailing around the Greek islands with his family last month, the Prince and Princess of Wales 's eldest son George, 12, apparently fancied something off menu. The royals had just left Kefalonia and were heading south in the Ionian Sea towards another island, Zakynthos. After dropping anchor some distance from the shore, a tender boat was despatched on a special mission. It seems something had tickled young George's fancy. Sources remain tight-lipped about quite what it was – though one said tantalisingly: 'George required a specific dietary item which led to the tender going ashore in Zakynthos to purchase it. Nothing extravagant, just something particular.' It is hard to conceive of what it was that couldn't be rustled up by the superyacht's chef. And presumably the kitchen received plenty of forewarning about the children's likes and dislikes. Hard to imagine the yacht running out of ketchup, say, or chicken nuggets. George is said to have a penchant for spaghetti carbonara, a straightforward dish by any standards. He and sister Charlotte, ten, are also partial to curry. Again, easily prepared. Perhaps as some locals on Zakynthos have half-jokingly speculated, George fancied a fast food treat. They point out that it is one of only a handful of Greek islands that boasts a McDonald's restaurant. What's more it is close to the shore in the town of Laganas on the south of the island. 'It is company policy not to divulge any information regarding our clients,' said the manager. A mystery indeed. In truth, while Princess Diana was known to indulge William and Harry with burgers and KFC, it is something Kate has avoided. Last week the Daily Mail revealed that a retired civil servant spotted some of the royal party – Kate, Charlotte and Louis – on their superyacht off the coast of Ithaca, a tiny island 25 minutes by ferry from Kefalonia. Penelope Likoudi, 64, was swimming in secluded Mavrouna Bay when she came within 30 metres (100ft) of the yacht. 'Kate was standing on the top level with Charlotte and Louis,' she said. 'There was an older lady next to them, possibly Kate's mother, but I wasn't able to see her well. 'I literally shivered with excitement. I was shocked, I couldn't believe it. Now I wish I'd called out hello to them. But I didn't, I got starstruck and couldn't get the words out. 'There was no sign of William or George though.' The Daily Mail has learned that not once during the sailing trip did the royals set foot on any of the islands. It is thought to have been considered but quickly ruled out because of security concerns. Instead the royals made good use of a platform that transforms the stern hatch into a private beach area, where they swam and played on inflatables and paddleboards.
Condé Nast Traveler
14-07-2025
- Condé Nast Traveler
What It's Like to Work on Some of the World's Most Luxurious Superyachts
When not sailing, Benic makes a beeline home to Croatia—often with a suitcase full of souvenir magnets from ports he recently visited. 'Everyone at home loves my magnets,' he laughs. 'We've filled a whole room and now I keep them in boxes because they can't fit on the wall anymore.' We caught up with Benic while crossing from Greece to Italy to talk about his shift to superyachting, his favorite spot to hang out on board, and which port he's most looking forward to calling on in 2026. What does a typical day on the job look like? 'There's no such thing as a typical day because our arrival time is different in every port. But generally, my day starts early in the morning. We gather on the bridge with the captain for our arrival briefing, reviewing the weather conditions and safety protocols for the ports we are visiting that day. I also meet with the safety and security deck teams and coordinate with the hotel team, which is different from cruise ships I've worked on in the past. On larger ships, everyone works for their own department. But here, everyone works as one unit. It's a lot of lateral service. But again, each day is different. I'll give you an example. We were arriving in Santorini recently and the wind was predicted to be about 40 knots—high but still operable. But then it changed and suddenly it was blowing up to 60 knots. All of the cruise ships calling on Santorini that day cancelled, but we managed to hold the operation throughout the entire day, giving the lead to the tenders so that the guests could still go in. That was not easy; it took a lot of focus, knowledge, and dedication to keep the ship safe. It would have been easier for us to just cancel the call like the rest of the cruise ships, but if you can safely operate and still provide a great experience to the guests, we want to push those boundaries. Our guests plan for a year or more to experience these incredible places; we don't want to disappoint them.' "It would have been easier for us to just cancel the call like the rest of the cruise ships… Our guests plan for a year or more to experience these incredible places; we don't want to disappoint them.' Ante Benic, staff captain for the Ritz-Carlton Yacht Collection What is your favorite part about this job? 'I love working with Ladies and Gentlemen [what Ritz-Carlton calls its crew members] from all over the world. I am the only person from Croatia on the bridge; our captain is Canadian and we have officers from Sweden, Romania, Italy, and Montenegro. All told, there are 54 nationalities among our 370 employees. We come from different backgrounds, different religions, and everything else, but in the end we work as one team and that's really rewarding.' What is the most challenging part about working at sea? 'Nothing is predictable. If you have bad weather or an itinerary change or technical issues—I can't control these external factors, but my job is to make sure guests never sense any disruption. We have to think ahead and stay focused so that everything feels smooth and effortless on their end. That means staying calm under pressure, which you learn by experience.' What is the coolest or weirdest thing about living on a ship? 'The coolest is waking up in a different place every day. Yachts are not like typical cruise ships, where you go in a circle and visit the same ports every day of every week. Here, every port is different and we get the chance to explore all those new places.' What is your favorite place you've traveled so far?
