One of the joys of being a yacht stew is keeping things fun—for the guests, and even the crew. If
you have a knack for entertaining, you will love this aspect of your job: having theme dinners and
throwing parties! Remember, your guests are on vacation, and when the yacht is anchored away
from land-based activities, it's up to the crew to keep things interesting. Not to mention, going out of
your way to add these special touches could very well boost your tip.
Simply adding a theme to one of your dinners is something most any group will enjoy. For this, play
up a menu theme with table decorations. Serving Thai? Scatter orchids around a light pink tablecloth;
hang white lights on the potted deck trees; use glimmery gold napkins rolled up and tied with
bamboo string; and even bust out the tiki torches.
On the other end of the spectrum, don't just stop with dinner—plan an entire evening around your
theme, including activities, games, and even costumes for the guests to wear. This is your chance to
make a huge impression on your clients and to create an experience they will cherish. I've had
guests be moved to tears over some of the evenings we made special for them.
It's a good idea to build up a small "library" of themes guests can choose from if they are interested
in having a festive evening (and make sure it's a line item in your budget). Feel free to borrow from
my list of guest favorites below:
Theme Night Suggestions
Casino/Poker Night – Have a poker tournament! You'll want to buy Vegas-style decorations, green
felt to cover the table, and make sure you have at least 50 poker chips per player available. Scatter
dice, gold coins (chocolate, perhaps), and decks of cards around your buffet table. Bite-sized hors
d'oeuvres are great for this party…and LOTS of cocktails. If guests wish to dress up for the occasion,
have white opera gloves, bow ties, feather boas, cigarette holders, and costume jewelry on hand.
For crew (who can serve as dealers and cocktail waitresses), think about green plastic dealer visors
for the guys and Playboy bunny ears for the gals ("cigars, cigarettes!"). Low lighting and white
Christmas lights strung about are a nice effect, as is playing a James Bond movie soundtrack to set
the mood.
Disco Night – Hang that disco ball on deck, and get ready to see the guests pull their favorite John
Travolta moves. In fact, why not have a disco-dancing contest to liven things up a bit? Pick up 70s
compilation CDs—Donna Summer, The Bee Gees, The Village People, and Gloria Gaynor are always
popular. Another fun activity is to hold a lip sync or Karaoke contest. Better yet, do the Hustle! A
great 70s-style meal idea is to throw a fondue feast. Sprinkle gold and silver star confetti around the
dinner or buffet table. To set the mood (going for the Studio 54 effect here), use black/strobe lights
and lava lamps. "Scenes of the 70s" on the walls make great additions (a Saturday Night Fever or
Boogie Nights movie poster, perhaps). Costume considerations: polyester leisure suits, halter/tube
tops, bell-bottom pants, afro wigs, big sunglasses, gaudy belts, gold chains and scarves, flashy wrap
dresses, and glow jewelry.
Pirate Night – You can find fun costumes for this occasion at any party store. Look for eye patches,
bandanas, plastic swords, black-and-white striped shirts (which can also be used for Venetian Night
parties), pirate hats, costume mustaches and beards, and fake "hook" hands. For a sit-down dinner
(seafood, of course), use a treasure chest filled with plastic gold coins, costume jewelry, and silver
crinkled paper as a centerpiece, and maybe have a pirate hat at each place setting. Set out a few
plastic skulls on the sideboards, some empty bottles with the word POISON on them (or slap a
sticker over the label of the wine you’re serving—after it's been presented), and hang pirate flags.
How about a couple inflatable parrots, too? For post-dinner activities: send your guests on treasure
hunt (give them maps that send them from deck to deck) or have them partake in some
swashbuckling.
Hollywood Night/Movie Night – There are a ton of variations on this one: use it for a Cannes Film
Festival party, an Oscars party (or any film awards celebration), or quite simply, a movie night. For
your dinner table or buffet, use a black tablecloth with silver and gold confetti. A centerpiece could
feature director's clapboards, film reels, rolls of "Admit One" tickets, silver and gold stars, and
tragedy/comedy masks. A red carpet piece leading into the salon from either the deck or dining room
is also a fun touch. For music, if you’re not playing songs nominated for some awards show, put on
Big Band sounds of The Rat Pack era. And if the party is to accompany a film awards show, hand out
ballots to let your guests vote first—make it a contest. For costume ideas, refer back to my
suggestions under Casino/Poker Night (the same will work here). Another suggestion: I once found
about two dozen mini plastic Oscar trophies, and we used this Hollywood theme on the last night of
several charters as an opportunity to “award the guests” for silly things like "best use of sun deck,"
"most improved water skier," and other inside jokes among the guests and crew. This is a great way
to end a trip (that’s a wrap!)
