Charter special / the advice
#02 BE
SPECIFICBefore boarding, I had to fill out a preference list on
everything from my favourite Champagne – “vintage or
non-vintage?” – to what I wanted for breakfast. “If guests
tell us their favourite things, it can help give us a head start
to make sure we have it on board,” says Axioma’s head chef
Stephen Paskins. “We make all of our bread and can get
special flours if you want gluten-free, for instance, which
can be hard to find in some places in Italy.”
Likewise, letting the captain know what you want to
do in advance is highly recommended. “If people want
to go somewhere quiet and remote it would be silly
for me to say ‘let’s go to St Tropez’, but if they want to
be seen it would be silly to take them to a remote island
off Corsica,” says Axioma’s captain, Mark Giblin.
“This is part of our secret. We do a lot of research into
what guests like.”
This runs to themes, too. Axioma’s chief stewardess
Rochelle Cameron has arranged all types of events
from a barbecue on a private beach to a Bob Marley
or Harry Potter-themed dinner party. During the
Caribbean trip there was also karaoke and visits
from a magician and a singer from St Barths.#04 TAKE
ADVANTAGE
OF HAVING
A PRIVATE
CHEFChef Paskins, who has worked
in numerous Michelin-starred
and AA Rosette restaurants
and gastro-pubs on dry land,
particularly in his home city
of London, said he could be
scrambled at 4am to rustle up
a late-night snack, while some
guests choose to have breakfast
after midday.
“We are better than
restaurants,” he says. “When
you’re on a yacht, it’s a lot
more personal. It’s about one
table, whereas when you’re
in a restaurant it’s 20 tables.
If you’re a vegan, you might
be a minority in a restaurant,
but on a yacht we can give you
that added attention.”
His range is exceptional
and he specialises in “fresh
and French” dishes, often
“with a hint of the Far East”.
He recommended “anything
you like”, promising to have
food flown and then couriered
in if it wasn’t available in
local markets. This meant
£1,100 pots of Beluga caviar,
Japanese wagyu beef and jamón
Ibérico were as ubiquitous as
Cristal Champagne.Oh, the hardship.
We sent Peter Allen for
a long weekend in the
Caribbean on 72m
Axioma, one of the most
popular charter yachts in
the world. Here’s what he
found out...Get the most
from your
charter with
our top ten tips
PHOTOGRAPHS: ISTOCK; REX/SHUTTERSTOCK; IDS; JEFF BROWN#01TURN
YOUR PHONE OFF
There’s so much to do and enjoy on a
voyage on Axioma, and you’ll always be
surrounded by family and friends, so what’s
the point of keeping in touch with dry land? Take
time to bask in your surroundings, away from the
distractions of the real world. YPI’s Mark Duncan
advises: “Fun is definitely what it’s all about but,
if you have to slip away to catch up with the boss,
then we have dedicated offices and work rooms
you can disappear to. The cabins are just
as comfortable to work in as
they are to relax in!”
#03
UTILISE THE BOAT
Axioma’s crew’s advice for
making the most out of a charter?
Really make use of every bit of the
boat. “Use the boat fully! We have amaz-
ing toys, all sorts of watersports, and we
have a yoga instructor, masseuses, a hairdresser,
a diving instructor,” says Rochelle Cameron,
the chief stewardess. “You can wake up in the
morning and do yoga, go diving and get
a massage. The best part of a yacht? It’s
like a floating hotel, but one you have
all to yourself.”+^
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