Interior work spans beyond service to include managing the energy on board.
It’s easy to think good vibes and charters go hand in hand, but even luxurious settings can’t guarantee harmony — and interior crew are often the first to feel when something’s off. Whether it’s subtle tension or a full crisis, stews aren’t just managing service. They’re managing energy.
Don’t Assume It’s About You
“I remember a charter with a family and a baby. From the first day, I could feel something was off with the wife,” recalls chief stew Magdalena Nenadovic. “She didn’t smile, didn’t relax and nothing seemed to make her happy. She had a moody energy.”
The signs were immediate: minimal eye contact, sharp responses and dissatisfaction with everything from food service to the cabin setup. That tension quickly shaped the atmosphere on board. Rather than push back, Nenadovic adjusted. “If she didn’t like something, I changed it quietly. If she didn’t want interaction, I stepped back,” she says. “I followed her emotional rhythm.”
Nenadovic focused on what she could control: tone, timing and consistency. “I kept my voice soft, gave her space and didn’t push too much service on her,” she explains. That steadiness was tested when the guest abruptly packed and left the yacht. Nenadovic immediately contacted the principal (the guest’s husband). Three hours later, the couple returned.
“After that, she was OK,” Nenadovic says. “Sometimes the tension is not about the crew at all. Guests can have their own personal stress, and we just see the result.”
Don’t Jump to Conclusions
Chief stew Barbara Petri learned a similar lesson early in her career. During a charter in Croatia, Petri was hosting eight American guests, including three sisters. During the trip, tensions rose. One sister suddenly disappeared and locked herself in her cabin. Another sister, intoxicated and frantic, approached Petri in tears, insisting her sibling might commit suicide.
As alarming as the situation was, Petri noticed something didn’t add up. “The sister who was supposedly depressed had not been drinking, nor had she exhibited any outward signs of distress,” Petri notes. She quietly checked the guest cabin. “I was relieved to hear sounds suggesting she was only vomiting, which eased the immediate panic,” she recalls.
When the guest later returned, she confirmed she was physically fine. Once the situation stabilized, Petri still had to manage two other drunk guests who insisted on dancing on deck long after everyone else had gone to bed.
“Having to then stay up alone until 3 a.m. supervising the remaining guests was exhausting. It felt like a very long end to my shift,” Petri says.
While nothing ultimately went wrong, the night underscored a reality of interior work that goes unseen: stews frequently manage intense emotional situations alone while presenting a calm, professional exterior.
Steady Does It
Chief stew Magdalena Nenadovic on what helped keep service and crew grounded.
Calm is contagious.
Professionalism starts with emotional control. “Even when her attitude was hard, I didn’t show frustration.”
Silence can be a service.
Nenadovic pays close attention to what guests don’t ask for. “I watch quietly and try to understand what the guest needs emotionally — not just physically.”
Crew support matters.
She briefed her team early about the difficult guest and kept the captain informed. When one crew member took the brunt of the guest’s frustration, “we supported each other, had quick chats in the pantry and reminded each other not to take anything personally.”