New York, New York Night – Here is another variation to the Hollywood Night, as you'll use the
same glitz and glamour costumes and a lot of the same gold and silver decorations. A New York, New
York Night is always a blast, especially if you have a piano onboard, or if you have guests who like to
Karaoke to Broadway Show Tunes. Hang musical note cutouts, posters of New York City scenes
(Marilyn in Times Square is one to shop for), and make your own "Big Apple" sign. For a more
elaborate back-drop, wrap various-sized cardboard boxes in black wrapping paper, pasting on little
silver squares (these are windows), stack the boxes about and add some strands of Christmas lights
and white cotton on top, and—voila!—you've got a line of skyscrapers! Whatever you come up with
for a menu, New York-Style Cheesecake is a must for dessert.
Pajama Party – A good choice when there's rough weather. Have your guests head to the main
salon donning their sleepwear (and if that’s too risqué, there’s always the guest robes). Tie this in
with a movie night—huge bowls of buttered popcorn all around (caramel corn is a nice treat). Another
option would be to break out the board games or play good old-fashioned rounds of Charades.
Toga Party – A perfect theme when you're cruising around Greece or Italy. Have sheets on-hand
that you buy especially for such an occasion; otherwise, it’s a surefire way to ruin those expensive
guest sheets. Accessorize with leather straps, ivy covered wire for headdresses, and gold belting.
Serve a Greek meal and keep the red wine flowing. For your table, try artificial fruits (especially
grapes), foliage, fake columns (you make some out of cardboard or papier-mâché), and whatever
else you feel fits into a Greek or Roman motif. If you have the movie Cleopatra onboard, run it after
dinner—or for a wilder bunch, Animal House.
Cowboy/Western Night – Create a "WANTED" invitation to place on your guests' beds during the
afternoon. Ask them to come dressed in denim, and when they arrive for dinner, provide cowboy
shirts and/or hats, bandanas, fringe, and toy gun holsters. You could also have Zorro masks
available. For dinner, serving barbecued anything is a fine choice, as are variations of the standard
"meat and potatoes" meal. Use red or yellow gingham accessories and lanterns to decorate your
table, with rope lassos as garlands and Sheriff's badges as napkin rings. Some other great
decorations to make or shop for are horseshoe cutouts, fake cacti, and a sign reading "Saloon" for
over the bar. Be sure to play Country Western music, as your guests may be up for some square
dancing after dinner.
Mexican Fiesta Night – This is a great one to accompany a Mexican-style meal. Sombreros and
ponchos make excellent costumes, as do embroidered shirts and twirly skirts for the women. Hang
serapes (traditional Mexican blankets) or roll them up and place them around the dining room or
deck. For a centerpiece, look for fake cacti, maracas (include a set at each place setting), and
anything with a chili pepper theme. Play some mariachi music on the stereo, and for an after-dinner
treat, I've got one word for you: piñata.
A few final tips:
Some additional themes to consider:
Party on!
Julie Perry is a former yacht stewardess and freelance writer based in Fort Lauderdale, Florida. She
is author of the book, The Insiders' Guide to Becoming a Yacht Stewardess: Confessions from My Years
Afloat with the Rich and Famous (October 2006, Morgan James Publishing: NY, NY).
you have a knack for entertaining, you will love this aspect of your job: having theme dinners and
throwing parties! Remember, your guests are on vacation, and when the yacht is anchored away
from land-based activities, it's up to the crew to keep things interesting. Not to mention, going out of
your way to add these special touches could very well boost your tip.
Simply adding a theme to one of your dinners is something most any group will enjoy. For this, play
up a menu theme with table decorations. Serving Thai? Scatter orchids around a light pink tablecloth;
hang white lights on the potted deck trees; use glimmery gold napkins rolled up and tied with
bamboo string; and even bust out the tiki torches.
