Spring has sprung and Summer is right around the corner. The era of Below Deck and dreaming of working on Super Yachts is hitting harder than ever. Brooke has been out there doing it since she graduated from QRC. Starting off on “small” boats in Croatia to becoming Chief Stewardess on a 60m Yacht in the Mediterranean. This is a journey you’ll want to read all of!
“Since then I have moved onto larger yachts and have been on the move around the globe ever since”.
On the couch with Brooke.
Why did you choose to follow a career in tourism/hospitality?
I chose the tourism/ hospitality industry because I like the fast pace and getting to constantly meet new people. It also provides many opportunities to do things that you wouldn’t normally do or go to amazing places.
Why did you choose QRC?
We had a QRC recruiter come to my favourite class which was ‘Tourism’ at my school when I was in my last year. She made QRC sound so fun and exciting. Living in Beautiful Queenstown and studying something that I knew that I already enjoyed. QRC provided the perfect opportunity to study amongst all the action of the Tourism industry.
What was the biggest “take away” from your internship experience?
For my internship I worked at the I-Site in Queenstown. I was very lucky to work here as I got a chance to visit almost every activity in Queenstown and many of the stunning hotels. MY biggest takeaway from my internship was that I definitely wanted to work on the front line , meeting new people everyday. It also showed me how many different ways that someone could work in Tourism and Hospitality.
Tell me about your journey since leaving QRC.
Since leaving QRC I flew to Antibes, France in 2018 to find my first job in yachting. I starting on a smaller boat sailing the coast of Croatia. Since then I have moved onto large yachts and have been on the move around the globe ever since. I have now made it to Chief Stewardess onboard a 60m Sailing Yacht and we are currently in the middle of our Mediterranean season before heading to Brazil and making our way down and around Cape Horn.
What are your main responsibilities?
My main responsibilities as Chief Stewardess are overseeing the entire interior department onboard and working alongside the captain and other heads of departments to ensure that the boat is running smoothly. I currently have a team of 4 Women in the interior team, we all work together to make sure that our guests have the best possible and seamless time onboard.
How did your time at QRC help prepare you for your current job?
My time at QRC helped me to prepare for my current position because you get used to speaking with a lot of different people and being comfortable enough to have conversations with anyone. The excel and accounting papers have helped me a lot in my current position.
What do you enjoy the most about your current position?
What I enjoy most about my current position is that I get to travel the world and visit so many places while also meeting new and interesting people along the way.
What are your plans for the future?
My plans for the future are to stay in yachting and one day move home to New Zealand with my husband.
What’s the best advice you were ever given? Who was it from?
The best advice that I was ever given was to do something that I enjoyed and made me happy. This advice was from my parents.
What advice would you give to your teenage self?
Some advice that I would give to my teenage self would be to have fun and to be more money conscious during university.
Our courses:
Adventure Tourism Management
Hospitality Management
Machine Learning
