I'm a chef living on a superyacht - here's what life is REALLY like below deck. And from 16-hour work days to 'absolutely no privacy', it's anything but a 'permanent holiday'

Rubbing shoulders with the rich, travelling to the world's most exotic locations and living for free on luxurious vessels - working aboard a superyacht might sound like a dream job. 

But life below deck has its challenges, according to Abbi Robertson, a superyacht chef who has spent seven years cruising the high seas.

Beneath the glamorous surface, the seasoned yachtie reveals there are months spent away from family and 16-hour working days - and that there is no privacy.

The 31-year-old, from Buckinghamshire, spoke to MailOnline Travel about the highs and lows of the job. 'I wouldn't change my experiences for anything, but you have to accept this lifestyle comes with drawbacks,' she said. 

Abbi began her superyacht journey in 2017, shortly after giving up a steady job as a project manager for a bifold door company. She had no plans other than to 'maybe go and travel for a bit' and fell into the lifestyle by chance. 

Abbi Robertson, a seasoned yachtie who's spent seven years at sea, spoke to MailOnline Travel about the highs and lows of the job. She's pictured above in Antigua - up the mast

The superyacht chef claimed there are 'drawbacks' to the job, including 16-hour work days and having no privacy

These images show Abbi's sleeping quarters - in a cabin that she will usually be sharing with someone else

She completed a compulsory training course in Antibes, France. And, within days, she was on a 50-metre motoryacht in St Tropez. After working as a crew member for a year, Abbi saved up her tip money to pay for a culinary course at Ashburton Chef Academy and transitioned into working in the galley. 

Abbi currently works on a mid-sized superyacht and serves a maximum of eight guests and five crew members. 

She works on a rotation, spending 10 weeks at sea and 10 weeks on land. Before that, she worked full-time spending most of her time on board with only six weeks holiday a year. 

A typical day begins at 6:30am, prepping and serving breakfast and planning meals for the day. After that, she'll serve lunch, which varies between a three-course fine-dining menu or sharing platters 'depending on what the guests prefer'. 

Abbi began working on superyachts as a crew member and saved her tips to complete a culinary course. Pictured is a swinging 'gimbal' stove in the galley, which keeps the pots and pans level at sea

Abbi currently works on a mid-sized superyacht serving eight guests and five crew members. She starts her days in the kitchen at 6:30am

Abbi previously worked full-time on superyachts but now spends 10 weeks on board and 10 weeks at home in Buckinghamshire. Abbi snapped the above image of Mo'orea, a South Pacific Island, from a viewing point in Tahiti  

Abbi will take a quick break after lunch, before preparing a 'sweet treat' or afternoon tea at 3pm and canapes for cocktail hour at 6:00pm. At 7:00pm, she'll serve dinner and 'tackle the mountain of washing up in the galley'.  

Following dessert prep and drafting a menu for the next day, she'll finally rest at 11:00pm. Ready to do it all over again. 

One thing that surprised Abbi about working on a superyacht is how tough the work is. 

She said: 'It's an easy assumption to make that we are on a "permanent holiday" and as soon as the guests leave, we hang out on the yacht and live it up. But in reality, the work on a boat is never finished. 

Abbi is shown above negotiating passage through Patagonia, the southernmost region of South America

LEFT: Abbi on a windy passage from Brazil to Uruguay. RIGHT: Scuba diving in Fakarava, an atoll in the Tuamotu Islands of French Polynesia

Abbi said living on a superyacht is not a 'permanent holiday' and takes a lot of 'hard work'. This image shows Abbi admiring a beautiful view in Tahiti 

'A superyacht has to work perfectly and look brand new every time the guests come onboard. That takes a hell of a lot of work and a lot of late nights to achieve.' 

And plenty of difficulties come with spending long periods of time at sea. 

From finding it impossible to cook while the 'boat is bouncing along' to the lack of work/life balance and routine, Abbi said the lifestyle is not 'suited to everyone'. 

She said: 'The obvious downsides are being far from family, having no privacy or any kind of work/life balance - hard when you live at work - but the thing I have found hardest as I've got older is the lack of routine or consistency. You build up a group of friends in one port and get used to your life there, but any minute you could get told by the captain that you're sailing to the other side of the world and you have to start all over again.' 

But for Abbi, working on a superyacht is 'worth it'. 

The highs, she said, include visiting 'some incredible countries that I've never even heard of before', with standouts that include 'sailing through the Magellan Straits in Patagonia, spending a full year in Tahiti and visiting the islands of Vanuatu'.

A close second to travel is the 'amazing people' she's met along the way. 'When you have a good crew around you, it barely even feels like working,' she said. 

Abbi added: 'You often have to go with the flow and roll with the punches. If you can do that, then you can enjoy an amazing lifestyle and experience once-in-a-lifetime destinations.'

For more from Abbi, visit her on TikTok at www.tiktok.com/@abbicooks.uk (previously www.tiktok.com/@abbicooks) or Instagram here - www.instagram.com/abbicooks/.