On the other end of the spectrum, don't just stop with dinner—plan an entire evening around your
theme, including activities, games, and even costumes for the guests to wear. This is your chance to
make a huge impression on your clients and to create an experience they will cherish. I've had
guests be moved to tears over some of the evenings we made special for them.
It's a good idea to build up a small "library" of themes guests can choose from if they are interested
in having a festive evening (and make sure it's a line item in your budget). Feel free to borrow from
my list of guest favorites below:
Theme Night Suggestions
Casino/Poker Night – Have a poker tournament! You'll want to buy Vegas-style decorations, green
felt to cover the table, and make sure you have at least 50 poker chips per player available. Scatter
dice, gold coins (chocolate, perhaps), and decks of cards around your buffet table. Bite-sized hors
d'oeuvres are great for this party…and LOTS of cocktails. If guests wish to dress up for the occasion,
have white opera gloves, bow ties, feather boas, cigarette holders, and costume jewelry on hand.
For crew (who can serve as dealers and cocktail waitresses), think about green plastic dealer visors
for the guys and Playboy bunny ears for the gals ("cigars, cigarettes!"). Low lighting and white
Christmas lights strung about are a nice effect, as is playing a James Bond movie soundtrack to set
the mood.
Disco Night – Hang that disco ball on deck, and get ready to see the guests pull their favorite John
Travolta moves. In fact, why not have a disco-dancing contest to liven things up a bit? Pick up 70s
compilation CDs—Donna Summer, The Bee Gees, The Village People, and Gloria Gaynor are always
popular. Another fun activity is to hold a lip sync or Karaoke contest. Better yet, do the Hustle! A
great 70s-style meal idea is to throw a fondue feast. Sprinkle gold and silver star confetti around the
dinner or buffet table. To set the mood (going for the Studio 54 effect here), use black/strobe lights
and lava lamps. "Scenes of the 70s" on the walls make great additions (a Saturday Night Fever or
Boogie Nights movie poster, perhaps). Costume considerations: polyester leisure suits, halter/tube
tops, bell-bottom pants, afro wigs, big sunglasses, gaudy belts, gold chains and scarves, flashy wrap
dresses, and glow jewelry.
Pirate Night – You can find fun costumes for this occasion at any party store. Look for eye patches,
bandanas, plastic swords, black-and-white striped shirts (which can also be used for Venetian Night
parties), pirate hats, costume mustaches and beards, and fake "hook" hands. For a sit-down dinner
(seafood, of course), use a treasure chest filled with plastic gold coins, costume jewelry, and silver
crinkled paper as a centerpiece, and maybe have a pirate hat at each place setting. Set out a few
plastic skulls on the sideboards, some empty bottles with the word POISON on them (or slap a
sticker over the label of the wine you’re serving—after it's been presented), and hang pirate flags.
How about a couple inflatable parrots, too? For post-dinner activities: send your guests on treasure
hunt (give them maps that send them from deck to deck) or have them partake in some
swashbuckling.
Hollywood Night/Movie Night – There are a ton of variations on this one: use it for a Cannes Film
Festival party, an Oscars party (or any film awards celebration), or quite simply, a movie night. For
your dinner table or buffet, use a black tablecloth with silver and gold confetti. A centerpiece could
feature director's clapboards, film reels, rolls of "Admit One" tickets, silver and gold stars, and
tragedy/comedy masks. A red carpet piece leading into the salon from either the deck or dining room
is also a fun touch. For music, if you’re not playing songs nominated for some awards show, put on
Big Band sounds of The Rat Pack era. And if the party is to accompany a film awards show, hand out
ballots to let your guests vote first—make it a contest. For costume ideas, refer back to my
suggestions under Casino/Poker Night (the same will work here). Another suggestion: I once found
about two dozen mini plastic Oscar trophies, and we used this Hollywood theme on the last night of
several charters as an opportunity to “award the guests” for silly things like "best use of sun deck,"
"most improved water skier," and other inside jokes among the guests and crew. This is a great way
to end a trip (that’s a wrap!)
