Great Guests Today!

[Sanctuary]

I had a great charter today. On Thursday afternoon, the broker called to tell me we were booked for a day charter on Saturday. OK....I email back to him a proposed menu in the absence of the preference sheet of the guests' likes and dislikes - we take great pride in serving precisely what the guests desire. My menu included, among other things, shrimp cocktails with watercress sauce. He replies with the advice that they are a Jewish family, and don't eat shellfish. And...it's Passover. So, I go get an education on "Kosher for Passover" in real quick order first thing on Friday morning. Got the low down...and set off to find appropriate foods this late in the Passover season...not a Matza or Tam Tam left in this town....I ask the broker several times for a preference sheet so I can determine whether they are formally practicing the Jewish faith, or whether the are just omitting bread for Passover....no response. I can't tell you how frustrating that was. I ended up having to provision "both ways" - a somewhat normal menu, and a lot of Kosher for Passover goods.
Guests board Saturday morning only for me to learn, about shellfish, "Oh my father would have loved to have had that." Turns out they eat everything except for bread right now. The broker apparently just picked their preferences out of nowhere which costs me lots of unneccessary money and a loss of connection with guests' desire which is what sets apart from your ordinary charteryacht in Miami. Same thing happened for the charter we did for the $545K diamond sale where we had to leave the US to take the buyer/seller out of the United States to close the deal. Broker told me "Yeah, Heinekin and Corona..." Well after stocking the yacht with those beers, wine and champagne...turns out - they didn't drink!!!! All that wasted money on this and that. We'll be having a discussion about this with the broker!! I told him today that I needed to know of the menu selection for the April 24th wedding charter by this coming weekend, or I'll be assuming they are dining out. I'm NOT going to wait until a day before the wedding to try to pull that together or worse, guess at it.
Just venting....
The guests today, were very appreciative of our efforts to respect their values and religion. As we were pulling back into the slip, they were discussing with us their next potential charter down the Elliott Key. Really nice, enjoyable folks. We tried out a new captain today - he was excellent. As we went through Star Island, he knew every house out there and which celebrity owns, or used to own [Opra, Dave of "Wendy's Hamburgers" fame, Shakiel O'Niell (no idea how to spell that), Gloria Estefan (and the famed jet ski in her back yard), Don Johnson, etc.], every house on the island,and which house was used to film which movie - The Adams Family, a Nicholas Cage movieand a bunch of others I can't seem to roll of my tongue right now. Oh...and the location where a certain celebrity will hosting a party in the near future which included Obama on the guest list. Our new cptain even let the 80-year-old grandfather drive Sanctuary in the Biscyne bay after we passed under the Rickenbacker causeway. The whole family was taking pictures of that.
Oh...and of course, we saw dolphins today to two occasions. Enough for now...I'm really tired - it's been a LONG day!

 

[gillumhouse]

Mazel Tov!! It is wonderful when you get great guests. You should get great guests with all you do to make their cruise so pleasant. THAT is what sets you apart.
Happy Easter!

 

[JBloggs]

Another thing to remember for Jewish, Muslim or Hindu (or any other non pork guest or Observant religion) - since many of us are seeing jelly beans today - gelatin is oftentimes a pork product (made from Collagen in the pork skin). Unless it says Kosher it will likely contain pork. Gummy bears are the same unless they say vegan.
Many medicines in capsule form of made of gelatin as well.
Just an fyi.

 

[Innkeeper To Go]

Sounds like all ended well for you, Sanctuary, despite the broker's many mistakes. Great job!
One of my first clients was (is) a rabbi. She was, of course, extremely strict about food that could even enter her kitchen, go in the fridge, and all that. It was for me a great learning experience. And she's been a good resource for me over the years when I've needed to ask questions ie. is this okay or how can I make this okay.
All to say, it really helps to have a rabbi that you can call to get good solid advice on how to prepare foods or what should be done. I say ring one up in your area and make a connection that can help to make sure you cover all your bases in the future.
Meanwhile, a big high-five to you for putting together a holiday meal on such short notice. Your guests must have been fabulously impressed, even if they're not all that Kosher themselves!

 

[Joey Camb]

I looked up allergies on the internet and made up a file of what people can and can't have and what different names for different conditions are so I can quickly nip in the back and read up for special conitions such as Sceliac's disease.