New York, New York Night – Here is another variation to the Hollywood Night, as you'll use the
same glitz and glamour costumes and a lot of the same gold and silver decorations. A New York, New
York Night is always a blast, especially if you have a piano onboard, or if you have guests who like to
Karaoke to Broadway Show Tunes. Hang musical note cutouts, posters of New York City scenes
(Marilyn in Times Square is one to shop for), and make your own "Big Apple" sign. For a more
elaborate back-drop, wrap various-sized cardboard boxes in black wrapping paper, pasting on little
silver squares (these are windows), stack the boxes about and add some strands of Christmas lights
and white cotton on top, and—voila!—you've got a line of skyscrapers! Whatever you come up with
for a menu, New York-Style Cheesecake is a must for dessert.
Pajama Party – A good choice when there's rough weather. Have your guests head to the main
salon donning their sleepwear (and if that’s too risqué, there’s always the guest robes). Tie this in
with a movie night—huge bowls of buttered popcorn all around (caramel corn is a nice treat). Another
option would be to break out the board games or play good old-fashioned rounds of Charades.
Toga Party – A perfect theme when you're cruising around Greece or Italy. Have sheets on-hand
that you buy especially for such an occasion; otherwise, it’s a surefire way to ruin those expensive
guest sheets. Accessorize with leather straps, ivy covered wire for headdresses, and gold belting.
Serve a Greek meal and keep the red wine flowing. For your table, try artificial fruits (especially
grapes), foliage, fake columns (you make some out of cardboard or papier-mâché), and whatever
else you feel fits into a Greek or Roman motif. If you have the movie Cleopatra onboard, run it after
dinner—or for a wilder bunch, Animal House.
Cowboy/Western Night – Create a "WANTED" invitation to place on your guests' beds during the
afternoon. Ask them to come dressed in denim, and when they arrive for dinner, provide cowboy
shirts and/or hats, bandanas, fringe, and toy gun holsters. You could also have Zorro masks
available. For dinner, serving barbecued anything is a fine choice, as are variations of the standard
"meat and potatoes" meal. Use red or yellow gingham accessories and lanterns to decorate your
table, with rope lassos as garlands and Sheriff's badges as napkin rings. Some other great
decorations to make or shop for are horseshoe cutouts, fake cacti, and a sign reading "Saloon" for
over the bar. Be sure to play Country Western music, as your guests may be up for some square
dancing after dinner.
Mexican Fiesta Night – This is a great one to accompany a Mexican-style meal. Sombreros and
ponchos make excellent costumes, as do embroidered shirts and twirly skirts for the women. Hang
serapes (traditional Mexican blankets) or roll them up and place them around the dining room or
deck. For a centerpiece, look for fake cacti, maracas (include a set at each place setting), and
anything with a chili pepper theme. Play some mariachi music on the stereo, and for an after-dinner
treat, I've got one word for you: piñata.
A few final tips:
- You need to think about various theme dinners and parties you could throw far in advance so
that you are prepared when different holidays or events spring up. For example, will you have
Americans onboard over Fourth of July (when you are in Sardinia)? - Beware that not all guests will get into the fully planned evenings, so you'll want to run it by
them before going too all-out with a party idea. - Send a list of your theme dinner/night options along with your preference sheets so that
guests have an opportunity to express their interest ahead of time. This way you'll know what
decorations and costumes to have pulled out from storage when their trip begins. - White Christmas lights are your best decoration investment: they fit almost any party theme.
(And don't wait to shop for them in Malta in July.) - Get creative! The guests understand that you are going to have limited resources.
- And above all: have fun with it.
Some additional themes to consider:
- Venetian Night
- Safari/Jungle Night
- Tropical Island/Luau Party (maybe as a beach BBQ)
- Jimmy Buffet Night
- 80s Theme Night
- Viking Night
- Traditional Tea Party
- Mardi Gras Night
- Martini Theme Party
Party on!
Julie Perry is a former yacht stewardess and freelance writer based in Fort Lauderdale, Florida. She
is author of the book, The Insiders' Guide to Becoming a Yacht Stewardess: Confessions from My Years
Afloat with the Rich and Famous (October 2006, Morgan James Publishing: NY, NY).
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Article - Theme Nights
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| Theme Night Party Suggestions for Yacht Stewardesses |